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Sputnik's Guide to Life on Earth

by Frank Cottrell Boyce

MembersReviewsPopularityAverage ratingMentions
26610106,551 (3.97)24
The Blythes are 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. As Prez dithers on the doorstep, Sputnik strolls right past him and introduces himself to everyone in the household. Prez is amazed at the response. The family pat Sputnik on the head, call him a good boy and drop food into his mouth. It seems they all think Sputnik is a dog. It's only Prez who thinks otherwise. But Prez soon finds himself having to defend the family from the chaos and danger unleashed by Sputnik, as household items come to life - like a TV remote that fast-forwards people: 'Anyone can do it, it's just that people don't read the instructions properly'; 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.… (more)
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» See also 24 mentions

Showing 1-5 of 10 (next | show all)
Sputnik’s Guide to Life on Earth- Boyce
Audio performance by Peter Capaldi
4 stars

I’m far from the age group of this book’s intended audience. No matter, Peter Capaldi’s performance had me laughing. The outrageous Sputnik is a wonderful character. I have my doubts that the intended ten-year-old audience would understand the historical significance of Laika, first Earth creature in space. It had enormous appeal for this aging Boomer.

I’ve now read several books with a young child being raised by a grandparent who suffers from some form of dementia. This author clearly intends to treat a serious, grief-filled subject with over the top humor. It is very funny. And heartwarming. ( )
  msjudy | Jan 2, 2023 |
Alien visits earth with intent to save earth, looking like a dog because of encounter with Laika. ( )
  Kristelh | Jul 23, 2022 |
Can't decide between 3 and 4 stars. Took a while to get into, but I liked it in the end. It's a wackier story than I'm used to from FCB, but I'll give him credit for trying something new. ( )
  amandabock | Dec 10, 2019 |
This was a clever and touching story of a boy, Prez, who is singled out by an alien, Sputnik, after having to go and live with a foster family. He sees and hears a very different person when he interacts with Sputnik than everyone else who only sees a dog and only hears barking. It's clever and unique. Sputnik has a mission and he needs Prez to help him make a list of ten reasons why the Earth is worth saving in order to prevent the earth from being destroyed. ( )
  DebbiePotter | Jul 20, 2019 |
This is a fun and entertaining story, altogether original. It centers around a young person, Prez, who's been separated from his grandfather because his grandfather can no longer care for him. He finds himself on a temporary stay with a farming family in the country, where, one night, an unusual visitor shows up at the door ... Sputnik, who, as far as Prez is concerned, is a somewhat unusual kid, but everyone else seems to mistake Sputnik for a dog. Sputnik, it turns out, is here on a mission, to discover 10 things about Earth that make our planet worth saving. This book really kept me turning pages, wanting to know how it turned out.
  Cynthia_Parkhill | Jun 9, 2019 |
Showing 1-5 of 10 (next | show all)
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The Blythes are 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. As Prez dithers on the doorstep, Sputnik strolls right past him and introduces himself to everyone in the household. Prez is amazed at the response. The family pat Sputnik on the head, call him a good boy and drop food into his mouth. It seems they all think Sputnik is a dog. It's only Prez who thinks otherwise. But Prez soon finds himself having to defend the family from the chaos and danger unleashed by Sputnik, as household items come to life - like a TV remote that fast-forwards people: 'Anyone can do it, it's just that people don't read the instructions properly'; 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.

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