Today’s review is part of the official blog tour for this book. Be sure to keep reading for more information about the tour, plus your chance to win a copy of the book!
A book that’s as funny as it is heartfelt, Sputnik’s Guide to Life on Earth by Frank Cottrell Boyce is a charming story about finding your place in the world.
Prez knows that the best way to keep track of things is to make a list. That’s important when you have a grandfather who is constantly forgetting. And it’s even more important when your grandfather can’t care for you anymore and you have to go live with a foster family out in the country.
Prez is still learning to fit in at his new home when he answers the door to meet Sputnik—a kid who is more than a little strange. First, he can hear what Prez is thinking. Second, he looks like a dog to everyone except Prez. Third, he can manipulate the laws of space and time. Sputnik, it turns out is an alien, and he’s got a mission that requires Prez’s help: the Earth has been marked for destruction, and the only way they can stop it is to come up with ten reasons why the planet should be saved.
I love Boyce’s witty and whimsical sense of humor, which shines throughout Sputnik’s Guide to Life on Earth. The narrative requires a suspension of disbelief – but once you go along with the concept, it’s a wild, wondrous and wonderful ride.
Prez is such a charming character to lead our story, and my heart broke for him and his desire to get back to the life he knew with his grandfather. But through Sputnik, we and Prez both discover a different way of looking at life and the world around us. Their journey to find ten reasons for saving the Earth leads Prez to discover a different way of looking at the world around him, and on a path to figure out how he fits into that world.
Part of what makes Sputnik’s Guide to Life on Earth so special – and something I admire so much about Boyce as an author – is how it uses whimsy and outrageous scenarios to tell a truly relatable, down-to-earth story about heart and home. Look for it in stores June 20th.
Frank Cottrell Boyce is the author of Sputnik’s Guide to Life on Earth, The Astounding Broccoli Boy, Cosmic, Framed, and Millions, the last of which was a New York Times bestseller and was made into a movie by Oscar-winning director Danny Boyle. His books have won or been nominated for numerous awards, including the Carnegie Medal, the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize, and the Whitbread Children’s Book Award. Frank is also a screenwriter, having penned the scripts for a number of feature films as well as the opening ceremony of the 2012 London Olympics. He lives in Liverpool with his family.
One lucky winner will receive a copy of Sputnik’s Guide to Life on Earth courtesy of Walden Pond Press.
To enter, tell us in the comments below one reason why planet Earth is so special – then fill out the Rafflecopter form here to complete your entry & earn more chances to win.
Contest is open through midnight (PT) on Thursday, June 15th. U.S. only.
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Novel Novice 
The biggest reason planet Earth is so special is because it’s the only planet right now within our reach of supporting our lives.
I’m continuously impressed with the diversity of lifeforms and landscapes that we can find on this planet. From the deepest oceans to the tops of high mountains there are so many plants and animals to discover in their natural habitats that it’s almost impossible to even know about them all.
Earth – she shares her beauty, quenches our thirst, houses us, feeds us…for now, at least. BTW, I too had a dog named Sputnik while growing up. Maybe I should have listened more to him. Can’t wait to read what your dog has to share, Frank. All the best!
we have no where else to live
It’s beautiful, diverse, and our home!
Our resilience.