From School Library Journal
Grade 3-4-Beyer cranks up the suspense in this terse account of the ill-fated Apollo mission, setting the stage with a look at its ominous numerology (it was the 13th mission in the program, set to take off at 13:13 military time, etc.) and unsettlingly sudden crew changes. He describes the crippling midflight explosion and each challenge that had to be met to get that crew safely home. The short sentences, specific but not heavily technical detail, and vivid language-the astronauts "had 15 minutes to get Aquarius up and running before Odyssey shut down and died. They knew their spacecraft would become their coffin if they didn't make every second count"-will keep both underachieving and younger readers riveted. The small, dark, sometimes blurry black-and-white and color photos are no asset, but at least some of the three books and four Web sites listed at the end may lead to better visuals. Point readers who develop an interest in extraterrestrial disasters from this episode to Michael Cole's Space Emergency: Astronauts in Danger (Enslow, 2000) or any of the plethora of titles on the Challenger tragedy.
John Peters, New York Public Library Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Book Description
Every so often people encounter incredible situations that only the most courageous individuals can triumph over. The books in this series celebrate the human spirit and provide the true stories of people who faced impossible conditions and survived.