My Journey to the Stars - Hardcover

Kelly, Scott

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1524763772 ISBN 13: 9781524763770

Publisher: Crown Books for Young Readers, 2017

Synopsis

Handpicked by Amazon kids’ books editor, Seira Wilson, for Prime Book Box – a children’s subscription that inspires a love of reading.

NASA astronaut Scott Kelly was the first to spend an entire year in space! Discover his awe-inspiring journey in this fascinating picture book memoir (the perfect companion to his adult book Endurance) that takes readers from Scott’s childhood as an average student to his record-breaking year among the stars.
 
Scott Kelly wasn’t sure what he wanted to be when he grew up. He struggled in school and often got in trouble with his twin brother, Mark.
 
Then one day Scott discovered a book about test pilots and astronauts that set him on a new path.
 
His new focus led him to fly higher and higher, becoming first a pilot and then an astronaut, along with his brother—the first twin astronauts in history. But his greatest accomplishment of all was commanding the International Space Station and spending nearly a year in space, which set the record for the longest spaceflight by an American.
 
This story of an ordinary boy who grew up to do extraordinary things is perfect for children, fans of Scott's adult book Endurance: A Year in Space, A Lifetime of Discovery, aspiring astronauts, and anyone who has ever tried to defy the odds. It will amaze and inspire you.

About this title

About the Author

Scott Kelly is a NASA astronaut best known for spending a record-breaking year in space. He is a former U.S. Navy fighter pilot, test pilot, and veteran of four spaceflights. Kelly commanded the space shuttle Endeavour in 2007 and twice commanded the International Space Station. He resides in Houston, Texas. You can follow him on Facebook at NASA Astronaut Scott Kelly, and on Instagram and Twitter at @StationCDRKelly.
 
André Ceolin is a self-taught illustrator based in Brazil. He has illustrated more than twenty books for children. My Journey to the Stars is his third children’s book in the United States. For more information on André and his work, visit him at andreceolin.com.

From School Library Journal

K-Gr 2—Astronaut Kelly recalls the early experiences that led up to his joyful return to Earth in March 2016,after spending nearly a year in space. This picture book biography introduces the wiggly, unfocused student who, with his twin brother Mark, enjoyed risk-taking adventure and learned to stay calm in the face of parental storms. It was Tom Wolfe's biography of the Mercury Seven, The Right Stuff that inspired Kelly to become an astronaut. Both brothers joined NASA in 1996 and flew into space four times—separately, "in case something went wrong." Kelly's long sojourn in the International Space Station (ISS) offered a unique scientific opportunity because Mark remained on Earth as a comparison. The first-person narrative is immediate and relatively simple. It opens with the astronaut entering the tiny space ship that will take him back to Earth, flashes back through childhood and training, and ends with a happy splash in his home swimming pool. Photographs from the Kellys' childhood as well as Scott's time in the ISS are reproduced on appropriate backgrounds. Their realism makes an interesting contrast with Ceolin's smooth digital illustrations and almost featureless figures. Timed to appear alongside his adult memoir, Endurance: A Year in Space this story of his preparation and his experience has well-chosen details and just the right amount of information for his intended audience. VERDICT Pair with Carmella van Vleet's To the Stars!: The First American Woman To Walk in Space to inspire a new generation of space travelers.—Kathleen Isaacs, Children's Literature Specialist, Pasadena, MD

About this edition

• Publisher: Crown Books for Young Readers
• Publication date: 2017
• ISBN 10: 1524763772
• ISBN 13: 9781524763770
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 48
• Illustrator: Ceolin André