 | Astronaut's guide to leaving the planet Author: Virts, Terry | |
| Price: $12.29 | ||
Summary:
A former NASA astronaut inspires the next generation of space travelers with answers to all kids' questions on how people become astronauts, how they prepare for space travel, and what it's like to live and work in space.
| Illustrator: | Lozano, Andres |
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (+) (02/15/23)
Booklist (+) (12/01/23)
Full Text Reviews:
Booklist - 03/15/2023 *Starred Review* Virts, a retired space-shuttle pilot and International Space Station commander and author of How to Astronaut (2020), brings his insider experience and inspirational storytelling style to young readers in this enhanced memoir of his career. After a brief overview of the space race and space-shuttle missions, Virts explains some of the skills needed to be an astronaut, like learning how to administer CPR by “standing” on the ceiling to push on someone’s chest, through his own task-filled training. Another chapter is dedicated to his first space-shuttle launch, with honest takes on wearing diapers (“it’s a long time before we can use a bathroom”) and the dangers of space, a section that includes information on the Challenger explosion. The most popular chapters, however, are sure to be those about living in space (with more bathroom updates), spacewalking, and Earth views from space. Along the way, Virts’ upbeat narrative presents not only fascinating details about everyday functions, such as eating and sleeping, but the impact of space on the human body and what viewing Earth from space can tell us about wealth distribution and climate change. A final chapter considers what’s on the horizon in space exploration. Photos of the author in action as well as related graphics and activities help readers imagine astronauts at work. A fun, fact-filled reflection of space-bound adventure. - Copyright 2023 Booklist.
