I found this book very interesting. I enjoyed the unique way in which it was written, as from a child's daily log intended for alien beings benefit. Quite clever.

A sweet story about family and the life-changing power of friendship. Told alternately from the perspective of 11 year old Alex and his "Golden iPod podcast recordings" Jack Cheng perfectly captures the voice and thinking of Alex.

Enjoyed this one very much. Love the tie in with Carl Sagan. A bit deeper than one would sometimes expect from a middle grade book. My 10 year old daughter thought is was ok but then I don't think it is the type of book that appeals to her. I loved it.

See You in the Cosmos is the kind of story I can recommend to young readers without fear of embarrassment - the protagonist feels genuine and the plot does too. While the narrative device can seem a bit gimmicky at first (the narrative is composed of recordings made by a precocious 11 year-old) once immersed in his world, you cannot help but to root for him. This book is one that will be deeply felt and is sure to be remembered by its readers of all ages.

Contemporary
11-14
See You in the Cosmos, by Jack ChengI cheerfully admit to being a low-level space geek, and I can pinpoint my interest precisely to September 1977, when Voyager II and Voyage I (yup, in that order) were launched into space in search of interstellar pals. Each spacecraft carried a Golden Record intended to introduce any intelligent life to life on Earth. Eleven-year-old Alex Petroski has decided to launch Voyager III, complete with a Golden iPod filled with his own recordings for aliens to discover. Overtly a transcript of his recordings, this creative heart-filled novel tells the story of Alex’s remarkable journey over several days, both literally and figuratively. Literally, he and his beloved pup Carl Sagan travel from his home in Colorado to the Southwest High Altitude Rocket Festival in Albuquerque where Alex will launch his homemade rocket into space. He’s just 11, though at least 13 in responsibility years, so he gets some needed help along the way. While at SHARF, he makes friends with a bald hobbit-y guy named Zen and his entrepreneurial roommate Steve, recording those interactions faithfully. When Alex learns there’s a man in Vegas with the same name and birthdate as his own long-dead father, his new friends agree to take him there, then on to Los Angeles where his older brother Ronnie lives. Alex doesn’t see Ronnie often, but his brother sends money to support Alex and his mum. Figuratively, Alex’s travels lead him to discover that like the universe, one’s circle of family and friends is always expanding. This novel deals with some serious issues, like child services and schizophrenia, in a way that is accessible for young readers. The writing is original and strong, with authentic characters and voices. But it’s Alex who will steal your heart. When Terra explains that a fling is “when two people love each other for a really short time and then they go their separate ways,” Alex informs her “Oh, I had a fling too.” Prodded by Terra to unpack his statement, Alex then describes his brief Grade 4 dalliance with a girl named Emily who moved away. He quickly notes it was for the best since “we were both too young and she’s not really my type anyway.” Oh, sweet boy. There are a few f-bombs, but overall this is a humourous, tender coming of age novel that won`t soon leave your thoughts. Plus there is a plethora of astronomy jokes. What’s not to love? My thanks to publisher Dial Books for the advance reading copy provided through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
More discussion and reviews of this book: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33282947

This book was moving, heartbreaking, and inspirational all at the same time. I have a student just like Alex in my school this year, so I really identified with this character. Alex's character is beautifully written and incredibly believable. I know that my middle school students will love this book as much as I did--especially my reluctant male readers. I think this book would appeal to YA and adult readers alike though--it is a universal read with a ton of impact.

Alex is a great kid who can weather any storm, even if it's with some tears. His voice came through loud and clear and I learned to love him and his unique ways very quickly. This story has heart - not just Alex's, but in all the folks he meets and, of course, in Carl Sagan!

This story is about a young boy who is a fan of Carl Sagan - so much so that he has named his dog after his hero. He has become involved in an online community of rocket enthusiasts and heads out to the middle of New Mexico to launch his first ever rocket with this community of people. He goes by himself, as his mother is incapable of taking care of him because of some major mental illness. His trip goes remarkably smoothly for an unaccompanied minor, and he is helped along the way by his rocket-loving friends and eventually, his family.

Overall, I liked the story. The one thing that bothered me is that the story is told told via transcripts of a voice recording Alex is planning on sending to outer space to introduce the human race to aliens. Although Alex definitely is older than his years, I can't imagine that your average 11-year old kid would be as bombastic as Alex seems to be, although his stream-of-consciousness, run on sentences style would be spot on for this age.

Review copy provided by NetGalley

This is the story of a multitude of characters with hidden issues to confront. It's told in first person, from the point of view of an eleven year old boy who is making audio recordings into an iPod that he intends to jettison into space in the hope that it will be discovered by aliens. Looking back through the story in my head, two things come up again and again.

Number one, this is a story where depth is the glaringly blatant objective and because of that, readers will be simultaneously drawn into the backstory of every character. It can prove challenging for readers, as it makes it difficult to focus on one particular thread of the story with so many others to draw your attention.

Number two, this book was not meant to be experienced on paper. It's the transcript on a series of audio recordings, and is presented as such. For those who were delighted with the script for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and other such stories presented in a play script format, this will be appealing. For those that do not enjoy the medium on paper, this will serve as a distraction from the actual narrative.

