Southwark Book Award

Author: Frank Cottrell Boyce

Title: Cosmic

More Info: See Shortlist 2008 page

You have sent us 90 reviews of this book so far. Keep them coming by letting us know what you think of Cosmic on the Have your Say page!

Adam from Charter School said:

i liked this book alot it gives you a good understanding of how it is good and bad to be tall. It gives a great amont of deatail as if you are with him in space. And the front cover of cosmic kid is very i catching. Sun 5th Jul 2009

Marks out of 10: 7

James from Bacon's College said:

Very funny and strangely gripping. I would advise anybody who is in year six or seven to read this book. The best is the bit where he's with the other dads who are all competing to get the last place on the space ship. Excellent. Mon 29th Jun 2009

Marks out of 10: 9

Remel from Eveline Lowe Primary School said:

It wqs ana amusing book to read about the adult child.I fought Liams character was vary funny I enjoyed seccret about going to Drax headquarters, I liked that part because it reminded me about going on a five day trip. I fought it was a good book to read and thata many should enjoy reading it.

By Remel Fri 26th Jun 2009

Marks out of 10: 8

Alexandra from Charter School said:

I like this book but it rolled on for too long. I prefer books that get staright to the point. The interesting things were awesome and I was so jealous and I wished so hard that I could be really tall and get magnificent jobs and maybe even get to go on a really big rollercoaster! The author was a very imaganive man and it was very entertaining but like I said droned on for quite a bit like soe other parts Wed 24th Jun 2009

Marks out of 10: 7

Stanley from Eveline Lowe Primary School said:

I think that Cosmic was a good but but some parts were a bit boring. However, like I said I don't hate this book. I lLIKE it. Wed 24th Jun 2009

Marks out of 10: 5

Dayo from Eveline Lowe Primary School said:

This book is very good, although the idea of having a ginormous boy ( well not that ginormous :( Anyway this book is really, really fantastic because it makes me think about what I want to be when I grow up. So this book would make other children the same age as me and also adults - who don't have a job- to think and about their future. This book has a very interesting meaning to it. I do like this book. Wed 24th Jun 2009

Marks out of 10: 8

Fahima from Tower Bridge Primary School said:

This book was fantastic. Liam must be taller than my uncle-and he is TALL!!! I chuckled throughout the whole story. Wed 24th Jun 2009

Marks out of 10: 8

Arij from Tower Bridge Primary School said:

I think this book is is cool because the boy is 11 and people think he is a grown man. The best thing about this book is he buys a Porsche and goes up to space with a girl called Florida!! Wed 24th Jun 2009

Marks out of 10: 8

Caroline from Tower Bridge Primary School said:

First of all I thought it was only about a boy going to space!!! I think its a fantastic book and funny because he thinks that he is a power ranger and he's dumb!!! Wed 24th Jun 2009

Marks out of 10: 10

Tolga from Tower Bridge Primary School said:

I liked the book called COSMIC: It was fun and being tall is cool isn't it? Wed 24th Jun 2009

Marks out of 10: 10

Lauren from Tower Bridge Primary School said:

I am still reading this book but so far I have really enjoyed it.
It's so hilarious! Liam is a loveable character and you can really imagine him as a real human being.
This book is very funny and I will keep on reading until the end.
What will Liam get up to next time? Wed 24th Jun 2009

Marks out of 10: 8

Zyneb from Tower Bridge Primary School said:

At first I thought it was going to be boring but now I have read it I really enjoyed it. I am pretty sure now never to judge a book by its cover. Wed 24th Jun 2009

Marks out of 10: 10

Amari from Tower Bridge Primary School said:

Fantastic! This book is one of the funniest books I have read all year!! My favourite part of this book is when Liam tries to drive the Porsche and his dad comes in and catches him out and tells the man he is only 11 years old. I really loved the ending as well! Wed 24th Jun 2009

Marks out of 10: 10

kirstie from Charter School said:

i think this book was a good adventure book but it was more of a bot's book at the start and didn't really understand part when they landed back on earth. Mon 22nd Jun 2009

Marks out of 10: 6

Jose from St Thomas the Apostle College said:

The book is very good and has lots of detail on most pages, it makes you feel like you are actually INSIDE the book and your are experiencing everything with the main character Mon 22nd Jun 2009

Marks out of 10: 8

Zak from Redriff Primary School said:

I've chosen to review 'Cosmic' which is in my top 3. It was the first of the books I read. The front cover immediately drew me in with the boy standing alone on the moon and the 3-D silver lettering. The blurb was short and snappy and I liked the humour in it - I wanted to read on. . . Now, let me tell you a bit about the main characters. Liam is extremely tall which has it's advantages (like getting into carnival rides) but it has it's disadvanages too (like he does not like being taller than his friends). I really liked the character because he was funny and he liked a challenge. I don't want to give the story away but it's an exciting adventure and once Liam won the competition I was gripped to the last page! Overall it was brilliant, one of the best book I've read this year and I'd give it 9/10. Fri 19th Jun 2009

Marks out of 10: 9

Pooya from Redriff Primary School said:

