All eleven year old Alex Petroski wants is to launch his golden iPod into space. With a series of audio recordings, he'll show other life-forms what life on Earth-his earth is really like.
But for a boy with a long-dead dad, a troubled mom, and a mostly not-around brother, Alex struggles with the big questions: where do i come from?, who's out there? and above all, how can i be brave?
Determined to find the answers, Alex sets out on an extraordinary road trip with his dog, Carl Sagan-named for Alex's hero, the real-life astronomer. But his destination keeps changing. And the funny, lost, remarkable people he meets along the way can only partially prepare him for the secrets he'll uncover-secrets that will turn his universe upside down.