Since he looks about thirty, Liam and his classmate Florida have great fun doing things that kids can only do with adult supervision - until his dad, a taxi driver, catches him about to test drive a Porsche.

The outlandish situation (two boys feverishly spending large amounts of money), the characterizations (particularly of the two boys and their father), the subtle handling of the big emotional and theological themes (of grief and faith), the laugh-out-loud humorous moments (my favorite being the playground economy), and the remarkable voice of narrator Damian (the younger of the two boys) made it a memorable novel for me as well as for my students when I read it aloud to them. Bought this during the first lockdown as it was the text being read in school by my child's class before the first lockdown. This is a middle-grade book, about a boy who is a lot taller than he supposed to be since he's only 12 years old! The book seemed to be broken into two parts, there was a fun kids story in there and then there was lots of descriptive stuff about flying around the moon and thought processing of feelings. A slightly awkward boy, and socially somewhat stilted, Liam's application of gaming logic to real-life situations is totally believable.In fact, I frequently found myself reading with a mental British accent, and a big smile on my face, because seriously. I haven't charted out my visits for the summer term, but I'm sure there are several in the south) and thanks so much for being so fantastic! Even though it is not likely that a middle school boy can pose as an adult and get launched into space on a crazy mission, I was so absorbed in the story that I believed it could happen!

It's written from Liam's point of view which shows the naivety of a young teenager's thought process and how they can get themselves into trouble without even trying. Whereas Charlie is deserving because despite his unspeakable poverty he doesn't complain or challenge the system, but Liam earns his reward for working hard and challenging the status quo. Also, kind of wild, but this book is quite a bit less out-there now than it was when it came out 10 years ago. What if you’re lucky enough to win but learn that the competition is for four children and you’ve posed as an adult? Much like a great Disney movie, the humor throughout exists on two levels: there are plenty of jokes to keep kids laughing, but there is another, more witty layer of humor that will get grown ups chuckling too.

It reminded me of Roald Dahl not just because of the humour but because the five fathers and five kids winning a competition to visit some exciting new place and do challenges is highly reminiscent of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. He manages to convince Dr Drax that the children should have an adult present, but Dr Drax decides to let the children vote on which Dad they want with them by voting on them after a series of challenges.

If you start with this book just make sure that you go back and read Millions and Framed as well, because they're just as good. Even though he’s only 12, Liam is constantly mistaken for an adult, but he’s still a kid who loves playing computer games and riding rollercoasters. It ends up that this thrill ride involves space travel, and the process of deciding who gets to go is funny and great and a great conversation-starter for kids (and grown ups if you're reading alongside).

Problem is, why would the kids want a computer-game obsessed "dad" with them when they know he'll hog the controls?