Cosmic is a very good and funny book. I really think this book should win, however, I think most people will vote for Diary of a Wimpy Kid, but Cosmic deserves to win as it is truly 'cosmic'. Liam and Florida were a hysterical bunch as they had many mini-adventures before the big adventure, without Florida having a clue about it until it was too late in China. The plot is very well written and explained. This of course must be a Frank C. Boyce book as no other author could have produced such an imaginitive, strange and interesting book. This book is a winner: 150% ! Thu 18th Jun 2009

Marks out of 10: 10

Owen from Redriff Primary School said:

It was a great book I really enjoyed the book because, first, I thought it was really funny as I laughted my head off! And it was very interesting for me. PS: I liked the world of warcraft part it was hilarious!!! Thu 18th Jun 2009

Marks out of 10: 9

Zhané from Eveline Lowe Primary School said:

This book is funny because Liam is smart and funny and this book I could reccommend to adults.
The blurb is short but powerful and the front cover looks Cosmic like the title.
Liam is just a ordinary boy but tall in height and when he enters a copetition and his dad dosen't let him he takes another student and making the other kids think that he is the students Dad.
The story line is funny and Liam when he finds somethind fascinating he always says COSMIC!When he gets to china and finds out he can't go on the ricket he gets Dr.Drax to enter a competition for a dad to go on the rocket.
Overall I think it is funny and a good book to read and for the family.
Wed 17th Jun 2009

Marks out of 10: 10

Joe from Peter Hills Primary School said:

I liked the book Wed 17th Jun 2009

Marks out of 10: 10

CHLOE from Kingsdale School said:

I think that this book is the BEST! I gave it 10 out of 10 and i think it is the best book out of all of them! It is a really entertaining and adventurous book. It is good for all ages and is a book that you won't be able to put down... Wed 17th Jun 2009

Marks out of 10: 10

Damilare from Kingsdale School said:

I thought the book was good. It was very interesting about how they went to space, but it was too long. Wed 17th Jun 2009

Marks out of 10: 6

Rose from Peter Hills Primary School said:

This book is brilliant! My favourite character was Liam who is 11 years old and is UNusually tall for his age. Liam finds the adults are not going to space but the children are Liam went ballistic. Liam wanted to see the world but not like this. This book is worth five gold stars *****and a mark out of ten. Wed 17th Jun 2009

Marks out of 10: 10

Lilymay from Peter Hills Primary School said:

Cosmic! Not the worst but definitely not the best. I’m sure many girls and tons of boy’s would enjoy this book, but I sure didn’t. This book has not got a story line and I find it very boring. I also didn’t bother to finish it because I was put off by ‘Liam pretending Florida was his daughter’ and ‘Liam in space’ the things that go on in this story are ridiculous and really it is a unexciting book. I do recommend this and I am going to give this book a 2/10 because it is hard to get into and it’s boring. The reason it got as high a 2 was because of the front cover and blurb. Wed 17th Jun 2009

Marks out of 10: 2

Nelita from Southwark Park Primary School said:

There is a boy called Liam, who is acciedently mistaken for an adult, because of his height. He gets a new Draxphone which send him a text message about an advertisement about parents and their children going into space. This advertisement cathches his eye so he asks his dad to take him.

The Story:
Liam's Draxphone recieves a text message from Drax Communications about an advertisement about going into space. Liam asks his dad if he can take him but Liam's dad says no because he thinks that it is a rip-off. So Liam decides to ask Florida (a classmate) to be his daughter. (Liam has an advantage because he is tall so he is immediately taken for an adult. And since Florida is smaller than him, Florida looks like a perfect daughter for Liam). Other parents and children came but only one adult was allowed to go into space with the children. But Liam told his parents that he was going to a place called Lake District but he is going further than that...

My favourite part:
My favourite part of the story was when Liam and the rest of the children went into space and they had to keep themselves busy in the Dandelion (spaceship). When Liam couldn't find one of the children, he was really panicking, and i found that really funny.

Recommendations:
I would recommend this for people who like astronomy, because this could tell alot about it. 6+ Wed 17th Jun 2009

Marks out of 10: 9

Andre from Southwark Park Primary School said:

Cosmic by Frank Cottrell Boyce is a hilarious/spacey book. This book is about a 12-year old boy called Liam Digby, who is big for his age, pretends to be a dad for a day, with Florida, his friend. Those two get in all kinds of events. The one that stains my brain is the car incident. Plus, to put salt to injury, he wins a trip to the 'best ride in the world'[or soon to be], but it all goes wrong.
Like what it said on the cover, it's COSMIC! Wed 17th Jun 2009

Marks out of 10: 9

Chloe from Southwark Park Primary School said:

Cosmic by Frank Cottrell Boyce is a great adventure and comedy book.It think it is space-tastic, because you feel like you are actually i n the book, in space.The story is about a boy called Liam Digby who is only 12 years old and has facial hair and he is taller than his Dad.He pretends that he is his friend Florida's Dad,he takes her to space.He competes against other parents,to see who the best Space Daddy! I think that when they go to space it is funny because Florida says to Liam " If you are a real Dad you will call me princess". I think that things that need improving are things tht are meant to be funny that are actually not funny, they need to make them actually be funny.

