Imagine A Walk On the Moon (with your best friends in tow)
583805
Puddle Moon is an adventure that reminds us to feel the wind in our hair, notice the moon and the sky, and take in the aroma of rain. Let go of your limits with the vibrant illustrations and the lighthearted voices of Mari's cast of characters.  Puddle Moon stars Megan; a girl on a mission, Mumbles the dog, Inches the mouse, and Fumbles the cat. Let them take you on a trip outside the safety of the home, to the vast expanse of the sky and moon, stopping only to imagine a yummy bone or ice cream cone or slice of cheese. This story is guaranteed to launch memories of childhood wonderment at the magic in a puddle, and the sweetness of the journey.
487432
In this updated second edition(seven years of updates!), the authors expand on the "Planet Moon" Project.
We take a long, hard look at existing technologies and systems and visually depict what is possible for humanity to achieve on our nearest celestial neighbor, in the short term. While we base some of these designs on NASA plans, we fully expect multinational private capital and enterprises to drive lunar development. We believe, if we put our hearts and souls into the Planet Moon Project, the Moon could become the next frontier to establish a variety of  peaceful,progressive, international, intercultural and interdisciplinary activities. Opening up such a new dimension in human pursuit will enable the creation of millions of new,imaginative and productive occupations in all walks of life, extending new horizons for human thought and activity. As the world becomes more interconnected and interdependent for resources, the Planet Moon Project, the authors believe, offers the inevitable "breakout" strategy. The only question is...which nation(s) is willing to lead us out of the cradle to our cosmic destiny ?!

So.....please buy the book and look at all the original artwork including those magnificient color plates. No warp drives here, just plain proven hard technology which the authors believe is sufficient to attain these results. Hope Hollywood movie directors use books like these for depicting our future in space.
2590745
I thought this was a very creative and clever idea for a book. It reads as if you are taking a trip to Mars as a vacation, and it takes you, very detailed, through the process of how this would look, and feel. There is a whole chapter on 'weightlessness' which I was fascinated by. The use of photos throughout reinforce what the author is describing, and add a lovely quality which makes his writing entirely believable. It really is a shame that so far the possibility of a journey to Mars isn't quite within our reach. For now I am happy to read this book and imagine it to be true.
116475
Of course! How could I not have realized that it took a gargantuan effort to send Apollo 11 to the moon and allow a world full of people holding their breath to see Neil Armstrong walk on the moon? I've been an avid follower of the space programs of the world since I was in grade school. I had space maps and photos of the astronauts all over my bedroom walls. And yet, I never thought about all the people who made the moon walk possible. Catherine Thimmesh did. Through precise research and personal interviews, she has crafted the story of the people who made it happen. The number 400,000 and a period of eight years qualifies the effort as gargantuan. Thimmesh writes the story in an accessible manner that will leave readers eager to turn the page. From flight director Gene Kranz taking the stairs because he didn't want to risk being stuck in an elevator to the program alarm that occurred twelve minutes before moon landing, Team Moon reveals the drama that evolved at key steps in the mission to set foot on the moon. People needed to see images. How do you take can't-miss photographs on the moon? Parachutes had to open, without fail, on re-entry. Heat shields needed to protect the capsule from burning up and destroying lives. I'm so glad that Thimmesh took the time to interview the people who had such valuable stories to tell us. Especially gratifying is the beauty of this book. The well-chosen photos are startling in contrast to the rich black background. Sources, references, and pointers for further reading will help fascinated readers continue their own journey into space. Highly recommended for schools, classrooms, and every home that has a reader who is curious about the world--and space.
1568925
This is a movie about the crew who mans a gigantic dish antennea out in the boonies in Australia.  They have been recruited to provide help in receiving transmissions from Apollo 11 as it attempts to land on the moon.  The landing is the focal point of the story, but what is really going on here is the charming story of the local people manning the dish, plus one American from NASA, as they get ready for the big event.

