As a Youth Services Librarian I often steer young adults and adults to juvenile non-fiction, and this book is a perfect example of why. Juvenile non-fiction, when done right, gives the reader a straightforward narrative of the facts, and in this case, history and events that shaped space travel. I quickly found myself learning about the space race and the importance of documenting. The astronauts documented the photos not only for posterity, but to prove that the expense, the risk, and the frenzied pace had all been worth it. This is a fantastic non-fiction companion to a school's history books because it includes current events, such as Space X, efforts of other countries such as Japan to enter the space race, and the evolution of space travel between the 1960s and now.

This book would be best for older middle grades students and high school students. The astronauts personal views are documented at times, including one who found himself becoming an atheist post-space travel.

Fantastic account of the early U.S. space program and race with the Soviet Union. Wonderfully readable, this nonfiction book will engage middle schoolers with it's succinct text and engaging black and white photos.