<< Books of the Month
<< Previous Children's Book of the Month

Children's Book of the Month

The Terrible Thing That Happened to Barnaby Brocket by John Boyne
Published by Doubleday, 2012.

Mr. and Mrs. Brocket pride themselves in being normal respectable parents and have very little time for anyone who in their eyes, isn’t.

Barnaby defies the laws of gravity and can float since birth. His parents simply cannot accept how different he is from their other two children and after trying really hard to cope they decide quite literally to “let him go”

And so begins a series of adventures for Barnaby in his efforts to get back home. On his travels from country to country he meets several others who like himself are not “normal” and they all have tips to offer based on their own experience, to help Barnaby.

There are serious underlying themes in this beautiful children’s book. Barnaby’s ultimate aim is that his parents will accept him for being different and for who he is. It should also inspire readers who have issues with who they are to see their uniqueness makes them special.

John Boyne’s third novel for young readers has been listed for the Irish Book Awards Children’s Book of the Year.