Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream

1. Bibliography

Stone, Tanya Lee. 2009. Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream. Foreward by Margaret A. Weitekamp. Somerville, Massachusetts: Candlewick Press. ISBN 9780763636111

2. Plot Summary

            When the NASA was still trying to but a man on the moon, 13 women dared to defy convention by trying to become astronauts. These women didn’t only dream, but they completed many of the tests the Mercury 7 men had taken as well. After a long struggle, a woman was put on the moon. Years later some of the Mercury 13 would watch as a woman would not only be the pilot, but also the commander. This book tells of the struggle of the way was paved for a woman astronaut.

3. Critical Analysis

            Paired with mostly black and white photographs, Tanya Lee Stone’s Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream resembles older nonfiction books. The writing style, however, greatly differs from older books. The book is inviting through the well placed photos, and the information is presented in a reader friendly way including excerpts from a first-person point of view. The book is presented with all of the necessary reference aids including a table of contents, foreword, chapter headings, subheadings, photo captions, appendix, further reading, webliography, sources, source notes, photography credits, and index. With so much information the book might have become to bogged down with facts, but Stone was able to hold a balance between fact and story allowing for an interesting accurate book to be created. This book is a wealth of information on a topic that many may not be familiar with. It is a book which appears to both genders over a varying reading level.

4. Reviews

Kirkus Review; “…The author offers great insight into how deeply ingrained sexism was in American society and its institutions. Handsomely illustrated with photographs, this empowering, impassioned story will leave readers inspired.”

From School Library Journal; “…As much a commentary on the gender prejudices of the 1960s as a biography, Stone brings together a variety of primary and secondary sources, including her interviews with some of the women involved, to provide a unique view of the challenges faced by the female pilots of the day. The focus on Jerrie Cobb, a leader among the group, who completed all of the tests that the male astronauts underwent, may leave some listeners wishing for more information on the other 12 women who dared to dream. Nevertheless, the eye-opening details presented here with such passion will inspire many students. Throughout the audio presentation, Susan Ericksen perfectly captures the exuberant personal tone of the author, maintaining an appropriately upbeat, enthusiastic tempo. Listeners will be engrossed and inspired.”

5. Connections

* In what was did the Mercury 13 change the way people thought of women astronauts?

*Go to www.candlewick.com or http://www.tanyastone.com/ and read the poems which Tanya Lee Stone wrote that did not make it into the book.

* Think about how things might be different if women were allowed to become astronauts when Jerrie Cobb and the other Mercury 13 women struggled?

* Try to set up a school visit via Skype with Tanya Lee Stone.

           

* Other books about historical women:

            Harness, Cheryl. Remember the Ladies: 100 Great American Women. ISBN 0064438694

Hoose, Phillip. Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice. ISBN 0374313229

Miller, Brandon Marie. Good Women of a Well-Blessed Land: Women’s Lives in Colonial America. ISBN 0822500329