Cosmic

Liam, the main character in Cosmic, is like any other kid except that he looks like an adult. That enables him to become the chaperone for a bunch of kids on a secret space flight.

The book is nearly half over before the kids actually get sent into space, but it's an adventure from the very beginning.

Kid who read this book will have to wonder what it would be like to look like an adult and have to act like one to convince real adults they're one of them.

And the interactions between the kids are realistic.  The author, Frank Cottrell Bouce, obviously knows kids.

And when Liam manages to become the chaperone, that's only the beginning of the adventure. Due to some errors, the kids might never get back to Earth, and the trip is secret so nobody would even search for them.

Cosmic is an exciting book that will be enjoyed by both middle grade boys and girls.
 

Cosmic

My name is Janet Ann Collins and I'm a bookaholic with no intention of recovering.

I've spent a big part of my life in libraries, and especially enjoy the sections with books for kids. Recently I've been checking out some of the newly acquired books. The librarians say that's fine even though kids can't read the books while I have them because I read and return them quickly. Lots of the new books are excellent and here's one I can't resist telling you about: Cosmic by Frank Cottrell Boyce.

Cosmic is about a boy named Liam who is so tall for his age he's often mistaken for an adult. Like most kids, he loves to play video games. His life is pretty normal, or seems to be until he finds himself involved with evil villains who may destroy everything he cares about. And Liam is the only one who can help. I don't want to give away too much, but can't resist mentioning the realistic and scary scenes in outer space.

The book has a creative and unusual plot, characters I cared about, and is full of action and adventure. I recommend it highly.