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emmab86's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
wanderingstories's review
4.0
I listened this by the author, Ben Miller, who is an excellent narrator. I did enjoy this book a lot more than the other one I read [b: The Day I Fell Into a Fairytale|55277908|The Day I Fell Into a Fairytale|Ben Miller|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1599609161l/55277908._SX50_.jpg|86199603]. I liked that this one talks about emotions, how to handle them and not to let them get the better of us.
I liked that Harrison is our main character and that's about him going through a journey unknown and gets to learn to control his temper.
3.5* stars
I liked that Harrison is our main character and that's about him going through a journey unknown and gets to learn to control his temper.
3.5* stars
emilyburton's review
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
mariellalarney's review
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
hilarious book with anger and astronomy (including black holes and time machines)
katykelly's review against another edition
5.0
Temper, temper! Science-based wish-fulfilment story.
I was impressed with Miller's first book for children, competent and assured Christmas story, and was keen to see his science background utilised for this new plot. It was not a disappointment.
A young man, pretty good on the whole, has a bit of a weakness - a really, really bad temper. Harrison is given a very unusual balloon at a party, it's a black hole. For someone who would just love to make the things that annoy him vanish, it could be the perfect gift... though readers may quickly see the Midas-like flaw in this plot.
School bullies... food he hates... the scientific consequences of black holes are considered. And how to fix things is brought into the plot in a fairly mature way, not a simple 'and then he woke up' happy ever after.
I love children's books that use real science, concepts that make young people think, into their work. This made a fairly quick read (less than 3 hours as an audiobook) but was quite a busy story.
A moral tale with a message. A flawed protagonist with a lesson to learn. The audio format suited the story and children won't struggle to listen or keep track of what's going on. The author, as an experienced actor, is engaging to listen to.
Great choice for rational thinkers and questioners, aged 8-11.
With thanks to Nudge Books for providing a sample Audible copy.
I was impressed with Miller's first book for children, competent and assured Christmas story, and was keen to see his science background utilised for this new plot. It was not a disappointment.
A young man, pretty good on the whole, has a bit of a weakness - a really, really bad temper. Harrison is given a very unusual balloon at a party, it's a black hole. For someone who would just love to make the things that annoy him vanish, it could be the perfect gift... though readers may quickly see the Midas-like flaw in this plot.
School bullies... food he hates... the scientific consequences of black holes are considered. And how to fix things is brought into the plot in a fairly mature way, not a simple 'and then he woke up' happy ever after.
I love children's books that use real science, concepts that make young people think, into their work. This made a fairly quick read (less than 3 hours as an audiobook) but was quite a busy story.
A moral tale with a message. A flawed protagonist with a lesson to learn. The audio format suited the story and children won't struggle to listen or keep track of what's going on. The author, as an experienced actor, is engaging to listen to.
Great choice for rational thinkers and questioners, aged 8-11.
With thanks to Nudge Books for providing a sample Audible copy.
f18's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
When I first learned about black holes in school I was fascinated with the idea of going into one and I devoured these type of "what if" science fiction stories that aim to teach you some real world things in an imaginative way. I would have loved this book then and to be honest it was an extremely enjoyable experience as an adult as well.
Ben Miller writes the point of view of someone having an outburst of anger so well. Harrison's frustrations and anxieties were palpable. He also narrated the audiobook himself and it was incredible! Highly reccommended, though I'm sad I missed out on the illustrations.
There were just a few things in the story that niggled at memainly the bit with the wheelchair was hard to swallow, and I couldn't decide whether the narritive pointing out that it was wrong and then immediately doing it anyway was funny or insulting , but nothing too distracting.
Ben Miller writes the point of view of someone having an outburst of anger so well. Harrison's frustrations and anxieties were palpable. He also narrated the audiobook himself and it was incredible! Highly reccommended, though I'm sad I missed out on the illustrations.
There were just a few things in the story that niggled at me
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying
steph12345's review
adventurous
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
sarahlee2000's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
lucycatten's review
5.0
Oh my goodness me. I LOVED this story! It is a child-friendly romp through space but with an all important message for children everywhere…
Ben Miller’s own children are the stars of the show – how cool is that? The main star is Harrison who absolutely loves anything to do with space. Like most 8 year olds though, he finds it hard to control his temper, even though he realises that actually, his anger tends to show itself when he is anxious or worried about something.
At the start of this story, Harrison is going to Hector Broom’s birthday party. He is not looking forward to it. Hector is a bully who takes great delight in pinging Harrison with his ever-present elastic band. But like 8 year olds everywhere, the thought of missing out is even greater because his whole class is going to be there. Poor Harrison does NOT have a good time. Despite learning about constellations and black holes in Hector Broom’s living room, he and the party entertainer, Shelley, do not hit it off and things go from bad to worse. He does get a special balloon to take home however. A VERY special balloon indeed…
Harrison finds out very quickly that his balloon has very strange powers. I’m not going to spoil it by saying exactly in what way, but what initially seems fabulous and incredibly helpful to Harrison, soon takes an ominous turn and things quickly get out of control. To sort things out, Harrison knows that Shelley is the only one who can help him. But Shelley isn’t home. How can 8 year old Harrison get to Chile to meet her at the The Very Large Telescope (VLT) in the Atacama Desert? Nothing is impossible when you have an enterprising older brother…
A wonderfully engaging, timeless story that is sure to engage children everywhere. I loved it!
‘…anger can be good, important even… But it’s about what you do with your anger…’
Page count: 272
Age group: 8 years +
I would like to thank both Net Galley and Simon & Schuster Children's UK for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Ben Miller’s own children are the stars of the show – how cool is that? The main star is Harrison who absolutely loves anything to do with space. Like most 8 year olds though, he finds it hard to control his temper, even though he realises that actually, his anger tends to show itself when he is anxious or worried about something.
At the start of this story, Harrison is going to Hector Broom’s birthday party. He is not looking forward to it. Hector is a bully who takes great delight in pinging Harrison with his ever-present elastic band. But like 8 year olds everywhere, the thought of missing out is even greater because his whole class is going to be there. Poor Harrison does NOT have a good time. Despite learning about constellations and black holes in Hector Broom’s living room, he and the party entertainer, Shelley, do not hit it off and things go from bad to worse. He does get a special balloon to take home however. A VERY special balloon indeed…
Harrison finds out very quickly that his balloon has very strange powers. I’m not going to spoil it by saying exactly in what way, but what initially seems fabulous and incredibly helpful to Harrison, soon takes an ominous turn and things quickly get out of control. To sort things out, Harrison knows that Shelley is the only one who can help him. But Shelley isn’t home. How can 8 year old Harrison get to Chile to meet her at the The Very Large Telescope (VLT) in the Atacama Desert? Nothing is impossible when you have an enterprising older brother…
A wonderfully engaging, timeless story that is sure to engage children everywhere. I loved it!
‘…anger can be good, important even… But it’s about what you do with your anger…’
Page count: 272
Age group: 8 years +
I would like to thank both Net Galley and Simon & Schuster Children's UK for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.