Overall I think it was quite a good book like I said especially in space.
Wed 17th Jun 2009

Marks out of 10: 7

Moyo from Southwark Park Primary School said:

The main characters of the story were Liam Digby, Florida, Samson 2, Eddie, Max, Dinah Drax and Monsieur Martinet.
Liam Digby pretends to be Florida's Dad so he decides to go to space with her. He needs her because he is taking part in a competition to see who is the best space dad. Some of the rides in the competion are parents with the children. But when he is alone with the other dad's they start to become suspicious because although he is 6ft tall he is still only 12 so he doesn't have the mental attributes of and adult.

I thought the book was really space-tastic and was a great adventure/comedy book. It really comes alive because you feel like you're in the story, like when Liam was on the rollercoaster with his dad and he decribes his adrenaline rush.

But a bad thing about it is that it is quite long and not the easiest of books to read especially if you are not a lover of books or struggle with reading. Wed 17th Jun 2009

Marks out of 10: 7

Silva from Kingsdale School said:

This book was my favourite out of the books I read. It was really funny and definitely deserves to win. The author of this book is very good at making an excellent book. It is about a boy (Liam) who is always mistaken as an adult, when he is chosen to take part in a special expedition he has to persuade his friend Florida to come. Florida is his so called “daughter" and he has to pretend to be a dad. He sometimes forgets this and the other dads with him get suspicious. Tue 16th Jun 2009

Marks out of 10: 10

Agnes from City of London Academy said:

I think that cosmic was good, but can be improved in many ways. i have rated it a five because i get the generall idea, but for me it was very complicated.
the reason i say this is because it talks about gravity and all kinds of hard to understand facts, adults or older people than us would understand but for us it would need full concentration to understand what the author is trying to say.
the general idea is that a 12 year old boy called liam is always mistaken for an adult. he frames one of the richest people in china and england that he was the father of an eleven year old child called Florida Kirby. liam had learnt how to be more responsible and learn't that even though he physically didn't look like a child dosen't mean he isn't mentally. liam matured over this proccess of time and is a morall for all tall people in the world who have read this. because we are all the same in different ways. i think Frank Cottrell Boyce would have spent most of his time writing this for us so i say to him well done. Mon 15th Jun 2009

Marks out of 10: 5

Scott from Bacon's College said:

I think this book was boring because it dragged the story on too long and gave too much infomation so I got bored reading it and that is why Im' giving this book 3/10. I wish I could give it more but it is not my kind of book and my kind of book is DARREN SHAN! He is the best book writer in the world and always will be!!!!! Fri 12th Jun 2009

Marks out of 10: 3

Scott from Bacon's College said:

I didn't really like this book because it explains TOO MUCH! Fri 12th Jun 2009

Marks out of 10: 4

alice from City of London Academy said:

i enjoyed reading cosmic because it was funny. i enjoyed the bit where they are playing hide and seek in out of space. i would definately recommend it to my friends Thu 11th Jun 2009

Marks out of 10: 10

Jonathan from Bacon's College said:

This is definately the best out of the six books that I have read. It is a very original and individual idea for a book and I think that the story line all fits together, although it is quite dragged out.This book would especially suit readers with a big imagination and it is a book which I found quite addictive. I could not put it down! I think this book suits readers aged 10 and above. Thu 11th Jun 2009

Marks out of 10: 8

Christopher from St Thomas the Apostle College said:

This book is very interesting because it is adventerous.
I would advise you to read this book because it is full of amazing chapters which will blow your mind away with excitement.
The main character is a young boy called liam who looks older than his age so he goes to the fair and ends up going on all the adult rides. He wins a dad prise and has to take a child but he does not have any children.
Liam ends up taking his best friend on the exciting trip which is a ride on a space shuttle.
You will have to read the book to find out what happens at the end.
Hope you read it. Tue 9th Jun 2009

Marks out of 10: 10

Darington from Bacon's College said:

I think that the Cosmic book is very good because it is empathising with the audience but it is still a very good book. I also consider Liam Digby as an able qualifier for being an adult. He is very responsible even though he still has alot to learn he is a going on the right path for being a good parent. The other parents and their children are also funny. Fri 5th Jun 2009

Marks out of 10: 10

Ryan from Bacon's College said:

Great book most people might think it a bit long but all of the writing is worth it to explan the main plot of the story Fri 5th Jun 2009

Marks out of 10: 9

Amy-May from St John's RC Primary School, St Elmos Rd said:

I thought this book was fantastic because when Liam goes to the new theme park in China he says he is Fiona's father and Liam is only in year 6! Liam is so not used to being an adult because when he drinks beer he has a hangover and he says "What on earth is the matter with me?" I would give this book a ten out of ten because when he said he was Fiona's father and got to drive a car he slammed the brakes on and nearly killed him and Fiona. I recommed this book to years 10+. Fri 5th Jun 2009

Marks out of 10: 10

Luke from St John's RC Primary School, St Elmos Rd said:

This book is great, because it's just hilarious and the storyline is a bit weird. It's all about a boy mistaken for an adult because of his incredible height. The boy Liam won a competion to attend a theme park in China, to go on some of the highest rides in the world! My favourite part is when Liam is forced off the bus in his school uniform and has to get on another one. Liam is ready to be a grown-up but gets lost in space. Will he come back? Its an awesome book but it's still not my favourite. Fri 5th Jun 2009

