Happy 40th Anniversary Apollo 11! ...Here are some first steps in "Lunar Landing" books...

40 Years Ago Today! The First Lunar Landing!

On May 25, 1961, in a speech before the joint session of congress, President John F. Kennedy presented the goal of "landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to earth" before the end of the decade. On July 20th, 1969 we realized that goal! Apollo 11 landed on the moon, commander Neil Armstrong stepped out of the lunar module to make the most amazing historic walk in history!

"That's one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind."... Neil Armstrong

*(big debate on whether Neil spoke the "a" in his famous quote, but analysis of the tapes seem to confirm that he actually did...)

The first lunar landing was an amazing feat! I was young, but remember lots of television coverage surrounding the event... It seemed the world stood still... With the scientific & technical advances we have today we may forget what a monumental accomplishment we made this day 40 years ago! But there are plenty of books to refresh our memory! So, in honor of today's historic anniversary, I thought I would recommend some recently published books that have a lot of buzz .... (yes, that's Buzz Aldrin!)

Rocket Men : The Epic Story of the First Men on the Moon

by Craig Nelson

Using interviews, NASA oral histories, and declassified CIA material, Nelson has produced a magnificent, very readable account of the steps that led to the success of Apollo 11. In the 40 years since the first moon landing and the 52 years since Sputnik was launched, it isn’t always remembered now what an experiment the Apollo program was, nor that the space race was as much a military as a scientific campaign.

*P.S. This is Kindle Ready!

Magnificent Desolation: The Long Journey Home from the Moon

by Buzz Aldrin

The flight of Apollo 11 made Aldrin one of the most famous persons on our planet, yet few people know the rest of this true American hero’s story. In Magnificent Desolation, Aldrin not only gives us a harrowing first-person account of the lunar landing that came within seconds of failure and the ultimate insider’s view of life as one of the superstars of America’s space program, he also opens up with remarkable candor about his more personal trials–and eventual triumphs–back on Earth.

*P.S. This is Kindle Ready!

Celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Moon landing with a great pop-up book!

(this is recommended for ages 9-12, but hey, I love pop-up books too!)

Moon Landing: Apollo 11 40th Anniversary Pop-Up

by Richard Platt

Trace the history of people's fascination with the moon — and the scientific developments that led to a ground-breaking mission — in an out-of-this-world novelty book marking the first moon landing. Acclaimed author Richard Platt focuses on humankind's dreams of traveling to the moon, the race to conquer space, the technology needed to reach the moon and sustain the astronauts in space, and the moon landing itself. Re-creating the excitement of the expedition are extraordinary pop-ups depicting a rocket, the lunar module, a spaceship, and a spectacular spherical moon, while booklets and flaps offer readers a wealth of intriguing facts.

"This wonderful book retells our story vividly. I should know; I was there."

— Buzz Aldrin

*Sorry, they just can't make pop-ups in Kindle version (yet!)

Hope you found something great to peak your interest! But before you settle in with a good book, go to NASA's website for more coverage of the Apollo 11 anniversary and all things "SPACE"! And before you go, tell me , where you were on this fateful day 40 years ago?

Happy reading.... Suzanne