Framed

What happens to a grey, Welsh town with a depressed economy and dwindling population when world-famous art arrives there for storage in an old mine? Find out in this wonderful tale of what it means to be part of a family and a community. Told through the voice of Dylan Hughes, the only boy left in the town of Manod, Framed will introduce you to a town full of eccentric characters who are inspired by the masterpieces they see to create great changes in themselves and in Manod. It's a heart-warming, funny tale that's great to read aloud.

Pa's garage is going bankrupt, but the arrival of mysterious glamour cars at their desolate mountain somewhere in Whales enables the children to come up with lots of plans to find new sources of income. Very funny and inspiring for teens, and well-written.

The middle school librarian at the school where I work recommended Boyce's first book MILLIONS to me. I was enchanted by that book and wanted more by Boyce - and FRAMED is just as good. I listened to both on CD in the car during my half-hour commute, and it was usually hard to tear myself away. The reader is perfect - does different voices for different characters - makes the book like a British comedy on TV, just without the video. The author takes it for granted that the reader/listener knows a lot of British expressions, etc., such as knowing that Asda is a store similar to Walmart though it sells mainly groceries (or at least the ones I've visited sell mainly groceries). Other reviewers have told the story, so I won't repeat it - just to say that these are sweet, funny, thought-provoking books (both of them) which proved very appealing to me and my best friend (both in our 50s), as well as my mother (age 77). Five stars are hardly enough. If you want to read or listen to another book that has the same appeal as these, try GIDEON THE CUTPURSE by Linda Buckley-Archer. This is the first in a trilogy and the second one is due to come out this December. Another enchanting tale about 2 kids who time travel back to 1763.

If there's a novel I loved this year more than Frank Cottrell Boyce's "Framed," then I don't know what it is. "Framed" is a stunning, original work--a work infused with love, innocence, and deep wit. Dylan is the last boy left in Manod, a small town in Snowdonia, Wales. Being the last boy has its problems, most notably Dylan has no one to play football with. Oh, and the nastiest girl in school, Terrible, now has a clear bearth to torment him. Otherwise, Dylan's life is pretty good. His parents own the town's garage, he has a genius little sister (Minnie), a cute baby brother (Max), and an even-tempered older sister (Marie). His dad doesn't even get mad at him when he mixes up oil and anti-freeze when working in the garage. Dad assigns him to the logs instead, which turn into a hilarious diary noting the weather (always damp and rainy) and which villager has been in the garage each day. Then things start to go wrong. Or, at least differently. Dylan remains ever optimistic, so he doesn't register the gravity of events around him. First and foremost, the weather has changed. It rains every single day in Manod now, and people don't enjoy the beauty of the village any longer. There have been floods in London, and nearly every man in the village has left with family in tow to work on a new barrier. And the garage is in trouble. Dylan's parents can no longer afford to buy petrol ahead of time. Their Mini Cooper disappears and all sources of income dry up. New mysterious people arrive to town and take up residence in the quarries of Manod's mountain. Dylan's father leaves the family and Dylan's mother, with her four children and a nearly defunct garage, is despondent. The kids dream up ways to earn extra cash. When they discover the mysterious men on the mountain are guarding the collection of the National Gallery in the quarry, saving the works of art from the ravages of the flood, they dream up a menu of cakes with names like "Titian Tart." They have a connection to the men too. Lester, the man in charge of the collection, overhears Dylan calling the family chickens by name--Donatello and Michelangelo. Understandably, Lester thinks Dylan is interested in art and is impressed. He doesn't know that Dylan named the chickens after the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Lester takes an interest in Dylan, showing him masterpieces worth millions. Lester is supposed to protect his masterpieces, but he can't help looking at them and, most of all, lecturing about them. As Manod is a small town, others want to go up the mountain with Dylan and see what's up there. A secret is never a secret in Manod. The first up the hill is Daft Tom, a local lad who once tried to rob the garage. Dylan's Dad offered him a job instead and he's been there ever since. The first picture Tom sees is a still life and it inspires him to create still lifes of his own in the town's store windows. A viewing of Renoir's Umbrellas cures Dylan's mom of her depression. Over time, the National G

British screenwriter Frank Cottrell Boyce won a host of fans and a mantel of prizes with his first book for young readers, Millions, and he'll likely do the same with Framed, a funny, heartwarming story of family and the impact of art on people. Nine-year-old Dylan is the only boy in town. While that sounds lonely and austere, Manod is a very small community so being the only boy isn't extremely odd, and he does have two best friends - his pet chickens, Michelangelo and Donatello. Named after Renaissance artists? No. After the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. His parents are the sole proprietors of the Snowdonia Oasis Auto Marvel garage, an enterprise that doesn't quite make ends meet for his family. Dylan's task is to tend to the petrol log, thus he's very aware of the cars and the people who come and go in Manod. That isn't a terribly daunting task because not too many come or go in this little Welch town. So, when two lorries suddenly appear and head for an abandoned mine, it sets Dylan's fertile young mind to wondering. Author Boyce indicates that Framed was inspired by a story he'd read referring to the collection of valuable paintings from the National Gallery that were hidden in a slate mine during World War II. How, he wondered, did the presence of those masterpieces affect those who lived nearby when one was brought out for them to see. There's no wondering about the voice performance delivered by actor Jason Hughes. He finely captures narrator Dylan as the boy fondly remembers a father who warmed the sea for swimming by pouring in a tea kettle of hot water. For this listener, Hughes is especially effective when Dylan is describing his family and the town in which he lives. For young listeners ages 8 - 14. (Parents will enjoy it as well). - Gail Cooke