To Space & Back

Sally Ride, the first America woman to journey into space, gives young readers an unprecedented look at life among the stars and aboard NASA shuttles in To Space and Back, an ALA Notable Children’s Book.

Much has been written about the vast scientific importance of space exploration, but very little about the human side of being a member of an astronaut crew. Sally Ride first flew into space on the shuttle Challenger on June 18, 1983. In this book, with the help of journalist Susan Okie, Sally shares her personal experience of traveling into space. From discussing the experience of living and working in the weightlessness of space to explaining how astronauts train and adapt to their new environment, she answers the most frequently asked questions about her journey through space.

Susan Okie has known Sally Ride since they were students together at Westlake School. She remembers her as a "fleet-footed fourteen-year-old with a self-confident grin" who was her academic rival. They have remained close friends, even though their lives have taken them in different directions. Susan Okie also attended Swarthmore College and later went to Radcliffe, from which she graduated with a degree in biology. She received her M.D. from Harvard Medical School in 1978. She now works as a medical journalist for the Washington Post.