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113th out of 376 books
—
156 voters
Boom!
by
Mark Haddon
In explosive, highly charged, and hilarious middle-grade adventure from Mark Haddon, acclaimed author of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time. From the moment that Jim and his best friend, Charlie, bug the staff room and overhear two of their teachers speaking to each other in a secret language, they know there's an adventure on its way.
But what does "spudvetc...more
But what does "spudvetc...more
Hardcover, 208 pages
Published
September 3rd 2009
by David Fickling Books
(first published January 1st 2009)
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I decided to read this book because my little brother recommended it to me. We enjoy the same type of book, action packed and fiction.
This book completes ‘recommended by a member of your family’ on my bingo board.
I thought this was a good category because, knowing what books each other like is another way of getting to know each other, always a good thing in a family, (especially with siblings) it teaches us to share.
My favourite quote from the book ‘Boom’ was “life is a cow pat sandwich, Jimbo”...more
This book completes ‘recommended by a member of your family’ on my bingo board.
I thought this was a good category because, knowing what books each other like is another way of getting to know each other, always a good thing in a family, (especially with siblings) it teaches us to share.
My favourite quote from the book ‘Boom’ was “life is a cow pat sandwich, Jimbo”...more
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I felt that this book was very amusing and was a great novel. The book is short, but packs an adventure, uncovering many secrets and weird stuff along the way. I felt that the Mark Haddon has defiantly made improvement to his story, from what I have read in the ‘Foreword’ in the book.
Jim, of whom is the main character telling the story, gets told by his friend Charlie, that he could possibly be kicked out of school for some bad behaviour, to be possibly sent to _. His friend suggests setting up...more
Jim, of whom is the main character telling the story, gets told by his friend Charlie, that he could possibly be kicked out of school for some bad behaviour, to be possibly sent to _. His friend suggests setting up...more
When Jim’s sister Becky informs him she overheard a teacher saying he is a lazy nuisance and likely being sent to Fenham - a school for kids with problems - Jim doesn’t know if the story is true, or he’s being punked. Becky isn’t exactly trustworthy, but at the same time, what if it’s true?
The only way to know for sure is to do some investigating. Jim’s friend Charlie has the just the thing - a set of walkie talkies. One walkie talkie can be hidden in the teacher’s lounge while Jim and Charlie l...more
The only way to know for sure is to do some investigating. Jim’s friend Charlie has the just the thing - a set of walkie talkies. One walkie talkie can be hidden in the teacher’s lounge while Jim and Charlie l...more
1. Science Fiction
2. Jimbo and his friend, Charlie, eavesdrop and overhear their teachers talking about capturing humans and taking them to planet Plonk. Charlie wants to figure out what they were talking about, but Jimbo does not become interested until after Charlie disappears. Jimbo and his sister must get along in order to save the day.
3. A- One area I would like to comment on, the humor. The author made this science fiction entertaining through wit and sibling rivalry.
B-This book is a str...more
2. Jimbo and his friend, Charlie, eavesdrop and overhear their teachers talking about capturing humans and taking them to planet Plonk. Charlie wants to figure out what they were talking about, but Jimbo does not become interested until after Charlie disappears. Jimbo and his sister must get along in order to save the day.
3. A- One area I would like to comment on, the humor. The author made this science fiction entertaining through wit and sibling rivalry.
B-This book is a str...more
Genre: Science Fiction Junior Book
Jimbo and Charlie are two friends up to no good. After bugging the teachers’ staff room, the two boys learn that some of their teachers are aliens. The alien teachers are highly upset that their cover is blown, and soon after, Charlie turns up missing. Jimbo starts on a mission to find Charlie and save the planet.
a.) A strength of this book is the author’s use of British lingo, keeping and adding to feel of the story’s setting.
b.) This story is set in England. T...more
Jimbo and Charlie are two friends up to no good. After bugging the teachers’ staff room, the two boys learn that some of their teachers are aliens. The alien teachers are highly upset that their cover is blown, and soon after, Charlie turns up missing. Jimbo starts on a mission to find Charlie and save the planet.
a.) A strength of this book is the author’s use of British lingo, keeping and adding to feel of the story’s setting.
b.) This story is set in England. T...more
Mark Haddon is good. He's very good. Just not that good here.
This is the story of two schoolboys who discover that aliens are real. And they actually know some of them.
