Mr Browser and the Comet Crisis

Jason, the extra-terrestrial marbles champion, bursts dramatically into the life of Chivvy Chase Junior school in this, the third 'Mr Browser' sci-fi adventure. A very gentle and amusing tale of the chaos that ensues when a family of aliens arrive from Halley's Comet on a reconnaissance mission for a possible invasion of earth. Philip Curtis' style makes easy reading for the nine plus age group and the insertion of character cameos enlivens reading aloud considerably. I loved the wry acknowledgement of the changing educational trends inserted through the character of Mr Morton, HMI, who wanted to see how well the children knew their tables and spellings. 'Times change and Mr Morton was one of the first to change with them.' Unlike some of the practitioners of the genre. Curtis is able to laugh at the pretentiousness and mystique of his subject, and the book is the better for it.