Boom ! by Mark Haddon

A few years ago my book club, at the time, read The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night. I affectionately called it the dead dog book. I loved the book. You know I’m not much for dog books. The dogs always end up dead. Here the dog starts off dead, so no emotional strings to pull the tear ducts. Two summers ago we spent time in Scotland. We ended our trip in Edinburgh where I purchased another Mark Haddon book titled A Spot of Bother. (I got it at Waterstones!) Where the first was a YA book this one definitely was not. I enjoyed this one as well and since we had just spent time on the little island I did have some back ground knowledge.

So, I was very excited to see Boom!. The story is about two friends, Jimbo and Charlie, and the discovery that their teachers are aliens. Jimbo’s family is making a transition to Dad staying home and Mom working. Jimbo has a strained relationship with his older sister and HATES school. Charlie’s mom is a caterer and his dad is a doctor, very CSI! Charlie is, also the leader. In other words he gets both into trouble.

Jimbo and Charlie decide the must stop the aliens. OK Charlie decides and Jimbo reluctantly follows along. After they have proof Charlie disappears and Jimbo and his sister, Becky are attacked. They take off on a quest, become friends and help safe the world.

That last part is what makes this such a fun book. The aliens have most of their knowledge of earth from pop sources and ABBA! Mr. Haddon has a quirky writing is fantastic. I started the book and couldn’t put it down. This is a great 5th grade and above book. I was hoping that I could use it as a read aloud, but I was disappointed because of amount of times “Hell” is said at the end. I will push the line with read alouds but I do have a point. I get in enough trouble with cussing A LOT! I did give it to a fifth grader that loved and didn’t say peep about the language.