This past weekend we returned from our spring break vacation in Florida. This year we decided to each choose a place we wanted to go and plan a day. Steve chose the Kennedy Space Center. He is a huge space enthusiast and wanted to see the rockets and buildings he has read about in real life. It was fun although I wish we had more time to explore even more there. It was the perfect timing as I have a book about a famous photograph taken during one of the first space missions. The book is Earthrise: The Story of the Photograph That Changed the Way We See Our Planet by Leonard S. Marcus. It is recommended for ages 10 to 14.
From the Publisher:
From award-winning historian Leonard S. Marcus, Earthrise is a unique middle-grade nonfiction book about the astonishing photograph taken during the Apollo 8 mission that forever shifted the way we view ourselves and our planet.Gazing out the window of the Apollo 8 spacecraft on Christmas Eve, 1968, NASA astronaut Bill Anders grabbed his camera and snapped the iconic color photo of our planet rising over the lunar horizon. Not long after the crew’s safe return, NASA developed Anders’s film and released “Earthrise” to the world. It soon became one of the most viewed and consequential photographs in all of human history, inspiring the first Earth Day in 1970 and boosting the global environmental movement. In the decades since, this incredible photograph of our small yet beautiful, familiar yet strange, “blue marble” has moved billions to rethink their understanding of our home planet, and even their very idea of “home.”
A companion to Marcus’s acclaimed Mr. Lincoln Sits for His Portrait—a unique biography of America’s sixteenth president centered around one famous 1864 photo—Earthrise uses the same technique of exploring a key moment in US history through the lens of an iconic photograph. This rocket-paced, compact, and highly accessible nonfiction book includes a trove of black-and-white images and related materials throughout.
This is perfect for elementary and middle school kids ages 10-14, or in grades 5 through 8, who love:
● Outer space, astronauts, and STEM-related books
● Fascinating dives into American history
● Quick and engaging nonfiction reads
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| Bottom View of Saturn V (at Kennedy Space Center) |
From Me:
This book is written to share the excitement of the historic moment and photograph. It gives us the history of the space race as well as the excitement of the time. It was an intense time. President Kennedy set a goal for the country and a few months later he was shot. America wanted to meet his goal in his honor. This book shares the history of it all. It shares the Soviet Union's successes and failures as well as the United States'. Marcus is able to develop the feelings of intensity and competitiveness of the era. It shares about the lives of the astronauts as well as a bit about their personalities. It also shares the fears of the people as well as the pride and desire. It was an exciting time full of many things. The assignation of President Kennedy and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The Vietnam War was going on as well as the Civil Rights Movement. Plus, there was the space race and the goal of getting to the moon before the Soviets. The Cold War was happening and when the Soviet Union got the first ship into orbit, Americans feared they were spying on us. The space race gave a positive thing for Americans to focus on. A hope of success and a hope of something to be proud of. It brought the country together for the most part.
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| The Actual Control Room Equipment Set Up at Kennedy Space Center |
This book is perfect for a space enthusiast or for a space unit in a class. It is also a great resource for the history that the space race and of this time period. It is well written and a fun and informative read. The photographs throughout it also give the reader more of an idea of the space race and what was happening. After all the history of the space race and a bit of the science of the rockets there is the story of how the famous "Earthrise" photograph is taken and then why it became so famous. It also shares how the photograph was shared and used in 1968. It even was used in relationship to early Earth Day movements.
This book is a fun read that is full of information about the Apollo 8 mission. It was fun to be at Kennedy Space Center while reading this book and seeing Saturn V (the rocket that was used to get Apollo 8 into flight) as well as the actual control room reset at the Space Center. Plus, it also shared a bit of the story. We happened to go on Friday (March 14, 2025) and it was the day the rocket blasted off to the International Space Center. We were not still at the Space Center but back at our hotel. We however could see the rocket. I didn't grab my camera fast enough but got a picture of the smoke trail from it.
I love being able to share the photos with a book that ties into them. I hope you check out this wonderful book. It is a perfect book to add to a space unit or a 1960s history unit. It is also great for a library or for middle school students to research Apollo 8.
