From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 5–Astronaut Buzz Aldrin narrates this fascinating autobiography (HarperCollins, 2005) that provides information about his childhood, his education, and his first steps on the moon. He also includes an account of how he got the name Buzz, his time at West Point, and his perseverance in becoming an astronaut. He provides details about his unique preparation for going into space, his first spaceflight on
Gemini 12, and the moon landing with Neil Armstrong. Beautiful realistic illustrations by Wendell Minor give listeners the feeling that they are right there flying a plane or floating in space. Aldrin's pacing and inflection draws listeners in, adding to the immediacy of Minor's illustrations. Occasional, subtle sound effects and background instrumentation add to the richness of the story. This read-along set will work well in a classroom setting for units on space or biographies. A necessary addition to all collections serving elementary grade students.–
Veronica Schwartz, Des Plaines Public Library, IL Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Gr. 2-4. In this picture book, Aldrin, the second man to step foot on the moon, relates the life events that led him to the space program and his assignment on Apollo 11. In straightforward language, he recounts his boyhood, college at West Point, early flight training, and admission to the space program. Periodically, the facts of Aldrin's life are supplemented by some unexpected details that give a sense of what space travel feels like. He says, for example, that the liftoff of the powerful Saturn V rockets was so gentle "that if I had not been looking at the instruments, I would never have known we were on our way." He ends by connecting his boyhood interest in rock collecting with his primary activity while on the moon: picking up rocks. Minor's colorful and precisely rendered illustrations help this effort really take off, especially in the images of Aldrin's space journeys. A brief chronology, which blends events in the history of flight and space exploration with a few events of Aldrin's life, rounds out this solid title.
Todd MorningCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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