The Many Worlds of Albie Bright,from UK author Christopher Edge, is an outstanding novel aimed at readers aged 8-12.
I rarely make such a claim, however, The Many Worlds of Albie Bright is a novel that gripped me from the start and to risk adding cliché … no, I couldn’t put it down. Here’s why …
We meet Albie Bright two weeks after the death of his mother. Now it’s just Albie, his dad and granddad. Albie’s parents were / are enthusiastic scientists. Albie’s dad consoles himself by letting his work consume him, but not before answering one of Albie’s questions with an answer that sets him on a path that spirals quickly out of control … into parallel words.
‘If quantum physics said that my mum was still alive in some parallel universe, then maybe quantum physics could help me find her.’
Armed with a cardboard box, a decomposing banana, a Geiger counter and his mum’s old but incredibly powerful laptop … Albie sets off in search of his mum.
Edge’s brilliant narrative is full of twists, turns and touches of great humour as Albie powers through to different parallel universes where he meets some interesting versions of himself. All the while Grandad keeps popping up in the background, watching different parts of the film Back To The Future.
Obviously, launching yourself into parallel worlds isn’t without consequence. Albie finds himself in plenty of tricky situations whilst negotiating a school trip and a birthday party in parallel universes, all as his searches for his mum.
The Many Worlds of Albie Bright does much for the subject of science – showing it off as a sparkling subject full of curiosity, investigation, and ‘trying to do the impossible.’
Christopher Edge’s novel The Many Worlds of Albie Bright is a great novel for this age group.
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