It\u2019s hard to be a kid.<\/p>\n
But it\u2019s interesting to be a kid who can pass for an adult.<\/p>\n
Twelve year old Liam is tall for his age and \u2013 recently \u2013 began prematurely growing facial hair. An only child, and \u201cofficially gifted and talented\u201d, his only friends are online players of World of Warcraft \u2013 a virtual reality that allows him to fit in physically with everyone else\u2026 and have adventures.<\/p>\n
Though his physical awkwardness cripples him socially, it has some advantages \u2013 for example, he got to ride as an adult on carnival rides, he almost got to test drive a Porsche, and even passed for the guidance counselor at his new school\u2026 until he got caught.\u00a0 In fact, he always gets caught and dragged back to his normal, uneventful childhood.<\/p>\n
Until\u2026<\/p>\n
He applies for \u2013 and wins \u2013 the opportunity for a father-daughter trip to a brand new amusement park in China.\u00a0 After convincing his friend Florida to pose as his daughter he grabbed a book called \u201cHow to Talk To Your Teen\u201d (from his dad\u2019s nightstand to be able act \u201cdadly\u201d) and heads off for his real life amusement park adventure.<\/p>\n
But, it\u2019s no amusement park after all. In fact, through an amazing plot twist, he ends up on as the guest of an unethical corporation planning to profit from commercial space travel. But first, they need to test it out on normal folks.\u00a0 That\u2019s how he ends up on a secret Chinese rocket \u2013 the only \u201cadult\u201d who\u2019s supposed to be supervising the excursion.<\/p>\n
I don\u2019t have to tell you that things go horribly wrong.\u00a0 Actually, the whole book is written as a letter to his parents, explaining his whereabouts:<\/p>\n
Mom, Dad \u2013 if you\u2019re listening \u2013 you know I said I was going to the South Lakeland Outdoor Activity Center with the school?<\/em><\/p>\n To be completely honest, I\u2019m not exactly in the Lake District.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n To be completely honest, I\u2019m more sort of in space.<\/em><\/p>\n This is a funny book.\u00a0 We read it aloud to our kids (an 11 year old girl and a 9 year old boy) and sometimes all<\/em> of us were laughing out loud at Liam\u2019s antics and various philosophies.\u00a0 But the book also says a great deal about the universe, man\u2019s place in it, and fathers. At one point in the book, Liam participates in a \u201cBest Dad\u201d contest, voted for by four child prodigies, as he tries to fake what \u201cgood fatherhood\u201d might look like.<\/p>\n Author Frank Cottrell Boyce has seven kids, so he might know a little something about being a dad.\u00a0 Recently, he told The Times that \u201cThe best novel about fathers ever is To Kill a Mockingbird.\u00a0 You think your father is some bumbling old man, and you discover he\u2019s Atticus, he\u2019s the hero-dad. Liam knows his dad will bail him out. You never feel like you\u2019re doing a great job, you think you\u2019ve got to be flawless, but the most you can do is to be generous and loving and just there.\u201d<\/p>\n This books touches on some deeply meaningful topics \u2013 and you gamers might appreciate that Liam has found a way to translate his Warcraft successes into his actual life.\u00a0 But mostly, it\u2019s about how \u201cgrownupness is wasted on grown-ups.\u201d<\/p>\n And this issues (coupled with down-right hilarity) makes this book truly, to use Liam\u2019s favorite expression of appreciation, cosmic.<\/p>\n Highly Recommended!<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Please view a video clip promoting the book below:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n