Module 11 Book - Informational Books - Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream

Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream

written by Tanya Lee Stone

Bibliography

Stone, T. L. (2009). Almost astronauts: 13 women who dared to dream. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press.
ISBN-13:978-0-7636-3611-1

Brief Summary

Almost Astronauts addresses the issues of thirteen females, the “Mercury 13,” who were interested in becoming a part of NASA’s space program in the 1960s as well as the effect their influence had on women in flight/space in the decades which followed. It highlights the gender prejudices and misconceptions prevalent in the 1960s, which precluded the female pilots from joining NASA’s space program at that time.

My Impressions

Almost Astronauts is an excellent non-fiction book! It is written as a narrative in chronological order with the exception of chapter one which highlights the STS-93 mission of which Eileen M. Collins is the first female to act as commander of a US space mission. The nonfiction includes numerous graphics which tie into the content of the text well. Although the book is only 134 pages from cover to cover, it is extremely comprehensive. This nonfiction book has a thorough table of contents, index, and bibliography. The reference aids include an author’s note, an appendix, further reading and webliography sections, sources and source notes, photography credits, an index, and acknowledgements.

Reviews

“…This dramatic, large-size photo-essay covers their stories, along with the exciting politics of the women's liberation struggle in the 1950s and '60s (What is a woman's place?) and the breakthrough science and technology surrounding space exploration, including details of the would-be astronauts' tests and training. The chatty, immediate style (Picture this) and full-page photos make for a fast read, and the crucial civil-rights history will stay with readers. The long, spacious back matter is part of the story, with detailed chapter notes and a bibliography.”

-- Booklist (February 15, 2009)
Rochman, Hazel Copyright 2009 Booklist

“Enlivened by numerous b&w and color photographs, this thorough book takes readers back to the early 1960s to tell the story of 13 women who underwent a battery of physical endurance tests (including hours spent in a deprivation tank) and psychological analysis to determine their readiness to travel in space. A gripping narrative surfaces in Stone's text, as the women are repeatedly thwarted by NASA, discriminated against and patronized by society...Readers with an interest in history and in women's struggle for equality will undoubtedly be moved. Ages 10-up.”

-- Publisher’s Weekly (May 4, 2009)
Copyright 2009 Reed Business Information

“Stone adopts a tone of righteous indignation in chronicling the quixotic efforts of 13 women to win admission into NASA's initial astronaut training program in the early 1960s…Properly noting, however, that losing ‘depends on where you draw the finish line,’ the author closes with chapters on how women did ultimately win their way into space-not only as mission specialists, but also as pilots and commanders. Illustrated with sheaves of photos, and based on published sources, recently discovered documents, and original interviews with surviving members of the ‘Mercury 13,’ this passionately written account of a classic but little-known challenge to established gender prejudices also introduces readers to a select group of courageous, independent women…Gr 5-7”

-- School Library Journal (March 1, 2009)
John Peters, New York Public Library
Copyright 2009 Reed Business Information

Suggestions for Library Use

In my opinion, adults should enjoy the book as well as its intended audience of middle school students. However, it does not necessarily target only pre-teens and teens. In fact, due to the rather textbook-like nature of the author’s presentation of the material, most pre-teens and teens would probably view it as a resource for essays and reports rather than a source for pleasure reading. The exception, of course, might be students interested in flight or space. Almost Astronauts is a “must read” for young women interested in science and engineering!