Survival in Space The Apollo 13 Mission by David Long Illustrated by Stefano Tambellini, Barrington Stoke ISBN 9781781129388 £6.99
This is an excellent, exciting read. Blue Peter Award winner David Long begins by explaining the origins of the Space Race. He then goes on to tell of the popularity and success of Apollo 11. Apollo 12 was not as popular with the public, but their interest in space travel was rekindled when things started to go wrong with Apollo 13. Long describes the explosion clearly, and gives us a detailed, accessible, dramatic and fascinating account of the challenges astronauts Jim Lovell, Jack Swigert and Fred Haise faced. He explains how NASA and Mission Control work together with the Apollo crew to find a safe way of getting them home. In the end disaster is averted. Apollo 13 is one of the greatest survival stories ever, a triumph of resilience, bravery and teamwork. The book has a dyslexia-friendly layout, typeface and paperstock so that even more readers can enjoy it. Highly recommended for anyone aged 8+.
Brenda Marshall
