What's the Name of That Book??? discussion

So it's about a teenage guy, and he wins this contest. So he and his dad go to this place, and they are training to go to space. Small details I remember: before he goes to the place, he tries to shave and cuts his face up, he gets in mainly because it is almost all girls and they have too many girls who won the contest, one of the people throw up in the anti-gravity place, which is in a plane and they have to catch it in a bag, the cars drive themselves, and I think that the place is in a desert.

Also, I think that I remember that, (this is a spoiler,) he is leaving the entire story as a message to someone, (I think his mom,) on his cellphone up in space. This was a super interesting book, please help me find it!

"Islands in the Sky" by Arthur C. Clarke? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islands_...
Islands in the Sky

cellphone, really? I mean, we've only invented the silly things recently, and I would think a writer of SF would call them something different so as not to make the book instantly out-of-date...

Intriguing mystery.... I hope we ID this for you!

"Islands in the Sky" was written in 1952. Clarke predicted a number of other things, such as satellites in geosynchronous orbits.

Is this a YA book, or adult? If YA/ children's, it might be worth taking a look at Cosmic by Frank Cottrell Boyce - your description of the book doesn't quite fit with my memories of it, but there are some similarities.

No, it was futuristic, the cars drove themselves. He is a teenager, he tries to shave for the first time, so probably fourteen or fifteen.

Sounds a lot like Feed.
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16....

No, it is like a space camp where they are being taught to be astronauts. I think that maybe it is a competition, like the best astronaut in training gets to go to space. I'm not sure about that, though.

First Kids in Space

When did you read this book?

I think that I read it in third or fourth grade, but I am in seventh now, so not too long ago.

And it is not that book, he never wants to go to space or anything, I think that he enters because his father says that no one ever wins "one of those things".

Could it be Have Space Suit—Will Travel?
The hero enters a jingle contest for a trip to the moon, but wins one of the 'second prizes' - a space suit.

No, he did innately goes to space. Also, it's like a sweepstakes contest or a lottery, you don't have to do anything to win, just get your name picked.

*bump*

Clover, you only need to bump once a month. That way new people have time to join and those who have already checked your thread have time to read more stories.

*bump*

Does his dad go to space with him? Do you remember anything about the cover?

Maybe Space Cadet?

Or Ender's Game?

(I haven't read either of these yet so I have no idea if the scenes you mentioned are in them.)

Was it a new book when you read it or something older? How far above your age-level were you reading?

I think I know what book you're talking about. Except the main character is actually a kid who looks very grown up and he enters a competition to be the first and youngest people in space with his 'daughter,' actually one of his friends. And they weren't ever supposed to tell anybody, but because he had recorded the message on his cellphone, and his cell phone was linked to his Dad's (and this is a spoiler) he managed to keep all of his recordings.

Tuxedotwig wrote: "I think I know what book you're talking about. Except the main character is actually a kid who looks very grown up and he enters a competition to be the first and youngest people in space with his ..."

This book is Cosmic, by Frank Cottrell Boyce - suggested in message 5. Some of the details seem to fit the OP's description pretty well. Have you checked Cosmic out, Clover?

Anna wrote: "Tuxedotwig wrote: "I think I know what book you're talking about. Except the main character is actually a kid who looks very grown up and he enters a competition to be the first and youngest people..."

That book does sound right - I hope the OP comes back to confirm

Clover hasn't been active since Feb. of this year. I sent off a PM. If she doesn't reply in a reasonable time frame, I'm going to suggest moving this down to Possibly Solved since several of us are pretty sure that it is Cosmic

Hmm, looks like she commented, then deleted her comment and edited the topic to say Solved. So I'm guessing this can be moved to solved. ;)

I had put it in Solved....it got moved to Just to Chat...moving back to Solved!