Liam is too big for his boots. And his football strip. And his school blazer. But being super-sized height-wise has its advantages: he's the on... read full description
reviews
Jun 23, 2008
Monica
rated it: 
Here's my blog post:
A few years ago I fell hard for Millions, Frank Cotrell Boyce’s first book for children. The outlandish situation (two boys feverishly spending large amounts of money), the characterizations (particularly of the two boys and their father), the subtle handling of the big emotional and theological themes (of grief and faith), the laugh-out-loud humorous moments (my favorite being the playground economy), and the remarkable voice of narrator Damian (the younger of t More...
A few years ago I fell hard for Millions, Frank Cotrell Boyce’s first book for children. The outlandish situation (two boys feverishly spending large amounts of money), the characterizations (particularly of the two boys and their father), the subtle handling of the big emotional and theological themes (of grief and faith), the laugh-out-loud humorous moments (my favorite being the playground economy), and the remarkable voice of narrator Damian (the younger of t More...
Nov 14, 2008
Julia
rated it:
This story is truly cosmic. Cottrell really has a great sense of humor and writes in a way that made me laugh out loud. The main character Liam is easy to relate to, even if you're not a 12 year old bearded boy. Even though it is not likely that a middle school boy can pose as an adult and get launched into space on a crazy mission, I was so absorbed in the story that I believed it could happen!
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Jan 19, 2012
Nicole
rated it:
This book was an absolute charmer (could be either middle grade or teen - or adult, frankly - for the audience). I picked it up at the library on a whim, and I'm really glad I did. Boyce's writing style is funny, and sweet, and 'real.' He really brings young Liam to life. Liam is a 12 year old kid that is extremely tall and 'manly' for his age. This both alienates him from kids his own age AND causes many adults to mistake him for an adult himself. So, this also leads to both sad sort of heart-w
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Dec 09, 2011
Kelley
rated it: 
Genre: Science Fiction
Liam is a 12 year old who everyone has thought looked much older; he’s tall, has facial hair, and is often thought to look like he is thirty. He manages to get himself and his friend Florida on the first civilian ship to space. This story is about Liam’s journey around the moon.
Plot
The idea behind this story is one that I think many students would find intriguing. Here is a young boy passing as an adult and going where no kid had gone before. He is s More...
Liam is a 12 year old who everyone has thought looked much older; he’s tall, has facial hair, and is often thought to look like he is thirty. He manages to get himself and his friend Florida on the first civilian ship to space. This story is about Liam’s journey around the moon.
Plot
The idea behind this story is one that I think many students would find intriguing. Here is a young boy passing as an adult and going where no kid had gone before. He is s More...
Dec 09, 2011
Sara
rated it:
1. Genre: Junior Book/Science Fiction
2. Summary: Liam, a twelve year old boy, who appears to be much older than that thanks to his extreme height and facial hair growth, has always felt as though he didn’t quite fit into our world. In this unique and fun novel, Boyce writes of Liam’s adventures posing as an adult chaperone for the first space ship traveling into space with all kids!
3. Critique:
a. One of the greatest strengths of this title is the use of comparati More...
2. Summary: Liam, a twelve year old boy, who appears to be much older than that thanks to his extreme height and facial hair growth, has always felt as though he didn’t quite fit into our world. In this unique and fun novel, Boyce writes of Liam’s adventures posing as an adult chaperone for the first space ship traveling into space with all kids!
3. Critique:
a. One of the greatest strengths of this title is the use of comparati More...
Dec 07, 2011
Lisa
rated it: 
1.Science Fiction
2.Cosmic is the story of one boy’s journey to the moon and back. Posing as his dad, Liam Digby wins a phone contest to an amusement park in China. He takes is good friend, Florida to be his daughter and together they discover that parenting and space travel isn’t as easy as one would expect.
3.A. Point of View B. Cosmic is told from a first person point of view. Liam Digby recounts his adventures as a twelve year old boy who is often mistaken for an adult. More...
2.Cosmic is the story of one boy’s journey to the moon and back. Posing as his dad, Liam Digby wins a phone contest to an amusement park in China. He takes is good friend, Florida to be his daughter and together they discover that parenting and space travel isn’t as easy as one would expect.
3.A. Point of View B. Cosmic is told from a first person point of view. Liam Digby recounts his adventures as a twelve year old boy who is often mistaken for an adult. More...
Nov 28, 2011
Kristina
rated it:
Genre: Science Fiction Junior Book
Liam is a twelve year old boy who is so tall that he is often mistaken as an adult. Although he is too big for his boots and other things like his school blazer, Liam has learned to use his height to his advantage, which leads him to being the only adult chaperon on the first ever trip for civilians to space. Liam quickly learns the many responsibilities faced by adults when something goes wrong on the trip.
a.) A major strength of this b More...
