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Space Oddity

by Christopher Edge, illustrated by Ben Mantle

Interest age: 9 to 11
Reading age: 8+

Published by Chicken House, 2020

  • Funny
  • Science fiction

About this book

What if you discovered your dad was an alien?

That’s the great idea – so great that it won the Chicken House Big Idea competition – at the heart of this novel. It’s one thing to have an embarrassing father, but when Jake discovers the real reason his dad is so unlike everyone else, he can’t believe it. However, when killer robots start chasing after them, he is compelled to accept the truth.

Laced with witty references to The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Star Wars and other sci-fi classics, and named after a David Bowie song, Space Oddity builds a hilarious story about farting aliens and UFOs around the a warm, touching theme of a father’s unconditional love for his son. It would be a perfect read for children and parents to share, and a great book with which to encourage children who usually only like funny stories to read something with more emotional depth.

Christopher Edge is a master at turning the most unlikely plot ingredients into a thoroughly convincing story. Space Oddity is no exception: it reads like a quiet classic.

About the author

Christopher Edge grew up in Manchester, where he spent most of his childhood in the local library dreaming up stories. He now lives in Gloucestershire, where he spends most of his time in the local library dreaming up stories. Before becoming a writer, he worked as an English teacher, editor and publisher – any job that let him keep a book close to hand. When not writing, he also works as a freelance publisher and education consultant, and has written publications about encouraging children to read.

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