It is truly one of those small little movies that you get lucky sometimes and hit on television at the beginning at like two in the morning not expecting it to be anything...and then you find out, to your delight, that it is something...warm, moving, funny and human.
4842085
This is a story after my own heart. If you're a moon lover, you'll adore this book! Even if you're not moon-obsessed like my family and I, it's such a sweet and funny tale to share with any kids in your life. My two boys love reading it and Jenny's illustrations are just the perfect mix of detailed beauty and fun!
1276102
This book was so much fun to read.  Weaves the amazing achievements of the Apollo missions into a suspenseful modern novel with international intrigue. Thompson did his research and describes so beautifully and accurately the details of the precarious events that went into a 'routine' moon shot that we get a great sense of the danger the astronauts faced and the bad-ass technical accomplishments that had to all word perfectly to making it all happen.  And, all with a modern twist that perhaps foretells the future role for Space-X.  Just an awesome story and a great tribute.  The NASA guys are going to love it. I would personally love to see this made into a movie!
1338312
Mike Collins writes like the guy next door, who just happened to go to the moon.  He balances the interesting technical details with the very human endeavors that made space travel possible - and the human foibles that made it fun and interesting.  Reading this book made me feel like I was there on Gemini and Apollo - with a close personal friend.
3824294
In my work as a psychologist I have found that most people would prefer to go to the moon instead of exploring their own inner space.  Jean Whatley is a grand exception as she explores, with courage and insightfulness, her own inner space.  It is truly inspiring to ride the roads of this country with her and to read about the ingenious ways in which she reclaims her life.
231851
I cannot praise this book highly enough! It is both a tremendously exciting real-life adventure story and an often poignant account of the effects of long months and years of astronaut life on a marriage.
Eugene  Cernan is best known as the commander of Apollo 17, and the last man to  leave footprints on the surface of the Moon, but he flew on two earlier  missions, Gemini 9 and Apollo 10, and was in the back-up crews of Gemini 12  and Apollo 14. His highly readable account took me back to my school-days  when Apollo astronauts were walking on the Moon, but I have very few  memories of Gemini and was fascinated by his description of life in a tiny  two-man capsule with hardly enough room to stretch the legs. If you don't  suffer from claustrophobia, Cernan's "spacewalk from Hell" will  probably give it to you!
I thought I already knew most of what there is  to know about the U.S. space programme in the 1960's and 70's, but this  book told me things that had never occurred to me. I knew, for instance,  that Cernan had been on the back-up crew for Gemini 9 and the prime crew  for Gemini 12, but had actually flown Gemini 9 because the original crew  had died in an air-crash. This gave Buzz Aldrin the opportunity to fly on  Gemini 12, without which he would not have gone to the Moon on Apollo  11.
Even more intriguing was the determination shown by Cernan to command  his own lunar mission, having been lunar module pilot on Apollo 10. He  actually turned down the chance to walk on the Moon as Apollo 16 LM pilot,  preferring to gamble on getting command of the next mission. It is all too  clear from his account of events in 1971 that it was a gamble which nearly  didn't pay off. With only one more Apollo crew to be allocated, NASA's  chief concern was to send geologist Harrison Schmitt to the Moon. The  choice of commander was less critical.
Of course he did get selected, but  almost blew it when he injured a leg a few months before the  mission.
Reading the book, I was slightly surprised how little space was  given to Apollo 17, but I need not have worried. Cernan avoids making it a  blow-by blow account of scientific experiments and rock gathering. This is  a tremendously evocative description of a pilot who achieved his ultimate  goal in flying and found himself exploring a new world. His sense of pride  on saluting the U.S. flag and sense of accomplishment as he returned to  Earth make this an exhilarating read.
I recommend "The Last Man on  the Moon" to anyone with a sense of wonder who wants to know more  about the great adventure of Apollo.
4909713
This book pulls the reader along with the force of a Saturn V as it eloquently recounts one of the most audacious adventures in the history of man.

With a journalist's eye for detail, Chaikin describes the difficult journeys to the moon and the harsh climate astronauts faced once there. He shows us the thoughts and fears of men riding a spacecraft so frail its hatch bulged outward from its own cabin pressure, then landing amidst moon dust so abrasive it wears the rubber handles off tools in a matter of days, and finally driving for miles on a vehicle flimsy enough that it would have collapsed under its own weight back on earth.

"A Man on the Moon" works on many levels--it's an authoritative history, a detailed character study of the various astronauts, and a rip-roaring page turner. One senses the sheer enormity and complexity of the Apollo program, but Chaikin takes care not to bog the reader down, and he focuses on the truly tense and meaningful moments in each mission, rather than simply chronicling everything from start to finish.  Chaikin also shows how individual astronaut personalities conflicted with and complimented one another, during both the crew selection process and the actual missions. Perhaps most importantly, though, he does the one thing that invariably makes history come alive--he shows that events weren't foreordained but were rather the consequence of a great deal of planning, preparation, hard work, gutsy decisions, and a lot of luck.

