Max Einstein: The Genius Experiment
Twelve-year-old Max Einstein may know more about math and science than her college professors, but she doesn’t know who her parents were or how she got her famous last name. Things get even more confusing when she’s recruited by a mysterious organization to help solve some of the world’s toughest problems. Can Max and her supergenius friends outsmart the evil Corp and bring electricity to the farthest reaches of the planet?
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What the Book Is About
Jewish Content & Values
Positive Role Models
Content Advisory
Talk It Over
More for You
Max Einstein is a 12-year-old genius orphan whose only friends are her fellow squatters in the Manhattan horse barn where she lives. In her free time, Max attends NYU and studies the work of Albert Einstein, her hero and inspiration. Everything changes for Max when she’s abducted by members of the evil Corp and then rescued by employees of the Change Makers Institute (CMI). Funded by a mysterious benefactor, the CMI whisks Max away to Jerusalem, where young geniuses from around the world are competing to lead a team that will solve some of the world’s biggest problems using science and technology. But the Corp hasn’t given up on their quest to kidnap Max so they can exploit her genius for their own nefarious plans. Undeterred by their threats, Max and her friends refuse to give up on their quest to bring solar electricity to one of the most remote regions of the Congo.
- Tikkun olam, or the repair of the world, is central to the plot. The CMI is funded by a mysterious benefactor who wants to use his wealth to solve some of the world’s most pressing problems using science and technology.
- Max’s respect for and dedication to all people, regardless of their station in life, is an example of b’tzelem elohim, or the belief that we are all created in God’s image.
- The Talmud tells us that, “by the breath of children God sustains the world" (Talmud Bavli, Shabbat 119b). The creativity, compassion, and perseverance of children is a theme throughout the book.
- The CMI is based in Israel, with key scenes taking place at The Albert Einstein Archives at Hebrew University and in the old city of Jerusalem. There are references to a number of landmarks, including the souk, the Mechane Yehuda Market, and Yad Vashem. Albert Einstein’s love of Israel and his 1923 visit to Jerusalem are also mentioned.
- Max Einstein is an intelligent, creative, compassionate child who is always thinking of others, especially those who are even less fortunate than she is.
- Although he exists only in Max’s imagination, Albert Einstein is an important character throughout the story. Readers will learn about his intelligence, wisdom, and dedication to creating a safer world for everyone.
- Sharl and Isabl are smart, kind CMI agents dedicated to protecting Max and her friends from the evil Corp.
- The other eight children in the competition hail from around the world and have a variety of skills and interests, but they all share a dedication to hard work and making the world a better place.
The Corp is a shadowy group led by the evil Dr. Zimm. Zimm and his henchmen threaten to kidnap Max and eventually abduct two of her friends. (They’re all fine in the end.) Congolese bad guys point guns at the children, but no one is ever shot.
The genius children from around the world specialize in a variety of scientific fields, including robotics, geology, botany, computer science, and astrophysics. If you could choose to be a world expert in any subject, which one would you choose and why?
In a key scene in the book, Max and Annika escape the henchmen of evil Dr. Zimm by running into the Bloomfield Museum, located near Hebrew University in Jerusalem. The museum provides an interactive experience dedicated to increasing “interest among the general public in science and technology in the world around us, to promote excellency in sciences among youth, and to present science and technology as an integral part of human culture.” Since its opening in 1992, the Bloomfield Museum has welcomed over four million visitors to its indoor and outdoor hands-on exhibits designed for children and families, including a bubble-making corner in which you can create bubbles of all sizes.
What the Book Is About
Max Einstein is a 12-year-old genius orphan whose only friends are her fellow squatters in the Manhattan horse barn where she lives. In her free time, Max attends NYU and studies the work of Albert Einstein, her hero and inspiration. Everything changes for Max when she’s abducted by members of the evil Corp and then rescued by employees of the Change Makers Institute (CMI). Funded by a mysterious benefactor, the CMI whisks Max away to Jerusalem, where young geniuses from around the world are competing to lead a team that will solve some of the world’s biggest problems using science and technology. But the Corp hasn’t given up on their quest to kidnap Max so they can exploit her genius for their own nefarious plans. Undeterred by their threats, Max and her friends refuse to give up on their quest to bring solar electricity to one of the most remote regions of the Congo.
Jewish Content & Values
- Tikkun olam, or the repair of the world, is central to the plot. The CMI is funded by a mysterious benefactor who wants to use his wealth to solve some of the world’s most pressing problems using science and technology.
- Max’s respect for and dedication to all people, regardless of their station in life, is an example of b’tzelem elohim, or the belief that we are all created in God’s image.
- The Talmud tells us that, “by the breath of children God sustains the world" (Talmud Bavli, Shabbat 119b). The creativity, compassion, and perseverance of children is a theme throughout the book.
- The CMI is based in Israel, with key scenes taking place at The Albert Einstein Archives at Hebrew University and in the old city of Jerusalem. There are references to a number of landmarks, including the souk, the Mechane Yehuda Market, and Yad Vashem. Albert Einstein’s love of Israel and his 1923 visit to Jerusalem are also mentioned.
Positive Role Models
- Max Einstein is an intelligent, creative, compassionate child who is always thinking of others, especially those who are even less fortunate than she is.
- Although he exists only in Max’s imagination, Albert Einstein is an important character throughout the story. Readers will learn about his intelligence, wisdom, and dedication to creating a safer world for everyone.
- Sharl and Isabl are smart, kind CMI agents dedicated to protecting Max and her friends from the evil Corp.
- The other eight children in the competition hail from around the world and have a variety of skills and interests, but they all share a dedication to hard work and making the world a better place.
Content Advisory
The Corp is a shadowy group led by the evil Dr. Zimm. Zimm and his henchmen threaten to kidnap Max and eventually abduct two of her friends. (They’re all fine in the end.) Congolese bad guys point guns at the children, but no one is ever shot.
Talk It Over
The genius children from around the world specialize in a variety of scientific fields, including robotics, geology, botany, computer science, and astrophysics. If you could choose to be a world expert in any subject, which one would you choose and why?
More for You
In a key scene in the book, Max and Annika escape the henchmen of evil Dr. Zimm by running into the Bloomfield Museum, located near Hebrew University in Jerusalem. The museum provides an interactive experience dedicated to increasing “interest among the general public in science and technology in the world around us, to promote excellency in sciences among youth, and to present science and technology as an integral part of human culture.” Since its opening in 1992, the Bloomfield Museum has welcomed over four million visitors to its indoor and outdoor hands-on exhibits designed for children and families, including a bubble-making corner in which you can create bubbles of all sizes.
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