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The Terrible Thing That Happened to Barnaby BrocketJohn Boyne
The Terrible Thing That Happened to Barnaby Brocket
by John Boyne
Barnaby floats. His parents, who cannot bear anything unusual, let go of him on purpose, and he drifts off around the world meeting other odd people.
A story about children and families, strange and thoughtful in tone. We would put it with children of 9–12, and at a reading age of about 10 for reading alone.
Worth knowing before you buy
- Separated from family
None of this makes it a bad book — often the opposite. It is here so you can decide whether it is right for your child now or in a year or two.
Our take on this book
Barnaby Brocket is born to a family who prize being utterly normal above all else — which is a problem, because Barnaby floats, drifting up to the ceiling and the sky, unable to keep his feet on the ground. When his ashamed parents do something unforgivable, Barnaby floats off on an extraordinary journey around the world, meeting others who don't fit in. John Boyne (in a far lighter mode than his Holocaust novels) writes a whimsical, big-hearted fable about being different and refusing to be ashamed of it, illustrated by Oliver Jeffers. There is emotional weight — a family who reject their own child — but the tone is warm, adventurous and ultimately joyful. For a nine- to twelve-year-old it is a charming, uplifting read about celebrating what makes you unusual, and a lovely choice for any child who has ever felt they don't quite fit the mould their family expects.
If they like this, try these
Chosen by matching age, reading age, tone and subject — not by what is selling.
Front DeskKelly Yang
Goggle-EyesAnne Fine
No Ballet Shoes in SyriaCatherine Bruton
Pig-Heart BoyMalorie Blackman
The Boy in the Striped PyjamasJohn Boyne
Or let them write their own.
Nothing gets a child reading like a story they invented themselves. Your child plans the characters and the plot, and we write, illustrate and print it as a real book with their name on the cover as the author.
Find another book
Tell us the age, the reading age and what they like, and we will suggest a handful.