Marks out of 10: 9

Donte from St John's RC Primary School, St Elmos Rd said:

This is a funny and hilarious book about a very tall boy who won a competition to go to a theme park in China. Everyone thinks that Liam is too tall to be a little boy, but is not ready to be a grown-up. And that’s when things start to get confusing for Liam and ends up getting lost in space. Also my favourite bit is when he gets lost in space and I would recommend this book to people 11 and over. Fri 5th Jun 2009

Marks out of 10: 9

Chelsea from Charter School said:

I loved this book, best so far. I thought it was hilarious and very out of this world (get it) I thoufht Frank Cottrell Boyce is a fantastic writer and I loved the way he uses sarcasim and humor to make the book-BRILLIANT! My favourite character is Florida because I found it funny the way she makes the situation of Liam being her dad very relistic knowing what dads do and every thing also at first you think shes just a spoilt little brat who gets everything she wants from daddy but after you know her character a little bit more you start to feel sorry for her as she says later on that her dad left her and the rest of the family just after her brother was born. I thouht this book was superb and I recomend that children 8 and over should read this book!!!! Wed 3rd Jun 2009

Marks out of 10: 10

Charlie from Peter Hills Primary School said:

Not really sure I like this book, because it is a boring book... The book doesn't have a theme... Well I know it's about a boy who is tall for he's age his name is Liam...But people mistake him for a adult. I wouldn't read this if I was you... Don't get fooled by the cover please... Wed 3rd Jun 2009

Marks out of 10: 3

James from Bacon's College said:

The book Cosmic is very funny, but is also really crazy and it is packed with hilarious, funny characters, but the end is quite boring but the rest of the book is extremely funny. I would recommend this to you if you like hilarious books but if not don’t read it because you won’t like. Wed 3rd Jun 2009

Marks out of 10: 7

Yeside from Alma Primary School said:

Cosmicis a really humorous tale about an 11 year old boy who takes advantage of his height by: almost driving a car (what goes through this boys mind), entering a father competition (you have to be under 18 to do so) and so much more dangerous stunts.

If you were to read this book your nose will go so deep into it that it will never come outJust reading this book makes you feel like nobody else is in the room except for you and the book. Despite the fact that the ending of this action-packed book was dry and boring the book itself is an amazing adventure story. I recommend this book to the age of 10 to12.I rate this book a 7(and I think that some of you agree with me) because of the poor ending.




Wed 3rd Jun 2009

Marks out of 10: 7

Ben from Alma Primary School said:

The book Cosmic is very funny but is also filled with really crazy and funny charcters , it is packed with hilarious funny characters but the end is quite boring but the rest of the book is extremely funny but I would recommend this to you if you like hilarious books but if not don’t read it because you won’t like. Wed 3rd Jun 2009

Marks out of 10: 9

Abdul from Alma Primary School said:

This story is about a boy called Liam Digby who is exceptionally tall for his age. Because of his height he is allowed to do ‘adult things’ like driving a Porsche! This is because people think he is an adult, when really he is only a boy. I really like this book. I really loved this book! This book is so funny, since it is so funny I’m finding it extremely difficult to pin point the best part. If I had to choose the best part, it would probably be when Liam found out that the dads weren’t going into space and that only the children were and he went BALLLISTIC! I would give this book a rating of 6 out of 10



Wed 3rd Jun 2009

Marks out of 10: 6

william from St Thomas the Apostle College said:

This book is very weird and very very adventurous. It is packed full of adventures and very strange.
i rate it 7 because the ending is quite boring and dry. i would only reccomend this book to people who have a taste for all books. i would like a 2nd book to come out but hopefully a bit more exiting.
Tue 2nd Jun 2009

Marks out of 10: 7

joel from St Thomas the Apostle College said:

this book is too long the ending was poor and i didn't like it at all. on the other hand their were some funny parts. Tue 2nd Jun 2009

Marks out of 10: 4

Quang from St Thomas the Apostle College said:

The story is about a twelve years old boy called Liam. He is extraordinary tall and he is very talented. He is so tall that some people think that he is an adult. He have done lot of things that many kids as his age can't do. Then he is invited to a ride called Rocket in China. He pretented that he is Florida ( Liam's friend). They have a mission is to travel into space. But then something gone wrong and they are stuck in space. This book is like a diary of Liam's adventure. Liam shows that he can be a father. All the kids that went on the Rocket are all like him. Read the book and see how Liam deal with his problems. Tue 2nd Jun 2009

Marks out of 10: 9

Chiedu from St Joseph's RC Primary School, George Row said:

I think this book is incredibly out of this world! I think it’s funny and it includes real life issues; a boy to tall for his age: Liam.

Also I would recommend this book to people who like to read books that have settings that aren’t always on earth; e.g. space. I used to hate certain books that involve space, partly I still do, however this book has really hooked me due to its setting.

Finally I would like to say that this book has earned a well deserved high 9 in ranking. The only improvement I suggest is the front cover as there is a lack of colour also it puts buyers, as well as readers, off due to factual sense you get when looking at it.
Thu 21st May 2009

Marks out of 10: 9

Jessie,musata from St Joseph's RC Primary School, George Row said:

At the start we judged the book by its cover and did not really enjoy it. However as we read on we started to get hooked by it.

