This month, in celebration of the anniversary of the Apollo 11 lunar landing, we’re launching some out-of-this world reading fun that starts at Start with a Book with a new Space Rangers resource to help your young learners blast off on an adventure to explore, read, play, invent, build, and learn all about stars, our solar system, and space exploration! Join the mission!
This is the perfect summer to help kids learn more about space, from the early astronomers like Galileo to what space exploration can tell us now about life on planet Earth, so we are thrilled to start our countdown to the 50th anniversary of the successful Apollo 11 mission with author Suzanne Slade .
Suzanne, a mechanical engineer by degree who worked on Delta rockets, often writes about science and space topics and is an award-winning author of more than 140 children’s books.
Some of her recent titles include Countdown: 2979 Days to the Moon , Daring Dozen: The Twelve Who Walked on the Moon , A Computer Called Katherine: How Katherine Johnson Helped Put America on the Moon , The Inventor’s Secret , and Dangerous Jane .
She’s visiting Book Life to take us on the journey of her title Astronaut Annie to the International Space Station!
Earlier this summer, a children’s book titled Astronaut Annie blasted off from Cape Canaveral aboard a SpaceX rocket. Two days later it arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) where it will be read by an astronaut for a program called Story Time from Space .
But Astronaut Annie traveled a long way before it made it to the Cape. It’s journey began in Shenzhen, China where the book was printed.
Then Astronaut Annie took a long boat ride (about 14,900 miles) from China to Maryland. From there, the book was trucked to a warehouse in Pennsylvania.
Soon, it was mailed to the author (me!) in Chicago, where I wrote a note for the astronaut to read aloud before the story.
I sent the book to Story Time from Space in British Columbia, Canada. After filling out official paperwork, they mailed it to Johnson Space Center in Houston, TX where the book was cleaned and labeled. (Everything on the ISS must be properly cleaned to keep the astronauts safe.)
Next, Astronaut Annie was sent to Cape Canaveral, Florida. After traveling over 21,000 miles, the book finally arrived at the launch pad.
Astronaut Annie was packed inside the Dragon spacecraft on top of a SpaceX rocket.
May 4, 2019 the rocket launched at 2:48 am!
Dragon began orbiting Earth, and it didn’t take long for astronauts on the ISS to spy the beautiful spacecraft out their window.
Using a long robotic arm, the astronauts captured Dragon and pulled it close to the Space Station. After Dragon docked, astronauts unloaded more than 5,000 pounds of supplies, including food, new science experiments, and Astronaut Annie!
Soon, an astronaut will read Astronaut Annie. A video of the reading will be posted on the Story Time from Space website where earthlings can watch it! (Until then, check out other book readings while you wait.)
Space Resources for Kids
NASA TV — Live transmission of astronauts living and working on the Space Station.
NASA Kids’ Club — Exciting activities, games, and crafts for children.
Spot the Station — Use this site to find out when the Space Station will soar over your house!
Story Time from Space — Watch videos of astronauts reading books on the Space Station.
About the Author
Join children’s literacy consultant Rachael Walker and many of the authors, parents, and educators she’s met and worked with to talk about how books have changed their lives, how to bring books to life for young readers, and how to enrich kids’ lives with good books.
Publication Date
July 15, 2019