Moonshot

Yes, the book is written in kind of a scaffolded manner and builds upon itself.

• Author: Brian Floca
• Illustrator: Brian Floca
• Year Published: 2009
• ISBN: 9781416950462

Science Topics

• Space Science

Minimum Suggested Grade Level

• Kindergarten

Maximum Suggested Grade Level

• 3rd Grade

Summary

The famous Apollo 11 moon landing is explained and explored through this beautifully illustrated book.

Evaluation

• Appropriateness: High
• Authority: Medium
• Accuracy: High
• Liteary Artistry: High
• Appearance: High

Questions

Does the book foster development of processes?

Yes, the book is written in kind of a scaffolded manner and builds upon itself.

Does the book provide an opportunity for children to ask and answer their own questions?

Yes, the because the book is written in this scaffolded manner, it guides the students to raise questions and it does a good job of answering those questions gradually.

Does the book encourage children to think for themselves?

Yes, the way it guides the students to ask questions and includes a lot of different modes of information (photos, illustrations, graphs, timelines) it allows for many different types of students to think for themselves.

Is the science topic addressed in ways that are appropriate to the lesson?

This is not applicable because I do not know the hypothetical lesson being taught with it.

Is the content based on sound scientific principles? Is it accurate?

Yes, as far as I know the information is accurate and it was written in 2009 so it is fairly up to date.

Does the book distinguish between fact and fiction?

Yes, the book is completely nonfiction so there is no problem distinguishing between fact and fiction.

Are the illustrations clear and accurate?

Yes, this is my favorite part of the book. The illustrations are very clear and engaging. Also, the book does a good job of including photos to accompany the illustrations so that students can understand that the things in this book are real.

Is the book written at the level of your students?

Yes, the text is large and very clear. It uses language that I think my students would understand.

Is there a multicultural component? Is it free from stereotyping?

There is not multicultural component. I would like to see other astronauts included in this narrative that are not part of the mainstream narrative. There are so many other people who were involved in this mission yet they only focus on the astronauts themselves.

Is the book free from gender bias?

No. This book does not include any of the women that helped get these astronauts into space. Again, it focuses on the mainstream narrative which I find slightly problematic. However it does not ruin the book for me.

Does the book show the close association between science and other disciplines?

Because this book is written at an appropriate level for my students, I think I could integrate this into an independent reading library.

Does the book present a positive attitude toward science and technology?

Yes. The book is written in an extremely enthusiastic manner and if a child was to read it I think it would be inspiring and engaging.