The Terrible Thing That Happened To Barnaby Brocket

The TerribleThing That Happened To Barnaby Brocket by Oliver Jeffers, 277 pages

Barnaby is a boy born to two very normal parents, thank you very much.  They, of course, are horrified when Barnaby, seconds after his birth, begins to float.  Hoping he'll grow out of it, they take Barnaby home to their otherwise normal life, with their two other normal children, Henry and Melanie, and their normal dog.  By the time Barnaby is eight, however, it is pretty clear that he will not just grow out of this floating business, which causes his parents to make a horrific decision with unexpected consequences for Barnaby.  This is a fantastic story, reminiscent of Roald Dahl's stories.  I would recommend this to kids who like magical realism.