Joy and the Intergalactic Librarian by Alex Idris Thomas

SPSFC 2023

Joy Pritchard is scared of the black dog that lives inside her dad. It’s not a real black dog of course, she looked in his mouth once to check. But it makes him very sad and angry a lot of the time. So when she discovers someone who can help, she leaps at the chance. The only problem is that someone is an alien psychiatrist called Larson Wix who has lost his memory. Oh, and he’s also trapped inside a book. Also did I mention the book is being hunted by mysterious alien forces intent on destroying the book and anyone who knows about it? Luckily Joy has some help in the form of a short grey space librarian called Steve (a strange name for an alien I agree). With him she goes on a desperate adventure to the Great Space Library meeting many friends and enemies on the way. Will Joy discover the secrets hidden inside the ancient book and the key to helping the black dog in her dad?

Middle Grade • Science Fiction