Reaching for the Moon

Description

On July 20, 1969, Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong made their historic Apollo 11 moon walk and became the first two humans to walk on another world. Now Buzz Aldrin takes us on the incredible journey of hope, hard work, and determination that began in his childhood and led him to achieve a dream that many believed was out of reach. With vibrant, historically accurate paintings by Wendell Minor, this extraordinary picture book-the first by one of the Apollo 11 astronauts-brings a unparalleled triumph in American history to life for a new generation and shows how everyone can strive to achieve their dreams.

On July 20, 1969, Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong made their historic Apollo 11 moon walk and became the first two humans to set foot on another world. This unprecedented heroic endeavor was witnessed by the largest worldwide television audience in history. Upon returning from the moon, Dr. Aldrin embarked on an international goodwill tour and was presented with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, among more than fifty distinguished awards and medals from numerous countries. Since retiring from NASA, the Air Force, and his position as commander of the test pilot school at Edwards Air Force Base, Dr. Aldrin has remained at the forefront of efforts to ensure a continued leading role for America in manned space exploration and has advanced his lifelong commitment to humans venturing outward in space. Recently he founded a rocket design company, Starcraft Boosters, Inc., and the ShareSpace Foundation, a nonprofit organization devoted to pursuing space tourism. In addition to writing books that describe his unique perspective on America's space program, Dr. Aldrin also lectures and travels throughout the world to discuss his and others" ideas for exploring the universe. For more information about the Apollo 11 moon landing please visit www.nasa.gov or The Johnson Space Center at www.jsc.nasa.gov and for more information about the illustrations in this book please visit www.minorart.com.

"Precisely rendered illustrations help this effort really take off ... a brief chronology rounds out this solid title." -- ALA Booklist "Calling all dreamers and wannabe space travellers!" -- Child Magazine "A Buzz-worthy book!" -- Time for Kids "Beautiful and realistic illustrations ... in first-person voice ... a child's-eye view on space exploration." -- Kirkus Reviews "Entertaining and informative. Excellent, realistic paintings." -- School Library Journal (starred review)