Non-fiction links- could be good for talking about the difference between fiction and non-fiction- although this is about space, how do we know it is not based on facts? Also,there was hardly any discussion of the colossal amounts spent to get to the moon,and the environmental impact of the moon missions. History will,however,always remember Neil Armstrong as the first man on the moon.The others,have largely been forgotten.

Award-winning science journalist and space historian Andrew Chaikin has authored books and articles about space exploration and astronomy for more than 25 years. Writer-director and explorer James Cameron (Titanic, Aliens of the Deep) called him “our best historian of the space age.” Upcoming works to be published in May 2009 are Voices from the Moon (Viking Studio) featuring excerpts from his conversations with Apollo astronauts, and Mission Control, This is Apollo (Viking Childrens) a book for middle-school readers illustrated with paintings by Apollo moonwalker Alan Bean. Chaikin's narrative focuses, primarily, on the men/missions who went to the moon (versus the holistic Apollo program), with a particular relish for the "skipper" missions—the ones that are usually skipped over during the Apollo summaries (i.e., 12, 14, 15, 16). I mostly appreciated it, since I, too, have fallen into the trap of not really considering the latter Apollo flights as anything exciting—but they were, and are: they introduced new equipment and tested new boundaries around life on the moon. Each mission had minor things adjusted or added to it or expanded within it, which makes the evolution of Apollo that much more obvious and interesting. My audiobook was 23 hours long, and I don’t recommend it. The narrator, actor Bronson Pinchot, has won several Audie Awards, one of them for this book. I find this a little surprising. For me it was an extremely dull experience to listen to him. The only time I remember hearing some excitement in his voice was when the matter of urinating in space came up. Incidentally a thing I got excited about as well. I guess observed from afar those kinds of experiences are just too damn funny. Have you ever wondered who or what lived on the moon? William Joyce's debut The Man in The Moon not only introduces to the jolly man who lives there (nope I'm not talking Santa Claus), he'll also tell you how he got there. We're huge fans of the moon in our home, and I can say for certainty that next time we're looking up at the moon, we'll all be looking for the wonderful man in the moon, the guardian of children.

CBeebies: Nina and the Neurons - Rocket

If you ask anyone about the topic of 'astronauts' and the 'moon' the frequent return of data starts with 'Neil Armstrong'. Before reading this book much of my knowledge of the moon landings were hazy and my ability to recall the 12 men who have walked on the moon extremely limited. Chaikin explores the lives of the Apollo astronauts in detail and as a reader I found this personal development crucial. From the tragedy of the fire in Apollo 1 during a simulated launch, Apollo 8's bold pioneering flight around the moon, through to the euphoria of the first moonwalk, and to the discoveries made by the first scientist on the moon aboard Apollo 17, this book covers it all. On his way into a fitful sleep, Anders began to realize: We came all this way to explore the moon, and the most important thing is that we discovered the earth. What a fabulous, beautifully illustrated book that tells a unique story about the man in the moon. This is one of those books that reads like a movie you'd want to take your kids to see. I'm not sure what I was drawn more towards, the absolutely amazing artwork or the fantastic story.

The author's note at the end gives a personal insight to the author and her association with NASA as a child. She grew up in Florida and her father worked at Cape Canaveral. Her account of watching launches growing up serves a perfect personal tie-in for the closing of the book. How and by whom are perceptions of difference transformed, and with what implications for future relations? Perhaps I am a little biased, though. As an expatriate Yankee, one who is shamed and saddened by much of what my country has done, the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo missions are one of the few things my country did in the Twentieth Century (and so far in the Twenty-First) for which I am actually proud. He is also the author of Air and Space: The National Air and Space Museum Story of Flight, published in 1997 by Bulfinch Press. Chaikin's illustrated narrative of space exploration, SPACE: A History of Space Exploration in Photographs, was published in 2002 by Carlton Books. He co-authored the text for the highly successful collection of Apollo photography, Full Moon, which was published by Knopf in 1999. As I already pointed out, I’ve been captivated by the space program since I was a kid. I knew I didn’t have the right stuff, so I never dreamed of being an astronaut myself. At that age, I dreamed of moving to the woods and living in a log cabin, like Grizzly Adams, and having adventures in the wilderness, but that’s a different story. My point is, I may be biased in favor of this subject, or maybe I’m in a good position to know that this book hits the right notes.Another fine account is Chaikin's re-telling of the landing pad fire aboard Apollo 1, which killed Gus Grissom, Ed White and Roger Chaffee. It is one of the saddest moments in the history of the Apollo program, and Chaikin manages to strike a balance between respect for the fallen and the investigation that came to see the accident as a "failure of imagination." He avoids the temptation of the maudlin, and the three dead astronauts would undoubtedly have appreciated that. When astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin took their 'giant leap for mankind' across a ghostly lunar landscape, they were watched by some 600 million people on Earth 240,000 miles away. The Man in the Moon is the first book in The Guardians of Childhood series and tells a beautiful story that is sad at times and incredibly beautiful in its entirety. I always find Joyce's books to have the most stunning imagery and I love the out of this world tone of the illustrations in this one. This is the tale of how a little boy, a child aboard the ship the Moon Clipper surrounded by family and friends, became the Man in the Moon (MiM) and gathered up all the Guardians of Childhood. Unfortunately, the future I envisioned and hoped for (and which showcased itself spectacularly in the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey) never materialized. The last manned lunar flight was 47 years ago, in 1972. Today, of the 12 men who walked on the moon, only four are still alive. Of the additional 14 men who went to the moon without setting foot on it, only eight are still living. All of these living lunar explorers are now very old. I feel fortunate to have witnessed such a unique and great achievement in my lifetime. But, as NASA administrator George Low said to retiring lunar astronaut Stu Roosa, “You know, there will never be another Apollo in anybody’s life.”

I am not a believer in the conspiracy theory of the moon landings. There were just too many people involved, and that many people simply can't be counted upon to keep their mouths shut for all these years. It is clearly meant to be a patriotic book meant to convey that the US won the space race.But it conveniently forgets to mention that the Soviets won a number of earlier space battles.That prompted President Kennedy to launch the outrageously expensive Apollo programme.It was a battle of the Cold War. How MiM ultimately helps the children of Earth was awesome and gives a new meaning to the full moon. With all the Guardians to help him, the children can be protected and comforted from the dark. The story of each moon mission is described in vivid detail.Lots of dramatic moments,the first view of the earth from lunar orbit,(Apollo 8),the selection of the first man to step on the moon (Apollo 11),the moment of near disaster for Apollo 12,the near catastrophic crisis aboard Apollo 13,and the landing of the last man on the moon (Apollo 17). The fact that the story is ‘a day in the life’ style means it is written in the 3rd person, I think this really adds to the narrative as the reader is able to notice things that Bob does not- such as the aliens.

To practise and apply knowledge of suffixes: -y suffix, including test

from 1961 to 1972, the objective was as clear and inspiring as any you could ask for. You had only to go outside at night and look at it.