Review Detail

Mr. Aldrin details his early career and selection for the mission and adds details about other astronauts, rocket details, and brief outlines of the events that occurred. While this book is fairly short, there is a lot of information of which I was unaware. The print is rather tiny, which is great for fitting everything in, but a bit difficult if this is to be used as a read aloud. I would love to have all of this information, plus some more details, in a more middle grade format, since it is absolutely fascinating. I loved knowing that the astronauts had freeze dried shrimp cocktail in space, and that the astronauts had such a good sense of humor!

The accompanying photographs add necessary visual explanation to the story, and Foster's paper engineering is brilliant. There are five very complete pop ups, as well as pull out information, lift-a-flaps and other incidentals. While these are difficult for libraries to have, given the wear and tear, they are brilliant for encouraging interest in topics at home. I have to admit that I opened the page with the rocket launch several times, and it was very effective.

Young scientists who are interested in space travel will find this a compelling look at a space mission that cemented the US position in history and captured the imagination of generations of people. As we get nearer and nearer to the July 2019 anniversary, I'll be on the lookout for more nonfiction books on the topic. This would be a great resource to have for readers who are enjoying I Love You, Michael Collins (2017) by Lauren Baratz-Logsted.