Millions

Product Information

Set in England just before British adoption of the euro (a fictional event) the story features two boys who must decide what to do with a windfall in expiring currency. Of the added stress that the money ends up bringing into his and his brother’s lives, Damian says, “[The bag of cash] was heavy and we were nervous that something would happen to it.

I have even talked the head into a little revamp of the library so that we can display them properly! I did also like the relationship between the boys and their father because it showed how family is one of the most important, if not the most, important aspects in a person’s life. The conflict in the book is for Damian and Anthony to find a way to get rid of the money in seventeen days because it is in the old form of money and the money system is changing to a new one( Euros).They think of two different suspects but eventually they find their money and end up with 20,345 Euros. Anthony and Damian Cunningham are two English school boys and together with their combined knowledge of saints and money they must overcome many obstacles. There is selflessness and selfishness throughout the story and what is right and wrong becomes tested. But how they would win, and what the answer was, I didn't know until the last, very satisfying, page. Even with all the fun and twists that transpire as one grand scheme leads to the next, Boyce also conveys the message that, indeed, money can be a burden.

The structure of the novel is neat and clear, simplistic vocabulary is used and the variety of characters is pleasing. Yourself and Bob are much cherished in our booky world and I personally really appreciate everything that you do. One of the focuses of that obsession has become an interest in saints -- the lives of which populate both his imagination AND several of the key scenes in this book. While you are hearing your father’s words to be ‘excellent’, following the guidance of the saints, your brother is more of a real-estate baron, it seems….

In addition to original scripts, Cottrell Boyce has also adapted novels for the screen and written children's fiction, winning the 2004 Carnegie Medal for his debut, Millions, based on his own screenplay for the film of the same name. Does the book contain anything that teachers would wish to know about before recommending in class (strong language, sensitive topics etc.

Obsessed with the lives and demises of saints since the death of his mother, Damien attracts a great deal of negative attention and warranted concern around his community. His second book, Framed was inspired by a news story he’d read in an old scrapbook: During the Second World War, a collection of valuable paintings from the National Gallery was hidden in a slate mine for safekeeping. What would you do if you were praying for a miracle that would make everything better, when a bag full of money falls from the heavens? The end showed how throughout the whole novel the boys’ went through so much for their money and that showed a lot about how greed can control you.

Cottrell Boyce won the annual Carnegie Medal from the British librarians, recognising the year's best children's book published in the UK. Because the story is told from the sweetly naive perspective of Damian, it is filled with many silly but poignant observations.