8.6 /10 1 Votes
Publication date 6 February 2004 Awards Carnegie Medal | 3.7/5 Goodreads Language English Originally published 6 February 2004 Adaptations Millions (2004) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Country United Kingdom
United States Media type Print (hardback and paperback) Pages 250 pp (first edition, UK) ISBN 978-1-4050-4736-4
ISBN 978-0-06-073330-8 (US) Genres Children's literature, Screenwriting Publishers Macmillan Publishers (UK), HarperCollins (US) Similar Frank Cottrell-Boyce books, Carnegie Medal winners, Children's literature | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Millions is a children's novel published early in 2004, the first book by British screenwriter Frank Cottrell Boyce. It is an adaptation of his screenplay for the film Millions, although it was released six months before the film (September). Set in England just before British adoption of the euro (a fictional event) the story features two boys who must decide what to do with a windfall in expiring currency.
Contents
Cottrell Boyce won the annual Carnegie Medal from the British librarians, recognising the year's best children's book published in the UK Millions was an integral part of the annual Liverpool Reads campaign in his home city.
Plot
The novel is set in Widnes, England, just as the euro is about to replace the pound sterling. Damian and Anthony Cunningham are brothers who have recently suffered the loss of their mother. Because of this tragedy, Damian becomes obsessed with saints and eventually hallucinates about them. When brothers Damian and Anthony unwittingly come into possession of the proceeds of a train robbery, they find themselves with millions of pounds to spend in the next 17 days. Damian believes the money comes from God and should be used for doing good, but Athony has different ideas. Meanwhile, the robbers are looking for their money... but will they eventually catch them?
Awards and nominations
Beside winning the Carnegie Medal from the British librarians, Millions made the shortlists for the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize and the Branford Boase Award.