A Pledge Made--A Promise Kept
by Lesley K. Key

“We choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard.”--President John F. Kennedy

With those words spoken during a speech given at Rice University on September 12, 1962, President John F. Kennedy made a pledge to the American people: that the United States would be the first country to put a man on the Moon.

What began as a “space race” against the Russians--who in 1957 put the first satellite in orbit around Earth--America’s space program would indeed bring Kennedy’s pledge to fruition by 1969: the end of the decade as he had promised.

By 1967, after the success of the Mercury and Gemini programs, NASA was ready to begin its most ambitious missions yet--the Apollo Moon Missions. After a tragic start--the January 1967 fire that killed Apollo 1 astronauts Gus Grissom, Roger Chaffee, and Ed White on the launch pad at Cape Kennedy--NASA persevered and was determined to continue the program.

The goal to put a man on the Moon culminated on July 16, 1969, with the launch of Apollo 11 and its astronauts, Commander Neil Armstrong, Lunar Module Pilot Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin, and Command Module Pilot Michael Collins. Four days later, the Eagle (the name chosen for the Lunar Module) landed in the Sea of Tranquility carrying the first two humans to step foot on the Moon’s surface: Armstrong and Aldrin.

“That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”--Neil Armstrong, as he stepped from the Lunar Module onto the surface of the Moon, July 20, 1969

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of Apollo 11’s mission, librarians can introduce today’s youngsters to this significant event in American history in a variety of ways, from displays re-creating the Moon landing to hosting a presentation of news reports archived on video. Observing the anniversary with the newest book releases and the following recommended titles can encourage readers of all ages to explore space using their own imaginations.

Astronaut Buzz Aldrin takes readers through the history of space exploration and recounts his personal experience during the Apollo 11 mission in Look to the Stars, a picture book collaboration with renowned illustrator Wendell Minor. Another former astronaut, Alan Bean (Apollo 12), contributes stunning, full-color paintings to Andrew Chaikin’s Mission Control, This Is Apollo: The Story of the First Voyages of the Moon.

In Voices from the Moon: Apollo Astronauts Describe Their Lunar Experiences, Andrew Chaikin and Victoria Kohl showcase the magnificence of the Apollo program as it has never been examined before, offering an extraordinary first-person chronicle with the recollections of 23 of the 24 Apollo astronauts who describe their experiences in vivid detail.

Other new picture books that young readers may enjoy include Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11 by beloved author/illustrator Brian Floca (The Racecar Alphabet). Robert Burleigh and illustrator Mike Wimmer take the famous words that Armstrong relayed back to Earth as he descended from the Eagleand create a breathtakingly beautiful tribute that transports readers to the stars in One Giant Leap.

For pop-up book fans, Moon Landing: Apollo 11 by Richard Platt and David Hawcock is an exquisite recreation of the excitement of the groundbreaking expedition. It includes pop-ups depicting the Saturn V rocket, the Lunar Module, and a spectacular spherical Moon along with official NASA photographs, two mini-books, and informational flaps.

Alan Dyer’s Mission to the Moon: Book and DVD is an ideal choice for libraries that may want to schedule a viewing of the DVD for young children and even their parents who were not yet born and may never have seen the historic landing. The book is packed with stunning photos and fun facts about the Moon, and the DVD features never-before-seen footage culled from NASA’s archives.

Older kids and young adults can experience this milestone and other Moon missions with such books as T-Minus: The Race to the Moon (in paperback and hardcover), a graphic novel retelling of the mission by Jim Ottaviani, Zander Cannon, and Kevin Cannon; Rocket Man: The Epic Story of the First Men on the Moon by Craig Nelson; and The Book of the Moon by Rick Stroud, which begins by exploring the origins of the Moon and offers striking images of our closest celestial neighbor.

After the Moon missions prematurely ended with Apollo 17 in 1972, it was always hoped that the United States would return to the Moon. Now, NASA plans to put astronauts back on the Moon by 2020. This goal offers today’s youngsters an opportunity to reach for the stars themselves--and perhaps choose to become part of future Moon missions.