Space Oddity by Christopher Edge opens with a wonderful quote from sci-fi don Arthur C. Clarke: "I'm sure the universe is full of intelligent life. It's just been too intelligent to come here." And this is the key theme of this wonderful intergalactic story which is really an exploration of one theory for why we have such little proof that aliens exist.

Jake has an embarrassing dad, Ion, who always seems to draw attention to himself and spoil important occasions. Not only does he interfere with Jake's gymnastics show, but he's also ruined sports day, and caused a scene on his son's first day at school by turning green.

But Ion is determined to make it up to Jake, and takes him on a special trip to Middlewich Forest where 12 years ago there was a sighting of a UFO. The trip turns out to be far more than a father-son bonding session, because it's here that Ion reveals a very important fact - he's actually an alien, who only happened to have found Earth by hearing the David Bowie classic 'Space Oddity.' Where he comes from, there is no music, but everyone lives peaceful, harmonious lives. They see Earth as a primitive planet, and the Cosmic Authority have put it in a special Exclusion Zone:

The signals that The Cosmic Authority detected [from Earth] brought them the news and they were horrified by what they saw and heard. Reports of fighting and famine, wars and global warming - a planet plagued with selfishness, aggression and greed. Life on Earth was judged to be truly primitive and a decision was made to forbid any advanced alien civilization from making contact with this planet. If the human race couldn't care for its own world, imagine how it would treat the rest of the universe.

Space Oddity is a hilarious and brilliant book with a vital message at its heart. Not only does it stress the importance of caring for our world and for each other, but it also draws attention to the true power of family love. (And if you're a huge Bowie fan like me, it's a particularly special story!)