Culled from direct quotes from the people behind the scenes, NASA transcripts, national archives and NASA photos, the whole story of Apollo 11 and the first moon landing emerges.

Released in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of the moon landing, this nonfiction picture book offers a step-by-step explanation of how the Apollo 11 spacecraft worked, as told by a young enthusiast.

"Through verse and informational text, the 1969 Apollo 11's historic mission is celebrated, from liftoff to moon landing to successful return to Earth."--

Explores the events leading to the 1969 moon walk including the early history of rocketry, the 1967 Apollo 1 disaster, and the space race with the Soviet Union.

Presents a clear narrative on how the United States won the space race against Russia by landing a man on the Moon in 1969.

"In 1961 the President of the United States made a pledge that America would send a man to the Moon before the end of the 1960s. Here is the story of the final stage of that race against time."

"In July 1969, astronauts on the Apollo 11 spacecraft became the first people to land on the moon. Since then, people have told stories about the historic event. Did an unmanned Russian spacecraft crash into the moon while the Apollo astronauts were on it? Did Neil Armstrong know what he was going to say before he stepped onto the moon's surface? Read the stories. Then see if you can spot the myths!"--

"On-point historical photographs combined with strong narration bring the story of the moon landing to life. Kids will learn about the cold war tensions between the US and the USSR that led to the space race, and the push from presidents Kennedy and Johnson to ensure the U.S. got to the moon first. As an added bonus, readers will learn about how this played out on TV. All of the networks covered it, but Walter Cronkite and astronaut Wally Shirra are...

"The inspiring autobiography of NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson, who helped launch Apollo 11"-- "As a young girl, Katherine Johnson showed an exceptional aptitude for math. In school she quickly skipped ahead several grades and was soon studying complex equations with the support of a professor who saw great promise in her. But ability and opportunity did not always go hand in hand. As an African American and a girl growing up in an era of brutal...