(2) K-3 Illustrated by Edwin Fotheringham. Although the book offers a factual recounting of the Apollo 14 moon landing, its true focus is astronaut Alan Shepard Jr.'s personal experiment to find out how far a golf ball can travel on the low-gravity, atmosphere-less surface of the moon. The book starts with a wink as Shepard surreptitiously sneaks a sockful of golf balls into the pocket of his space suit, then goes on to describe the spaceship's aim and the experiments that were planned for the third crewed moon-mission. And then comes the moment when, on live television, Shepard unexpectedly twists a metal golf club head onto the end of his rock scoop, pulls out several golf balls, and takes a few swings. Kelly's well-researched retelling of this unusual story also does a little fact-checking on Shepard, who didn't hit the ball quite as far as he believed but nevertheless became the "first human to play a sport on the Moon." Fotheringham's (illustrator of Most Wanted, rev. 5/20) digital art uses a limited color palette that gives the story a vintage feel. Extensive back matter includes an overview of all the Apollo missions, additional information on Shepard and his golf experiment, and a bibliography.

Reviewer: Laura Koenig | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2023