mat_tobin's review against another edition
4.0
Already a huge fan of Frank Cottrell Boyce, this is his latest one and although the title might not sound immediately engaging, the story is. It tells the story of Rory Rooney, a young teen who is an outside in his school. On a school trip, he is made to feel even more isolated when he suddenly finds himself having turned green. Worse, Tommy-Lee, the boy who has relentlessly been bullying since he started school also turns green and Rory finds himself stuck in the same ward with the one person he fears above all others. Yet it is the commonality, this connection, that brings both boys together.
Although there is plenty to read in relation to bullying at school here, this is not really the author's main aim or, at least, he deals with it in a light manner. Like the best comedians, Cottrell Boyce has a real gift for seeing humour in the way people act and what they say. He is an observer of human interaction and he brings these observations with great humour to this book. I have always liked how there are quite serious messages in his books (in this it is about diversity and race as well as bullying) yet he is able to place it all within a wry and often laugh-out-loud bubble. Not many writers EVER make me laugh out loud and non for children...except Frank.
This would be a perfect book to read to KS2, especially Year 4/5 and the dialogue between the different characters are delicious and witty and yet there is so much to discuss in relation to tolerance and respect for differences.
Although there is plenty to read in relation to bullying at school here, this is not really the author's main aim or, at least, he deals with it in a light manner. Like the best comedians, Cottrell Boyce has a real gift for seeing humour in the way people act and what they say. He is an observer of human interaction and he brings these observations with great humour to this book. I have always liked how there are quite serious messages in his books (in this it is about diversity and race as well as bullying) yet he is able to place it all within a wry and often laugh-out-loud bubble. Not many writers EVER make me laugh out loud and non for children...except Frank.
This would be a perfect book to read to KS2, especially Year 4/5 and the dialogue between the different characters are delicious and witty and yet there is so much to discuss in relation to tolerance and respect for differences.
kmg365's review against another edition
3.0
Frank Cottrell Boyce wrote one of my all-time favorite contemporary children’s chapter books, namely Millions. I liked Framed a great deal, too. What made them stand out was the sense that one was reading a fantasy novel, where anything could happen, and yet both books were firmly rooted in the real world. Most of the fantastic elements creeped in under the guise of a child’s imperfect understanding of the way the world works.
The Astounding Broccoli Boy starts out in the same vein, but goes off the rails quickly. While I was happy to go along with the main premise— some children turn bright green— what happened after that strained my credulity to the breaking point. It didn’t help that the audio reader’s pace and tone grated. The female character arrived late and departed early, as if she were an afterthought.
The author’s afterword was my favorite part, and is solely responsible for the third star.
yellowhighwaylines's review against another edition
3.0
Though a tad too long for my liking (300+ pages), FCB's latest was a very enjoyable read. As hilarious as it was ridiculous, were it a film it would certainly have passed the 'six laughs test' in the first half hour. The scene in 'The Bank' in particular had me in stitches, brilliant stuff.
yapha's review against another edition
5.0
Rory is the smallest kid in his class, constantly picked on by the others, especially Tommy-Lee. His teachers and classmates blame Rory for the mishaps, refusing to see what is being done to him. When Rory suddenly turns bright green while on a class trip, he is first blamed for it and then whisked away to a hospital isolation ward. He finds none other than Tommy-Lee in the ward and also green. While the doctor tries to figure out what is going, the two of them sneak out at night. They have decided that the green color gives them super powers. Their adventures across London are hilarious, as they accidentally bring more chaos to an already stricken city. This witty adventure story is highly recommended for grades 4 & up.
ARC provided by publisher.
ARC provided by publisher.
the_fabric_of_words's review against another edition
5.0
This book is a turny, twisty ride, with plot developments you never see coming, but are enjoyable if you just hold on and keep reading.
Rory is bullied at school, mostly by Tommy-Lee Komissky, who he nicknames "Grim" because, well, that's what the boy makes life -- grim, every time he throws Rory off the bus or steals his lunch or punches him in the school corridors.
Grim disappears for two weeks, two of the best weeks at school Rory's ever had.
Until Rory turns green. Not avocado green, or split-pea green, or evergreen green -- but broccoli green. Bright and healthy green.
Rory's whisked off to the hospital and put in quarantine (which he'd kinda enjoy, actually), only to discover the lump in the corner of the room is...a very green Grim.
