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I had little background knowledge of the Challenger disaster and I‘m on a roll with space in books and tv so I thought I‘d dive into the background of the space shuttle. What a thorough read on the technical aspects of the vehicle, the political dynamics, and the big players of NASA this was! But Higginbotham dedicates most of the book to the profiles of the astronauts who were aboard the shuttle. I can see why this has many positive reviews.

"That‘s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."

This book is perfect for sparking curiosity about space exploration, science, and the importance of perseverance. After reading, students can explore the concept of space travel, create their own "space mission" plans, or write about a dream they have and how they might achieve it.

Part of the Ordinary People Change the World series, this biography tells the inspiring story of Neil Armstrong, the first person to walk on the Moon. Through simple, engaging language and illustrations, the book highlights Armstrong's childhood dreams of flight, his determination, and his historic achievement during the Apollo 11 mission.

“It seemed impossible. “

Teacher could use this book to introduce the moon landing, and who the people that are responsible for that great historical event.

week 11 biographies. This book is such a great read with great information for young children. I find the illustrations super engaging and truly telling a story. Published in 2018.

Loved this! Even though I knew roughly how this story ended, the journey there made for a suspenseful read. Great work by Lovell and Kluger.

Split decision. Half of this (speculative) nonfiction book makes a strong case for focusing space resources on Titan rather than Mars. The less interesting half is an attempt to predict future decades of American/world culture and history (as relevant to space) that reads like a fever dream cooked up in some ivory tower jam session. In any event, they sold me on Titan, except Mars is where Calvin and Hobbes went in their cardboard box. Mars wins!

July made for some very difficult decisions in the NONFICTION bracket for #2024ReadingBrackets. After much deliberation, the tagged book advanced to the quarterfinals.