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Astrotwins -- Project Blastoff

Astrotwins -- Project Blastoff

by Mark Kelly (Author), Martha Freeman (Contributor)

  • Used

    Hardcover 2015

    $17.29
Synopsis

A team of middle schoolers prepares for blastoff in this adventure from the author of the New York Times bestselling Mousetronaut, based on the childhoods of real-life astronauts Mark Kelly and his twin brother Scott.

It's a long, hot summer and Scott and Mark are in big trouble for taking apart (aka destroying) their dad's calculator. As a punishment, they're sent to their grandfather's house, where there's no TV and they have to do chores. And Grandpa is less tolerant of the twins' constant bickering. Why don't you two work together on something constructive. What if you built a go-kart or something? Grandpa suggests.

But it's not a go-kart the twins are interested in. They want to build a rocket. With the help of Jenny, nicknamed Egg, and a crew of can-do kids, they set out to build a real rocket that will blast off and orbit the Earth. The question soon becomes: which twin will get to be the astronaut?

Written by a NASA astronaut with four space flights under his belt, this exciting story includes extensive back matter on the space program with fantastic facts and details.

$17.29

Quantity

1 in stock

More Information

Format: Hardcover
 Pages: 224
 Publisher: Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books
Published: 01 May 2015
ISBN 10: 148141545X
ISBN 13: 9781481415453

Media Reviews
In 1975, 11-year-old twins Mark and Scott attempt to stay out of trouble by doing something constructive in Grandpa's workshop. Their secret project? Building a rocket that will launch them into space. While their bravado and enthusiasm outpace their practical know-how, they bring in four other kids who contribute resources and skills (Howard's computer, Lisa's welding ability, Barry's math smarts, and Jenny's understanding of physics. Intensely focused, the six kids work hard to carry the project through, solving problems cleverly while misleading the adults around them. Writing with Freeman, former astronaut Kelly (whose own twin is astronaut Scott Kelly) offers an adventure in which readers can learn (along with the two protagonists) about rocketry, space travel, teamwork, and the value of having a purpose. In an author's note, Kelly separates the story's fact from fantasy, while an appended glossary explains science references more fully. From bickering twins to space-race history to a secret rocket-fuel formula, this chapter book offers an entertaining mixture of reality, historical fiction, science, and fun. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Kelly's Mousetronaut (2012)picture book was a number-one bestseller, and with this middle-grade novel, he looks on track to greatly expand his orbit.--Booklist February 15, 2015
Author Bio
Mark Kelly is a retired astronaut and US Navy Captain. His picture book Mousetronaut, illustrated by C.F. Payne was a #1 New York Times bestseller. He flew his first of four missions in 2001 aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour, the same space shuttle that he commanded on its final flight in May 2011. Martha Freeman wrote her first story when she was four years old. The illustration shows a house, because a house was the one thing she knew how to draw, and two nose-less girls. Over one girl is a speech bubble that says: A home. Over the other is another speech bubble: Our home. After that, Martha Freeman grew up, traveled around the world, worked as a reporter and a teacher, and wrote twenty-seven books for young readers, including The Year My Parents Ruined My Life, Fourth-Grade Weirdo, The Secret Cookie Club books, Who Stole Halloween?, and Effie Starr Zook Has One More Question. Home remains a theme in many of Martha's books, but none is as pithy as that early effort. Home for Martha is Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.