When I read the author's most recent book, The Echo Chamber, not only was I surprised by humor, but wondered why he hasn't used it previously. Scrolling through the list of his others I came across Barnaby Brocket.

Born into an Australian family whose immersed in what's right or wrong, having a son that defies gravity proved challenging. As Barnaby became school age he soon became the laughing stock, a point his mother found difficult to cope with given her 'rules'. After years of ridicule from neighbors and the community, Barnaby's mother took a stand.

Battling with her husband emotions ran wild until they finally agreed to remove him from the equation. Taking Barnaby to a bridge as he floated on a leash, she released him and watched as he drifted upward. But Barnaby was no ordinary child and in a matter of moments bumped into a hot air balloon that a rather 'unique' couple piloted. From there, his journey took him all over the world and his encounters with other unusual types shifted his mindset completely.

Driven by the theme 'being different is a blessing rather than a crime' using plot and characters as metaphor, Boyne shows the reader his humor and sensibility. It was hard not to think of the Backman book, "My Grandmother Asked me to Tell You She's Sorry" since it's theme and humor were similar.

Regardless, it's a fun, unique and engaging tale with a profound theme. Not only is being different important, but for people like myself, it's what life is truly about! ( )

A charming book for younger readers about a boy whose parents wanted nothing more than a 'normal' child, only to have Barnaby, who floated. Shades of Roald Dahl with the somewhat twisted parent-child relationship here. The main points of the story - that we should always seek to repair our broken family relationships, and that being 'normal' is not always a great or even a normal thing - are somewhat hammered home, but this is, after all, slightly the point... ( )

Eleanor and Alistair Brocket are perfectly normal. The live on a normal street, in a normal neighborhood, and have normal jobs and a normal house. Their two children, Henry and Melanie, are also perfectly normal. And then Barnaby is born, and he is immediately and obviously different.

This is a fable and a children’s adventure story full of improbable and exciting adventures but teaching a lesson about acceptance and compassion and courage. The entire story is a lesson on tolerance.

I felt for Barnaby and cheered him on when he made his brave decision to be himself. I read this entire story as an allegory of gay children coming out to their families and learning to live in a society that is not always welcoming, or even tolerant of their “difference.”. ( )

A fantastic tale that Roald Dahl fans will enjoy. A remarkable boy who can fly born to parents who want him to be anything but remarkable. They despise the thing that makes him different, and wonderful.

Two of quotes to sum up...(the first is after Barnaby's mom is demanding he stop floating..)

"I don't know how to..its just who I am"-Barnaby
"Then I'm sorry...but I have to say I don't like who you are very much"-his mum

Heart wrenching to read... many kids will unfortunately relate to such disappointment and conditional love.

later..from much nicer folk Barnaby meets...

"Anyway, the point is just because your version of normal isn't the same as someone else's version doesn't mean that there's anything wrong with you."

Indeed. ( )

Barnaby Brocket floats. His parents are very normal and are, therefore, mortified by his abnormal behaviour. And then, his mother does something terrible and Barnaby Brocket's adventure begins.

It took me a while to get into this book. It was fabulously well-written, but very obviously aimed at young children. I am not its audience. However, I have never believed that, just because a book is written for children, it cannot be enjoyed by adults. At first, my adult mind couldn't get this book. A floating boy? Really? But then, I realized something: this book put me in mind of Roald Dahl and the Big Friendly Giant, a story that equally had no grounds in the real world but that, as a child, I absolutely adored. This book, for that child mind, was a fabulous adventure.

The book deals with some pretty heavy issues. There's betrayal and bullying, even a little homosexuality thrown into the mix. The most difficult issue? Parents who don't love their children, who don't act with their child's best interests in mind. This is one I have some difficulty with. I believe it is absolutely true that the way parents act towards their children is not always right, not always fair, and some parents do totally mess up. But the Brockets seem very flat, characters with only one characteristic - normality. The reader is provided with a very black and white view of them. Such a view of parenthood and the lack of empathy for parents struggling with their child's difference turned me off a bit.

Three stars for fabulous writing and adventurous story, three stars for themes that are not explored with nearly enough depth or respect for the complexity of human experience. ( )