Thimmesh, Catherine. 2006. Team Moon: How 400,000 People Landed Apollo 11 on the Moon. ISBN 0-618-50757-4
Summary
"Fate has ordained that the brave men who went to the moon to explore in peace will stay on the moon to rest in peace...", one of Thimmesh's opening quotes draws the reader into the Apollo 11 mission. Though Nixon did not have to read this speech, readers realize as the author highlights the work of various teams, that the mission had a much higher chance of failure than success. As she takes the reader through the mission's timeline, Thimmesh portrays the dedication and precision of those 400,000 people who made the moon walk possible, from the seamstresses who made the space walk suits, to the men monitoring fuel consumption by the second. After an extensive source section, readers will find more resources both online and in various media.
Critical Analysis
Team Moon: How 400,000 People Landed Apollo 11 on the Moon attracts readers with its striking appearance from the front cover to the credits. Black pages provide the perfect background for NASA space shots as well as set off a multitude of black and white as well as color photos. The elements of the layout are well balanced.
Quotes from the astronauts and team during the mission give the narrative a sense of immediacy. Each quotation received due documentation by chapter at the end of the text. I know how the mission ends, and I still held my breath. When you are born into a universe that has footprints on the moon, you take space travel for granted. Children and adults will be fascinated by the determination and effort of all the Americans who put men on the moon-- and brought them home.
Review Excerpts
Science Books & Films: "Kudos to Catherine Thimmesh for remembering the players on Team Moon and dedicating the time to document their efforts for all of us to appreciate. This is a thin book, but well assembled and worth you and your children's time to read and enjoy."
The Horn Book: "... a spectacular and highly original addition to the literature of space exploration."
Connections
Florian, Douglas. Comets, Stars, the Moon, and Mars: Space Poems and Paintings. ISBN-13: 978-0152053727
Video clips of the moon landing let students hear the words from the book and see the pictures in action.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1416393771637021814&q=&hl=en
For a website with a timeline appraoch, and an audio clip of President Kennedy's challenge visit: http://www.historyplace.com/unitedstates/apollo11/index.html.
Students who wish to know more about the astronauts may read their biographies: http://history.nasa.gov/ap11ann/astrobios.htm .
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