Moon mission : the epic 400-year journey to Apollo 11

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Title:

Moon mission : the epic 400-year journey to Apollo 11

Author:

Brouwer, Sigmund, 1959- author.

ISBN:

9781525300363

Physical Description:

127 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm.

Contents:

Countdown -- Liftoff -- Escaping Earth -- Earth orbit -- An infinite ocean of space -- Sailors of the solar system -- Near disaster at lunar impact -- First footstep -- Moonwalk -- Stranded forever? -- The big burn.

Reading Level:

990 L Lexile

Corporate Subject:

Project Apollo (U.S.).

Apollo 11 (Spacecraft).

Subject Term:

Space flight to the moon.

Summary:

Holds:

Available:*

Library	Call Number	Status
Searching... Hardwood Creek Library (Forest Lake)	J 629.454 BRO	Searching... Unknown
Searching... R.H. Stafford Library (Woodbury)	J 629.454 BRO	Searching... Unknown

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Summary

This riveting narrative told from the astronauts' points of view offers a unique approach to the story behind Apollo 11's successful --- though nearly disastrous --- 1969 moon landing. Readers are brought along on the ride of a lifetime, as they relive every step of the mission, including the nail-biting (and relatively unknown) crucial moments when it came close to failure. From ignition to moon walk to splashdown, the story is structured in eleven exciting episodes. And, setting this book apart, each episode is linked to the innovations and discoveries from the past four centuries that made it possible --- from Copernicus to Einstein, the sextant to Velcro. It's a new perspective on an epic journey, and the science, technology, engineering and math that set it in motion!

Bestselling and award-winning author Sigmund Brouwer offers children an original look at the historic feat that captivated the world in July of 1969. The information is thoroughly researched and includes NASA-sourced photographs throughout. Highly readable and with a compelling modern graphic design, this engaging book is sure to generate interest among a broad range of readers. At the same time, it's teeming with math, engineering, science and technology lessons that give young readers the opportunity to make the connections between what they learn in school and awesome things that happened in the real world. There are strong curriculum links here, including earth and space systems, physical sciences, chemistry, math, engineering, technology and applied science, as well as history.

Author Notes

Sigmund Brouwer, Sigmund Brouwer was born in Central Alberta to Dutch immigrant parents. He received his Bachelor's Degree in Commerce from Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan and an Honours Bachelor's Degree in Journalism from Carleton University. He published many articles in American and Canadian magazines before he got his big break as a novelist.

The first book he published was entitled, "Accidental Detectives," aimed at youth fiction. He is best known for his adult fiction novel, "Double Helix," published in 1995. Brouwer teaches writing courses at Red Deer College and is on the Board of Directors of the Red Deer College Press. Brouwer also played semi-pro hockey as well as a stint as the editor for National Raquetball Magazine. He has taught mystery writing seminars and in 1993, co-founded The Young Writer's Institute to encourage today's youth to follow their dreams of a career in writing. Brouwer has won the Alberta Film and Literary Arts Writing Grant twice.

(Bowker Author Biography)

Reviews (4)

School Library Journal Review

Gr 4--8--An engaging second-person point of view narrative puts readers into the place of the astronauts in this detailed exploration of the triumphs and near-disasters of the Apollo 11 mission and the science and scientists who made it possible. Each of the 11 chapters, or "Episodes," begins with a four-page section ("Stage One") that explains what is going through a person's head as, for instance, they're sitting in "what is essentially a giant thermos" nine seconds before liftoff, or when a person in the moon lander approaches the moon's surface at 3,007 mph and the program alarm sounds indicating that the onboard computer has overloaded. Then there is a two-page "Stage Two" that introduces scientists like Wernher von Braun and Isaac Newton, or describes events like a CIA mission that secretly took apart and examined the Soviet Union's Luna spacecraft in 1959. Finally, the two-page "Stage Three" section reads more like a traditional nonfiction title, informing readers about topics such as gravity, trivia about the Apollo 11 astronauts, and theories about the formation of the moon. This repeating, predictable structure makes the book more accessible to less proficient readers, and the unique narrative structure is captivating. Another fun feature within each chapter is a repeating sidebar that positions an important figure and discovery in STEM history as a mystery to be solved at the conclusion of the chapter. VERDICT A standout title in the crowded field of Apollo 11 celebrations. Highly recommended.--Kacy Helwick, New Orleans Public Library

Publisher's Weekly Review

Writing from a compelling second-person perspective that places readers in the Apollo 11 spacecraft ("Rocket engines ignite beneath you"), Brouwer describes the journey from liftoff to moon landing and splashdown. As events unfold aboard the spacecraft, the text engages readers with problem solving: "The side of your capsule that faces the sun will get hot enough to boil your fuel tanks. On the other side, it will get cold enough to freeze the radiators solid." Throughout, Brouwer discusses the scientific and technological advancements that made the moon landing possible, while photographs show key moments. The immediacy of Brouwer's prose allows readers to step into Armstrong's boots: "When your legs are used to a far higher gravity, it feels like no work at all to walk on the moon. And you discover it's easier to use a bouncing gait, like a kangaroo hop." Ages 10-14. (May) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Horn Book Review

This comprehensive account of lunar science and exploration breaks down the Apollo 11 mission across eleven episodes, each with three "stages": a dramatic, second-person description of space flight, a historical profile of a lunar scientist or engineer, and a discussion of related science concepts. Black-and-white historical photographs and small illustrations of the mission timeline are the highlights of the gray-toned layouts. Reading list, websites. Ind. (c) Copyright 2021. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Kirkus Review

A vivid tribute to the scientific insights, technological ingenuity, and sheer brass that put men on the moon in 1969 and brought them back alive.Brouwer pitches his tale as a triumph over "life-or-death challenges that no humans had faced before" and writes in second person to crank up its immediacy. He puts readers right into the cramped spacecraft with Armstrong, Aldrin, and Collins as he chronicles the heady mix of tricky bits and narrowly averted crises that were Apollo 11: "Yes, you are almost out of fuel. You know that the moon has nearly zero atmosphere. You can't glide. The Eagle is dropping like a piano." In between dramatic episodes he also trots in a large cast of early and contemporary scientistsfrom Tycho Brahe ("a true geek") and Alessandro Volta to Emmy Noether and Katherine Johnsonwhose work made the mission possible. And, along with the customary nods to space conditions ("Eight days, three men, one small space, no showers and lots of body gas") and technological advances like Velcro, he covers several less-common sidelights, such as how the Apollo astronauts got around the problem of affordable life insurance and the canard that the moon landing was a hoax. Generous as it is, the array of small, often murky black-and-white photos and technical drawings doesn't measure up to the narrative's vim, but hefty sets of print, web, and video resources at the end will help bring the era and the achievement to life.Dud pix but a high-flying commemoration nonetheless. (index) (Nonfiction. 10-14) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

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Summary

Summary

Author Notes

Reviews (4)

School Library Journal Review

Publisher's Weekly Review

Horn Book Review

Kirkus Review

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