PICTURE BOOK - My Journey to the Stars by Astronaut Scott Kelly

Illustrated by Andre Ceolin

2017 Crown Books for Young Readers, NY

HC $17.99
Bosler Library

48 pgs.

Goodreads rating: 3.95 - 115 ratings

My rating: 4.5

Endpapers: Red

1^st line/s:  "It's been 340 days since I set foot on Earth.  I've spent almost a full year living and working on the international Space Station.  It's the hardest thing I've ever done.

My comments: 4.5  I've followed Mark Kelly because of his marriage to Gabby Giffords, so I knew a bit about his twin brother, Scott.  This picture book for kids tells a little about Scott's background, including the fact that he had a tough time in school, particularly sitting still and not daydreaming.  It shows his perseverance and ambition, then tells a little about his training and year in space.  The illustrations, by Andre Ceolin, are wonderful, and they're interspersed throughout with lots and lots of actual photographs.   Here's another great 1st or second grade biographical read aloud  (Why a 4.5 and not a five?  That's because I didn't like the way the book started.  It worked okay for my second reading, but put me off a bit for the first.)

Goodreads:  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 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.

MOVIE- Hidden Figures

PG (2:07)

Wide release 1/6/17

Viewed Sunday, 1/15/17 at Carlisle 8 with Ella
IMBd:  

RT Critic: 93   Audience:  94
Critic's Consensus:  In heartwarming, crowd-pleasing fashion, Hidden Figures celebrates overlooked -- and crucial -- contributions from a pivotal moment in American history.

Cag:  6/Awesome  

Directed by Ted Melfi

20th Century Fox

Based on a real story

Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, Kevin Costner, Jim Parsons, Kirsten Dunst

My comments: I love these "based on a true story" movies, but this one was particularly poignant, well told, and well acted.  Powerful story!  It's also good to be reminded that as recently as the 1960's, people with a skin color other than white couldn't use the same bathrooms, drink from the same fountains or percolators, find any sort of comparable job, and were treated with such incredible disrespect. Brilliant women who, if this story is truthful, truly helped make the space program of the 1960s literally get off the ground.  A fantastic movie.

RT/ IMDb Summary:  The incredible untold story of Katherine G. Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson - brilliant African-American women working at NASA, who served as the brains behind one of the greatest operations in history: the launch of astronaut John Glenn into orbit, a stunning achievement that restored the nation's confidence, turned around the Space Race, and galvanized the world. The visionary trio crossed all gender and race lines to inspire generations to dream big.