See You In The Cosmos

“I haven't read anything that has moved me this much since Wonder.” —Jennifer Niven, author of All the Bright Places A space-obsessed boy and his dog, Carl Sagan, take a journey toward family, love, hope, and awe in this funny and moving novel for fans of Counting by 7s, Walk Two Moons, and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. 11-year-old Alex Petroski loves space and rockets, his mom, his brother, and his dog Carl Sagan—named for his hero, the real-life astronomer. 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. But his destination keeps changing. And the funny, lost, remarkable people he meets along the way can only partially prepare him for the secrets he’ll uncover—from the truth about his long-dead dad to the fact that, for a kid with a troubled mom and a mostly not-around brother, he has way more family than he ever knew. Jack Cheng’s debut is full of joy, optimism, determination, and unbelievable heart. To read the first page is to fall in love with Alex and his view of our big, beautiful, complicated world. To read the last is to know he and his story will stay with you a long, long time. "Stellar." —Entertainment Weekly “Life-embracing.” —The Wall Street Journal "Works beautifully." —The New York Times Book Review “Irresistible.” —The Chicago Tribune “The best I've read in a long, long time.” —Holly Goldberg Sloan, author of Counting by 7s “Riveting, inspiring, and sometimes hilarious.” —Kirkus, starred review “A propulsive stream-of-conscious dive.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review “A gift—a miracle.” —Paul Griffin, author When Friendship Followed Me Home “Exuberant.” —Booklist "Full of the real kind of magic." —Ally Condie, author of Matched "Absorbing, irresistible." —Common Sense Media “Incredible.” —BookRiot "Full of innocence and unwavering optimism." —SLC "Inspiring." —Time for Kids “Powerfully affirms our human capacity for grace and love and understanding.” —Gary D. Schmidt, author of Okay for Now

“A mock self-help book designed not to help but to provoke . . . to inveigle us into thinking about who we are and how we got into this mess.” (Los Angeles Times Book Review). Filled with quizzes, essays, short stories, and diagrams, Lost in the Cosmos is National Book Award–winning author Walker Percy’s humorous take on a familiar genre—as well as an invitation to serious contemplation of life’s biggest questions. One part parody and two parts philosophy, Lost in the Cosmos is an enlightening guide to the dilemmas of human existence, and an unrivaled spin on self-help manuals by one of modern America’s greatest literary masters.

For every child who has ever looked up at the stars and asked, "What are they?" comes the story of a curious boy who never stopped wondering: Carl Sagan. When Carl Sagan was a young boy he went to the 1939 World's Fair and his life was changed forever. From that day on he never stopped marveling at the universe and seeking to understand it better. Star Stuff follows Carl from his days star gazing from the bedroom window of his Brooklyn apartment, through his love of speculative science fiction novels, to his work as an internationally renowned scientist who worked on the Voyager missions exploring the farthest reaches of space. This book introduces the beloved man who brought the mystery of the cosmos into homes across America to a new generation of dreamers and star gazers.

A boy’s chance encounter with a scruffy dog leads to an unforgettable friendship in this deeply moving story about life, loss and the meaning of family. Ben Coffin has never felt like he fits in. A former foster kid, he keeps his head down at school to avoid bullies and spends his afternoons reading sci-fi books at the library. But all that changes when he finds a scruffy abandoned dog named Flip and befriends the librarian’s daughter, Halley. For the first time, Ben starts to feel like he belongs in his own life. Then everything changes, and suddenly Ben is more alone than ever. But with a little help from Halley’s magician father, Ben discovers his place in the world and learns to see his own magic through others’ eyes. Equal parts heartbreaking and heartwarming, When Friendship Followed Me Home is a must-read for dog lovers and fans of emotionally resonant middle-grade novels. Paul Griffin is a teacher and a devoted helper of at-risk and special-needs teens. He works with organisations like Behind the Book and Literacy for Incarcerated Teens, focusing on helping young men and women tell their stories. He is the author of several novels for young adults, including Ten Mile River, Stay with Me, Burning Blue and Adrift. Paul lives in Manhattan. ‘Those familiar with Griffin’s books for teens know that Kleenex may be needed to successfully navigate this wrenching journey, which breathes fresh, warm life into what might have been an overworked cliché. Entrancing, magical, tragic, and uplifting.’ STARRED Review, Kirkus ‘When Friendship Followed Me Home is an incredibly poignant yet beautiful middle grade read that proves even in the darkest moments throughout our lives, someone is always willing to leave the light on...I loved each and every moment.’ Diva Booknerd ‘Read it for Ben who is one of the best written and most real kids I’ve read all year. Then read it again for Halley, and again for Flip, and Tess, and Tess’s wife, Laura, who only ever appears as a photo but still has such a strong presence. Paul Griffin is now one of my new favourite authors.’ Readings ‘Life has more than one tragedy in store for Ben and correspongding heart-tugging moments for the reader, but the boy’s openness, warmth and resilience commend him to a readership far wider than the mid-primary age-group for whom the novel is so tenderly designed.’ Adelaide Advertiser ‘Think The Fault in Our Stars tenderly modulated for 10-year-olds: Paul Griffin’s first novel for middle-primary readers tackles some of the deepest and darkest moments in life with practical sensitivity and a heart-warming cast of characters...The writing is fluid, the chapters generally short, the ending uplifting–a great, heart-tugging, affirming read for the mid primary age-group and well beyond.’ Magpies ‘Featuring a cast of unforgettable characters—including the adorable dog!—this book is funny, weird, happy and sad all at the same time.’ Mania ‘A gem of a book...This gentle tale of a boy whose resilient spirit triumphs over everything life tosses his way is a treat for all ages.’ NZ Listener ‘This middle grade book is freakin’ adorable and heartbreaking, uplifting and uproarious!’ Alpha Reader ‘A gem of a book about a boy whose resilient spirit triumphs over everything life tosses his way.’ Best Books for Kids 2016, Listener ‘This book is special. It’s a beautifully written middle grade novel.’ Reading Time ‘Griffin manages to show the resilience and vulnerability of kids in equal measure. He refuses to sugar-coat the bad things that can happen in life, and demonstrates the ways in which people can let each other down. Despite (or because of this) it offers young readers the tools and optimism to feel confident and informed when faced with tough times...funny, sweet and devastating.’ Leanne Hall, Readings

