To Space and Back

by Sally Ride, Susan Okie

Overview

Sally Ride, the first America woman to journey into space, gives young readers an unprecedented look at life among the stars and aboard NASA shuttles in To Space and Back, an ALA Notable Children’s Book.

Much has been written about the vast scientific importance of space exploration, but very little about the human side of being a member of an astronaut crew. Sally Ride first flew into space on the shuttle Challenger on June 18, 1983. In this book, with the help of journalist Susan Okie, Sally shares her personal experience of traveling into space. From discussing the experience of living and working in the weightlessness of space to explaining how astronauts train and adapt to their new environment, she answers the most frequently asked questions about her journey through space.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780688091125
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	08/18/1989
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	96
Product dimensions:	10.94(w) x 8.58(h) x 0.28(d)
Lexile:	1090L (what's this?)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Susan Okie has known Sally Ride since they were students together at Westlake School. She remembers her as a "fleet-footed fourteen-year-old with a self-confident grin" who was her academic rival. They have remained close friends, even though their lives have taken them in different directions. Susan Okie also attended Swarthmore College and later went to Radcliffe, from which she graduated with a degree in biology. She received her M.D. from Harvard Medical School in 1978. She now works as a medical journalist for the Washington Post.

Read an Excerpt

"What's it like to be in space?" "Is it scary?" "Is it cold?" "Do you have trouble sleeping?" These are questions that everyone asks astronauts who have been in space. The experience is hard to describe. The words and pictures in this book will help you imagine what it's like to blast off in a rocket and float effortlessly in midair while circling hundreds of miles above the Earth.

Editorial Reviews

★ “Ride’s zest for the adventure [of space flight] comes through clearly, making this a book that can be read aloud to young children, please an adult, or inspire anyone in between.” — School Library Journal, starred review

“The book succeeds in helping us imagine the unimaginable—what it really feels like to blast off in a rocket and float effortlessly in midair while circling hundreds of miles above the earth.” — The Washington Post Book World

“This book is an important contribution to all that has been written about space travel, for it is a vivid description of the human side of exploring the unknown.” — The Chicago Tribune

“An engrossing account of a space journey, gives intimate details [of life] on board the shuttle. A personal approach to what too often seems too far away, this will inspire young readers with the heights of adventure to which an interest in science can take ordinary people like themselves.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books,University of Chicago, Starred Review

From the Publisher

This book is an important contribution to all that has been written about space travel, for it is a vivid description of the human side of exploring the unknown.

The Chicago Tribune

The book succeeds in helping us imagine the unimaginable—what it really feels like to blast off in a rocket and float effortlessly in midair while circling hundreds of miles above the earth.

The Washington Post Book World

An engrossing account of a space journey, gives intimate details [of life] on board the shuttle. A personal approach to what too often seems too far away, this will inspire young readers with the heights of adventure to which an interest in science can take ordinary people like themselves.

Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

The book succeeds in helping us imagine the unimaginable—what it really feels like to blast off in a rocket and float effortlessly in midair while circling hundreds of miles above the earth.

Washington Post Book World

This book is an important contribution to all that has been written about space travel, for it is a vivid description of the human side of exploring the unknown.

Chicago Tribune

Gr 1 Up From the alarm clock ringing at 3:15 a.m. on launch day to getting used to gravity again after returning to Earth, Sally Ride takes readers on a trip in a space shuttle. This oversized book has plenty of clear, full-color photos that follow and supplement the text and bring to life the shuttle flight. Ride's zest for the adventure comes through clearly, making this a book that can be read aloud to young children, please an adult, or inspire anyone in between. This is much shorter and more accessible than previous accounts by astronauts, e.g., Gemini! (Macmillan, 1966; o.p.) by Virgil ``Gus'' Grissom or Flying to the Moon (Farrar, 1976) by Michael Collins. Just the right book to keep the dream alive while awaiting the next chance for a new American space adventure. Margaret L. Chatham, formerly at Smithtown Library, N.Y.

School Library Journal