Space Oddity

Jake's dad is embarrassing. VERY embarrassing (like the time he mysteriously turned green!), but upstaging Jake's gymnastics display dressed as Darth Vader has pushed Jake to the limit. Jake wants a divorce...

Urgent family action is needed and dad whisks Jake off to a 'dads and kids' Getaway Experience, camping in the forest (and site of a suspected alien sighting many years ago). Dad - Ion - is looking to reconnect and bond again with his son but instead, events take an unearthly turn and Ion reconnects with his very unusual past.

The embarrassing dad habits of turning green; of arguing with supermarket self check-outs; of his almost gravity-defying bouncing on school sports day... is Jake's dad actually an alien?

What follows is a fast, frantic and funny inter-galatic sci fi adventure that Christopher Edge does so well. When Jake inadvertently alerts the alien law enforcement to his dad's presence on Earth, the reader is beamed up with him into some out of this world experiences. Jake gets up close with the reality of life existing on other planets. The slug-like aliens, the Gezundhai, are a fabulously comic and gross creation of life forms - so different from and yet so similar to humans - and the illustrations by Ben Mantle of the range of alien creatures 'out there' add brilliantly here to the reader viewing just what Jake sees as he faces the possibility of losing his alien father, just as he comes to realise exactly how unique and important his dad is to him.

Family is at the heart of the story. No matter how odd, different, excruciatingly embarrassing his dad is, Jake realises his dad means the world to him and (boldly, bravely and very cleverly) refuses to return to his own world without him.

Space Oddity is heart warming and exciting, and it's ending celebrates the things that bring very different 'types' together, and sends out a much needed, positive message about the inhabitants of even such a primitive planet as Earth!

208 pages / Ages 8+ / Reviewed by Jenny Caddick, teacher

Suggested Reading Age 9+

Jake seems to be a normal schoolboy. Admittedly, his dad seems a bit more embarrassing than most, but they have their good times as well. However, after his dad crashes the school gymnastic display dressed as Darth Vader, Jake decides he want a divorce from his father. In an attempt to make amends, Jake's dad takes him on an activity trip to Middlewich Forest and here, he tells Jake the truth - that he is an alien. When Jake accidentally alerts the Cosmic Authority to their presence on Earth, Jake realises just how far he will go to keep his dad just as he is.

Christopher Edge is well known for cleverly combining science with his stories and this is no exception. Science fact and science fiction mingle perfectly as facts about gravity and the possibilities of life on other planets sit alongside fantastic alien beings and inventions. The story is also full of humour - aliens who communicate through smells, his dad's misunderstanding of so many things, for example - and there are plenty of great illustrations and references to David Bowie songs. What more could you ask for!

Jake's relationship with his dad is beautifully portrayed throughout the story as Jake comes to realise that, however embarrassing his dad is, he is still his dad who loves him and is loved in return. Losing his dad to the Cosmic Authorities gives Jake time to reflect on all the positives of their relationship. Thoroughly enjoyable!

208 pages / Ages 9+ / Reviewed by Sue Wilsher, teacher

Suggested Reading Age 9+

When you open a new book by Christopher Edge, you just know that you're in for a treat, and when this novel opens with a spaceship crashing to Earth and someone in danger of being vaporized, you know that this lovely story is going to fulfil all your expectations.

Jake lives with his mum and dad and seems to be a typical schoolboy. His dad, however, is far from normal. He has an awful habit of embarrassing Jake, particularly at school. He once turned green in the school playground, and ruins Jake's gymnastics performance when he gatecrashes it dressed as Darth Vader and causes Jake to fall over, much to everyone's amusement. Jake is so frustrated by his dad's antics that he angrily says "I wish you weren't my dad", and when Dad tries to apologise, Jake stops speaking to him and tells his mum that he "wants a divorce" from Dad.

To try and make amends, Dad takes Jake on a trip to Middlewich Forest for the weekend. And here the story really takes off. After finding a sculpture of a spaceship in the forest, Dad tells Jake the truth about himself and where he came from - he's really an alien!

We are whisked off into a world of gravity, killer robots, alien technology, David Bowie songs and giant slug like space monsters, as Jake embarks on an epic adventure to rescue his dad - and himself - from the wrath of the Cosmic Authority.

I loved this book. The author has written a heart- warming, funny, and exciting story which emphasises the importance of family, friendship, and embracing and celebrating our differences.

Christopher Edge's books always have a scientific thread running through them, and this book is no exception. We are taught about gravity and are made to think about whether there could be life on other planets, while being thoroughly entertained by the adventures of Jake and his unusual father.

The space monsters, the Gezundhai, are a brilliant creation. Children will love the notion that they communicate by using foul smells and that they are, in many ways, very similar to humans. The real beauty of the book is in the way it depicts Jake's changing attitude towards his dad. At the start of the adventure, Jake does not get along with his father at all, but eventually he comes to appreciate him for what he is. When the Cosmic Authority threaten to imprison dad and to erase all of Jake's memories of him, Jake stands up for his father and defends him wholeheartedly. In one moving speech, Jake says "My dad isn't cool. In fact, most of the time he's really embarrassing. But I still want him back".

All in all, another triumph for Christopher Edge! Also congratulations to Ben Mantle on a great set of illustrations which perfectly complement the rollicking style of the book. All we need now is a sequel - I'm sure there must be more adventures in store for Jake and his Dad!

208 pages / Ages 9+ / Reviewed by Beverley Somerset, school librarian

Suggested Reading Age 9+