Play Book Tag discussion

NB this has been tagged LGBT four times, probably because of the lesbian couple featured in part of this book.

This is a fun children's novel, but nothing stellar--I've read too many children's novels to be easily impressed, I suppose.

From the moment Barnaby is born he's different--he floats, but his parents have spent their lives trying to be normal and to not stand out. When he is 8, his mother cuts the ties that bind him outside and lets him float away after agreeing to do this with his father. Once this starts he meets a pair of women in a balloon and begins some travel to different continents--he tends to fall asleep and miss stops, so often ends up going to the wrong places.

On the one hand, he meets others who are different, and it makes a lovely point about how different people can be in a number of different ways. On the other hand, I didn't love the story itself; there are others that make the same point that I've liked better. Also, I keep thinking about how sad this would have made at least one of my daughters when she was the right age--she'd have been in tears and upset for a long time over the fact that his parents didn't love him (the one who, although heterosexual, dressed like a boy and often pretended to be one in public--not in private--for about 5 years and simply switched to dressing like a tomboy in girls clothes.)

Nice review. I love middle-grade books. I'm going to give it a try this one:)