Shortlisted for the 2017 Carnegie Medal and selected for the Tom Fletcher Book Club, Sputnik's Guide to Life on Earth by Frank Cottrell-Boyce is an adventure about the Blythes: a big, warm, rambunctious family who live on a small farm and sometimes foster children. Now Prez has come to live with them. But, though he seems cheerful and helpful, he never says a word.

Then one day Prez answers the door to someone claiming to be his relative. This small, loud stranger carries a backpack, walks with a swagger and goes by the name of Sputnik. The family all think Sputnik is a dog and chaos is unleashed as suddenly household items come to life - like a TV remote that fast-forwards people and a toy lightsaber that entertains guests at a children's party, until one of them is nearly decapitated by it - and Prez is going to have to use his voice to explain himself.

As Sputnik takes Prez on a journey to finish writing his guidebook to Earth called Ten Things Worth Doing on Earth, each adventure seems to take Prez nearer to the heart of the family he is being fostered by, but they also take him closer to the day that he is due to leave them forever . . .

This edition features fantastic cover artwork and black and white inside illustrations from the incredible Steven Lenton.

An out-of-this-world funny book from master storyteller Frank Cottrell Boyce, with illustrations throughout by Steven Lenton.

About the Author

Frank Cottrell-Boyce is an award-winning author and screenwriter. Millions, his debut children's novel, won the CILIP Carnegie Medal. He is also the author of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Flies Again, Cosmic, Framed, The Astounding Broccoli Boy and Runaway Robot. His books have been shortlisted for a multitude of prizes, including the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize, the Whitbread Children's Fiction Award (now the Costa Book Award) and the Roald Dahl Funny Prize. Sputnik's Guide to Life on Earth was shortlisted for the 2017 CILIP Carnegie Medal and selected for the inaugural WHSmith Tom Fletcher Book Club.

Frank is a judge for the 500 Words competition and the BBC's One Show As You Write It competition. Along with Danny Boyle, he devised the Opening Ceremony for the London 2012 Olympics. He has written for the hit TV series Dr Who and was the screenwriter for the hit film Goodbye Christopher Robin.

Steven Lenton is a multi-award-winning illustrator, originally from Cheshire, now working from his studios in Brighton and London with his dog, Big Eared Bob. He has illustrated many children's books including Head Kid and The Taylor Turbochaser by David Baddiel, The Hundred And One Dalmatians adapted by Peter Bently, the Shifty McGifty and Slippery Sam series by Tracey Corderoy and the Sainsbury's Prize-winning The Nothing To See Here Hotel series written by Steven Butler. He has illustrated two World Book Day titles and regularly appears at literary festivals and live events across the UK. Steven has his own Draw-along YouTube channel, showing how to draw a range of his characters. He has also written his own picture book Princess Daisy and the Dragon and the Nincompoop Knights' and his new young fiction series Genie and Teeny. For more info visit stevenlenton.com

Reviews
Full of heart and emotion that might just bring a tear to your eye. If it doesn't though it's still got lightsabers and alien space dogs. * Tom Fletcher, Tom Fletcher Book Club *
Light-hearted and profound * Sunday Times Book of the Week *
Wholly original and exceptionally funny * The Bookseller Book of the Month *
a spiky, effervescent treat, like Spielberg's ET put in a blender with a bottle of Irn-Bru. * The Financial Times *
A touching tale . . . told with wild humour and panache * Telegraph *
A wonderful and exciting story about friendship and appreciating what you have. * Independent *
whimsical, heart-wrenching and hilarious. * Scotsman *
...classic Cottrell Boyce: zany, lay-out-loud funny and with a very strong emotional heart. * INIS reading guide *
This is an out-of-this world adventure that is also a heartening story about the importance of friendship and family. * The Week Junior *
Sure to be a hit with young enquiring minds, this is a tale which is heart-breaking and hilarious in equal measure. * The School Librarian *
Will send your imagination into orbit! * Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books Blog *


Awards
Short-listed for UKLA 7-11 Category 2017 (UK) and The CILIP Carnegie Medal 2017 (UK).



Book Information
ISBN 9781529008814
Author Frank Cottrell Boyce
Format Paperback
Page Count 352
Imprint Macmillan Children's Books
Publisher Pan Macmillan
Weight(grams) 256g
Dimensions(mm) 196mm * 130mm * 23mm