Cosmic by Frank Cottrell Boyce

Liam is only twelve years old, but he looks like he's an adult (he's even been shaving for a year). Looking like an adult has some pretty sweet advantages like test driving a Porsche... almost, or being mistaken for a teacher on his first day of middle school. Best of all, after completing a phone survey he is invited to participate in the best dad in the world contest and the grand prize is a trip to a theme park ride with the greatest ride ever built. Of course, that's how he ends up trapped in space, so it's not all great.

Frank Cottrell Boyce has done it again, this book is equal parts comical and inspiring. There are times that Liam's attempts to learn the art of "dad-liness" made me laugh so hard I almost shot root beer out my nose and other times when it made me really think about what it means to be a dad. One of my favorite parts of the book is when Liam realizes that all dad conversations can be broken down into 5 essential themes. #1 How we got there. #2 What the parking was like. #3 What it was like in the old days. #4 Something thoughtful that really makes you think. #5 Something to do with last night's football match. Liam practices Dad speak by applying these 5 themes to something he likes to talk about, World of Warcraft, with hilarious results. Recommend this book to kids who like to laugh grades 4 to 7.

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by Patrick