Armstrong's Moon Rock

Children's Literature - Marilyn Courtot

Neil Armstrong was obsessed with flying. The day he first flew in a Ford Trimotor, he knew he wanted to be a pilot and at age16 he earned his pilot's license. Subsequently, he received a scholarship to study aeronautical engineering and then served in the Navy flying missions during the Korean War. This was not enough for Neil because he believed that he was astronaut material. Fortunately, he was accepted into and became part of the Gemini program. There his skills and courage led to his becoming the Commander of Apollo 11, the first lunar mission. Eventually, Armstrong became the first man on the moon. His story is an inspiration and shows what hard work and determination can bring. This series, "Stories of Great People," is set up with a sister and brother team (Digby and Hannah) who visit the Knicknack Market and its vendors. One of them, Mr. Rummage has a "disorderly jumble of things"—all of which fascinate Digby. These objects serve as the lead in to a story about a famous person. The factual accounts are interspersed with reactions from the kids, and the book is liberally illustrated. It has a table of contents, index, brief glossary and introduction to the cast of characters. The design and format are more likely to get kids reading than are most biographies for this age group. Reviewer: Marilyn Courtot