The Proto Project: A Sci-Fi Adventure of the Mind

by Bryan R. Johnson, Cynthea Liu (Editor)

Overview

From the best-selling award-winning author of Code 7: Cracking the Code for an Epic Life, Bryan R. Johnson

2020 Mom's Choice Gold Award

2020 Readers' Favorite Award

2020 Purple Dragonfly Award

Featured Children's Book Selection by Kirkus Reviews

Praised by Publishers Weekly

When Jason meets his mom's billion-dollar invention, an artificial intelligence device named Proto, he accidentally gets caught up in a mysterious adventure. Proto goes missing, and then people go missing. Now Jason and his coolest-neighbor-ever Maya must risk their lives to prevent global mayhem. But who is behind this devious plot? Is it another AI? The FBI? Or any other abbreviation with an I? What exactly is there to learn about artificial and human intelligence while fighting for your life against a legion of furry puppies or a battalion of drones? A lot- if you live to tell about it.

"All the other books I've read were pretty cool, but not as awesome as this. Best book ever!" - Jlburk

• Great for independent young readers, boys and girls, ages 8-12 (3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th grade)
• Best for kids who have outgrown chapter books and are ready for longer middle-grade books
• A wonderful gift for anyone looking for fun and funny reading with content that is age-appropriate for kids at home and in school

Best for kids who ...

• Adore realistic fiction combined with fantasy and science fiction, told with humor and tall-tale flair
• Love fast-paced novels filled with mystery, suspense, and adventure
• Ideal for readers who enjoy popular series books like I Survived, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Encyclopedia Brown, The Last Kids on Earth, National Geographic Kids and love books by top authors like James Patterson, Kate Dicamillo, and Dav Pilkey.

Great for gift-givers, parents, and educators looking for ...

• An entertaining, educational novel for upper-elementary and middle school tweens
• Upholds strong values, encourages intellectual curiosity with a growth mindset, and inspires social and global responsibility
• Encourages interest in STEM careers (science, technology, engineering and math)
• Incorporates potential real-world applications of modern developments in Artificial Intelligence in concert with Biology, Chemistry, and Physics
• Emphasizes collaboration and teamwork to benefit the greater good

"Johnson keeps the middle school laughs going in this action-packed, accessible look at the pros and cons of advancing AI and technology, a contemporary tale certain to intrigue and entertain young readers." Publishers Weekly

"Johnson (Code 7, 2017) offers a well-calculated balance of suspense and humor for middle school readers .... Action sequences are exciting and dramatic. The novel also provides food for thought in considering how AI could help or hurt humanity. Although the villains are over the top, they do give voice to some of the forces that might want to use AI for selfish, grandiose reasons. A well-written, fast-paced and thoughtful adventure." - Kirkus Review

"A fast-paced and exciting novel that makes the techiest James Bond spy thriller seem old-fashioned and stodgy by comparison ... Impossible to put down." - Readers' Favorite 5-star review

Lexile score 600L-700L DRA 28 Guided Reading Level N

Age Level: 8 and up Grade Level: 3 and up

Available in hardcover, paperback, audiobook, and Kindle.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781940556055
Publisher:	Candy Wrapper
Publication date:	09/09/2019
Pages:	232
Sales rank:	666,190
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.49(d)
Age Range:	9 - 12 Years

About the Author

Bryan is a real-life adventurer. When he's not climbing the peaks of Mout Kilimanjaro or flying airplanes, he's exploring the inner-workings of the human brain and investing in breakthrough science. Bryan prefers fist bumps over handshakes, hip hop to jazz, and pizza without the crust.

Cynthea Liu spent her formative years in Oklahoma and Texas where she was a Whiz Quiz member, an Academic Decathloner, and a spelling bee champion. (Yes, she was very popular.) After attending college on the East coast, she worked at a corporate job where she mastered PowerPoint and racked up thousands of frequent flyer miles. Eventually, she traded in her suit for sweats to do the fun stuff-writing for children.

