Space

"A colorful page-turner." --Walter Isaacson, New York Times Book Review "As important a book on space as has ever been written." --Homer Hickam, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Rocket Boys The dramatic inside story of the historic flights that launched SpaceX--and Elon Musk--from a shaky start-up into the world's leading-edge rocket company. SpaceX has enjoyed a miraculous decade. Less than 20 years after its founding, it boasts the largest constellation of commercial satellites in orbit, has pioneered reusable rockets, and in 2020 became the first private company to launch human beings into orbit. Half a century after the space race it is private companies, led by SpaceX, standing alongside NASA, pushing forward into the cosmos, and laying the foundation for our exploration of other worlds. But before it became one of the most powerful players in the aerospace industry, SpaceX was a fledgling start-up, scrambling to develop a single workable rocket before the money ran dry. The engineering challenge was immense; numerous other private companies had failed similar attempts. And even if SpaceX succeeded, they would then have to compete for government contracts with titans such as Lockheed Martin and Boeing, who had tens of thousands of employees and tens of billions of dollars in annual revenue. SpaceX had fewer than 200 employees and the relative pittance of $100 million in the bank. In Liftoff, Eric Berger, senior space editor at Ars Technica, takes readers inside the wild early days that made SpaceX. Focusing on the company's first four launches of the Falcon 1 rocket, he charts the bumpy journey from scrappy underdog to aerospace pioneer. We travel from company headquarters in El Segundo, to the isolated Texas ranchland where they performed engine tests, to Kwajalein, the tiny atoll in the Pacific where SpaceX launched the Falcon 1. Berger has reported on SpaceX for more than a decade, enjoying unparalleled journalistic access to the company's inner workings. Liftoff is the culmination of these efforts, drawing upon exclusive interviews with dozens of former and current engineers, designers, mechanics, and executives, including Elon Musk. The enigmatic Musk, who founded the company with the dream of one day settling Mars, is the fuel that propels the book, with his daring vision for the future of space. Filled with never-before-told stories of SpaceX's turbulent beginning, Liftoff is a saga of cosmic proportions.

The book that inspired the new film A Million Miles Away. Born into a family of migrant workers, toiling in the fields by the age of six, Jose M. Hernàndez dreamed of traveling through the night skies on a rocket ship. Reaching for the Stars is the inspiring story of how he realized that dream, becoming the first Mexican-American astronaut. Hernàndez didn't speak English till he was 12, and his peers often joined gangs, or skipped school. And yet, by his twenties he was part of an elite team helping develop technology for the early detection of breast cancer. He was turned down by NASA eleven times on his long journey to donning that famous orange space suit. Hernàndez message of hard work, education, perseverance, of "reaching for the stars," makes this a classic American autobiography.

Learn about the night sky in this Level 2 nonfiction reader featuring photographs, diagrams, fun facts, and strong visual clues, and perfect for 5-7 year old beginning to read fluently with support. Explore the stars and constellations of the Milky Way and beyond in Stars and Galaxies. From dwarfs to supergiants, learn about the glowing balls of hot gas that make the night sky come alive. This Level 2 DK Reader will build reading skills while teaching exciting vocabulary and explaining how long it takes stars' light to reach Earth, what constellations look like, and even how to stargaze, taking young readers on an amazing adventure in the sky. Perfect for 5-7 year olds beginning to read fluently with support, Level 2 titles contain carefully selected photographic images to complement the text, providing strong visual clues to build vocabulary and confidence. Additional information spreads are full of extra fun facts, developing the topics through a range of nonfiction presentation styles such as diagrams and activities. Series Overview: Trusted by parents, teachers, and librarians, and loved by kids, DK's leveled reading series is now revised and updated. With shiny new jackets and brand-new nonfiction narrative content on the topics kids love, each book is written and reviewed by literacy experts and contains a glossary and index, making them the perfect choice for helping develop strong reading habits for kids ages 3-11.

Award-winning author/illustrator Don Brown explores the history of rocket building in this installment of the Big Ideas That Changed the World graphic novel series.   "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong said those iconic words when Apollo 11 landed on the moon. But it wasn't just one man who got us to the moon--there was a whole team of people, plus centuries of discoveries and technologies that came before that made it possible.   From ancient Chinese rockets to the first steps on the moon, Rocket to the Moon! Reveals which "bombs bursting in air" inspired the writer of "The Star-Spangled Banner," why the Russians wanted to launch a dog into Earth's atmosphere, and how exactly astronauts are able to go to the bathroom while in a rocket far off in space!   Big Ideas That Changed the World is a graphic novel series that celebrates the hard-won succession of ideas that ultimately changed the world. Humor, drama, and art unite to tell the story of events, discoveries, and ingenuity over time that led humans to come up with a big idea and then make it come true.   Big Ideas That Changed the World series: Rocket to the Moon! (#1) Machines That Think! (#2) A Shot in the Arm! (#3) We the People! (#4) All Charged Up! (#5)  

In this book, readers will learn all about living on the International Space Station. What do astronauts do all day? What is it like to always be floating, even when you are sleeping or trying to exercise? How do astronauts eat, and can they take a bath? What is it like wearing a 300 pound space suit? How was the space station built, and how do you train to become an astronaut and go into space?