It's a weird little book if I'm honest. There are some absolutely lovely moments with the dad but as he is a supporting character and this isn't his story, these moments are few and far between. And then there's some really snappy lines of dialogue and then there's page after page of flatness. It feels rather old-fashioned and a...more
This is the story of two schoolboys who discover that aliens are real. And they actually know some of them.
It's a weird little book if I'm honest. There are some absolutely lovely moments with the dad but as he is a supporting character and this isn't his story, these moments are few and far between. And then there's some really snappy lines of dialogue and then there's page after page of flatness. It feels rather old-fashioned and a...more
While browsing the YA section at my local library, I saw this book and picked it up, thinking it'd be a fun read. As I said before, I really enjoyed Mark Haddon's book The Curious Incident... and so I wanted to explore him a bit more, and was excited when I found he'd written an young adult novel.
Except this book is far too young. I don't know why they stuck it in the YA section since it houses books for teens rather than pre-teens. There is a difference after all.
I think it'd be good for the 8...more
Except this book is far too young. I don't know why they stuck it in the YA section since it houses books for teens rather than pre-teens. There is a difference after all.
I think it'd be good for the 8...more
Jul 31, 2011
Malissa
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Those who like good but funny stories and parents & teachers as a read aloud book.
Shelves:
juvenile
Another consideration for Shelby County Reads.
I really enjoyed this book. I'm not sure that it will work for our reading program since it doesn't really have much actual science in it, but it's a quick, fun read that I think a lot of kids (and adults) would enjoy.
The book is about Jimbo, a teen who along with his best friend discovers that two of their teachers are aliens. Aliens who aren't very happy that Jim and Charlie know their secret. When Charlie disappears, Jim goes looking for him. Th...more
I really enjoyed this book. I'm not sure that it will work for our reading program since it doesn't really have much actual science in it, but it's a quick, fun read that I think a lot of kids (and adults) would enjoy.
The book is about Jimbo, a teen who along with his best friend discovers that two of their teachers are aliens. Aliens who aren't very happy that Jim and Charlie know their secret. When Charlie disappears, Jim goes looking for him. Th...more
This witty, thoroughly British, Douglas-Adams-esque sci fi tale for the younger set would be perfect for any boy child who loves karate and legos, or any girl child who loves ballet and art, and pretty much all other children in between. For adults, if you love funky British Isle accents and stories that prove your school teachers really were evil aliens after all, then this story’s for you, too. From personal experience, this story is best if you listen to it on the audio read brilliantly by Ju...more
Jim's sister Becky has him convinced he's going to be kicked out of school. He gets so worked about being kicked out, he shares his fears with his best friend Charlie. Charlie has a simple fix to Jim's problem, they'll just bug the teacher's lounge and find out for sure if he is in fact getting kick out. As the two boys listen in they discover Jim has nothing to worry about. Just as the celebrating begins for the boys, they realize, two teachers left in the lounge and are talking to each other,...more
(originally published as Gridzbi Spudvetch! in 1992)
Charlie offers to help Jimbo bug the teachers’ lounge after Jimbo’s older sister Becky insinuates that Jimbo is about to be expelled and sent away. The boys place a walkie-talkie in the lounge, and listen in on another walkie-talkie. They don’t learn anything about Jimbo’s expulsion, but they do overhear two of their teachers speaking in a strange language – unlike any they’ve heard before. They try to find out more about the language by questi...more
Charlie offers to help Jimbo bug the teachers’ lounge after Jimbo’s older sister Becky insinuates that Jimbo is about to be expelled and sent away. The boys place a walkie-talkie in the lounge, and listen in on another walkie-talkie. They don’t learn anything about Jimbo’s expulsion, but they do overhear two of their teachers speaking in a strange language – unlike any they’ve heard before. They try to find out more about the language by questi...more
Here are the first two sentences of the book: "I was on the balcony eating a sandwich. Red Leicester and gooseberry jam." Wham, the reader is transported to merry old Great Britain. Here are some other exotic words one encounters during this breezy and often hilarious SF novel: garibaldi biscuits, secateurs, flat, paracetamol, articulated lorry, noughts and crosses, and tarmac. As someone who is offended by the word "flashlight" being substituted for "torch" in books that clearly take place in E...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
