Level L Core

Cosmic
Teacher’s Guide
AY 2022–2023
 Table of Contents

1- Course Aims

2- General guidelines to teachers for this genre

3- Introduction:
 About the Author
 Summary
 Character List

4- Discussion Questions:  Lesson 2

 Lesson 3
 Lesson 4
 Lesson 5
 Lesson 6
 Lesson 7
 Lesson 8
 Lesson 9
 Lesson 10
 Lesson 11
 Lesson 12
 Lesson 13
 Lesson 14
 Lesson 15

Date 02-08-2021 | Level L | 1

 Teacher’s Study Guide
Cosmic by Frank Cottrell-Boyce

Lesson 1

(Discuss the course aims, the general guidelines, and the introduction with its subtitles with the
class)

1- Course Aims:

• to develop the interdependent skills of reading, analysis and communication

• to develop critical analytical thinking skills through the close reading and interpretation
of texts
• to develop an understanding of the ways writers’ choices of form, structure and
language shape meaning
• to reinforce the necessity to support ideas and judgements with textual reference and
quotations
• to nurture emotional and social intelligence

3- Introduction:

About the author

Frank Cottrell-Boyce was born in Bootle, near Liverpool on the 23rd of September, 1959.
While dabbling in acting, he is most famous for writing children’s fiction as well as writing
the opening ceremony for the 2012 Summer Olympics opening ceremony. He won the
prestigious Carnegie Medal in 2004 for his novel Millions, and he also won the Guardian
Prize for The Unforgotten Coat in 2012.

Summary

Liam Digby may only be twelve years old, but he is exceptionally tall for his age; so tall, in
fact, that people mistake him for an adult (the fact that he has facial hair contributes further
to people’s mistaken assumptions). Not averse to lying about his age, Liam regularly reaps
the benefits of being regarded as an adult: he poses as a teacher, and he rides a G-gravity
roller coaster several times even though it is not designed for children. Unfortunately, his
adult-like appearance also has its downsides: adults around him often have expectations of
Liam that are too demanding for a child. Much to his chagrin, Liam often hears the
reprimand, “a big guy like you, you should know better.”

Date 02-08-2021 | Level L | 2

For Liam, however, the rewards far outweigh the challenges. This is especially true when
Liam poses as a father to his celebrity-obsessed classmate, Florida Kirby, and wins a
competition allowing the pair to visit the world’s most unique theme park, The Infinite Park.
Unbeknownst to Florida, the theme park is not in the United Kingdom, where they both live,
but in China. Devising a ruse of going on a school field trip to the Lake District, Liam and
Florida, along with three other father-child teams travel to China, and upon arrival, they all
learn that the children will be going to space while riding the Infinite Possibility Rocket.
Only one of the parents will be able to join the children in their spaceexploration adventure;
this adult will be voted for after a series of challenges.

This is how Liam Digby, a twelve-year-old child posing as a father who is responsible for
caring for the kids, finds himself stuck in a rocket and hopelessly adrift in space. Liam
proceeds to record messages for his father that explain how he found himself in space – these
recordings form the plot of the book itself.

Characters List

Liam Digby: Exceptionally tall for a twelve-year-old and sprouting “Premature Facial Hair,”
Liam is the precocious narrator who also happens to be “Gifted and Talented.” His
exceptional height and facial hair cause those around him to often mistake him for an adult.
Affable and care-free, Liam reveals himself to be a thrill seeker as the story unfolds. He
loves the adrenaline rush of theme-park rides, the buzz of gaming (a world where he is never
judged by his adult-like appearance), and the intoxication of pretending to be an adult. As
the story unfolds, however, Liam’s initial thrill regarding posing as a father evolves into a
wise and nuanced understanding of the sacrifices and love that fatherhood entails. Amid the
challenge taking place in China, Liam finds himself genuinely caring for his “daughter,”
Florida; this is augmented when Liam learns that Florida’s father abandoned her family when
she was very young. Liam also finds himself caring that the other children participating in
Dr. Drax’s experiment have never enjoyed the same carefree childhood he has taken for
granted. By the end of the story, Liam is grateful for his father’s unfailing love and patience
towards him.

Mr. Digby (Liam’s Father): Mr. Digby lives in Bootle and works as a taxi driver to support
his family. It is clear throughout the story that Mr. Digby is a devoted and loving father who
earnestly strives to understand Liam and his idiosyncrasies. Even though Liam often finds
himself in perilous situations, Mr. Digby always arrives to save Liam from his reckless
behavior. It is only when Liam understands that he may never get the chance to see his father
again that Liam appreciates the devotion his father has shown him.

Mrs. Digby (Liam’s Mother): While the focus of the story is on fathers and their children,
Mrs. Digby clearly dotes on her son as well. She is also revealed to be the very antithesis of
her adrenaline-loving son; she sees any activity that takes her out of her safe cocoon of

Date 02-08-2021 | Level L | 3

Bootle as dangerous and life-threatening. The most adventure she gets up to in the story is
remodelling her kitchen.

Florida Kirby: Florida is Liam’s classmate who is notoriously shallow, celebrityobsessed,

and fame-hungry. As Florida and Liam’s adventure in China progresses, however, it is
revealed that behind the materialistic façade, Florida is actually an intelligent, sensitive, and
delightfully cheeky little girl. While she is not “Gifted and Talented” like Liam, she is more
responsible and aware of the ramifications of their actions than he is. Even though she
constantly reminds Liam that her father spoils her by giving her whatever she asks for, it is
revealed towards the end of the story that her father actually abandoned her and her family
when she was a child.

Dr. Drax: At first, Dr. Dinah Drax seems to be the benevolent head of Drax Communications
and the spearhead of the space-exploration adventure Liam is bewitched by. She is enigmatic
and wins people’s trust with her polite smile. As the story progresses, however, she is actually
a ruthless villain with absolutely no scruples. While she claims to have formed the space-
exploration program in order to showcase the power of a child’s imagination, she is actually
taking advantage of the children in her care in order to advance her own daughter into the
hall of fame for being the “first child in space.”

Date 02-08-2021 | Level L | 4

Date 02-08-2021 | Level L | 5
Lesson

Date 02-08-2021 | Level L | 6