Framed

In a Welsh mountainside town a family struggles to maintain both their business and familial bonds. Other elements of this energetic novel include a repository for works of art from the National Gallery, Ninja Turtle lovers, football, and a bit of thievery. The concoction is fast paced, humorous, and poignant as young Dylan lays himself on the line for his family. Jason Hughes takes on the characters and situations, deftly creating personalities and narrative drive. One marvels at the craftiness of sister Minnie, the wisdom of the lone schoolteacher, the optimism and determinism of narrator Dylan, and the humorous confusion over famous artists, Turtles, and free-range chickens. Appreciation for the power of fine art shines through all. A.R. (c) AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine

Starred review from August 28, 2006
What can be said about a novel that successfully combines threads about Italian Renaissance art and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles? As Dylan Hughes, the narrator might put it, "completely mint." The leading export in the small Welsh town of Manod is its people, leaving the Hughes family with a gas station but few cars. Serendipitously, Dylan's mother buys an espresso machine at a car-boot sale at the same time that a large group of out-of-towners arrives. Flooding in London has led the National Gallery to move its valuable holdings to an abandoned quarry just up the mountain from the Hughes' garage. The art chief mistakes Dylan for a precocious art aficionado after hearing the names of Dylan's pet chickens: Donatello and Michelangelo. (Turtles' fans will know the real namesakes.) Meanwhile, Dylan's younger sister, a criminal mastermind-in-the-making, notes, "Art and criminals go together like fish and chips," and plots to right the family's fortunes by nicking Van Gogh's Sunflowers
, and replacing it with a paint-by-numbers look-alike. Boyce plants a terrific message about the power of art to inspire and transform, as well as a belly laugh on nearly every page. The quirky Hugheses may be the most winning family of wacky Brits to cross the Atlantic since Hilary McKay's Cassons. Even the minor characters here, such as bossy schoolteacher Ms. Stannard and the dour town butcher, are deftly drawn. This sophomore effort from the author of the witty and wonderful Millions
is equally charming and hilarious. Ages 8-12.

Starred review from October 16, 2006
British actor Hughes (with his spot-on Welsh accent) nails his reading of Boyce's (Millions
) latest, serving up humor, quirkiness and intrigue at every turn. The exploits of nine-year-old Dylan Hughes's family, who run the Snowdonia Oasis Auto Marvel gas station/copier shop/coffee house in the tiny gray town of Madon, Wales, are the stuff of belly laughs—handled expertly in Hughes's deadpan tone and interpretation of Boyce's kid-friendly dialogue and colloquialisms. Oddball locals, including Daft Tom, a grown man obsessed with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, provide some hilarious exchanges for narrator Dylan. But the real action takes off when Dylan's dad flees a tax inquiry and "team Hughes" is left to rescue the family business. At the same time, flooding in London has forced the National Gallery to move many of its masterpieces to an abandoned quarry near the Snowdonia Oasis. Dylan's younger sister, Minnie, an aspiring criminal mastermind, comes up with a heist plan that just may save the day for everyone. This skillfully drawn kooky family, the story's high-octane premise and Hughes's knockout take on the tale will quickly have listeners hooked. Ages 8-14.

January 1, 2007
Gr 5-8-Frank Cottrell Boyce's novel (HarperCollins, 2006) is set in a very small town in Wales that was once a thriving slate producer. Dylan Hughes, 9, is the only boy in Manod and lives with his family who operate a not very profitable gas station and car repair shop. When Dylan puts antifreeze instead of oil in a teacher's car, he is relegated to keeping the petrol log in which he records not only gas sales but everything that happens during the day. The rest of the novel is structured as a journal. One day, vans are spotted going up the mountain and a mysterious encampment is set up at the quarry. The leader of the expedition stops for gas and meets Dylan and his hens, Donatello and Michelangelo (named after Mutant Ninja Turtles). However, the man thinks Dylan must be an art lover and invites him to the quarry where he discovers that the cave is protecting the art collection from London's National Gallery (like it actually did during WWII), which was recently flooded. The power of these masterpieces has such an affect on the townspeople that their lives and the character of the town undergoes a life affirming metamorphosis. The characters are eccentric, humorous, and wonderfully drawn, and the unpredictable plot has numerous twists and turns. The novel is skillfully narrated by Jason Hughes. This production, due to its length and Briticisms, would be most appreciated in an enrichment or gifted and talented program. Teachers can relate the novel to a wealth of art and social studies topics."Carol Y. Barker, Wheelerville School, Caroga Lake, NY"

Copyright 2007 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2006
In a quiet Welsh town, nine-year-old Dylan Hughes helps his family run the struggling Snowdonia Oasis Auto Marvel. Quirky characters populate the community, including Daft Tom, who has a decades-old obsession with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, cartoon characters named for Renaissance artists. One day a convoy of vans passes through town, headed to some abandoned slate quarry mines. Dylan learns that the convoy is transporting paintings taken from the National Gallery because of flooding in London (an incident based on a real art evacuation that took place during World War II). It isn't long before Dylan's own familiarity with the cartoon turtles results in a misunderstanding about his knowledge of art. Like the mutagen that transformed the Turtles, the presence of the paintings brings changes to Dylan's family and to the townsfolk. Even with an attempted painting heist, this is a quieter book than " Millions" (2004), but the readers who take to its message about the importance of art will be charmed. A list of the hidden paintings is appended. " Chasing Vermeer" , by Blue Balliett may be a good follow-up. (Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2006, American Library Association.)