SEE YOU IN THE COSMOS, by Jack Cheng

The story: 11-year-old Alex leaves home with his dog, Carl Sagan, on his way to SHARF, a rocket festival in New Mexico. On the road he meets a balding hippie, an unknown half-sister, and an assortment of adults who help him find his way back home again. Things aren't perfect at home by any means, but with the help of his friends, Alex is able to figure out his own place in the cosmos.

June Cleaver's ratings: Language PG; Violence G; Sexual content PG; Nudity G; Substance abuse PG; Magic & the occult G; GLBT content PG; adult themes (mental illness of a parent) PG; overall rating PG.

Liz's comments: Fine. I know all the reviewers loved this one. But to me, Alex sounded more like an 8-year-old than an almost-twelve, and even though he's clearly "on the spectrum", I found that his naivete grated on me after not very long. I'm usually in favor of underdog stories, but this one lasted way longer than I wished. Another example of a book that adults will like better than the kids in its target audience.