In a nutshell: hopeful, inspiring story of one boy’s brave journey to find the truth | Space-obsessive Alex Petroski is an unusual eleven-year-old, caring single-handedly for his depressed mother and his puppy Carl Sagan (named after Alex’s hero). Readers are given unique insight into Alex’s life because he records it all on an iPod, which he plans to send into space to give aliens a detailed idea of life on Earth.
Though to his disappointment he never gets the opportunity to record the heartbeat of a man in love, the journey Alex undertakes more than makes up for that: we travel with him from Colorado to Las Vegas, via the Southwest High-Altitude Rocket Festival, where he tries and fails to launch his rocket, and along the way he makes new friends, and discovers family he never knew he had.
Alex is an unforgettable character, his story is poignant, hopeful and – as his bravery is rewarded – inspiring too.
Recommended for readers who enjoy Alex’s adventure are An Island of Our Own, by Sally Nicholls, another story of children undertaking an important journey without the help of adults; Time Travelling with a Hamster by Ross Welford, which takes a scientific starting point to examine family relationships; and Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan in which an unusual young hero assembles a new family around her. ~ Andrea Reece
March 2017 Debut of the Month
"I haven't read anything that has moved me this much since Wonder." -Jennifer Niven, author of All the Bright Places
| Suitable For: | |
| Other Genres: | |
| Recommendations: |
All he wants is to launch his golden iPod into space the way Carl Sagan (the man, not the dog) launched his Golden Record on the Voyager spacecraft in 1977. From Colorado to New Mexico, Las Vegas to L.A., Alex records a journey on his iPod to show other lifeforms what life on earth, his earth, is like.
The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed See You in the Cosmos and determined it is suitable for children aged 9-12 years old
See You in the Cosmos features in the following genres: Books Reviewed by our Reader Review Panels, Recommendations, Featured Books for 9+ readers, Stories about Family and Friends, Children's and Young Adult Fiction, Children’s, Teenage and Educational, Recommended Children's eBooks, Featured Books for 11+ readers
Paperback, Hardback. Not Available.
See You in the Cosmos was written by Jack Cheng and published by Puffin Books an imprint of Penguin Young Readers Group
See You in the Cosmos has 336 pages
