Cosmic, by Frank Cottrell Boyce
12-year-old Liam is tall for his age, and is often mistaken for an adult. He has a fascination with thrill rides and theme parks, so Liam jumps at the chance to try out a new one involving a rocket. But the problem is that Liam enters the Greatest Dad Ever Contest as a dad. But this is no ordinary thrill ride. Liam and a rocket full of only children are blasted into space, where things go horribly wrong.
Liam is a smart and gifted boy, but at heart is still only 12. He makes many bad decisions, but along the way discovers what it means to be a good dad. With many humorous twists, Liam also consults a book on being a good dad and how to talk to children. The characters are wacky, reminding me a lot of “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” at times. Loads of laughs, crazy situations, and several feel-good moments throughout made this a surprising treat. This science fiction story for children is a fun read for all ages, and is truly “cosmic” as Liam would say.