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Benny and Omar Audiobook
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(3.06) - 379 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
A poignant and witty tale of an unlikely friendship from the bestelling author of Artemis Fowl
For Benny Shaw, nothing could be worse than having to pick up and move to Africa. Nobody there plays his favorite sport, hurling, the Tunisian heat is grueling, and even his new school is weird with its lovey-dovey hippies for teachers. How will he ever adjust to such a strange place?
Then Benny meets Omar, an orphan whose "English" has come from watching TV, and his life skills from surviving on the streets. The two strike up a friendship and their madcap antics quickly become the bane of village life. But when real life intervenes, the boys must take on their biggest and most dangerous ch
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"Benny is uprooted from everything he loves and values when it's either no job or a promotion for his dad--in Tunisia. The family settles into a "village"--a settlement funded and maintained by Eurogas, his dad's employer. There are many luxuries, including a swimming pool--but just on the other side of the wall Benny discovers a street kid, Omar, whose survival mode lifestyle makes Benny rethink everything he has. But it doesn't really hit home until the day Omar takes him to see his sister, who is restrained to a bed and drugged out of her mind at the local psychiatric institution. Benny learns what happened to Omar and his family--and realizes that if Omar needs his help, Benny needs to give it--but the consequences are not easy. This is a powerfully written story, often times very funny, but with a serious undertone--readers will be moved and enchanted. Sometimes hard to get through the Irish slang but this is a minor detail. Junior high and up."
— Phoebe (4 out of 5 stars)
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“Fans of Irish author Colfer’s Artemis Fowl will find this contemporary novel a real change of pace…Readers will hope that the story’s sequel, Benny and Babe, will cross the Atlantic soon.”
— Publishers Weekly -
“Benny and Omar is an interesting and eye-opening study in contrasts—how Europeans and Tunisians live side by side in the same country—and a sometimes hair-raising, comic adventure…For libraries that have Colfer’s Artemis Fowl, Benny and Omar is a natural addition that likely will spawn a sequel.”
— Booklist -
“This is a funny, fast-paced read, despite the Irish slang, that provides a wonderful glimpse into some very non-American worlds.”
— School Library Journal -
“Readers who like sports and fast-paced adventures will love the plot.”
— Kliatt
Benny and Omar Listener Reviews
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" Benny's family is moving from Ireland to Tunisia for his Da's work. A devoted hurler, Benny must adjust to these exotic surroundings. Enter Omar--an orphan who has learned English from watching TV. There is lots of humor, and excitement. The narrator was fantastic, and brought the two cultures to life. I'll be looking for more in this series. "
— Marcia, 2/3/2014 -
" A must read book... I laughed, I cried, I marveled at Eoin Colfer's choice of words! Putting up with Benny's hilarious adventure in a Muslim country is life-changing! "
— Arianne, 2/1/2014 -
" read in primary school, remember it being good, recommended. "
— Katie, 1/29/2014 -
" Surprisingly, this book captured my interest from the beginning. As two cultures collide, the characters gain a life-education that could be gained no other way. "
— Vicki, 1/26/2014 -
" Benny is an Irish kid who is really into hurling, an Irish sport. His family has to move to Tunisia for a job. Benny doesn't like Tunisia very much until he meets Omar, an orphan kid who speaks very little English, just what he has learned on TV. Benny's parents aren't too keen on Omar and don't want Benny hanging out with him. It's not clear to me why they don't like him so much and it almost feels oddly racist, like they don't want him to hang out with Tunisian kids? The book was very slow and the audiobook was not good in my opinion, partly because I had a hard time understanding the reader, especially when reading Omar's parts. I didn't finish this one, but apparently the ending is sad, (view spoiler)[with Omar dying (hide spoiler)]. Perhaps this would be good for a middle school boy into sports who needs to read a book set in a different country. Or just middle school boys who like realistic fiction. "
