Neil Armstrong (Rookie Biographies) [Library Binding]

Dana Meachen Rau (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 2003 | Age Level: 6 and up | Grade Level: 1 and up | Series: Rookie Biographies

An introduction to the life of astronaut Neil Armstrong, who was the first man on the moon.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Reviewed with Wil Mara's Laura Ingalls Wilder.

Gr. 1-2. The Rookie Biography series provides beginning readers with short, easy books they can read on their own. In Wilder, children learn about the life of the author from her early days working on her family's Wisconsin farm to her late success relating her childhood stories in the Little House books. Armstrong provides adventurous kids with information about the astronaut's training for his historic walk on the moon. The user-friendly format keeps sentence structure simple and unfamiliar words to a minimum. When difficult words are used, pronunciation is provided. The pages are filled with uncaptioned pictures or color and black-and-white photographs. As might be expected, there isn't a lot of meat to these books, and the simple language, while great for inexperienced readers, won't generate the same interest in the subject that a lively structure and vocabulary would provide. Still, they will give beginners some basic facts, as well as a strong sense of accomplishment, the benefits of which are well documented. A pictorial review of important words is appended to each volume. Lauren Peterson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 6 and up
  
• Library Binding: 32 pages
• Publisher: Children's Press (CT) (March 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0516225928
• ISBN-13: 978-0516225920
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 6.3 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,225,219 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Dana Meachen Rau worked as a children's book editor before launching into her writing career. Since then, she has written more than 250 books for children, including picture books, early readers, nonfiction, and biographies for preschool to middle school. Visit Dana's website at www.danameachenrau.com for more information about her books.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Neil Armstrong, April 10, 2008

By 

J. E. Stephens "Jeanne" (Florida) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Neil Armstrong (Rookie Biographies) (Paperback)

I bought this to use in my 6th grade reading classroom. It is excellent to use to teach reading skills such as main idea, author's purpose, or summarizing. I put it in a center and students have 10 minutes to use the book for an assignment. Since it is at a lower reading level, students have success in building skills to use in higher level texts.

This book is a good addition to the grade 1-6 classroom library.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Blast Off..., May 6, 2007

By 

Care (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Neil Armstrong (Rookie Biographies) (Paperback)

Rau, D. M. (2003). Neil Armstrong. New York: Children's Press.

Synopsis: Do you like adventures? Do you like to explore new places? In this biography, you will be transported into the world of Neil Armstrong, the famous astronaut that walked on the moon. You will learn of the hard work that helped Neil Armstrong become the heroic American icon that he is today.

Evaluation: Adventurous young readers will enjoy this short and simplistic biography of Neil Armstrong's life. Dana Meachen Rau takes readers from Armstrong's birth to his historic walk on the moon using short, easy to read sentences and brilliant black and white or color photographs. Unfamiliar words are kept to a minimum or provided with the pronunciation key. This biography does not go into great depth given that it is written for children in first or second grade. It presents simple and basic facts. At the end of this book, a pictorial review of important words is given. Educators teaching primary grades are likely to use this book and the other books found in the Rookie biography series to teach biographies. Young readers in the primary grades will likely enjoy this biography and be inspired to read the others in this series.