Still, this is one of those stories that doesn't shy away from topics that will probably raise some red flags, and though it presents those things well, it should be noted that librarians and parents should read the text before presenting it to younger readers. Issues such as a parent's infidelity, mental illness of a parent, divorce, psychological abuse, neglect, and even understanding menstruation all pop up in the text, leading me to think that this might be best suited for young adult audiences. Still, the book does come at the issues that it presents in a creative and insightful way, and for that I commend it. At times, particularly when there is an audio transcript that doesn't easily translate onto paper, I felt a little lost, but after I powered through the difficult passages, the product as a whole was powerful and impressive.

This might not be the book for elementary audiences, but when it reaches its intended audience, I think it will be well-received.

The story of Alex and his golden iPod will be one I recommend for years to come. His voice and humanity shines through in each recording and encounter he has along the way on his heartfelt journey. Any story that succeeds in making me laugh out loud and cry deserves all the stars in the universe. Ours is a better one because this book exists.

Started the book but DNF it, the voice of it all just isn't for me and I couldn't see reading a book from that whole point of view...

There is just too much going on in this book for it to be great. Wanting to build rockets was great and interesting, but it just didn't fit with the story of a boy whom no one cares about. I felt like Alex had some kind of disability, which seemed to come and go. He's obviously smart, but his constant crying and tantrums is just not normal behavior for an 11-year-old. I don't really know how kids would react to this book.

Alex loves astronomy, rockets, and the idea of intelligent life in other galaxies. He makes plans to travel to a rocket launch event with his dog, Carl Sagan. Alex's older brother left their Colorado home years before and now is making a life for himself in Los Angeles, leaving Alex to fend for himself. Alex's father died when Alex was 3. His mother suffers from mental illness and often leaves Alex for days at a time. Alex takes this all in stride and assumes responsibility for his mother and his dog. But what keeps him going is his goal to launch his rocket with his iPod of recordings into space so aliens can listen to his recording of life on Earth. The trip to the rocket launch turns into a series of misadventures, new friends, and life-changing discoveries.

The story is told as though listening to the recordings on Alex's iPod. Some of the characters seemed a bit too quirky to be real. It is easy to feel compassion for Alex and also brother Ronnie, but something is missing in this road trip novel of discovery.

eGalley review Publication date 2.28.2017

It’s a cliché to say about a book that you didn’t want it to end, but sometimes the cliché is the truth. So it is with this middle-grade book like no other, one that children and adults alike will adore.

Science geek Alex Petroski would be the first to point out that his real age may be 11, but his “responsibility age” would be much, much older. And, readers, you will agree with him. His father died when Alex was 3, his older brother — 24-year-old Ronnie, a college sports star turned sports agent — has moved West, and Alex’s mother becomes so incapacitated (probably due to severe depression) that it’s Alex who cooks, shops, and cleans. Here’s a scene when Alex adopts a stray, naming the dog after his hero, the late Carl Sagan:

“Then I took him back to my house and my mom was lying on the sofa watching her shows like she usually does, and I told her I got the groceries but I got a pup also and I’ll take good care of him I promise, I’ll play with him and feed him and give him a bath and all the stuff you’re supposed to say.

“And she said, You’re in the way! So I got out of the way. My best friend Benji’s mom would freak if he brought home a pup, but my mom, she doesn’t care as long as I make us dinner and don’t bother her when she’s watching her shows. She’s a pretty cool mom.”

So you see how it is. Brother Ronnie moved to Los Angeles and, while he pays the bills for his mother and little brother, Ronnie hasn’t visited in more than a year; Alex has pretty much been on his own.

Alex wants to emulate Dr. Sagan and the Golden Record he launched into space in 1977 in the hopes of announcing our human presence to any alien life. Alex gets a donated iPod, spray-paints it gold, transfers the information from Sagan’s Golden Record onto it and adds additional entries in which he makes observations on the human condition for the aliens’ edification. When Alex decides to make the journey from Rockview, Colorado, to the Southwest High-Altitude Rocket Festival (SHARF) in Albuquerque so as to launch his Golden iPod into space aboard Voyager 3, there’s no adult who’s going to dissuade him. Along the way to Albuquerque (and beyond), Alex fortuitously for him finds himself relying on the kindness of quite a few strangers — and, fortuitously for us, he captures his adventures in a series of daily recordings along the way.

Author Jack Cheng hooked me from the very first transmission chapter with this heart-warming tale of a boy who reaches for the stars and finds more than he ever imagined. Highly, highly, highly recommended.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley, Penguin Young Readers Group and Dial Books in exchange for an honest review.

I was fortunate enough to get an advance reading copy of this book. On reading the first page of this book I was instantly reminded of ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time’ and the narrator does have a few features that recall Mark Haddon’s protagonist Christopher and his engaging voice. However, this book very quickly progresses and grows into its own unique world.

In the opening we learn that our narrator; 11 year old Alex Petroski of Colorado, The United States of America, Earth, has a mixed home life. He is happy in what could be considered slightly rough surroundings. He describes things such as his home life positively while leaving the reader enough room to draw their own conclusions on what it is really like for him.