— Brooke, 1/9/2014 -
" Half-way through I quit. BOOOOOORing. "
— Aaron, 11/24/2013 -
" Felt like it was trying really hard to be the kind of book the teacher makes you read in class. "
— Cindy, 11/6/2013 -
" 85/100 A fantastic read. Funny, Meaningful, and beautifully written. You really can't go wrong with Colfer. There's not really too much else to say. "
— Hayesy, 10/21/2013 -
" I read this book first in 2009 for my school assignment, and it's a wonderful story about family and friendship between two different boys. I read again this year....... "
— th3rese, 7/13/2013 -
" I just couldn't really get into this book. "
— Janet, 4/14/2013 -
" This is about a boy named Benny who meets and orphan named Omar who can barely speak english. A sad tale about how Benny helps Omar survive, or die. "
— Grayson, 10/5/2012 -
" An excellent new series by Mr. Colfer. It has all the charm of his other books that make his reading the perfect audiobook for traveling. It is enjoyed by all ages. "
— Brian, 8/28/2012 -
" Absolutely side-splitting it a great story my fav book besides benny and babe!!!!!! "
— Shannon, 7/18/2012 -
" The wonderful blend of humor, sports and adventure make this a great books for guys. "
— Lisa, 2/21/2012 -
" It was amusing, slightly unpredictable, and the characters fairly pop out at you.^^^^I absolutely love how Colfer only used typically spoken phrases from television/movies for Omar's English dialogue. "
— Qing, 6/13/2011 -
" Sad ending, but extremely gratifying. "
— Danny, 6/8/2011 -
" You really can't go wrong with Eoin Colfer. Except for that one book of his. "
— Nathan, 5/4/2011 -
" I read this book first in 2009 for my school assignment, and it's a wonderful story about family and friendship between two different boys. I read again this year....... "
— Therese, 3/27/2011 -
" Good book, but became boring after a while. The ending was really suspenseful, and had me on my toes the whole entire time. Benny is really bratty, and I feel for George. Poor Georgie. Anyways, I tried to read Benny and Babe after Benny and Omar, but....SO BORING! Sorry! This one is good, though. "
— clarinet_friend13, 1/18/2011 -
" It was amusing, slightly unpredictable, and the characters fairly pop out at you.^^^^I absolutely love how Colfer only used typically spoken phrases from television/movies for Omar's English dialogue. "
— Qing, 1/14/2011 -
" 85/100 A fantastic read. Funny, Meaningful, and beautifully written. You really can't go wrong with Colfer. There's not really too much else to say. "
— Hayesy, 7/8/2010 -
" Sweet book, not really something of my tastes though. <br/>Definitely for the younger audiences. <br/>Unfortuantly, it took me a very long time to finish this as it wasn't very exciting. <br/>But again, more for the younger audiences. "
— Lisa, 6/4/2010 -
" Absolutely side-splitting it a great story my fav book besides benny and babe!!!!!! "
— Shannon, 2/15/2010 -
" read in primary school, remember it being good, recommended. "
— Katie, 6/10/2009 -
" This is about a boy named Benny who meets and orphan named Omar who can barely speak english. A sad tale about how Benny helps Omar survive, or die. "
— Grayson, 5/13/2009 -
" You really can't go wrong with Eoin Colfer. Except for that one book of his. "
— Nathan, 12/3/2008
About Eoin Colfer
Eoin Colfer is the New York Times bestselling author of numerous books, including the Artemis Fowl series and several stand-alone novels. He was born and raised in Ireland, where he was appointed Children’s Laureate.
About Euan Morton
Euan Morton is an Earphones Award–winning narrator. As an actor and singer, he is best known for his role as Boy George in the musical Taboo, which earned him a Laurence Olivier Award nomination. He reprised the role on Broadway, earning him the Theatre World Award for Outstanding Broadway Debut, as well as nominations for the ony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, and Drama League awards. His other stage performances include Leaves of Glass, Sondheim on Sondheim, and Cyrano De Bergerac.