The Terrible Thing That Happened to Barnaby Brocket

John's Boyne's heartwarming tale about tolerance and acceptance is now available in paperback!
     There's nothing unusual about the Brockets. Boring, respectable, and proud of it, they turn up their noses at anyone strange or different. But from the moment their son Barnaby comes into the world, he's as different as he can possibly be. To his parents' sheer horror, he defies the laws of gravity--and floats!
     Desperate to please his disapproving parents, Barnaby does his best to keep both feet on the ground, but he just can't help who he is. And so one fateful day, the Brockets decide that enough is enough. They never asked for a weird, abnormal, floating child, and Barnaby has to go.
     Betrayed, frightened, and alone, Barnaby floats into the path of a very special hot-air balloon and begins a magical journey around the world--a journey that introduces him to an extraordinary cast of new friends and teaches him that nothing can make you happier than just being yourself.