Millions

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A wonderful, sweet story told by a 5th-grade boy who just happens to see long-dead saints everywhere he looks. Anthony's character is easier to appreciate, and the humor comes through loud and clear to all, too. Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide. Get started Close

Funny, thought-provoking and thoroughly entertaining, this outstanding novel was a deserving winner of the 2004 CILIP Carnegie Medal. Long-legged Liam makes a giant leap for boy-kind by competing with a group of adults for the chance to go into space. Is Liam the best boy for the job? It was a one-in-a-million chance. A bag crammed with cash comes tumbling out of the air and lands right at Damian's feet. Suddenly the Cunningham brothers are rich. Very rich. They can buy anything they want. There's just one problem -- they have only seventeen days to spend all the money before it becomes worthless. And the crooks who stole the cash in the first place are closing in -- fast. Conflicts arise throughout their family as the burden becomes to much to bear and secrets are becoming harder to keep. How will these two troublemakers fare with people watching at every turn?

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The characters are so sweet and I loved Damian and his obsession with saints and their lives. And the saints that appear to him periodically - that killed me. Only bad thing was their Mom is dead and the boys are obviously sad about that. Normally I won't touch a book with a dead parent and sad kids with a 10 foot pole, but this book was worth it. Damian and his brother, Anthony, have recently lost their mother, and their father is doing all that he can to raise them well. Damian’s coping mechanism for his mother’s death is to read everything he can about the lives of various saints. Anthony, however, becomes a bit of a financial guru. When a huge bag stuffed with more than 200,000 quid comes flying out of the sky and into Damian’s cardboard “hermitage” (i.e., hideout), the story begins.

Frank was asked by the Fleming Estate to write the official sequel to Ian Fleming's Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Flies Again was shortlisted for the Roald Dahl Funny Prize in 2012. Beside winning the Carnegie Medal from the British librarians, [2] [3] Millions made the shortlists for the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize and the Branford Boase Award. 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. As an adult, I think I want to reread it so I can appreciate the simple adventure, because upon this (first ever) read I was wrapped up in Damian and in his r'ship with his father and brother and couldn't quite fully just enjoy the book, as it was so poignant. I was looking for a new Christmas set novel to read and Robison Wells recommended this. I've seen the movie, but didn't know that it was a book. Apparently they were written at the same time, as Frank Boyce was originally a screenwriter. Frank's first book, Millions, won the CILIP Carnegie Medal in 2004 and has been shortlisted for a number of awards, including the Guardian Children's Fiction Award 2004. Millions has also been made into a movie directed by Danny Boyle. Frank's second novel, Framed, was published in September 2005 and shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal, the Whitbread Award and the Guardian Prize. It was made into a BBC feature-length film in 2009. Frank's third novel, Cosmic, was published in June 2008. It was shortlisted for the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize 2008 and the inaugural Roald Dahl Funny Prize.I have enjoyed every book I have read by Frank Cottrell Boyce. He writes fast moving quirky stories with lots of heart. This book reads like a mad cap comic adventure/mystery/coming of age tale but is also a study in childhood grief and as is usual for this author the father son relationship is central to the plot . Damien's literal take on life, his pure heart, and his obsession with the lives of catholic saints is classic Cottrell Boyce and is both hilarious and poignant.

The story centres on Dylan Hughes, the only boy left in a small Welsh mountain town called Manod. This is an immensely entertaining book, about the power of art to bring about change and to redeem. Millions is an interesting story about two young brothers who stumble upon a bag filled with thousands of pounds and must try and spend it before the currency is changed to the euro. Anthony and Damian Cunningham are two English school boys and together with their combined knowledge of saints and money they must overcome many obstacles. Their story shows the true value of money and family, and that a little kindness can go a long way. Damien is a fourth grade student in England on the brink of the (imaginary) Pound/Euro currency changeover. 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. Millions focuses on what Damien and and his brother choose to do with a great deal of money that suddenly falls in their laps. He adapted the novel into a screenplay for a 2009 BBC television film. His 2009 novel Cosmic has also been shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal. This is one of those children's books that seems to be operating on two levels. Although I do think it would appeal to the more intelligent readers in the 10-13 age group, a lot of the humour and commentary is probably aimed more at an adult level of understanding. (The real estate and financial commentary of the protagonist's older brother, Anthony, is one example that comes to mind.)

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The boys are dishonest with their father. They use the death of their mother to gain sympathy and get out of trouble. I really didn’t rate this book. I read it with my 10 year old son and thought it was peculiar and contained inappropriate swearing. Not sure why anyone would give this 5 stars? It was recommended to us - I am wondering why?!

Millions is about two young brothers who come across millions of pounds and their decisions on what they do with it. There is selflessness and selfishness throughout the story and what is right and wrong becomes tested. We follow Damian and Anthony (brothers) through everything they do with the money before the day when the pound gets changed for the Euro. This article needs a plot summary. Please add one in your own words. ( March 2021) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message)

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I don't read children's fiction very often, but this one was recommended to me so I thought I'd give it a whirl.