Launch Day [Library Binding]

Peter Campbell (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 7 and up

Full-color illustrations and text written by a member of NASA's space art program help convey all of the excitement and anticipation surrounding the launching of a real-life space shuttle.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-6?This title leads readers through the various stages of an unspecified flight of the Space Shuttle Atlantis. The main emphasis is on the technological aspects of the takeoff, with less detail about life on the shuttle or the value of its mission. Campbell also describes the Vehicle Assembly Building and the Tractor-Transporter Vehicle as the rocket is transported to the launch pad. He includes many statistics, conveying the enormous complexity of a shuttle lift-off. The barrage of numbers is somewhat overwhelming, however, and some of them, such as the amount of paint used to paint the flag on the outside of the Vehicle Assembly Building, are extraneous. The text includes moments of chattiness and overenthusiasm along with plenty of useful facts. Some significant details, like the number of astronauts on the flight, are not mentioned. The paintings are realistic and clear, but not especially exciting. Many show the shuttle from a distance, and only one shows the inside of it. Peter Murray's The Space Shuttle (Child's World, 1993; o.p.) is for the same age level, but focuses more on the flight and less on the launch. Despite its flaws, Campbell's book offers some useful information that may intrigue young space enthusiasts.?Steven Engelfried, West Linn Public Library, OR
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Ages 7^-9. Children intrigued by the shuttle program will enjoy Campbell's descriptions and paintings of the preparation, launch, flight, and return of the shuttle Atlantis. The book follows the shuttle from the Kennedy Space Center's enormous Vehicle Assembly Building onto the unique Tractor-Transport Vehicle to the launch pad and into space. Unlike other books on the subject, however, this one concentrates less on the astronauts and their flight and more on the preparation of the shuttle itself and the logistics of fitting it with fuel tanks and moving around on the ground. Also unusual, given the almost universal use of NASA photos (often the same ones) in books on the space program, are the attractive paintings that illustrate this volume. A good addition to space technology collections. Carolyn Phelan

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 7 and up
  
• Library Binding: 32 pages
• Publisher: Millbrook Press (October 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1562946110
• ISBN-13: 978-1562946111
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 8.1 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,940,276 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful book; great for kids who love space "stuff"!, October 3, 1996

By A Customer

This review is from: Launch Day (Paperback)

My almost-four-year-old loves all things space: Star Trek, space shuttles, Apollo 13, etc. I've tried to impress upon him that space isn't just "in the movies," but that someday, he, too, could be an astronaut...that people, have in fact, already "boldly gon where no one has gone before." This book proved an excellent vehicle for helping him understand that. While the language is too complicated for a four-year-old, he enjoys the meticulous paintings of the space shuttle's journey, from the Vehicle Assembly Building to the launch pad, then to space and back. An added bonus: He had seen paintings of the space shuttle in the exhibit halls at Kennedy Space Center, and wanted to "take them home." With the paintings in this book...he can do just that.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The drawings are excellent and the story is interesting, August 14, 1996

By A Customer

This review is from: Launch Day (Paperback)

I really liked this book because it gave a lot of detail about the actual launch of the space shuttle, but not in technical terms, so kids could understand it