Team Moon: How 400,000 People Landed Apollo 11 on the Moon (review)

Abstract

Reviewed by: Team Moon: How 400,000 People Landed Apollo 11 on the Moon Elizabeth Bush Thimmesh, Catherine Team Moon: How 400,000 People Landed Apollo 11 on the Moon. Houghton, 200680 p illus. with photographs ISBN 0-618-50757-4$19.95 R* Gr. 4-8 Kids have seen the photographs, studied the history and science, admired the astronauts, and memorized the "One small step" quote, and they probably feel they know quite a bit about the first manned moon landing. But until they've read Thimmesh's breathless behind-the-scenes account, they know zip. Two pages in, watching the world watching their TVs "wide-eyed, waiting," Thimmesh throws her first curve—Nixon's alternative speech that lurked on the sidelines in the event of failure: "These brave men, Neil Armstrong, and [Buzz] Aldrin, know that there is no hope for their recovery. But they also know there is hope for mankind in their sacrifice." With this chilling comment on what-might-have-been now planted in readers' minds, the text turns to seven challenges that threatened to abort the landing, turn it into tragedy, or rewrite the way we've come to understand the mission. Recurring alarms begin to signal some 33,000 feet above the moon's surface at descent; two separate fuel-related crises occur at landing; space suits are not certain to withstand unknown "field" conditions; life support during EVA is problematic; a windstorm threatens to scuttle television coverage; parachute deployment is a matter of hope; and still photos taken by the astronauts are nearly lost. Each crisis is resolved by the quick-thinking and consummate teamwork of people who never become household names, using technology that seems almost laughable by today's standards. Thimmesh imbues the story with edge-of-the-seat tension, and even though readers know there's a happy ending in store, fingernails will be bitten nonetheless. Text, much of it in white type (or blue for captions), moves in, on, and around color photos from the Apollo 11 mission, and four pages of thumbnail photos and quotes from unsung mission participants bring the journey to a close. Besides extensive end matter that comprises chapter notes, sources, and index, Thimmesh also supplies a glossary (handy for deciphering acronyms) and a brief recap of all seventeen Apollo flights. Copyright © 2006 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois