Millions

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As a child I would have read and enjoyed this several times, for the simple adventure once, and then a reread for figuring out the mysteries and puzzles and the how-to of economics, and then a nostalgic reread would have given me a chance to appreciate Damian's obsession and visions. I have even talked the head into a little revamp of the library so that we can display them properly!

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. Boyce’s book will certainly capture the interest of its target audience of upper school-age and middle-school readers. And furthermore, and finally, albeit I certainly do kind of wonder if I might be reading just a wee bit too much into and below the surface for Millions, as someone who was closely following the political and economic debates happening both in England and elsewhere in Europe (from around 1990 to 2006) regarding the adoption or not of the Euro and the fiascos this actually ended up creating for many member nations, both that Millions was published in 2004 (when the Euro had only recently been adopted as the common currency on the continent and when there was a very heated and often volatile debate in the UK regarding this) and that the entire (fictitious) scenario of the United Kingdom switching to the Euro is definitely being shown by Frank Cottrell Boyce as really being rather negative, this does definitely make me increasingly consider Millions to be Cottrell Boyce's warning fable against the Euro replacing the British Pound Sterling (and while I definitely think that this is interesting, it is also something I do tend to find more than a bit uncomfortable, as it gives Millions a between the lines political and economic message I as an adult reader find quite annoyingly problematic). Heart-achingly funny, touching and brilliantly clever, Millions is a fantastic adventure about two boys, one miracle and a million choices.You guys are such a force for good and I am a passionate supporter of Indie booksellers, so I'm so happy this worked out well (I'd love to know how many books were sold if you have it to hand - it felt like quite a lot! I think this was meant to be a feel-good family drama about the effects of money on individuals and society, but is just felt negative and wrong--I never felt that the taking of the money was right or justified in any way and to have every character attempt to justify it and take and spend it without any consequences was just something I couldn't get past.

But how they would win, and what the answer was, I didn't know until the last, very satisfying, page. Then the next day when they come home from school they realize that crooks stole the rest of the money that was in the bag!This is a wonderful read for all ages, and thought not super Christmassy, I am still adding it to my December repertoire. They think of two different suspects but eventually they find their money and end up with 20,345 Euros. This edition of Frank Cottrell-Boyce’s Carnegie Medal-winning Millions features fantastic cover artwork from the brilliant Steven Lenton. But with only 17 days left before the national currency switches to Euros and the money becomes worthless, this proves to be much more difficult than they had anticipated.

Damian is convinced it is a gift from God, and contemplates with his older brother Anthony the best way to spend it.

There is also an interesting lesson in inflation in the school yard, not to mention several good examples of the corrupting influence of money.