Liam is a twelve year old boy who is so tall that he is often mistaken as an adult. Although he is too big for his boots and other things like his school blazer, Liam has learned to use his height to his advantage, which leads him to being the only adult chaperon on the first ever trip for civilians to space. Liam quickly learns the many responsibilities faced by adults when something goes wrong on the trip.
a.) A major strength of this b More...
Nov 28, 2011
Casey
rated it:
1. Classification: Science Fiction- junior novel
2. Summary: This is the story of Liam, a twelve year old boy who appears to be thirty! Liam has the problem of constantly being mistaken as an adult especially on the first day of school when he was thought to be a teacher. Liam decides to use his appearence to his advantage and become a chaperone on a space mission with his friend Florida acting as his 'daughter.' Liam soon realizes that there is more to being an adult when the spaceship More...
2. Summary: This is the story of Liam, a twelve year old boy who appears to be thirty! Liam has the problem of constantly being mistaken as an adult especially on the first day of school when he was thought to be a teacher. Liam decides to use his appearence to his advantage and become a chaperone on a space mission with his friend Florida acting as his 'daughter.' Liam soon realizes that there is more to being an adult when the spaceship More...
Jul 22, 2011
Tammie
rated it:
This was my "reward" for completing the mock test for the doctoral student. The story is about a teenage boy (Liam) who looks much older than his age. This has been a constant source of irritation for him, a source of worry for his mom, and a subject of great humor for his classmates. (Never a good thing when you're a teenager.) Eventually, Liam figures out how to use this situation to his advantage. The first time was when he was the only student on a class trip to be tall enoug
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Jun 30, 2011
Laura
rated it:
This is a great book for middle grade teens. Cosmic won the Black-Eyed Susan award for the 2010-2011 school year and I loved the movie Millions based on Frank Cottrell Boyce's book.
Cosmic is the story of Liam Digby, a 12-year-old boy who looks like a grown man. Constantly mistaken for an adult, Liam decides to start taking advantage of his ability to blend in with the adult world. His friend Florida agrees to be his 'daughter' and their small scams lead them to a theme park in C More...
Cosmic is the story of Liam Digby, a 12-year-old boy who looks like a grown man. Constantly mistaken for an adult, Liam decides to start taking advantage of his ability to blend in with the adult world. His friend Florida agrees to be his 'daughter' and their small scams lead them to a theme park in C More...
Feb 24, 2011
Chris
rated it:
"You should know better, a big lad like you."
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Part of me was thinking, I really should think more about the consequences of my actions. Then this wouldn't happen to me. But another part of me was thinking, This is good.
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That is exactly the wrong way round. It's supposed to be more fun being a grown-up. That's why I swapped being a kid for being a dad. What's the point in forfeiting your childhood if all you get for it is filling in f More...
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Part of me was thinking, I really should think more about the consequences of my actions. Then this wouldn't happen to me. But another part of me was thinking, This is good.
-----
That is exactly the wrong way round. It's supposed to be more fun being a grown-up. That's why I swapped being a kid for being a dad. What's the point in forfeiting your childhood if all you get for it is filling in f More...
Jan 23, 2011
Debbie
rated it:
I chose to read this book because the author's previous books appeared to win so many awards and recognition - plus it was in this month's Scholastic TAB catalog, and I hadn't heard of it before.
Truth be told, it's not my type of book, but I liked it anyway. If you know how picky I am about books, that's praise. I don't waste time on books I don't like.
Basic gist: Liam is a 12yo book who is tall for his age, hairy for his age, and smart for his age. All of these work toget More...
Truth be told, it's not my type of book, but I liked it anyway. If you know how picky I am about books, that's praise. I don't waste time on books I don't like.
Basic gist: Liam is a 12yo book who is tall for his age, hairy for his age, and smart for his age. All of these work toget More...
Dec 28, 2010
nicole
rated it:
This was my first read for this year's Cybils and it's progress was impeded by all sorts of my own adult responsibilities. Liam thrilled at the opportunity to go on rides without adult supervision and drive a Porsche without being asked for his license. But it isn't until he is directly responsible for the care and well-being of several children who fear their feet might never touch Earth's soil again that he realizes maybe it's time to start acting his age and not his size.
I totally More...
I totally More...
Dec 22, 2010
Minli
rated it:
It's a coincidence I began this on the night of the lunar eclipse, or maybe I just have space on the brain? Actually, not really. It's up to me to note books that get stars from major trade publications, and this book has a whopping SIX.
Cottrell Bryce owes a lot to Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and I say this in the best way possible. One, they're both British. Two, they live for caricature and the funny. Three, their books are just whimsical enough, and serious en More...
