The Many Worlds of Albie Bright

Losing someone you love -it’s unimaginable.  But for Albie Bright the unimaginable has happened.  His mum,  she’s also a brilliant scientist, dies of cancer.  Albie is devastated - that is until he learns from his equally brilliant scientist of a father, that there is the slight probability that his mum may still be alive - in a parallel universe!  With the help of his mum’s laptop and his own determination, Albie sets out to find a way to travel to parallel universes and discover if his mum is actually still alive and well in another dimension.  But what else might be different in a parallel universe.  Albie doesn’t have time to find out.

The beauty of science fiction is that it leaves you ponder “what if?” and “could this really happen?”. I’ll admit quantum physics has never been my area of expertise but as I was reading this book, and rooting for Albie, I found myself wondering, could this really happen?  I even went so far as to have a discussion about quantum physics and parallel universes with a nephew of mine that recently graduated with a degree in physics.

Albie’s mum gave her son the perfect advice to guide his exploration: “You only find out what’s possible by trying to do the impossible.”  

Here’s something else to ponder - thanks to Albie’s Quantum Banana Theory, I have yet to eat another banana since reading this book!

The Player King

One of the reasons I enjoy reading historical fiction so much is that  it offers the opportunity to learn about different periods of time from the past, while still reading for pleasure.  So it was with great excitement that I learned about a new novel from one of my favorite authors, Avi.  The Player King, set to be released October 17, takes place in England in the late 1400s.  It's the story of how young Lambert Simnel, a simple kitchen boy, becomes entwined with noblemen who wish to overthrow the King.

Even though my knowledge of this time period is not extensive, I thoroughly enjoyed this book!  Lambert is a likeable character that does not let himself fall into the role of victim, despite having to deal with some not very reputable adults.  In fact for awhile he living the dream of many young boys of this time period.

Historical fiction is usually based on real life events with sometimes fictional characters.  However, as I read this novel I kept find myself asking, could this actually have happened?  Be sure to read the author's note at the end of the book - it’s a fascinating story!