When Jim and his friend, Charlie overhear two of their school teachers speaking to each other in a weird language, they know something suspicious is going on. Their investigation leads them to one of the teachers' houses, where they manage to sneak in and find a book written in the same indecipherable language. They're sure they've gotten away with their break and enter, until a mysterious man at a fast food restaurant warns them to stop their investigation. When Charlie demands to know who is w...more
'm one of the legion of adult readers who quite enjoyed "The Curious Incident of the dog in Night Time." I didn't catch up with his last book (A Spot of Bother), but thought I'd check out this latest one. The first thing potential readers should know about the book is despite the jacket copy declaring it a "hilarious adventure for all ages," the book is intended for children ages 8-12 or so. As a result, it's very short (adult readers should be able to read it comfortably in about 90 minutes), i...more
I've loved every book of his I've read and this one is no exception. But this is a book for kids. Jim and his older sister Becky have the usual brother sister teasing relationship, although she's grown a bit more antagonistic lately. So when she tells him she overhead teachers talking about shipping him off to a reform school, he's pretty sure she's teasing, but not absolutely sure. He talks to his best friend Charlie and the two decide to bug the teachers' staffroom to see if it's true. What th...more
After hearing a secret from his sister Becky, Jim and his friend, Charlie, get an idea to plant walkie-talkies in the teachers lounge. They plan to listen in on the teacher meetings, so they find out what's going on. The boys get more than they bargained for when they hear two teachers talking in a secret language. Jim and Charlie decide to investigate further to discover their teachers’ secrets. The boys discover the teachers both wear metal wrist bands which they touch with their right fingers...more
Clunk!
From a financial perspective, it makes perfect sense that this book, originally published in 1992 under the title Gridzbi Spudvetch! , is being given a second life nearly twenty years later. Its author, Mark Haddon, has since achieved literary renown as the author of 2003’s book club favorite The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time and the lesser known but equally enjoyable A Spot of Bother . It’s been nearly four year’s since the latter’s publication, and with no new adult...more
From a financial perspective, it makes perfect sense that this book, originally published in 1992 under the title Gridzbi Spudvetch! , is being given a second life nearly twenty years later. Its author, Mark Haddon, has since achieved literary renown as the author of 2003’s book club favorite The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time and the lesser known but equally enjoyable A Spot of Bother . It’s been nearly four year’s since the latter’s publication, and with no new adult...more
Boom! is the story of the biggest scrape ever, in the history of Jimbo and Charlie, the world, and probably the universe too. And it all starts when these two best friends bug the staffroom at school and discover the teachers all speaking a secret language ...
The book was first published as Gridzbi Spudvetch! back in 1992, but has been given a heavy plot-hole edit and updating by Mark Haddon for its new name and issue. It certainly feels fresh, funny, such a pacy adventure that blends a fairly k...more
The book was first published as Gridzbi Spudvetch! back in 1992, but has been given a heavy plot-hole edit and updating by Mark Haddon for its new name and issue. It certainly feels fresh, funny, such a pacy adventure that blends a fairly k...more
Jim's living in a world where his dad has lost his job and become obsessed with model flyers. His mum works all the time and earns twice as much as his dad used to and his sister, well what can you say about big sisters everywhere? His best friend Charlie and he overhear two teachers having a private conversation and it isn't in any language they have ever heard. So they start investigating and solution to the mystery might be out of this world.
Of course this isn't in the same league as the curi...more
Of course this isn't in the same league as the curi...more
This would be a great book to listen to during a family car trip. The narrator, Julian Rhind-Tutt, is fabulous. Charlie and Jim, best friends, stumble on to a mystery involving two of their teachers. As they discover what these teachers are up to, they are discovered by an alien race. Things snowball as Charlie disappears and Jim and his older sister, Becky, trek to Scotland to find him. Supporting characters include Jim's dad who overcomes the depression of unemployment to become a gourmet cook...more
This was a strange little book featuring a very likeable young boy named Jim who discovers an alien plot to re-populate the Earth entirely with science fiction fans and who must, consequently, save the world. On the whole, great fun and a quick read. Easily 4 stars.