Cottrell Bryce owes a lot to Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and I say this in the best way possible. One, they're both British. Two, they live for caricature and the funny. Three, their books are just whimsical enough, and serious en More...
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Dec 01, 2010
Mundie Moms & Mundie Kids
rated it:
Cosmic is a fun, heart warming read as Liam is having a very hard time with being trapped in both the kid world and the adult world. I mean, if you looked like you were 30 and could grow a beard, what 12 year old would want to be doing kid stuff. The delightful thing with Liam, is his humorous voice. Liam also struggles with feeling like he can't live up his parent's expectations of him and that his parent's don't love him. He struggles with being a kid trapped inside an adult body. At least he
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Nov 14, 2010
Caren
rated it:
Because I had enjoyed the film "Millions", based on a book by Frank Cottrell Boyce, I was interested in reading his latest book for children, "Cosmic". "Cosmic" had been shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal in 2009 (it was published in the UK in 2008 and in the USA in 2010), and won the British Blue Peter award, "Book I Could Not Put Down" (chosen by children from selections given to them by adult judges),for 2010. This was a fun follow-up for me after havin
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Jan 22, 2011
Really cool book about a boy who is 12, who is big for his age, and gifted and talented. He fits in no where at school, and spends his time playing online games.
He learns of an opportunity to be the first to go to a new amusement park. The problem is, you have to be one of the 10 best dads voted to go. He poses as a dad, convinces a semi-friend/acquaintance from school to pose as his daughter, and the 2 embark on an incredible journey. It turns out that the new amusement part is in More...
He learns of an opportunity to be the first to go to a new amusement park. The problem is, you have to be one of the 10 best dads voted to go. He poses as a dad, convinces a semi-friend/acquaintance from school to pose as his daughter, and the 2 embark on an incredible journey. It turns out that the new amusement part is in More...
Sep 22, 2011
Amy Beth
rated it:
This book was wonderful! I really enjoyed it. The main character is a twelve year old boy who got an early growth spurt and can pass as an adult. Talking about his new beard: "So I don't get wisps of cotton candy anymore. I get this stuff that looks like naturally occurring toilet brush." Writing like this carries throughout the whole book; Liam's commentary is wonderful. I also loved the ongoing dialogue about being a dad and what that is like from a teenager's point of view who is bo
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Apr 24, 2010
Liza
rated it:
Cottrell Boyce, a British author, offers up this story about a 12 year old boy named Liam who looks like he's 30 due to being freakishly tall for his age and able to sprout facial hair. The first fifth of the book is spent rather humorously exploring Liam's life trying to fit in and failing rather miserably. But, Liam being a Gifted and Talented lad, he decides to stop trying to fit it with others his age and instead decides to act like he really is 30.
What follows is the story of More...
What follows is the story of More...
Jan 05, 2010
Elizabeth
rated it:
Close your eyes. Lean back. Take a breath. Now think. Think about the books you read when you were a child. Think about the ones you loved. The ones you still think about sometimes. The ones that encouraged you to consider the world around you.
Got them in your head? Great. Now just pluck out for me the ones that took place in outer space. Go on. I can wait.
What’s that? You can’t think of any significant children’s books that took place in space? Would The Little Prince More...
Got them in your head? Great. Now just pluck out for me the ones that took place in outer space. Go on. I can wait.
What’s that? You can’t think of any significant children’s books that took place in space? Would The Little Prince More...
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Jul 14, 2010
Destinee
rated it:
This would be a great choice for reluctant readers who like outer space, science, jokes, MMORPGs, and/or British things. It's so funny and it really flies by. I think I read it in under 3 hours and I enjoyed every minute. On top of the comedy and rollicking plot, it had some deep philosophical moments that bordered on the existential. I mean, being lost in outer space will definitely get you thinking about the meaning of life, whether you want to think about it or not.
Liam is only 1 More...
Liam is only 1 More...
Apr 25, 2010
Larissa
rated it:
Imagine Willy Wonka with a space twist (and without the gruesome doings-away with children), and you've pretty much got Cosmic. This book tells the story of Liam, an unusually tall and stubble-chinned twelve-year-old who constantly gets mistaken for an adult. Through a whimsical and delightfully convoluted twist of events, Liam and his friend Florida are "specially selected" to go to China to basically test-drive a rocket (with Liam posing as Florida's father). Things, as you might ima
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Feb 28, 2010
Paul
rated it:
A homage to Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by possible the funniest and most imaginative childrens author of today.
