(3) K-3 Illustrated by Scott Brundage. A cumulative tale modeled after "The House That Jack Built" depicts the journey of the first three astronauts who traveled to the moon on Apollo 11. Additional bulleted facts accompany the author's lyrical, descriptive verses up to the welcome afforded the heroic travelers upon returning home. Brundage's cool palette enhances a mainly night-set story well-suited to bedtime reading. Reading list. Bib.

Reviewer: Renée Wheeler

(4) K-3 Zoom In on Pioneering Explorers series. These biographies highlight the groundbreaking accomplishments of three twentieth-century adventurers: astronauts Armstrong and Jemison and oceanographer Cousteau. Aligning to Common Core Standards, the volumes contain scant information in brief, mundane statements. The accompanying archival photos highlight the subjects' bravery. Lists of quick stats and key dates are appended. Glos., ind. Review covers the following Zoom In on Pioneering Explorers titles: Jacques Cousteau, Mae Jemison, and Neil Armstrong.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(3) 4-6 Adventures in Space series. Organized chronologically, these slender space-flight-oriented biographies discuss their subjects' training and give step-by-step accounts of their groundbreaking missions: Armstrong as the first human on the moon and Ride as the first American woman in space. Plentiful photos, sidebars, diagrams, and details on astronauts' routines convey a you-are-there feeling, while later chapters cover the astronauts' lives back on Earth. Reading list, timeline, Glos., ind. Review covers these Adventures in Space titles: Neil Armstrong and Traveling to the Moon and Sally Ride and the Shuttle Missions.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(4) YA With her sister and parents absorbed in their own issues, Scarlett, sixteen, takes on the care of her autistic younger brother, Cliff. It is 1969, and after the moon landing, Cliff decides to build a rocket to fly to Jupiter, an ambition Scarlett spends her summer supporting. Christian readers will relate to Scarlett's unwavering faith, but this novel by a teen author is unevenly plotted.

Reviewer: Rita Soltan

(3) 4-6 Ten-year-old Tammy is left lonely--and angry--when best friend Kebsie, a foster child, suddenly moves away. Scrawny Douglas McGinty, the new whopper-telling foster kid Tammy dubs "Muscle Man," becomes the object of her ire. This poignant story, set against a well-realized backdrop of the Vietnam War and the first moon walk, looks at how loss can both isolate people and bring them together.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute

(3) 4-6 Sterling Biographies series. Attractive layouts and numerous images of photos, paintings, documents, etc., (e.g., Armstrong's high school yearbook entry) make for engaging, easy-to-approach biographies. Each volume begins by detailing a significant moment (Alamo for Crockett, moon landing for Armstrong, underwater anniversary party for Cousteau) then backtracks to the subject's birth to continue the detail-rich narrative. Sidebars flesh out historical contexts and important contemporaries. Source notes. Timeline. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Sterling Biographies titles: Neil Armstrong, Jacques Cousteau, and Davy Crockett.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger

(4) K-3 I Like Biographies! series. Each book briefly describes the subject's childhood and historical significance. Tubman includes a simple explanation of slavery that provides an appropriate context for the abolitionist's accomplishments. Informative captions accompany full-page color and black-and-white photos, some of which are poorly chosen. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these I Like Biographies! titles: Read about Harriet Tubman and Read about Neil Armstrong.

Reviewer: Christina Dorr

(4) 4-6 Each double-page spread features an accomplished (unlabeled) acrylic painting of equipment or astronauts and a brief paragraph of text. Sidebars provide more detailed (though brief) explanations. Those interested in the Apollo 11 mission will find this an adequate introduction but will need to look elsewhere for more depth. To this end, a reading list would have been helpful.

Reviewer: Jeannine M. Chapman

(4) 4-6 Events That Shaped America series. This book gives an overview of the U.S. space program from President Kennedy's challenge to the tragedy of Columbia. The treatment of the events is too brief for the time span covered, but readers seeking information for reports might find the book helpful. Sidebars, photographs, and drawings enhance the text. Activities, reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(3) K-3 Meeting Famous People series. These biographies will give young students personal information about two famous men of the twentieth century and some insight into their careers. Adult support may be needed to help less able readers with life stories that are more detailed and less choppy than many biographies written for the primary grades. The photographs are plentiful and appropriate. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. [Review covers these Meeting Famous People titles: Walt Disney and Neil Armstrong.]

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(4) K-3 Explore Space! series. Short paragraphs offer information about the accomplishments of well-known astronauts. Each spread has relevant photos on the left-hand page, while the right-hand page highlights major points in the featured person's life. An abrupt conclusion may feel awkward to early readers. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind. [Review covers these Explore Space! titles: Christa McAuliffe, John Glenn, Mae Jemison, and Neil Armstrong.]

Reviewer: Lauren Aimonette LIang

(3) K-3 Brown reviews Armstrong's early daydreams about flying, which he realized first as a small-plane pilot, then as a fighter pilot, and finally as an astronaut and the first man to walk on the moon. Unassuming watercolor illustrations are highlighted by strategically placed black pen-and-ink lines, and the readable text reveals the author's respect for his subject.

Reviewer: Amy Lois Cohn