Submitted by Elaine Magliaro, Weekend Contributor
Forty-five years ago today—on July 20, 1969—astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the moon. Michael Collins, the other member of the Apollo 11 crew, orbited above them. As Armstrong, the first human to set foot on the surface of the moon, stepped down from the Eagle, he said, “That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.” I remember the excitement and pride of the people of this country on that historic day. We Americans also felt great relief and exultation when those three astronauts returned to Earth safely following their successful mission.
Apollo 11 in 100 Seconds
Left to Right: Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, Buzz Aldrin
There is a wonderful nonfiction book for middle graders and young adults that explains how it took the efforts of 400,000 people to land Apollo 11 successfully on the moon. The book was written by Catherine Thimmesh—and was published by Houghton Mifflin in 2006. It is generously illustrated with photographs that help tell the true story of the many people responsible for that historic space mission.
Team Moon: How 400,000 People Landed Apollo 11 on the Moon
Written by Catherine Thimmesh
Some of the book’s awards and honors:
2007 Robert F. Sibert Award
2007 Orbis Pictus Honor Book
2007 ALA Notable Book for Children
2007 ALA Best Book for Young Adults
2007 NSTA-CBC Outstanding Science Trade Book for Children
2012 100 Greatest Children’s Books, Scholastic Parent and Child Magazine