FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. Two boys in Africa, one recently moved from Britain and the other one a native, quickly develop a friendship and turn the village upside down, until real life tests them both.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Fans of Irish author Colfer's Artemis Fowl will find this contemporary novel a real change of pace. Benny Shaw's passion is hurling (an Irish version of field hockey), and he's crushed when his father's job takes the family to North Africa for a year. Not only will he miss watching the All-Ireland Hurling Final, but he also has to deal with culture shock, from Tunisia's fierce heat to scorpions to a classroom run by a pair of aging hippies named Harmony and Bob (who say things like "remember, positive emotions only" and delight in group hugs). Benny slips over the wall of the company's gated compound one day and strikes up a friendship with Omar, an orphan whose only English comes from watching pirated TV (e.g., "Night, John Boy"). The two bounce from one scrape to the next, and Benny learns a lesson about family loyalty when his friend's devotion to his institutionalized sister sparks a climactic finale, with the two on the lam from the law. Colfer smoothly layers adventure, moments of poignancy and subtle social commentary, and his comic timing is pitch-perfect (at the airport, "Georgie was sad wishing his Grandad farewell, Benny distraught over losing a steady source of fivers"). He studs the prose with Irish slang ("eejit," "the dole," "that yoke"). Readers will hope that the story's sequel, Benny and Babe, will cross the Atlantic soon. Ages 10-up.
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.From School Library Journal
Gr 5-9-As the hurling champion at Saint Jerome's school, Benny Shaw thinks he has a perfect life-until his parents move the family all the way to North Africa, a lifetime away from Ireland. They've never even heard of hurling in Tunisia. The village school is taught by feel-good hippies and filled with students actually bent on learning. There's no place for a sarcastic, self-centered kid like Benny. Then he meets Omar, a cheerful, scrappy boy surviving on his wits, and the two become fast friends, creating havoc and terrorizing everybody. But when Benny meets Omar's little sister, a drugged resident of the local mental farm, he realizes that his friend's life is more tragic than he had thought and realizes that he must help Omar rescue his sister. Suddenly Benny has to think of someone beside himself, and his ultimate change and personal growth make for a memorable story. At first it's hard to like Benny, even when he's trying to be decent, but Colfer does such a masterful job of mixing humor and tragedy with Benny's smart-alecky remarks that youngsters will like him in spite of themselves. This is a funny, fast-paced read, despite the Irish slang, that provides a wonderful glimpse into some very non-American worlds. -Linda Bindner, formerly at Truman State University, Kirksville, MO
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Product Details
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More About the Author
Eoin Colfer (pronounced Owen) is the New York Times best-selling author
of the blockbuster Artemis Fowl series as well as Airman; Half Moon
Investigations; The Supernaturalist; Eoin Colfer's Legend of... books;
The Wish List; Benny and Omar; and Benny and Babe. He was born in
Wexford on the southeast coast of Ireland in 1965, where he and his four
brothers were brought up by his father (an elementary school teacher,
historian and artist of note) and mother (a drama teacher). He first
developed an interest in writing in primary (elementary) school with
gripping Viking stories inspired by history that he was learning in
school at the time.
Eoin got his degree from Dublin University and qualified as a primary
school teacher, returning to work in Wexford. He married in 1991 and he
and his wife spent about 4 years between 1992 and 1996 working in Saudi
Arabia, Tunisia and Italy. His first book, Benny and Omar, was published
in 1998, based on his experiences in Tunisia; it has since been
translated into many languages; a sequel followed in 1999. In 2001, the
first Artemis Fowl book was published worldwide to much success -
shortly thereafter he left teaching to concentrate fully on his writing.
To this day, Eoin has written 6 Artemis Fowl books which have sold over
12 million copies worldwide.
of the blockbuster Artemis Fowl series as well as Airman; Half Moon
Investigations; The Supernaturalist; Eoin Colfer's Legend of... books;
The Wish List; Benny and Omar; and Benny and Babe. He was born in
Wexford on the southeast coast of Ireland in 1965, where he and his four
brothers were brought up by his father (an elementary school teacher,
historian and artist of note) and mother (a drama teacher). He first
developed an interest in writing in primary (elementary) school with
gripping Viking stories inspired by history that he was learning in
school at the time.
Eoin got his degree from Dublin University and qualified as a primary
school teacher, returning to work in Wexford. He married in 1991 and he
and his wife spent about 4 years between 1992 and 1996 working in Saudi
Arabia, Tunisia and Italy. His first book, Benny and Omar, was published
in 1998, based on his experiences in Tunisia; it has since been
translated into many languages; a sequel followed in 1999. In 2001, the
first Artemis Fowl book was published worldwide to much success -
shortly thereafter he left teaching to concentrate fully on his writing.
To this day, Eoin has written 6 Artemis Fowl books which have sold over
12 million copies worldwide.
Customer Reviews
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
International Coming-of-Age Story for Boys,
By Middle-aged Professor (NY'er living in Ohio) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Benny and Omar (Benny Shaw) (Paperback)
My 12-year old son and I greatly enjoyed reading this funny, illuminating, and entertaining coming-of-age story. We haven't read Artemus Fowl, so I can't really compare it, but this book, on its own, is outstanding. It follows a familiar coming-of-age story arc---problem child runs into crisis from which he learns and grows---but the book offers so much more than that. The story is told from the perspective of the always-in-trouble protagonist, but without a hint of patronizing condescension. The "Irishness" of the book's language and culture, and the African setting both add deliciously to the mix. The story never flags: lots of laughter and no small amount of suspense. Clever and original; we loved it.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Kati,
A Kid's Review
This review is from: Benny and Omar (Benny Shaw) (Paperback)
Benny and Omar The O'Brien press, 2006, 279pp, $18.95
Eoin Colfer ISBN 978-1-4231-0281-6 What would you do if you had to move to Tunisia, Africa just because your dad got a promotion? Would you be happy for your dad and congratulate him? If you said yes to these questions then Benny did the exact opposite f you, in this fantastic realistic fiction by Eoin Colfer!! Benny Shaw lives in his own little sarcastic and "not caring what other people think" kind of world. Having to move to Africa doesn't completely change that world, it just simply adjusts a little of it. There he finds out that the teachers' have their students call them by their first name but, Benny just calls them hippies. He also finds out that the students all hate him because of all his "negative energy," except one girl Grace that actually likes him. He also meets Omar who fools Benny into thinking he's still in Ireland Each chapter has a title that's a little odd, for example chapter nine; Corpzublicked. It sounds weird now but throughout the book it explains itself. I personally fell in love with this amazing book because it explains a crisis that a teenager would actually go through. I recommend this book to anyone that absolutely loves a good book! Eoin Colfer is a great author in this amazing thriller Benny and Omar!! --Kati
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the best friendship stories ever!,
By Pampered.Pixie (WA USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Benny and Omar (Benny Shaw) (Paperback)
I'm a huge Artemis Fowl, so when I was at the library and I saw the book Benny and Omar by Eoin Colfer and decided to check it out. I LOVED it! Benny and Omar is the story of twelve year old Benny, who moves all the way from his home in Ireland to Tunisia. In Tunisia Benny has trouble making friends with the other European children in the village he moved too. (Benny's dad works at a EuroGas plant, so Benny's not actually in contact with many Tunisians.) When Benny works his way over the village wall he makes friends with Omar, a young local. Omar lives in a small shack outside the village Benny lives in. Benny and Omar quickly become friends, and as the two become closer Benny realizes the hardships his friend faces on a regular base.
This story is amazingly funny, but when you step back and look past the laughter you see an amazing peice of literature. This book should be read by everyone!
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