John Glenn's Return to Space [Library Binding]

Greg Vogt (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Gr 5-8-An exhilarating, inspiring story of a unique American hero, told with reverence and admiration. Almost 36 years after he first orbited the Earth in Friendship 7, Glenn returned to space in 1998 aboard the shuttle Discovery. The contrast between these two missions is extraordinary, and this book tells the story of the astronaut who linked them and who, in effect, symbolizes the evolution of the American space program. Vogt takes readers behind the scenes of the "space race," explaining the challenges and the technology in a clear, straightforward manner and detailing how Glenn and his fellow astronauts ultimately demanded a role in designing the spacecraft they would fly. The author emphasizes Glenn's courage in making America's first orbital flight, coming so soon after disastrous failures of trial rockets and safety systems confirmed that the manned space program would be a potentially deadly trial-and-error business. The book steers clear of Glenn's political life and picks up the astronaut's story as he joined the shuttle crew as a senior citizen who underwent experiments to gauge the effects of space travel on the human body. Well-chosen, full-color photographs taken during the Discovery mission accentuate the remarkable progress made since the 1962 flight, which is chronicled with primarily black-and-white photographs. As the oldest American to travel in space, Glenn once again served his country by providing important scientific data as well as a sense of continuity and commitment in its exploration.-William McLoughlin, Brookside School, Worthington,

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 4-7. In 1962, John H. Glenn Jr. became the first American to orbit the earth. Thirty-six years later, Glenn once again set a record, this time as the oldest astronaut (77 years old) flying as part of the Discovery 7 crew. Vogt incorporates interesting anecdotes and details as he presents background on the U.S. space program, specifically on Glenn's flights. Readers learn, for example, that the stainless steel walls of the Atlas rocket that thrust Glenn into space in 1962 were thinner than a dime. The rocket had to be pressurized like a balloon in order to support its own weight. There are also dramatic comparisons between the Mercury capsule and Discovery, the vehicles in which Glenn flew, and intriguing descriptions of the astronauts' training and equipment. With its well-chosen photographs, both color and black and white, this attractively designed documentation offers fascinating reading for pleasure or for school research. A chronology and further readings are appended. Ellen Mandel
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Library Binding: 72 pages
• Publisher: 21st Century (June 5, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0761316140
• ISBN-13: 978-0761316145
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,125,762 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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