Moonshot: The Flight Of Apollo 11

Moonshot: The Flight Of Apollo 11
by Brian Floca

Forty five years ago today, Columbia orbited the moon, while after a precarious descent the Eagle landed on the lunar surface. With the words "Houston. Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed." we truly became a spacefaring civilization.

The world eagerly watched as mission commander Neil Armstrong and LEM pilot Buzz Aldrin took those first tentative steps onto humanity's first other world.

Meanwhile aboard the command module Columbia, CM pilot Michael Collins was the loneliest man who had ever been. He framed the whole of humanity within the lens of his camera and flew alone, above the moon.

Brian Floca's Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11 is a gorgeous, moving, and eloquent homage to those brave men who, ignoring their own comfort and safety, joined the ranks of our greatest explorers - Columbus, Magellan, and Gagarin - and broadened the horizons of our species. Once again, Brian Floca has delivered a masterpiece of technical detail and accuracy. His elaborate and beautifully rendered watercolors capture both the details of the equipment and the real emotions of the astronauts (during the countdown sequence, we see Michael Collins look anxiously to his side). Floca's elegant prose captures

the excitement of the Apollo XI mission. This book  kept me on the edge of my seat and gave me goosebumps.

I can think of no better way to share my awe for the majesty of human space flight with my son than by reading him Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11.

Moonshot: The Flight Of Apollo 11
by Brian Floca

Zita the Spacegirl

Zita the Spacegirl

by Ben Hatke

Zita is an unremarkable girl, playing with her friend Joseph in the fields around her house, until the path of adventure confronts her. She and Joseph discover a small box at the bottom of a fresh crater that opens a portal to another world. When Joseph is pulled through by some tentacled thing, Zita discovers the hero within and chases after.


On a strange new world, full of myriad bizarre aliens (giant snails! creatures with lots of eyes and lots of limbs! hairy things, clutching their handbags!), Zita feels small and lost, until she befriends a giant alien named Strong Strong. Through her grit, deep compassion, and ability to inspire others to greatness, she brings together robots, aliens, and other people to help her save Joseph. In the end, she saves Joseph, discovers the selfless hero at her core, and (like Dorothy in Oz) helps her friends reveal their own better selves.

Author and illustrator Ben Hatke has put together a delightfully heartwarming book. His exquisitely detailed drawings and delightful tale of adventure and heroism are sure to inspire the little person in your life (and you too!).  Hatke deftly weaves a story of self-discovery and empowerment for young people, that is also rewarding for young adult and adult readers alike.

As an added bonus, this is a great read out loud book. By their posture, word choice, and the typography in the speech bubbles, each character has a unique voice - they clearly tell you how they should sound.

With his gorgeous art, quick story telling, and inspiring story, this is an excellent introduction to the genre of comics/graphic novels. I highly recommend Zita the Spacegirl!

Zita the Spacegirl
by Ben Hatke