Astronaut Handbook

by Meghan McCarthy (Author)

Reading Level: 2nd − 3rd Grade
Do you have what it takes to be an astronaut? Blast off in this fun nonfiction picture book by the author of Pop! The Invention of Bubble Gum to find out! With an appealing text and funny, brightly colored illustrations, Meghan McCarthy transports aspiring space travelers to astronaut school in her young nonfiction picture book. Take a ride on the "Vomit Comet" and learn how it feels to be weightless. Try a bite of astronaut food, such as delicious freeze-dried ice cream. Have your measurements taken--100 of your hand alone--for your very own space suit. Get ready for liftoff! "McCarthy introduces the paraphernalia of rocket travel with a corollary, direct humor that understands and respects its audience." --Booklist "This appealing book is sure to find a wide audience." --School Library Journal
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$8.99

Publishers Weekly

McCarthys signature bug-eyed characters return for another nonfiction excursion, this time for astronaut training. Addressed as you, readers join three men and one woman as they undergo numerous tests of intellectual and physical endurance. Ever mindful of what fascinates her audience, McCarthy ("Aliens Are Coming!") also visits a space toilet (her diagram helpfully points out the vacuum for solids and hose for liquids) and devotes a spread to a ride on the legendary Vomit Cometthe airplane that NASA uses to give astronauts a momentary taste of weightlessness (the astronaut trainees remain unperturbed). The book signs off with a successful blastoff and a cheery, Work hard and enjoy your time in space! Bright, bold pictures and a wealth of information (including two full pages of facts and sources) take the place of Right Stuff bravado; this fare is strictly wholesome. Ages 58. "(June)" Copyright 2008 Publishers Weekly Used with permission.

School Library Journal

K-Gr 3McCarthy speaks directly to children who dream of someday "BLASTING into outer space," inviting them to experience astronaut school with four aspiring recruits. Painted in a cartoon style, the three men and one woman have large saucerlike eyes and off-center smiles. The book gives a very real picture of the arduous training required before going into space. Full-color spreads done in acrylics on gessoed paper show authentic facilities like a swimming pool, a jet, and the Vomit Comet (a plane ride that allows passengers to experience weightlessness). The text and illustrations are simply done, and their very sparseness highlights important stages in astronaut preparation. A space suit and toilet are shown against white backgrounds, and their parts are clearly labeled. The space-shuttle liftoff, painted vertically, and images of the smiling characters in space capture the excitement of this ultimate adventure. The author includes a page of fascinating facts as well as a list of places to visit. This appealing book is sure to find a wide audience."Mary Jean Smith, Southside Elementary School, Lebanon, TN" Copyright 2008 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
Meghan McCarthy
Meghan McCarthy is the award-winning author and illustrator of many books for children, including Earmuffs for Everyone!: How Chester Greenwood Became Known as the Inventor of Earmuffs; Daredevil: The Daring Life of Betty Skelton; Pop!: The Invention of Bubble Gum; City Hawk: The Story of Pale Male; Seabiscuit the Wonder Horse; All That Trash; and Action! A graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, she lives in Brooklyn, New York. Visit her at Meghan-McCarthy.com.
Classification
Non-fiction
ISBN-13
9780399555466
Lexile Measure
760
Guided Reading Level
P
Publisher
Dragonfly Books
Publication date
January 03, 2017
Series
-
BISAC categories
JNF028000 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Humor | General
JNF051010 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Technology | Aeronautics, Astronautics & Space Science
JNF051000 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Science & Nature | General
Library of Congress categories
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