Project Blastoff
Project Blastoff
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Simon & Schuster, Inc.
Just the Series: Astrotwins Vol. 1   

Series and Publisher: Astrotwins   

Annotation: Young Mark Kelly and his brother and friends decide to build a rocket over the summer when their constant bickering starts to annoy their grandfather in this middle-grade novel based on the NASA astronauts' real childhoods.
 
Reviews: 3
Catalog Number: #97013
Format: Publisher's Hardcover
Copyright Date: 2015
Edition Date: 2015 Release Date: 03/17/15
Pages: 210 pages
ISBN: 1-481-41545-X
ISBN 13: 978-1-481-41545-3
Dewey: Fic
LCCN: 2014012400
Dimensions: 22 cm.
Language: English
Reviews:
ALA Booklist (Sun Feb 01 00:00:00 CST 2015)

In 1975, 11-year-old twins Mark and Scott attempt to stay out of trouble by doing something constructive in Grandpa's workshop. Their secret project? Building a rocket that will launch them into space. While their bravado and enthusiasm outpace their practical know-how, they bring in four other kids who contribute resources and skills (Howard's computer, Lisa's welding ability, Barry's math smarts, and Jenny's understanding of physics. Intensely focused, the six kids work hard to carry the project through, solving problems cleverly while misleading the adults around them. Writing with Freeman, former astronaut Kelly (whose own twin is astronaut Scott Kelly) offers an adventure in which readers can learn (along with the two protagonists) about rocketry, space travel, teamwork, and the value of having a purpose. In an author's note, Kelly separates the story's fact from fantasy, while an appended glossary explains science references more fully. From bickering twins to space-race history to a secret rocket-fuel formula, this chapter book offers an entertaining mixture of reality, historical fiction, science, and fun. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Kelly's Mousetronaut (2012)picture book was a number-one best-seller, and with this middle-grade novel, he looks on track to greatly expand his orbit.

School Library Journal (Sun Mar 01 00:00:00 CST 2015)

Gr 4-6 When 12-year-old twins Mark and Scott Kelly ruin their parents' calculator after they take it apart (an expensive item in the mid-1970s), they are sent to spend some time with their grandfather at his Greenwood Lake home. He suggests that they channel their formidable energy into building a go-kart. They decide to pursue their interest in the space program instead and build a rocket ship. While they are admittedly indifferent students, the gregarious twins have smart friends. Soon, in finest NASA tradition, they have built a team that includes a math whiz, a science genius, and someone with a computer, among other terrifically skilled kids. They spend hours researching in the library, sharing, collaborating, and arguing. They convince the unsuspecting adults in their lives to chauffer, mentor, and supply, all with the promise that they aren't going to "blow anything up." This lively tale requires a huge suspension of disbelief; readers who can let go and enjoy the ride will find much to like in these spirited siblings pursuing their passion and negotiating egos as well as obstacles. Coauthored by retired astronaut and U.S. Navy Captain Kelly, this series opener is perfect for teachers and librarians looking for fiction embedded with STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) concepts. VERDICT The characters are likable, the dialogue is enlightening as well as snappy, and the adventure is grand; a fine purchase for middle grade collections. Brenda Kahn, Tenakill Middle School, Closter, NJ

Reviewing Agencies: - Find Other Reviewed Titles
Wilson's Children's Catalog
ALA Booklist (Sun Feb 01 00:00:00 CST 2015)
School Library Journal (Sun Mar 01 00:00:00 CST 2015)
Bibliography Index/Note: Includes bibliographical references.
Word Count: 36,550
Reading Level: 5.1
Interest Level: 3-6
Accelerated Reader: reading level: 5.1 / points: 6.0 / quiz: 173938 / grade: Middle Grades
Reading Counts!: reading level:4.7 / points:10.0 / quiz:Q65092
Lexile: 770L
Astrotwins -- Project Blastoff

CHAPTER 1


JULY 18, 1975

This time the twins were determined. Nothing would go wrong.

