My formative years were in the 1980s, so the space shuttles were a big deal. It was a like a party every time one took off, up until that fateful Challenger explosion that marred our childhood memories. But even then, we ate up all of the information we could about the history of the space program. And then in the 1990s, the movie Apollo 13 came out, once again lighting a desire to know more.

This book is great. It opens with that fateful moment leading to the famous words, "Houston, we have a problem." And then it goes into the history and the importance of the space program leading up to this mission. Following that is an account of the rest of the Apollo 13 ordeal, reading almost like a novel. You can almost feel the action and are glued to the pages to find out what is going to happen next. I love that in a nonfiction book.

And then it gets into the aftermath of the trip, including the investigation into what had happened and the last missions to the moon. It's hard to believe it has been almost 50 years since we last touched down there.

So many photographs illustrate the stories, which are one of my favorite things to see. Give me the real photos and not just illustrations. They really make the history come alive.

And then for those who want more, you can refer to the resources, bibliography, and suggested further reading sections with both books and websites.

I loved reading more about this famous story and learning more than I had known before. I think space afficionados from upper elementary and older will also enjoy it.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my requested review copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Like most people, I had a passing understanding of what had happened with the Apollo 13 mission due to references in other books about space exploration. This was the first text I'd read dedicated to the subject and it was enlightening. Edge takes us through an abridged history of the space program and how those previous missions influenced the approach and goals of Apollo 13. A fair portion is dedicated to the disaster itself and the complications it presented to the astronauts. The final portion of the book is focused on what we learned from the mission. Not only about what cause the explosion but about improvising solutions, having disaster plans, and the efficiency of the teams in Houston and aboard the craft itself in making calculations and running simulations. Its a fascinating, multi-faceted event well conveyed by this book.

Book describes the famous Apollo 13 mission and in-space explosion that caused the cancellation of the planned third landing on the Moon. This is not a detailed description of the mission; it's rather basic and high level. Nevertheless, the writing is clear and easy to understand. The illustrations are excellent. A good introduction for readers not familiar with the Apollo program or Apollo 13 in particular.