We really liked how Liam Digby could persuade people to believe that he was an adult. Also he could trick people into believing him so he could get his own way such as when he went to China.

Our favourite thing about this book is that Liam is a really cheeky character (see above) and that he is very tall.

We would highly recommend this book to anyone in KS2+ especially those who like comedies.
Thu 21st May 2009

Marks out of 10: 8

Debbie from Kingsdale School said:

I thought that cosmic was an alright book. It was interesting but I wasn't that in to the whole concept. Thu 21st May 2009

Marks out of 10: 8

Jordan from St Thomas the Apostle College said:

I Think Cosmic is an amazing book.I think this because the book is a weird but a book that amuses you. It's about a boy named Liam Digby and people think he is an adult because he's tall and he is hairy. So he gets to do whatever he wants. Even going to the moon and he ends up lost in space. I recommend it for people who like cosmic adventures. Tue 19th May 2009

Marks out of 10: 10

Jake from Kingsdale School said:

This book has a fantastically unrealistic story-line. It is about a boy called Liam who is extremely tall, so people think he is an adult. He pretends that he has a daughter called Florida who is actually his best friend. Liam somehow manages to get him and Florida, in my opinion, onto the greatest theme park ride in the world…. trip to space. The most unrealistic part from now, is that him, Florida and 3 other children will be travelling there in an ice-cream van. I loved the book and think that it is a brilliant read for anyone above the age of 7. Mon 18th May 2009

Marks out of 10: 9

Muna from City of London Academy said:

I have given Cosmic an eight as it is an interesting book also it is very down to earth. The plot is that a boy called Liam who is twelve years old but looks like a adult so he goes on many adventures including driving a sports car with his companion Florida. The best bit is when they go to space because it is a new kind of experience as it is somthing i'll never do..... Mon 18th May 2009

Marks out of 10: 8

Roisin from Kingsdale School said:

Liam Digby is normal, but tall, very tall. I don’t think thirteen years olds, apart from him, would be able too drive a Porsche. There were many incidents where Liam was mistaken for an adult, but when he fakes having a daughter to enter a contest to get on a ride, he realized he might have bitten of more than he can chew. I think it’s an amazing fresh funny book. The comedy is so different to those in other books. I don’t know what it is just that it’s absolutely hilarious. Also it has major points about life, so many in fact I think that all politicians must have it with them at all times. This book is good for about nine and above for people love comedies. I think this because its funny. A nine year old would understand it because nine year olds are intelligent beings and we should treat them with respect. All hale nine year olds, all hale nine year olds. Sun 17th May 2009

Marks out of 10: 10

Jordan from Peter Hills Primary School said:

This story is about a boy called Liam Digby who is exceptionally tall for his age. Because of his height he is allowed to do ‘adult things’ like driving a Porsche! This is because people think he is an adult, when really he is only a boy. I really like this book, no that is an understatement. I really really loved this book! This book is sooooooooooooo funny, since it is so funny I’m finding it extremely difficult to pin point the best part. If I had to choose the best part, it would probably be when Liam found out that the dads weren’t going into space and that only the children were and he went BALLLISTIC! I would give this book full marks. ***** Five stars, 10/10! Fri 15th May 2009

Marks out of 10: 10

Ezra from Kingsdale School said:

This book is probably one of the best in my opinion. However, the story is quite fascinating and the ideas inside the story are pretty imaginative, but some of the chapters are quite slow and sometimes the author becomes quite repetitive.If you look at the book in general though it is quite a catchy and comical book. Thu 14th May 2009

Marks out of 10: 9

Jamie from Peter Hills Primary School said:

COSMIC IS AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thu 14th May 2009

Marks out of 10: 10

shanice from St Michael's RC School said:

I liked this book because it grab my attention Thu 14th May 2009

Marks out of 10: 8

Ben from Alma Primary School said:

I like cosmic because it is very funny although I have only just started reading it. The characters do very weird, very fantastic things it will make you laugh your socks off. I like this book because it is about space and although it is a big book but the text is big enough so that you don’t strain your eyes. It’s a good book to read but some people don’t under stand it, it makes you want to continue reading the book.

This book is written by frank Cottrell Boyce I have read quite a lot of his books and I have enjoyed every single one of them I think that frank is a good author.

I would give this a level 9 out of ten
Thu 14th May 2009

Marks out of 10: 9

Thomas from Alma Primary School said:

I think COSMIC is a fantastic book to read because the characters are excellent and funny and I like books about space. It’s a good story it keeps you wanting to read on.

This book is written by Frank Cottrell Boyce.

