Sputnik's Guide to Life on Earth

A book that is funny and sad at the same time.

Prez spends his summer with the Blythes at their farm Stramoddie. He now lives at the Children's Temporary Accommodation. He used to live with his Grandad, his only family. But Grandad started getting confused and so forgetful he could not take care of Prez anymore. After an unfortunate misunderstanding Prez is left all alone and not willing to talk to anyone, until Grandad returns.

'' Home isn't a building. People leave buildings. Buildings fall down... Planets shrink. Suns explode. Planets come and planets go. Home isn't a place on the map. Home isn't the place you come from. It's the place you are heading to. All the times you ever felt at home - they are just marks on the map, helping you to find your way there."

What happens next is completely extraordinary. A little alian called Sputnik comes into Prez's life. Everyone believes Sputnik is a dog, but Prez know better. He can comunicate with his new friend without saying anything. And they embarked on a quest to save the Earth from shrinking, and find Grandad.

Prez and Sputnik have some astonishing advantures together. No matter whether you believe Sputnik is real or imaginary, some of the scientific references in the book are definitelly true. In 1957 the street dog Laika was sent to space on Sputnik 2. She was the first animal to orbit the Earth. Gravity is travelling in waves. Although, it cannot help you put a tree back up yet, it does cause 'ripples' in the the fabric of space-time.

''The whole history of your wee planet is nothing but people looking for a home...just looking for somewhere to call their own... Home's not a building. Home is other people, isn't it?"

This story will appeal to everyone interested in space travel and science. But is also everyine who loves a heart warming story about an orphan boy trying to find home.