Awards
Winner, Bank Street College Best Book
Winner, PNBA Book Award Read
Winner, Canadian Governor General’s Literary Award for Children’s Literature Read
“Lawrence (Ghost Boy) creates a poignant family drama that will pull the heartstrings of anyone who has looked up to an older sibling or has fallen in love with a dog…The book’s sharply delineated characters and dramatic tension (much of it emanating from the villainous Creepy and Dopey Colvig) will keep pages turning, and the love among family members will be strongly felt. If some events (as when Danny meets Gus Grissom and rides in the famous astronaut’s plane) appear a bit strained, they pave the way for a gratifying conclusion.” *Starred Review *
— Publishers Weekly Read
“Lively prose, quirky characters and strong dialogue animate this moving story of a family and a boy, and an astronaut who sees the world as a miracle, with ‘more to it all than any one person can ever understand.’” *Starred Review*
— Kirkus Reviews
“This well-wraught story, literally of heaven and earth, is both moving and humorous, and has us thinking, like Danny, that if “a boy could die and live again as a dog, it would be a swell world after all.”
— The Horn Book Magazine
“Adventure abounds, and the interesting detail that Lawrence weaves in about the Gemini Space Program and astronaut Gus Grissom will appeal to reluctant readers as well as more seasoned ones. This robust novel offers an affirming and hopeful look at a difficult subject.”
— School Library Journal