His domestic life with his mother being distant and father absent entirely left me already having several children in mind who I would like to recommend this book to. It is a setting many will find familiar and could easily relate to. The book’s form being through podcasts and many of its cultural references are also relatable to most children. There are some, such as vinyl records and references made to ‘Carl Sagan’ which are useful in opening opportunities for children to research and read deeper into areas they may wish to explore for themselves. I personally feel books aimed at this age range should always offer these kinds of possibilities. I would also add that I am the right age to appreciate the nod to ‘Dexter’s Lab’ in the early part of this book and hope children who don’t get that one will seek it out!

Once we start to establish a narrative, it emerges that Alex is obsessed with space, space travel and is utterly convinced there is life on other planets. I do not wish to cover too much of the story in this review as I personally find reviews like that unnecessary, if you want plot; read the book! But what I will say, is that our main character Alex is loveable, believable and has real depth that will appeal to KS2 readers. The book is listed as being suitable for readers aged 10+, but I would say that knowing some of the space obsessed children I have worked with, I can already think of children aged 8 upwards who would, and could enjoy this book.

The publication of this book could not be more timely with the recent NASA discovery of seven Earth like planets in orbit around a star named Trappist-1. I would love to hear Alex’s take on that finding! This lucky coincidence in timing means that the book could also be linked to current news and opens further avenues for children to explore.

I could write for hours on this book, but the bottom line is; it’s an excellent read and really every educator should just buy a copy now. If you work in KS2 your children will love it. This is one of the first YA books I have read this year, and it has set my year off like a rocket. An absolute firecracker of a book.

Through the eyes of a child... This book is written in a child's perspective and touches on so many issues that face children today. 11-year-old Alex Petroski is a kid with a love for rockets and outer space. He designs a rocket, leaves his mom a note and manages to get his underage self and his dog onto a train heading to a rocket convention. This is just the beginning of his adventures, all of which are recorded on his golden iPod for the aliens he intends to send it to. Alex does many things that make me cringe, such as traveling alone, talking to strangers on the internet, getting into cars with strangers, climbing onto a rooftop...the list goes on and on. This book kept me reading to find out what would happen next. I was intrigued by his thoughts and also wanted to read on to make sure he was ok. By the end of the book, I had met many interesting characters and laughed along with Alex. His inquisitiveness and fearlessness are realistic for many kids Alex's age. Great book for middle-grade students, as well as for adults who are looking for a quick read and some insight into the mind of an 11-year-old.

Thank you to Penguin Group and Netgalley for this Advanced Reading Copy in exchange for an unbiased review.

Alex Petroski is an eleven-year old boy who loves astronomy and the dog he rescued and then named after his hero, the one and only, Carl Sagan. He embarks on a journey that takes him to a rocket festival, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles. Readers who like adventure and family dramas will enjoy this story.

Since I teach 7th grade, I had a difficult time with Alex's voice because in the beginning, I felt like it was too young. But then it just seemed to suit his character so it became less distracting. Some twists I am not sure were quite earned or believable, but they kept me turning pages.

I hope there is an audio for this story because then readers will really experience what it's like to listen to Alex's i-Pod recordings.

Alex is excited for his first trip to the Southwest High-Altitude Rocket Festival, aka SHARF. It will be fun to finally meet his friends on Rocketforum and of course to launch his rocket. So he's devastated when he's told at the train station that as an eleven-year-old he's not allowed to ride the train without an adult. There's not a lot of adults in Alex's life: his dad died when he was three, his mom seems to be barely functioning--with quite a few (in Alex's words) "quiet days"--and his older brother is several states away in Los Angeles trying to make it as a sports agent. Fortunately, a sympathetic young adult pretends to be his older brother so that he can get on the train, launching Alex--and his dog, Carl Sagan--on an unforgettable hero's journey. Alex narrates his adventures in a series of iPod recordings that he intends to put in his rocket to send to outer space, just like his hero Carl Sagan did with his Golden Record aboard Voyagers 1 & 2. Cheng's filtering of the story through this very distinctive eleven-year-old voice brilliantly sets the tone for the narrative, though it does require a fair amount of reader sophistication. Alex is a thoughtful, resourceful, and inquisitive child, whose meandering narratives sometimes obscure the actual events occurring around him--often with hilarious results. Important themes like hope, truth, family and sacrifice abound in this heartwarming middle grade novel, which will appeal to fans of Lisa Graff, Kate DiCamillo, and Holly Goldberg Sloan.

Eleven year old Alex is in love with space rockets. When an opportunity arises for him to attend a rocket event in the middle of New Mexico, Alex and his dog, Carl Sagan head off on a journey. Alex is basically living on his own. His mom, whom we later learn is suffering from mental illness, is unable to barely care for herself, let alone Alex. Alex's brother is working in California and not home to care for him. Their father died years ago.

I liked this story more than I thought. Alex records his journey on his ipod and many of the chapters are written as a recording of what he actually said.

Along the way, Alex meets a group of strangers that actually become like a surrogate family to him. The end seemed a little rushed, but it was still a really good read. I received a complimentary ebook from the publisher.