Now, I have read Top Secret by John Reynolds Gardiner more than once, and I must say, I have found plenty of good and positive things to say about it. And if I had to choose my favorite parts in the book, I would pick these ones:
"Son, listen to me." My dad took hold of both my shoulders. "Do your project on lipstick as Miss Green wants you to. Do something you know you can do."
"Hogwash!" said a voice.
We all turned to see Grandpop standing in the doorway. "Let the boy find out for himself what he can and cannot do."
"But what Allen is talking about is impossible," insisted my father.
"It's not impossible," I said. "I don't care what anybody says. I'm going to do it. I'm going to solve the mystery of human photosynthesis." (p. 17-18)
There are kids at our school with brown skin and kids with black skin, but I knew that a kid with green skin would just be too much. (p. 48)
Can you believe it? I had a project that was sure to win the silver trophy, not to mention Miss Green would probably get voted best science teacher, and what happens? She won't even listen to me.
I also had another problem. Miss Green had told me not to come back until I had washed off the green paint. Except it wasn't green paint, and I didn't know how to change myself back. (p. 52)
I handed Miss Green the pill.
She held it in her hand for a long time, just looking at it. "Don't you realize, Allen," she said, "how important this discovery is? I've waited twenty years to find someone like you in my class. I'm not going to keep quiet about this. I'm going to tell everyone I know. I'm going to scream it from the rooftops!"
"You're wasting your time," I laughed. "No one will believe you. And anyway, the President's advisor said that it would be bad for the country."
"Phooey!" said Miss Green. "The truth must not be silenced. You shouldn't have told them in the first place."
"What other choice did I have? No one else would listen to me."
"Simply write it down, Allen. Let the future be your judge. Not the present." (p. 105-106)
Basically, I highly recommend this book for anyone who likes science, botany or both, and I give it five stars as well (although ten stars would be even better). 🪴🪴