I would give this book 10 out of 10
Thu 14th May 2009

Marks out of 10: 10

Viatney from Alma Primary School said:

Cosmic was written by Frank Cottrell Boyce and I think it’s amazing because the book is funny and I think that the plot is really good. My favourite character is Liam Digby who is the main character because his character is inspiring to younger children and maybe to older children too! My favourite part of the book is when Liam drives a car and crashes it. My other favourite part is when he goes into space and has a bit of an adventure.
I would give this book 6 out of ten because it is a really fun book to read and it makes you want to read more!
Thu 14th May 2009

Marks out of 10: 6

Youcef from Alma Primary School said:

Cosmic

Cosmic is well structured and brilliantly laid out book. It’s a mindboggling book because Liam Digbey (the main character) went to space and got lost and lots of exciting adventures. The author Frank Cottrell Boyce is a brilliant author himself and I look forward to reading more of his books.
Thu 14th May 2009

Marks out of 10: 9

Mahir from Alma Primary School said:

I think Cosmic is a boring book due to the fact that it is about space, I only like funny books. Even though I think this book is boring, I would still say that this book has a good plot line. It is about a boy that wants to go to space and he always had a passion about the Solar System, and his dream finally begins to come true. My overall rating for this book would be 4 out of 10.
Thu 14th May 2009

Marks out of 10: 4

Archie from St John's RC Primary School, St Elmos Rd said:

An hilarious book that really triggers my imagination. Really well described. In my mind I can see Liam - a 12 year old boy who seems to be mistaken for a man everytime he goes out (all because of his unexplainable height). In this book Liam's age is misjudged after he enters a competition and wins with several others, a trip to a new theme park in China. Although, there is a catch (what, did you think Liam would get off scott free? I don't think so!). A parent/guardian needs to accompany Liam to the theme park and his parents aren't the 'letting their kid go to China' type. Liam sees this as the perfect chance to use his unusual height, so, he pretends to be his best friend Florida's dad. If you read the first page you'd want to read the whole book, a very absorbing book by Frank Cottell Boyce. Wed 13th May 2009

Marks out of 10: 9

Tom from Peter Hills Primary School said:

Cosmic was COSMIC!! The beginning was a bit confusing. Liam (the main character) was lost in space and was talking into some kind of dictaphone saying that if mum and dad got this message he wasn’t at the Lake District. By then you could sort of smell what had happened, he had told his mum and dad that he was going on a trip somewhere and had secretly gone into space. It was marvellous to watch it all unwind and untangle afterwards though. I think the cleverest thing of all about Cosmic is the way that in Liam’s mind he keeps referring to his video game world of warcraft. Such as when a dad gave him a drink, he thought of it as an extra life or something. Very clever, and in my opinion better than Alligator or the Shade of Hettie Daines, any day. Wed 13th May 2009

Marks out of 10: 9

Charlotte from Charter School said:

I actually thought this book would be rubbish. In fact, I was convinced of it. It just goes to show, NEVER JUDGE A BOOK BY IT'S COVER!!! Although the start of this book was a bit dodgy, (too boring and slightly warped) once the story got going I was really into it. It got better and better. There were some important things about life and the difference between grown-ups and children in it, and it really made me think about space and just how tiny and insignificant we are. It's about a boy who pretends to be a grown-up so he can go on a spaceship into space with these four mad kids. It's incredibly unrealistic, but when you get over that can really have you on the edge of your seat wanting more. Though, unfortunately, sometimes the characters act completely illogically, doing things that don't at all reflect what they've already done and what's happened to them. But every book has it's flaws. My advice is: do actually read this book. It looks absolutely horrifically terrible, but it isn't. Believe me. Tue 12th May 2009

Marks out of 10: 7

Sam from Peter Hills Primary School said:

COSMIC! WOW! Aside from Harry Potter, Cosmic is one of the best books I have EVER read! I liked this book more than all the rest of the books: I had previously read Diary of a Wimpy Kid, I thought THAT was the best book then I read Cosmic... WOW! Now THAT really was the BEST! The story starts off with the main character, Liam Digby, lost on the Infinite Possibility space ship along with his friends: Florida, Samson Two, Max and Hassan. The story is almost like one big flash back! This, I loved! The story has so much humour crammed into it that I practically laughed my head off whenever I read it! Because Liam is so unusually tall, everyone thinks that Liam is an adult! Because of this, he gets to try out new cars, go on REALLY scary rides, drink alcohol and encounter many other spine tinglingly funny situations! Liam and his friends are sent into space by the world famous Dr Drax, only to lose connection with earth, spin out of orbit and lose sight of the moon and earth! So much chaos goes on, you wouldn’t believe it! I loved this book to bits and I think anyone who reads it will too! This is my very favourite out of all the given books! Rating: Characters: 10/10, very realistic characters, each has a unique personality. Story line: 10/10, very, very effective, relates to children very well. Cover: 7/10, good Over all score: 10/10 A FANTASTIC book. Tue 12th May 2009

Marks out of 10: 10

Jordan from St Thomas the Apostle College said:

I think cosmic is a really good book. It's really enjoyable. The book is about a boy called Liam Digby and people think he is a adult but he is only eleven years old. He gets to do anything he wants, even become the father of his friend Florida Kirby. I recommend this 8-12 year olds Tue 12th May 2009

Marks out of 10: 9

Benezer from St Thomas the Apostle College said:

Cosmic this is a very boring and prodictible book. It is boring because it was predictoble. Like when Liam went to the car shop you could tell that his dad was going to come in at anytime. 2 out of 10 Tue 12th May 2009

Marks out of 10: 2

joseph from St Thomas the Apostle College said:

This story was great a real page turner I was hooked from the front cover!
in my opinion this is frank cottrell boyce best EVER book and it is also............i can't finish the
sentence because we have to wait untill the end Tue 12th May 2009

Marks out of 10: 10

Christian from Charter School said:

This book is about a boy who is called Liam Digby, he is normal – but tall. Very tall. Everyone thinks Liam is too big to be a little boy any more, but he is not old enough to be a grown-up either. That is when things get confusing and Liam ends up lost – in Space. Frank’s new novel Cosmic, is both bittersweet and hilariously down to earth. It is a heart-warming exploration of a father-son relationship in a world where everyone wants to grow up fast – and then stay young forever. This is why I especially enjoyed reading this book as I love books of space, universe and celestial bodies. I particularly like the character Samson two who is extremely clever because he got special abilities which I would like to obtain.

The book Cosmic was written by Frank Cottrell Boyce who got the inspiration of writing the book back when he was a child; remembering sitting on a couch with his parents, watching the first men land on the moon. Thinking of the idea that we were in the space age and that by the time he had children they would all be able to go on space holidays together. But lots other amazing things happened instead. So in the meantime he was imagining how it was like to be in space, but as he never experienced space he had to get help. So he got help from Alan Bean – the fourth man to walk on the Moon, and one of the most inspiring people on Earth – who let him use his name. Fri 8th May 2009

Marks out of 10: 9

Isla from St Michael's RC School said:

I did think Cosmic was going to be boring and just a tad Rubbish but when I got towards Chapter 4 it started to get interesting. I was entranced and couldn't stop reading but I was worried, sometimes that the Characters would give themselves away but at other times I thought they were doing well ... at times I did belive I was there(Until my mum interrupted). I do recommend this book for young children around the age of 10 - 14. I rate this book 8 and a half. It's a mind blowing adventure! It really is an out of this world book LITERALLY! Thu 7th May 2009

Marks out of 10: 8

James from Charter School said:

this book is a brilliant book partly about growing up and about parents. IT has the perfect mix of comedy and serious ness. I read it will i was in scotland with nothing to do and trust me i could not put it down! The best bit is the bit were he is in space with the kids how still think hes an adult. I like the way it constantly compares his life to the game world of war craft. Generally i think every 10 11 or 12 year old will love this book. I give it a 10 out of 10! Thu 7th May 2009

Marks out of 10: 10

hassan from St Thomas the Apostle College said:

i liked the story line it was not sopouse to be funny but it was ihad fun reading this. Tue 5th May 2009

Marks out of 10: 6

Dominic from St Thomas the Apostle College said:

Cosmic Is A Good Book For People Who Like Bit Of Comedy, Adventure And Suspence

This Is A Great Book For Children Aged 7 - 12 Tue 5th May 2009

Marks out of 10: 8

Duncan from Charter School said:

Cosmic is an incredible book with a fantastic story and by Frank Cotterell Boyce. The story is told from a narrative and starts out with the main character Liam talking into his mobile phone explaining that he isn’t in the Lake District on a gifted and talented geography trip, but half around the dark side of the moon. Liam is only 12 but “a bit tall for his age” this combined with the fact he has to shave weekly is a recipe for disaster. With his abnormal stature and “ware wolfish” face as his class often remind him Liam’s parents get him into a weekly drama class to boost his confidence, it is hear where he meets Florida Kirby, a fellow student who has an annoying tendency to get herself into trouble. A few days later Liam gets a text from Draxworld, a phone company which Liam’s phone made by. The text is offering the receiver a life time opportunity to go on the newest and biggest rollercoaster’s in the world, as Liam is a huge rollercoaster fan he immediately shows his dad and begs him to let him enter he says it’s a waste of time and money and wanders off. The next day Liam enters and wins. Since this is a father and daughter trip Liam is at a loss as he knows his dad will never go, all eyes turn to Florida. When Liam and Florida are at the theme park which is based in China they meet the three other winners and their sons all of whom are millionaires or geniuses and only won by buying their way in or hacking. After weeks of vigorous training and going on other theme rides finally get to the main attraction, The Cosmic . The Cosmic isn’t technically a ride, it’s a space shuttle. And Liam is the person chosen to go with the children into space...alone. Inevitably the ship gets “lost” but they find out they are on the other side of the moon so they can’t see the earth. Eventually Liam and co gets back and they crash-land in the Arctic with a helicopter on the way. To conclude this is a brilliant funny book which I and tall people everywhere can relate to. Sun 3rd May 2009

Marks out of 10: 10

Nelly-joyce from St Michael's RC School said:

Greg doesn’t get on with his family at home and his new school doesn’t get any credit either .
Its a new year and Greg finds himself in a new school where only the cool, popular and strong can survive the big bullies who are always lurking, around the corridor for a prey. So Greg now has to prove himself to be popular with his not very cool mate Rowley along the route. But Then Rowley starts to get all the attention while Greg is left in the dark so he treys to use this to his own advantage but it doesn’t turn out quiet as he planned out .So Greg and Rowley are left going they own directions
What happens next is your work to find out….