Scott had stationed Major Nelson, the family’s big, brown, friendly mutt, at the back door to bark if Mom came home early.

Mark had laid newspapers on Dad’s basement workbench.

They had assembled their tools.

And they were absolutely going to follow the advice Grandpa Joe gave them for anytime you took something apart: Lay the parts down in order so when you put the pieces back together, you can simply reverse the process.

Easy!

“It’s like Grandpa Joe always says: Learn from your mistakes,” Mark said.

“Yeah, and since we’ve made so many, we ought to be geniuses by now,” Scott agreed.

Mark laughed. “Okay, so go ahead. I’ll keep everything organized.”

With a screwdriver made for repairing eyeglasses, Scott removed two screws, which Mark placed in the top left corner of the newspaper.

Then—the best part—Scott removed the plastic backplate and the boys got their first look inside Dad’s calculator.

“Cool!” they chorused.

Exposed, the insides resembled staples, pushpins, and grains of rice, all of them tiny and arrayed around a white plastic rectangle. The biggest piece was the battery, which was easy to recognize and easy to remove. After that, there were six more screws.

Mark duly put each in its place on the newspaper.

“Should we take out the CPU?” Scott asked.

Mark knew CPU stood for “central processing unit,” that it was made of a material called silicon, and that it was the brains of the calculator. What he didn’t know was which piece it was, but no way was he going to admit that to his brother. “Sure,” he said.

Scott used the tip of the screwdriver to pry up the white plastic rectangle, and out it popped.

“Are you sure you can plug that back in there?” Mark asked.

“You mean, am I sure we can plug it back in there?” Scott said. “Yeah, of course. I think. And these are transistors, right?” He indicated black spheres that looked like beads.

Mark nodded. “I guess, but they sure look different from the ones in the TV.” Years ago, the boys had watched fascinated as the TV repairman worked on their old black-and-white set. After that, they decided to see what was inside other machines, like the clock radio, the sewing machine, and the lawn mower.

Usually, they got in trouble, but it was worth it.

Scott had just lifted up the calculator to examine the underside of the display when Major Nelson’s excited barking made him jump. “She’s home!” he said.

“She’s early!” Mark said.

“She won’t come down here,” Scott said. “Will she?”

“We can’t take that chance,” Mark said and, hurrying, handed his brother each calculator piece to replace. Upstairs, their mom’s heels clicked on the kitchen floor as she put groceries away. Another sound—thump-thump-thump—meant Major Nelson was bounding all around her, hoping for a treat.

So focused were the boys on reassembly that they didn’t realize the danger till they heard Mom’s heels echoing on the wooden basement steps. By now the boys had been in this predicament so often, they knew the countdown.

3 . . . Scott closed his eyes, prepared to accept his fate.

2 . . . Mark made a last-ditch attempt to hide what they’d been doing, in the process yanking the newspaper off the workbench.

1 . . . Mom appeared in the doorway, just in time to see a scattering of tiny calculator parts bouncing every which way on the floor.

Ignition: “Boys!” Mom cried. “What in the heck have you done now?”

Excerpted from Astrotwins - Project Blastoff by Mark Kelly
All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.

A team of middle schoolers prepares for blastoff in this adventure from the author of the New York Times bestselling Mousetronaut, based on the childhoods of real-life astronauts Mark Kelly and his twin brother Scott.

It’s a long, hot summer and Scott and Mark are in big trouble for taking apart (aka destroying) their dad’s calculator. As a punishment, they’re sent to their grandfather’s house, where there’s no TV and they have to do chores. And Grandpa is less tolerant of the twins’ constant bickering. “Why don’t you two work together on something constructive. What if you built a go-kart or something?” Grandpa suggests.

But it’s not a go-kart the twins are interested in. They want to build a rocket. With the help of Jenny, nicknamed Egg, and a crew of can-do kids, they set out to build a real rocket that will blast off and orbit the Earth. The question soon becomes: which twin will get to be the astronaut?

Written by a NASA astronaut with four space flights under his belt, this exciting story includes extensive back matter on the space program with fantastic facts and details.


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