“I haven't read anything that has moved me this much since Wonder.” —Jennifer Niven, author of All the Bright Places A space-obsessed boy and his dog, Carl Sagan, take a journey toward family, love, hope, and awe in this funny and moving novel for fans of Counting by 7s, Walk Two Moons, and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. 11-year-old Alex Petroski loves space and rockets, his mom, his brother, and his dog Carl Sagan—named for his hero, the real-life astronomer. 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. But his destination keeps changing. And the funny, lost, remarkable people he meets along the way can only partially prepare him for the secrets he’ll uncover—from the truth about his long-dead dad to the fact that, for a kid with a troubled mom and a mostly not-around brother, he has way more family than he ever knew. Jack Cheng’s debut is full of joy, optimism, determination, and unbelievable heart. To read the first page is to fall in love with Alex and his view of our big, beautiful, complicated world. To read the last is to know he and his story will stay with you a long, long time. "Stellar." —Entertainment Weekly “Life-embracing.” —The Wall Street Journal "Works beautifully." —The New York Times Book Review “Irresistible.” —The Chicago Tribune “The best I've read in a long, long time.” —Holly Goldberg Sloan, author of Counting by 7s “Riveting, inspiring, and sometimes hilarious.” —Kirkus, starred review “A propulsive stream-of-conscious dive.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review “A gift—a miracle.” —Paul Griffin, author When Friendship Followed Me Home “Exuberant.” —Booklist "Full of the real kind of magic." —Ally Condie, author of Matched "Absorbing, irresistible." —Common Sense Media “Incredible.” —BookRiot "Full of innocence and unwavering optimism." —SLC "Inspiring." —Time for Kids “Powerfully affirms our human capacity for grace and love and understanding.” —Gary D. Schmidt, author of Okay for Now

Alex Petroski, 11 ans, est passionné de sciences. Son héros, c'est Carl Sagan ; il l'admire tellement qu'il a donné son nom au chiot abandonné que sa maman l'a laissé adopter. D'ailleurs, sa maman n'est pas contrariante : tant qu'Alex lui fait la cuisine et ne l'embête pas pendant les journées qu'elle passe au lit, elle est plutôt permissive. Elle n'émet donc pas d'objections lorsque son fils lui annonce qu'il part seul à un congrès de fans d'aérospatiale. Le périple d'Alex commence. Au fur et à mesure, il en enregistre le compte-rendu sur un iPod qu'il prévoit d'envoyer dans l'espace, à l'attention d'éventuels extraterrestres. Il s'adresse directement à eux, spéculant sur leur apparence, leur habitat, leurs moeurs... Arrivé au congrès, il rencontre Steve, Nathan et Zed. Conquis par sa verve, sa passion et sa grande maturité, les trois jeunes hommes le prennent sous leur aile, et proposent de le ramener chez lui. En chemin, se noue entre les quatre acolytes une amitié dont chacun sortira changé - et grandi.

"Eleven-year-old Alex Petroski, along with his dog, Carl Sagan, makes big discoveries about his family on a road trip and he records it all on a golden iPod he intends to launch into space"--

Features a collection of the author's poems that reflects his own upbringing and the difficulties he experienced.