I loved this book so much This book is completely and totally entertaining and could give primary pupils an insight of how high school is and what goes on, but in a different angle. It outweighs every book I’ve ever had a chance to read in primary school by a mile and consider yourself lucky to get one.
It was hilariously funny .The cover is definitely capturing and the way the author wrote it like a diary , all the fabulous drawings just adds a bonus. not to forget the characters they are very realistic and relates to many pupil I know .From the beginning to the end the book is interesting and really attracts the reader in wanting more .

PS Geoff Kinney: I loved the book so much and would really like one of my own.
You inspired me in a lot of way and our school ST Michael’s would like to say thank you because we all enjoyed your book and can’t stop talking about it..
Sat 2nd May 2009

Marks out of 10: 10

Aaron from St Mary Magdalene CofE Primary School said:

Even though this book had easy punctuation and words it is a long book not for the short book readers. It`s about a boy that is so tall everybody thinks is older than he is. He pretends to be an adult so he can go on the newest theme park ride `The Rocket'. Little does he know it`s a real rocket. He will have to try and be the adult in this adventure. Tue 28th Apr 2009

Marks out of 10: 9

Afolarin from St Mary Magdalene CofE Primary School said:

Liam tells his story of how he pretended to be a father (because of his very tall height), to one of his school calssmates- a girl named Florida. Liam, Florida and 3 other children end up in China, but soon travel into space, with a twelve year old in charge... Tue 28th Apr 2009

Marks out of 10: 10

mikun from St Mary Magdalene CofE Primary School said:

Cosmic is a great story about a boy named liam who is way too tall for his age and therefor gets away with lots of things like once in the story when his class wnet on the year six leavers trip to a theme park he was allowed on a ride that was strictly for adults only !!!!!!!

my favourite part of the story was when liam and his friend Florida Kirby pretended to be father and daghter and went to Liverpool town centre and went as far with the father daughter impersinaating that they went toa car show and almost drove a Porshce but Liams dad got to them first. Tue 28th Apr 2009

Marks out of 10: 9

Debora from Alma Primary School said:

Cosmic was written by Frank Cottrell Boyce and I think it’s an amazing book because it flows and makes me want to carry on reading it. Cosmic is about a 12 year old boy called Liam Digby who has a beard and is rather tall for his age. He lies about his age, asks one of his friends from drama club to pretend to be his daughter and goes to a theme park in china and ends up going to space with four other kids aged 10 and 11. My favourite part of the book is when Liam nearly drives a car and crashes it. I would give Cosmic 5 stars because it is just so brilliant. Mon 27th Apr 2009

Marks out of 10: 10

Wagner from Alma Primary School said:

The book I am reading is called Cosmic. This book is about a boy called Liam Digby and he is only 11 years old, but there is a problem he is enormous and every one thinks he’s an adult. My Favourite part of the book is when they have to vote someone and finally voted Liam Dynes and goes from last to first beating Eddie Xanadu, M. Martinet and Samson One because he tries to past the challenge they where set , but he makes funny mistakes. Mon 27th Apr 2009

Marks out of 10: 9

Eniola from Alma Primary School said:

Cosmic is a funny and adventurous book about a tall child (very tall). He goes to space because he won a competition and pretends that he was Florida’s dad because he pretended that he was a child. I would recommend this book to people aged 10-15 because people will find this funny and people can relate to his tricks and mischievousness. If you’re in a bad mood it will definitely make you in high spirits. In my personal opinion this is my 2nd favourite book out of the books in the competition.

Mon 27th Apr 2009

Marks out of 10: 10

George from Kingsdale School said:

Cosmic is an ambitious book as it starts off by saying, “I’m more sort of in space. I’m on a rocket the Infinite Possibility…. I lied about my age.” This is clearly a very daring opening page as it is not simple to just step on a rocket and lie about your age because all astronauts have to go through intense training and sending anyone into space is very risky. So the writer starts by setting himself the problem of explaining how the situation came to be. However, as the story unfolds he explains how this situation arose. I went from almost about to put the book down and say “what a rubbish book” to being gripped and moved from this novel.

The genre is difficult to say as it is partly about space travel which is science fiction, but it is also funny at times so it is a comedy but it is sad at times so it could be a tragedy. However, the main character has a constant obsession with the computer game “Word of Warcraft” (which is as the book explains a game of mythical creatures and quite frankly like “Lord of The Rings”) so it could be seen as an adventure tale.
Thu 23rd Apr 2009

Marks out of 10: 9

Frank from Kingsdale School said:

Cosmic is a good book for more experienced readers.Although the vocabulary is quite easy the book is quite long and inexperienced readers could get put off by the length of the book.


Basically the story is about a boy who goes on a spaceship and gets lost in space and he will die unless he saves the spaceship. Thu 23rd Apr 2009

Marks out of 10: 7

Ben from Bacon's College said:

A great adventure about Liam Digby - better than Alligator and Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Wed 22nd Apr 2009

Marks out of 10: 9

Nigel from Other School said:

I really enjoyed COSMIC. It was a bit different from MILLIONS and FRAMED but I thought the whole idea was really funny. Sun 19th Apr 2009

Marks out of 10: 8

Nigel from Bacon's College said:

I thought Cosmic was just cosmic! Mon 6th Apr 2009

Marks out of 10: 10