David A. Kelly may be known to most young readers as the author of the popular Ball Park Mysteries series, but he also writes an enjoyable nonfiction book. His story of Alan Shepard golfing on the moon is sure to tickle youngsters as they read about smuggling the head of a golf club onto the Apollo 14 mission. Then they will try to imagine teeing off when the bulky space suit kept him from moving as he would have on a golf course back on Earth. But just how far could that ball have traveled in the moon's lower gravity? Kelly answers that question, describing the work of British photographer Andy Saunders and how he used modern technology to examine old photos from the mission and measure the distance. Whether or not he set distance records for his golf shots, Shepard was the first to play a sport on the moon, so that is a record all its own.
Illustrations by Ed Fotheringham (you may remember his work on books such as What To Do About Alice? or Those Rebels, John & Tom) help young readers visualize what that game of moon golf was like and encourage them to ponder things like the difference between the Earth and moon.
Back matter includes an overview of the Apollo program including the dates, crew members, and mission goals for each of the crewed missions. There are also photos of the Apollo 14 crew, Shepard planting an American flag on the moon, and the location of the famous golf shots. A profile of Shepard, an explanation of some of the experiments conducted by the Apollo 14 crew, the current location of the golf club, and how moon rocks and other data from the Apollo missions are still helping scientists are also included. And for those who want to know even more, a bibliography is provided as well as the URL for the Apollo 14 information on the NASA website.
A fun addition to collections in libraries and classrooms, or a great gift for a young space enthusiast.
No comments:
Post a Comment