A Newbery Honor Book * BookPage Best Books * Chicago Public Library Best Fiction * Goodreads Choice Awards Nominee * Horn Book Fanfare * New York Times Notable Children's Book * School Library Journal Best Book * Today Show Pick * An ALA Notable Book "A 10 out of 10 . . . Anyone interested in science, sibling relationships, and friendships will enjoy reading We Dream of Space."--Time for Kids Newbery Medalist and New York Times-bestselling author Erin Entrada Kelly transports readers to 1986 and introduces them to the unforgettable Cash, Fitch, and Bird Nelson Thomas in this pitch-perfect middle grade novel about family, friendship, science, and exploration. This acclaimed Newbery Honor Book is a great choice for readers of Kate DiCamillo, Rita Williams-Garcia, and Rebecca Stead. Cash, Fitch, and Bird Nelson Thomas are three siblings in seventh grade together in Park, Delaware. In 1986, as the country waits expectantly for the launch of the space shuttle Challenger, they each struggle with their own personal anxieties. Cash, who loves basketball but has a newly broken wrist, is in danger of failing seventh grade for the second time. Fitch spends every afternoon playing Major Havoc at the arcade on Main and wrestles with an explosive temper that he doesn't understand. And Bird, his twelve-year-old twin, dreams of being NASA's first female shuttle commander, but feels like she's disappearing.  The Nelson Thomas children exist in their own orbits, circling a tense and unpredictable household, with little in common except an enthusiastic science teacher named Ms. Salonga. As the launch of the Challenger approaches, Ms. Salonga gives her students a project--they are separated into spacecraft crews and must create and complete a mission. When the fated day finally arrives, it changes all of their lives and brings them together in unexpected ways. Told in three alternating points of view, We Dream of Space is an unforgettable and thematically rich novel for middle grade readers. We Dream of Space is illustrated throughout by the author.

Uncover the mysteries, wonders, and history of Mars--as close to an eye-witness perspective of the incredible Red Planet as any reader can get. The history of Mars is drawn not just on its surface, but also down into its broken bedrock and up into its frigid air. Most of all, it stretches back into deep time, where the trackways of the past have been obliterated and there is no discernible trace of where they started from or how they travelled, only where they ended up. From the planet's formation 4.5 billion years ago, through eras that featured cataclysmic meteor strikes, explosive volcanoes and a vast ocean that spanned the entire upper hemisphere, to the long, frozen ages that saw its atmosphere steadily thinning and leaking away into space, planetary geologist Dr. Simon Morden presents a tantalizing vision of our nearest neighbour, its dramatic history, and astonishing present.

With a simple, witty story and free-spirited illustrations, Peter H. Reynolds entices even the stubbornly uncreative among us to make a mark -- and follow where it takes us. Her teacher smiled. "Just make a mark and see where it takes you." Art class is over, but Vashti is sitting glued to her chair in front of a blank piece of paper. The words of her teacher are a gentle invitation to express herself. But Vashti can't draw - she's no artist. To prove her point, Vashti jabs at a blank sheet of paper to make an unremarkable and angry mark. "There!" she says. That one little dot marks the beginning of Vashti's journey of surprise and self-discovery. That special moment is the core of Peter H. Reynolds's delicate fable about the creative spirit in all of us.

Boost reading ability while learning about moon landings in this factual space book for children. Follow Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Apollo 11's third crew member, Michael Collins, as they set off on one of history's most important missions. Learn about the people and spacecraft that came before and have followed since, and discover what it takes to become an astronaut. Moon Landings is a new title in the exciting and engaging four-level DK Readers series. Developing a lifelong love of reading, DK Readers cover a vast range of fascinating subjects featuring DK's stunning photography, to support children as they learn to read. The series has been developed with the help of literacy experts. Packed with fun facts for kids, this innovative series of leveled guided reading books combines a highly visual approach with engaging nonfiction narratives. Reading levels progress from brief, simple text in the early readers, to slightly longer, more detailed nonfiction chapter books, to challenging nonfiction containing rich vocabulary and more complex sentence structures. DK Readers are assessed by both Fountas & Pinnell and Lexile levels, and are ideal for learning to read, for subject research, and of course, for children to read for pleasure.