Editorial Reviews

04/20/2020

A middle school boy, his new friend, and a complex yet naive AI team up to defeat dastardly villains in this clever, fast-paced sci-fi outing by Johnson (Code 7) . Jason Pascal, 12, is heading to Recode Global, a tech company that hires “the brightest, most future-literate people in the world,” on a schoolwide field trip. For Jason, this is a chance to see where his mother, Dr. Shannon Pascal, works, and finally learn about her secretive scientific job. Dr. Pascal introduces Jason to Proto, a billion-dollar AI contained within a sportswatch body, which she created to assist people with the company’s inventions. Furtively hitching a ride with Jason, Proto quickly evolves from a socially awkward machine to one with feelings and compassion. Teaming up with Proto, as well as Maya Mateo, a classmate and new neighbor, Jason will need to keep his wits about him to rescue his kidnapped parents from a devious cybersecurity advisor and an even more mysterious client, Madame X. Johnson keeps the middle school laughs going in this action-packed, accessible look at the pros and cons of advancing AI and technology, a contemporary tale certain to intrigue and entertain young readers. Ages 8–12. (Self-published)

Publishers Weekly

"A well-written, fast-paced, and thoughtful adventure." - Kirkus Reviews

"The Proto Project: A Sci-Fi Adventure of the Mind is a fast-paced and exciting novel that makes the techiest James Bond spy thriller seem old-fashioned and stodgy by comparison. Johnson does the British Secret Service’s tech-maestro Q even better as Jason and Maya find themselves in a desperate partnership with a spider-sized Artificial Intelligence as they attempt to rescue Jason’s mom and dad and quite possibly save the planet. The plot is zany and unpredictable, and Johnson’s characters are a hoot to watch as they expand their imaginations, skills, and world-views in response to the crisis they’re facing. I found this book impossible to put down and am hoping that the author considers giving Maya, Jason and Proto another global challenge to work with. Surely characters this credible and fun to be with deserve a sequel? The Proto Project: A Sci-Fi Adventure of the Mind is most highly recommended." - Jack Magnus, Readers' Favorite® 5-star Review

Spiced with a satisfying blend of mystery, science, and social inspection, The Proto Project excels in crafting a fast-paced story of how proactive AIs, savvy children, and adults investigate their rapidly-changing new world with an attention to revealing trade secrets. As they embark on world-changing choices and action, the efforts of one young man who becomes involved in a new formula to enhance humanity's future changes everything. (It should also be noted that the open-ended conclusion satisfyingly ends The Proto Project, but paves the way for more adventures.) - Diane Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review

From the Publisher

2019-09-23
When a boy's scientist mother is kidnapped, he tries to rescue her with the help of her greatest invention in this middle-grade novel.

Although Jason Pascal, 12, might be expected to know something about Recode Global, where his mother, Dr. Shannon Pascal, is a top scientist, the site is highly defended, demanding strict confidentiality agreements from its employees. So, along with everyone else on the Buttonwood Middle School field trip, Jason will be going through the secretive company's doors for the first time. After Shannon's presentation on how humans and artificial intelligence can be partners, she shows Jason her lab and Proto, the wristwatch-sized prototype AI she's developing, whose "main governing principle is to work with humanity, not against it." This is reassuring—because Proto hitches a ride out of the lab with Jason and becomes very useful indeed when it becomes evident that Shannon has been kidnapped. Proto helps Jason and his friend Maya Mateo to investigate, a search that leads them to a nefarious toy factory where a supervillain has big plans. With a little help from his friends, can Jason save his mother and the future of AI? Johnson (Code 7, 2017) offers a well-calculated balance of suspense and humor for middle school readers, and Jason and Maya make a good pair. They bond first over a mutual interest in bicycles and recording their tricks and then through their shared courage. Maya's "DronePro" becomes something of a counterpart to Proto. Proto is often drolly amusing, as when he distracts barking dogs by beaming images of "tiny sweaters, booties, and blingy collars," explaining that "my research indicates Chihuahuas have incredible fashion sense." Action sequences are exciting and dramatic. The novel also provides food for thought in considering how AI could help or hurt humanity. Although the villains are over the top, they do give voice to some of the forces that might want to use AI for selfish, grandiose reasons.

A well-written, fast-paced, and thoughtful adventure.

Kirkus Reviews