Only one minor (but relatively memorable) fault stood out--when describing Apollo 11, Chaikin misquotes a Bible passage that Buzz Aldrin said to himself after landing on the moon. It's a trifling detail, but it's the kind of thing that sticks out in the mind.

Still, the sheer number and specificity of the recollections from the various astronauts makes it clear that Chaikin has done his homework. He's gotten inside their heads; indeed, he's gotten them to take us inside, too, to take us to a place we've never been, to show us what it really felt like to walk on the moon. This will be--this surely is--the definitive history of Apollo.
4678785
The main character is a hoot and her observations and asides rewarding. The reality of the invented city on the moon is so strong that the reader forgets that it doesnt exist. Try it. Youll like it.
3473224
I'll Push You: A Journey of 500 Miles, Two Best Friends, and One Wheelchair by [Gray, Patrick, Skeesuck, Justin]This is such an inspirational chair of two friends and a journey to remember. Justin and Patrick were best friends practically from birth. They have always been there to support and cheer each other own. Justin was diagnosed with a neuromuscular disease which took away the use of his arms and legs and Patrick was there for him. Even when the two and their families lived in different places, they still had the connection that only best friends can have.

Justin saw a travel show about the Camino de Satiago, a 500-mile journey in Spain, he called Patrick and asked what he thought about this trip. Patrick's response was simply, "I'll push you."

This is the story about this friendship and the journey. There are moments that made my heart swell and made me laugh out loud. All along the way, I felt the spirit that these two have enter my heart and helped my love for God grow.

I recommend this book very highly and as a former teacher I would give it an A+ and as many stars as I could find.

I was given this book by Tyndale Publishing in exchange for my honest review.
4639603
It may not be in my lifetime, but I would bet that some people living today will see a manned mission to Mars.  Susan Lendroth embraces that dream, and shares it with today's toddler set in Hey-Ho, to Mars We'll Go! A Space-Age Version of "The Farmer in the Dell."  Combining portions of sing-songy rhyming lines with more in-depth content, Lendroth speaks to a couple different sets of kids at once, on a couple different levels.

For example, she writes:

  Can you catch my sock?

  Can you catch my sock?

  Hey-ho, to Mars we'll go--

  Can you catch my sock?

The accompanying illustrations show the astronauts floating around the cabin, and the text describes life in zero-gravity, where everything not secured "will drift like dandelion fluff."  Incidentally, the pages are printed in a variety of orientations, giving the full effect of not knowing which way is up!

Bob Kolar's illustrations are certainly on the little-kid level, yet he manages to include details that make the book believable, anticipating some of the actual equipment and requirements of a Mars mission.

Lendroth and Kolar make a great team.  Your toddler to elementary-age child will be enthused and inspired by Hey-Ho, to Mars We'll Go.  Maybe someone reading this book today will be on that first mission to Mars.

Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!
1741931
Your best friend is a dog. The rest of man kind not so much. Only to find a group who need your help. It's an interesting story a has a number of twist.
3808163
Nothing puts a friendship to the test like being the one dying of cancer, or, for that matter, feeling guilty for being the one left to live on.

This is a Berg triumph - the dialogue is realistic - heart-wrenching at times, crazy fun at times, but always REAL, leaving you hoping that your friends will be there for you, on whatever side of the cancer/terminal hardship coin that we all might land.

Will it offend some? Yes. Is it realistic of women friends? Completely. Read it. You won't be sorry - you'll be a better person for having this first-person feeling view of how to be the best friend you can be.
3400754
If you grew up on choose your own adventure sci-fi and crave the weird outer limits of esoteric teen bizzaro experience then, Starr Creek is for you. Be ready for an intricate quick read that will leave you craving more of the madness only a seasoned writer can pull off. Carson is the friend that you wish that you had in the gravel pits of 80's metal cult fantasy. Buy this for all of your friends this holiday season so that you'll have something to talk about when you gather with your crew for the pink elephant party after enduring the mundane water cooler banter at your white elephant obligations. I've heard the apt comparisons with the Netflix series Stranger Things. Starr Creek surpasses the pace and imagination of Stranger Things and delivers blows that are on par with the complex depravity of Orwell and Kosinski while sweeping you along in a buoyed synth blast of sherm and cheap diesel.