Summary
Liam, a much taller-and-older-looking than your typical thirteen year-old boy (complete with facial hair) who is fascinated with travelling and theme parks, wins a "Once in a Lifetime!" trip to a new theme park- all he has to do is ask his super-busy dad to take him... Or, convince his friend from school, Florida, to join him in China, posing as his son... And, so, the out-of-this-world adventure begins!
Liam tells the tale of his theme-park adventure gone wrong from space (yes! space) as he is sure him and the other four passengers (all children, mind you) are lost in a far away galaxy forever. What begins as an innocent trip for fathers and sons/daughters to China, spirals quickly out of control when the lucky theme-park visitors realize their children are headed to space to become the first children "taikonauts." While this new development is exciting for some, Liam, posing as a father won't get the chance to head to space unless he can convince the mastermind-behind-it-all, Dr. Drax, to let him tag along.
After many humorous competitions, team-builders, and trainings, Liam, Florida, and the others head to space. Of course, Dr. Drax's fool-proof plan for sending minors to space with only one adult (who also happens to be a minor), goes terribly awry. But, with a little teamwork, video-gaming skills, and father-child love, the space-travelers find their way successfully back to Earth and back in the arms of family members they love!
My thoughts
I'd originally recommended this book to one of my special needs students, as he has a fascination with the planets and outer-space. While I hadn't made time to finish the book myself (hence the abandonment statement from above), I thought Cosmic would be a great transfer from non-fiction to fiction for him since the topic included outer-space. Well, he ended up loving the book, I ended up finishing it, and I can't wait to get back to school to talk to him about it!
Two nice surprises came from the book: 1) I really enjoyed the brief mentions of fact and information. There are several sprinklings of the history of space-travel and it was fun to learn a bit about the influential players from the past. 2) The father-son and father-daughter relationships in the book are just too touching to not appreciate. The dynamics between both father-child pair in the book are classic, humorous, and heart-warming (and, don't get any ideas, they are not PERFECT! Just sweet!) :)
What have others said?
Here's a quote from School Library Journal (2011):
And, from my favorite School Library Journal blogger, Fuse #8 (2010):
The story evolves slowly, emphasizing Liam's early misadventures and the problems that result based on adults' assumptions and his own immaturity. Kirby Heybome's first person narration captures both Liam's innocence and delight in the "opportunities" afforded him, and his regret at the later consequences. He also gives realistic performances as Liam's parents, other adults and children.
Fifteen years from now, I like to think, I’ll meet you again. And I’ll tell you to close your eyes. I’ll tell you to lean back. I’ll tell you to take a breath and to think. Think about a book about kids in space that is memorable, classic, and in the pubic consciousness. And maybe, just maybe, your eyes will flutter open and you’ll shoot me a pitying look of mild disgust as you say sarcastically, “Uh, like ‘Cosmic’? Hello?” That’s what I’m shooting for right now. Because as novels for kids go, Boyce has managed to write one that’s just the right mixture of fun and philosophy. Kids will love it and grown-ups will love to read it with them. Doesn’t matter how tall or short you are, because Cosmic is for you.
If you haven't already, definitely check out Fuse #8's other reviews! You can read her whole review on Cosmic here: http://blog.schoollibraryjournal.com/afuse8production/2010/01/08/review-of-the-day-cosmic-by-frank-cottrell-boyce/
Some ideas for the library or classroom
Cosmic is for sure, without a doubt, a great pairing for informational non-fiction on space travel! I can see the display now... Cosmic on one easel and Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream, by Tanya Lee Stone on the neighboring stand...
One of my fellow SLIS 5420 classmates mentioned that she'd like to start a father/son and mother/daughter book club. I am not going to take credit for that idea, but I think Cosmic would be an awesome and fun book for boys and their Dads to read together.
As for the classroom, Cosmic would lead the way for some great conversations on fantasy versus reality- I can think of some great discussion starters:
- If you were given the opportunity to be one of the first children in space, would you go, even knowing the risks? Why or why not?
- Do you think Liam made the right decision by posing as Florida's dad and going to the theme park without his parents? Explain.
- Do you think children will ever go to space? Is the idea a good one? Is it possible?
- The United States goverment has stopped funding much space research and travel. Should space travel be a priority? Why?
Happy Reading!
References
Bird, E. (January 8th,
2010). Review of the day: Cosmic by Frank Cottrell Boyce. Message posted to http://blog.schoollibraryjournal.com/afuse8production/2010/01/08/review-of-the-day-cosmic-by-frank-cottrell-boyce/
Boyce, F. C. (2008). Cosmic. New York, NY: HarperCollins
Publishers Ltd.Ching, E. (2011). [Review of the book, Cosmic by Frank Cottrell Boyce]. School Library Journal, 57(7), 48. Retrieved from http://libproxy.library.unt.edu:2104/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?
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