Rocket Man: The Mercury Adventure of John Glenn
Written by Ruth Ashby
Another reprint from the 2004 series about heroes of American history, this exciting and informative book highlights one of our space heroes.
The book doesn’t give a lot information about Glenn’s early life. It, however, gives a lot of detail about his training as a pilot and as an astronaut. This is great, as it gives the reader a glimpse into overcoming obstacles. Glenn did whatever was necessary to be of service to his country. Being away from his family and following orders was never easy. As with all the early astronauts, Glenn was an accomplished pilot. He was often frustrated that the controls didn’t allow him more autonomy, but he understood the importance of the program and stuck with it. He was forty years old by the time he orbited the planet in Friendship 7, so he was past the cutoff to continue as an astronaut. He went into politics at the urging of friends. He was a US Senator for twenty-four years. Then he returned to space at age seventy-three as part of a study of the effects of weightlessness.
This is a great tool for getting all kids interested in space and science.
- Title: Rocket Man: The Mercury Adventure of John Glenn
- Author: Ruth Ashby
- Publisher: Peachtree Publishing, 2019
- Reviewer: Sue Poduska
- Format: Paperback, 120 pages
- Grade Level: 2 to 5
- Genre: History, Space Exploration, Biography
- ISBN: 978-1-68263-194-1
- Extras: Space Explorers (including information about first three NASA programs), Timeline of Events Following 1998 Mission on Space Shuttle Discovery, Bibliography