Liam is tall for his 12 years on this earth and his facial hair is coming on a treat. This is probably why most people think he is older than he is. When he is given the chance to enter a competition to be one of the first kids/Dads to see the opening of the latest and greatest them park in the world. Liam would do anything he can to get there. And does.
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Liam is tall for his 12 years on this earth and his facial hair is coming on a treat. This is probably why most people think he is older than he is. When he is given the chance to enter a competition to be one of the first kids/Dads to see the opening of the latest and greatest them park in the world. Liam would do anything he can to get there. And does.
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Jan 09, 2011
Katie
rated it:
Potential SPOILERS! Read at your own risk...
I will start off by saying that I went into this book with really high expectations. I mean, come on! The only (children's) book of 2010 to get starred reviews in all 6 journals (at least that I know of)? That's impressive. And it was good. Perhaps just not as good as I was expecting...
First, I really liked the framing device Boyce uses of having Liam lost in space and recording his memories on his phone. It definitely created this More...
I will start off by saying that I went into this book with really high expectations. I mean, come on! The only (children's) book of 2010 to get starred reviews in all 6 journals (at least that I know of)? That's impressive. And it was good. Perhaps just not as good as I was expecting...
First, I really liked the framing device Boyce uses of having Liam lost in space and recording his memories on his phone. It definitely created this More...
Dec 09, 2011
Jeannie
rated it:
Citation: Cosmic, Frank Cottrell Boyce, Walden Pond Press, 2008, 311p. Junior Book/Science Fiction
Genre: Science Fiction
Summary: This book is about a 12 year old boy, Liam, who is mistaken as an adult because of his height and stubble. Liam decides to benefit from what he perceives as a handicap in his world of “teendom” and operate as an adult father, which sends him on a trip out of this world…literally.
Critique: a. I like the fact that this books seems to More...
Genre: Science Fiction
Summary: This book is about a 12 year old boy, Liam, who is mistaken as an adult because of his height and stubble. Liam decides to benefit from what he perceives as a handicap in his world of “teendom” and operate as an adult father, which sends him on a trip out of this world…literally.
Critique: a. I like the fact that this books seems to More...
Dec 05, 2011
Erin
rated it:
Cosmic
by Frank Cotrell Boyce
When you're twelve, you're not supposed to grown a beard, are you? Unfortunately, that's Liam's problem, towering over his other middle-school classmates at over 6 feet tall, and sporting a face that dons an early 5-o-clock shadow (his beard), Liam is constantly mistaken for a grown man. Sometimes this is very, very cool—like when he gets to ride repeatedly at an amusement park for lack of chaperones, and when he gets to drive a sports car. Other times, th More...
by Frank Cotrell Boyce
When you're twelve, you're not supposed to grown a beard, are you? Unfortunately, that's Liam's problem, towering over his other middle-school classmates at over 6 feet tall, and sporting a face that dons an early 5-o-clock shadow (his beard), Liam is constantly mistaken for a grown man. Sometimes this is very, very cool—like when he gets to ride repeatedly at an amusement park for lack of chaperones, and when he gets to drive a sports car. Other times, th More...
Feb 23, 2011
Sarah
rated it:
Liam is a totally normal guy; he likes stuff like computer games, video games, and amusement parks. The only thing is that he is really tall—taller than the kids in his class…even taller than most adults. In fact, most people think he is an adult, which can have its advantages (like getting to –almost— test drive a new car).
When Liam wins a contest to test a ride at a new amusement park, his dad thinks it’s a scam and refuses to follow up on it. Thinking about how people always More...
When Liam wins a contest to test a ride at a new amusement park, his dad thinks it’s a scam and refuses to follow up on it. Thinking about how people always More...
Mar 29, 2010
Liam has always been tall and people have always assumed he’s older than his age. It’s when he starts getting facial hair at 12 that the misunderstandings really take off. He and his friend, Florida, pretend to be father and daughter and have a series of entertaining and risky adventures, but things really go up a level when they assume these roles on a secret space mission.
His main resources for this mission are his father’s copy of Talk to Your Teen (”Think of the anger as emotiona More...
His main resources for this mission are his father’s copy of Talk to Your Teen (”Think of the anger as emotiona More...
Dec 05, 2011
Loryn
rated it:
Liam has always been tall for his age, and because of this, many people assume that he is older than just twelve-years-old. What starts as a fun game of pretending he is the father to classmate Florida, turns into a real mess when the two find themselves in outer space!
This chapter book was so much fun! I have this fantastic picture in my head of what Liam must look like; tall and gangly and misunderstood. He always has adults telling him he should know better, but in reality, he More...
This chapter book was so much fun! I have this fantastic picture in my head of what Liam must look like; tall and gangly and misunderstood. He always has adults telling him he should know better, but in reality, he More...
Nov 23, 2010
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