However, this is intended as a children's lit, for ages 8-12, and as such it fails. Too many adult themes (violence, smoking, etc) and too many old nerd references (seriously, what 8-year-old knows what a Vogon is?) make this a less-t...more
However, this is intended as a children's lit, for ages 8-12, and as such it fails. Too many adult themes (violence, smoking, etc) and too many old nerd references (seriously, what 8-year-old knows what a Vogon is?) make this a less-t...more
This witty children's book first caught my attention when I was browsing at the YA section of a local bookstore. I have heard of Mark Haddon before, but never really had the chance to read any of his works yet. After reading Boom!, I have to say I can't wait to read his best work yet, The Curious Incident of a Dog in Night Time. This book brought me to an adventure where I never paid much interest into. I was never much of a sic-fi guy, but the fantasy and science and magic was all well construc...more
So many books have promising plots and little character development. I find myself struggling to care about characters simply because I just don't know much about them. However, Boom! has such great potential for its characters, but its plot borders on ridiculous. Jim and his sister are people I find intersting and real. I would like to know them better, as well as their out-of-work dad. If Haddon would take these characters and put them in a better plot, I think he would have a great book. As i...more
I only picked up this book because I'd read Mark Haddon's adult book "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nightime" and loved it. I was also intrigued by the forward where Haddon explained that even though this book had not sold well, an elementary school teacher in England had been reading this book to her students for several years, and her students wrote to him about how much they enjoyed it. This inspired him to rework the book and update it. Although there's lots of Britishisms (which do...more
Boom! is the first book by Mark Haddon and was initially published in 1992 under the title Gridzbi Spudvetch! This edition for 10 and over readers has been updated in 2009. Jim’s life is upside down: his father is out of work and spends his days on the couch watching TV or flying model planes; his mother is the hard-working breadwinner; his sister Becky has stopped washing her armpits and has a biker boyfriend Jim calls Craterface; and Jim is worried he will be expelled from school due to his le...more
Mark Haddon is the author of The Curious Incident of a Dog in the Nighttime. I loved this book. I thoroughly enjoyed the insight into the mind of an autistic teenager. The quirkiness of the main character coupled with the ensuing mystery of the novel made for a fabulous read.
I found Boom! at the Scholastic Book Fair. The catchy title and bright orange cover is what first caught my eye, but upon seeing the author's name, I knew it was a must read! However, I was deeply disappointed. The author's...more
I found Boom! at the Scholastic Book Fair. The catchy title and bright orange cover is what first caught my eye, but upon seeing the author's name, I knew it was a must read! However, I was deeply disappointed. The author's...more
When Jimbo and his best friend Charlie bug the teacher's staff meeting (is Jimbo really about to be expelled as his older sister threatened?) they overhear two of their teachers speaking in a secret language. Just what does 'spudvetch' mean, and what exactly are Mr. Kidd and Mrs. Pearce hiding? Obviously there is an adventure on the way and soon Jimbo and Charlie find themselves literally out of this world. Super funny adventure with aliens, evil teachers, and kids saving the day. Roald Dahl and...more
Gr. 5-8. Lots of fun to listen to with a reader "what sounds somfin lyke this." Would appeal to boys (and girls) in younger grades as it's fast-paced and full of silly humor that made me chuckle out loud several times.
After they plant a walkie-talkie in the teacher's lounge (yes, they are THOSE kinds of kids) Jimbo and Charlie overhear two teachers speaking a secret language. Further investigation gets them in heaps of trouble that leads to Charlie disappearing, Jimbo and his older sister riding...more
After they plant a walkie-talkie in the teacher's lounge (yes, they are THOSE kinds of kids) Jimbo and Charlie overhear two teachers speaking a secret language. Further investigation gets them in heaps of trouble that leads to Charlie disappearing, Jimbo and his older sister riding...more
Boom! or 70,000 Light Years' original title was Gridzbi Spudvetch. Neither title was an eye-catcher for myself. Science Fiction is not a genre a seek out. Why seek this title out? A review about audiobooks caught my attention. They listed Boom! as a fantastic book on CD. I completely agree. If you enjoy Science Fiction or not, you'll enjoy this story. Mark Haddon takes two average students an weaves an unbelievable story that even the characters cannot believe. Charlie and Jimbo want to spy on t...more
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Mark Haddon is a British novelist and poet, best known for his 2003 novel The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time. He was educated at Uppingham School and Merton College, Oxford, where he studied English.
In 2003, Haddon won the Whitbread Book of the Year Award and in 2004, the Commonwealth Writers' Prize Overall Best First Book for his novel The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-t...more
More about Mark Haddon...
In 2003, Haddon won the Whitbread Book of the Year Award and in 2004, the Commonwealth Writers' Prize Overall Best First Book for his novel The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-t...more
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