Boom!

Boom!

Mark Haddon

Recommended age: as from 9 years old

BOOM! or how your life could go from a flying sandwich to a flying saucer! Sounds insane? It is insane!!

This is a unique story, an adventure that will take a very down-to-Earth boy into outer space, no NASA training required! Jimbo and his friend Charlie will test their spying and survival skills and confront an enemy difficult to spot. If they are lucky maybe they can keep their lives and save humanity as a bonus.

Science-fiction doesn't start to describe the plot of this short and fantastic book that you will read as fast as a rocket.

Jaime L.C.: ''This book is very interesting. It is about aliens that come down to Earth and blend in with humans. It is a very good book as you want to keep reading until the last page. It is a science fiction book and I would recommend it to readers that like stories that are out of this world!''

Pablo L.C.: "This book is really funny and witty, filled with: giant spiders, glow finger men, floaty balls, aliens and a huge BOOM! Highly recommended for all the family. Guaranteed to make you hurt with laughter. Gridzbi Spudvetch to all you humans!

Normally we like to recommend a film based on the book we have selected, or just a good film. But today we are making a naughty exception. This is a film that has achieved, by its own merits, the doubtful honor of being considered the Worst Film Ever made. The temptation to include it was too strong, sorry... So without further ado, let us present you Ed Wood's masterpiece: Plan 9 from Outer Space.

Daniel L.C: "This movie is so bad that it is hilarious!!! And they always re-use the scenery (its so fake the floor even shakes!!). The actor of the main zombie died so the new actor had to put an arm across his face so you wouldn't notice he was another actor!! (the movie is the biggest funny-fail I have ever seen!)"

If you venture to watch the movie be prepared for the flying saucers, literally, strings included, aliens dressed as for a circus act, actors having to impersonate other actors...and such an extravagant scientific explanation to the plot that it will blow your science teacher's socks off! This is a link to the worse dialogues in the film, click here

Did you know...?

Boom! was originally titled Gridzbi Spudvetch. The plot was full of gaps, very few people bought the book and when Mark Haddon read it he detested it. In 2007, armed with pen and scalpel Mark rewrote the whole story. Soon after, the book became a hit.

Mark Haddon is the author of a book for grown-ups that was an even bigger hit called The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. This rather odd title is a line from one of Sherlock Holmes' short stories. Pablo remembered it from reading Silver Blaze some months ago. For the rest of us who have not such a super memory, these are the lines:

'Is there any point to which you would wish to draw my attention?'

'To the curious incident of the dog in the night-time.'

'The dog did nothing in the night-time.'

'That was the curious incident', remarked Sherlock Holmes.

Journey to the River Sea

Journey to the River Sea

Eva Ibbotson

Recommended age: as from 9 years old

Hola amigos,

Today we are off to the Amazon with this wonderful book about adventure and friendship. Perfect for brave explores who will not be distressed at the sight of caimans, piranhas, huge mosquitoes and other animals of the sort.

Jaime L.C.: "A great book for both boys and girls. It tells the story of a girl who has to move to the Amazon when her parents die, a tragedy. A beautiful book that I would recommend to readers who enjoy adventure."

This story begins with Maia's voyage to Brazil accompanied by her new governess. The orphan girl will have to leave her boarding school in London to start a new life in Manaus, at the very heart of the Amazon jungle, with some relatives she has never met before. At school, Maia's friends are horrified at the thought of the many dangers of the tropical forest. You will discover that the problems that await Maia are of a very different type.

Daniel L.C.: "The main character of this book is a girl, but there are also two characters that are boys. My favorite is Finn, because of his personality and mainly because he prefers to live free in the Amazon rather than in a mansion."

My favorite character is Maia, an optimist. The moment she is given the news of her trip, instead of being scared and feel sorry for herself, she heads to the school library to find out about this mysterious place that will become her home. This is a beautiful extract from the book:

"That night Maia sat alone on top of the mahogany library steps, and she read and she read and she read...She read about the travellers who had explored the maze of rivers and found a thousand plants and animals that had never been seen before. She read about brilliantly coloured birds flashing between the laden branches - macaws and humming birds and parakeets - and butterflies the size of saucers, and curtains of sweetly scented orchids trailing from the trees. She read about the wisdom of the Indians who could cure sickness and wounds that no one in Europe understood."

Pablo L.C.: "A great book, with plenty of details and very interesting animals. The main characters include a half Indian boy, two very mean sisters, greedy uncles and a book loving governess. A story for boys and girls."

There is also intrigue in the story. As you read on, be prepared to discover that some of the characters don't turn up to be as you had imagined them....there are big surprises...for the better and, sad to say, also for the very worse.

Did you know...?

It is in the Amazon where you can find the renowned piranhas. They have a very bad reputation but truth is they don't normally attack humans. However, their razor sharp teeth are arranged in such a way that when they close their mouths they interlock, and their jaws are so strong that, should one bite your toe, chances are it will cut it off completely. We prefer sardines...