The Adventures of Kobby Badu-Smith by Dr. Mary A. Ashun

Year of Publication: 2011

Genre: Children / Science fiction

Dr. Mary A. Ashun’s The Adventures of Kobby Badu-Smith is a space adventure series book suitable for children between eight to twelve years. Before the story begins, the author writes a beautiful introduction about why we need such stories:

‘Students (and teachers!) the world over often have trouble explaining major scientific concepts that have shaped our understanding of the universe. Scientific greats such as Einstein, Archimedes, Marie Curie, Newton, Leonardo Da Vinci and others are somewhat known by students at the High School level but with scientific literacy among younger children at a dangerously low point, the Kobby Badu-Smith Series will use fiction, to awaken the desire to know more, learn more and  understand more.’

I certainly do believe that the author achieved the aim for which this book was intended for, in that, we get to learn about some of these scientific theories through a fictitious narrative. This story however concentrates on a particular scientific theory while building the story around Kobby Badu-Smith and his experience with Einstein’s theory of Special relativity…in space.

The story is set around school grounds where students are thought scientific theories and asked to make presentations to the whole class. Out of school grounds, the students visit the Space Centre to watch the shuttle launch and out of carelessness, Kobby Badu-Smith experiences what goes on in a Space Shuttle.

One particular mention that interested me so much were drawing assignments given by the end of each chapter. As I immersed myself as a child reading this book, I felt the importance of the assignments. For instance, in one chapter, Kobby is engaged with the authorities about Einstein’s theory of how light travels in space and the drawing assignment given ask the reader to draw Albert Einstein. I thought this was a brilliant way of asking a child to paint a mental picture of heroes who have greatly affected the world with their scientific theories.

Ashun’s The Adventure of Kobby Badu-Smith is a wonderful science fiction I would recommend for all children. I look forward to reading more from this series.