Cheng, Jack.
SEE YOU IN THE COSMOS
New York : Dial, 2017
IL 5-8, RL 5.0
ISBN: 978-0399186370

Eleven-year-old Alex Petroski is making his own version of Carl Sagan’s Golden Record, carrying representative sounds of Earth, that was launched in 1977 on board Voyagers 1 and 2. Each chapter in the book is a transcript of Alex’s recordings for his own Golden iPod, which he plans to launch on his homemade rocket, Voyager 3, at the Southwest High-Altitude Rocket Festival (SHARF) in New Mexico. Alex is on his own: his father is dead; his mother is mentally unstable; and his older brother, Ronnie, lives in California. Nonetheless, accompanied by his dog (Carl Sagan, named for his hero), Alex sets off for the rocket festival. It’s an epic journey, during which he makes new friends, finds a new and unexpected half-sister, loses his dog, has a near fatal accident, and ultimately – home again - forges a family. Alex’s resourcefulness, courage, and kindness in the face of many troubles makes you proud to share a planet with this kid.   (Vermont DCF Award nominee, 2018-2019)