Grim beats up Rory. But that night, when Grim's sleeping, he sleepwalks -- punching codes into secured doors, all while in his sleep -- and Rory follows. Except Grim goes to the roof and steps off -- whereupon Rory discovers he has heretofore undiscovered supernatural powers of super-speed / flying (but only for very short distances -- very short), and he "saves" Grim when they land in the window washer's cage.
Before they know it, Grim and Rory aren't friends, exactly, but they're coordinating to try to escape quarantine, which they manage to do and pick up a third green kid, this time a girl, and a penguin, and smuggle them back into quarantine (now their "secret lair"), to some real consternation on the part of their nurse.
I won't spoil how it ends; even if I detailed all the plot twists, you'd never see it coming. What a wonderful read!
Visit my blog for more great middle grade book recommendations, free teaching materials and fiction writing tips: https://amb.mystrikingly.com/
Rory is bullied at school, mostly by Tommy-Lee Komissky, who he nicknames "Grim" because, well, that's what the boy makes life -- grim, every time he throws Rory off the bus or steals his lunch or punches him in the school corridors.
Grim disappears for two weeks, two of the best weeks at school Rory's ever had.
Until Rory turns green. Not avocado green, or split-pea green, or evergreen green -- but broccoli green. Bright and healthy green.
Rory's whisked off to the hospital and put in quarantine (which he'd kinda enjoy, actually), only to discover the lump in the corner of the room is...a very green Grim.
Grim beats up Rory. But that night, when Grim's sleeping, he sleepwalks -- punching codes into secured doors, all while in his sleep -- and Rory follows. Except Grim goes to the roof and steps off -- whereupon Rory discovers he has heretofore undiscovered supernatural powers of super-speed / flying (but only for very short distances -- very short), and he "saves" Grim when they land in the window washer's cage.
Before they know it, Grim and Rory aren't friends, exactly, but they're coordinating to try to escape quarantine, which they manage to do and pick up a third green kid, this time a girl, and a penguin, and smuggle them back into quarantine (now their "secret lair"), to some real consternation on the part of their nurse.
I won't spoil how it ends; even if I detailed all the plot twists, you'd never see it coming. What a wonderful read!
Visit my blog for more great middle grade book recommendations, free teaching materials and fiction writing tips: https://amb.mystrikingly.com/
jameshowlett's review against another edition
5.0
Like Vonnegut wrote a Young Adult novel.. One of the best YA books, maybe.
rebecita's review against another edition
3.0
Kids turning green! Great metaphor, right? At its best this offered a sendup of how race and skin color are (mis)handled in youth lit. (Step aside 'chocolate' and 'caramel' - these characters insist their hue is broccoli, lolllll.) But unfortunately not my favorite plot from this author - the adventures are a bit meandering and repetitive.
renee_conoulty's review against another edition
5.0
**Interview with my 5 and 7 year old kids**
Me: What did you think of this book?
5: Every single bit - awesome.
7: Same what Molly said.
Me: Who was your favourite character and why?
7: I liked the bully guy because he was big and tough.
5: I like the girl that have a green face.
Me: What was your favourite bit?
5: When they hid the penguin in their room.
7: I liked the bit when they thought the gorilla was a big hairy person locked in a cage but it was really a gorilla.
Me: If your skin changed colour, what colour would you like it to be?
5: Pink.
7: I would choose red, blue, black and white like spiderman.
Me: If you had a superpower, what would it be?
7: Shooting webs from my hands.
5: Invisible.
Me: What did you think of this book?
5: Every single bit - awesome.
7: Same what Molly said.
Me: Who was your favourite character and why?
7: I liked the bully guy because he was big and tough.
5: I like the girl that have a green face.
Me: What was your favourite bit?
5: When they hid the penguin in their room.
7: I liked the bit when they thought the gorilla was a big hairy person locked in a cage but it was really a gorilla.
Me: If your skin changed colour, what colour would you like it to be?
5: Pink.
7: I would choose red, blue, black and white like spiderman.
Me: If you had a superpower, what would it be?
7: Shooting webs from my hands.
5: Invisible.
lilyaronovitz's review against another edition
4.0
This book was enjoyable and entertaining, but also very random and weird. I liked it, but it was really random, and I mean REALLY random. Some of the stuff was just a little bit too weird/childish for me, but I definitely recommend it to kids ages 9-11