Mark Kelly (1) (1964–)

These little mousetronauts aren't only sweet but are about to do the impossible.

NASA has discovered a huge problem; an asteroid is headed toward Earth. Time is short, but if a ship can change the asteroid's trajectory just a little bit, everyone will be saved. There's only one solution; it's time for the Mousetronauts to head into space and do their best to save the world.

Space fans, especially those who enjoy adventure, meet a trio of very brave mice and more than a little space excitement. show more The tale begins in NASA as the asteroid is noticed and emergency is called. It shifts to the White House, where the President discusses a solution. That's when the mice appear on the desk, and the imagination sinks in. It packs tension to grab and lets these tiny heroes give their all despite the small size. It's easy to root and fever for them when things get tough. But it also never gets so dire that it over-shoots the intended audience level.

The text is a little heavier than many picture books for this age group, which makes it a nice, full-story read-aloud or works well for those readers, who are sure of their words. The illustrations are detailed, and add emotion and atmosphere to each scene. There are fold-out pages, which not only offer extra enjoyment during the read, but work especially well when the solar system is displayed...great way to express the vastness.

All the while, facts and information are dribbled in. But it doesn't qualify as sheer nonfiction, even ignoring the mice. There are more than a few aspects, which do go beyond reality and hit science fiction. It creates an entertaining mix and lets dreams launch through the universe and beyond. At the end of the book, there are several pages of explanations, facts, and history. This last section is intended for older readers or works great as a help for adults wanting to explain more to the listeners.

This book makes a lovely read-aloud for story time for more patient listeners or works as a great read-aloud at home. show less

Written largely in the voice of Mike Kelly, with the help of co-author Jeffrey Zaslow, this is not a book by Giffords, per se, who was largely in recovery while it was being written. She does contribute a final, page-long afterword. Mostly, this book covers their courtship and the long (but interesting) aftermath and recovery of the shooting. All this while Kelly was preparing and carrying out captaining the Endeavour on its final mission, STS-134, to the International Space Station (ISS) in show more May 2011. (After the conclusion of STS-134, Endeavour was formally decommissioned.) From the outside seemed like a movie starring Bruce Willis as the astronaut married to a plucky, ebullient congresswoman played by Sandara Bullock. This memoir makes it no less ... American - and tragic. I had no idea how long and arduous was the recovery for Gabrielle Giffords's recovery, and much is in here that will explain to anyone what that sort of rehab is like. (She prefers not the diminutive "Gabby" for her professional persona.)

Two interesting surprises for me here:

1. NASA maintains remote private residences on the Florida "Space Coast" that Kelly and Giffords had some quiet time at and could have been used for furtive assignations in the more unruly 70s.
2. Giffords kept a bullet-damaged part of her skull in the freezer to share with visitors. show less

This was a great story. The writing was OK but the story made the book. The determination of Gabrielle Giffords to give her best to her district, her strong-willed efforts at recovery and Mark Kelly's compassion and love for his wife are heart warming and wonderful. The book is a sincere effort to help the reader understand what it was like to be the congresswoman doing her best to interact with the people of her district and have everything go wrong, which resulted not only in her own show more severe injuries but also the deaths and injuries of her staff and many other people anxious to meet her that day. How Mark Kelly deals with that and his compassion, his love for his wife — even making sure she approved every chapter and wrote a small chapter herself — is heartwarming. Their families and the Giffords' congressional staff are also very compassionate and dedicated to her and to their responsibilities to her constituents. I wanted to know more about her recovery and what she is doing now but I guess that is another book. show less

Meteor, the pint-sized hero of “Mousetronaut,” returns, this time with the NASA astronauts preparing for a trip to Mars aboard the Galaxy Rocket. Naturally, Meteor plans to make the trip, but he is not included in the crew named by NASA for the mission. Disappointed, Meteor climbs the launch tower and stows away under the commander’s seat.

Meteor only comes out when the crew is asleep so they do not discover their stowaway until six months later when they are in orbit around Mars. An show more unexpected problem looks as if it will keep the astronauts from completing their mission. Can Meteor save the day?

An afterword provides readers with information about Mars, the possibility of a manned Mars flight, and facts about living in space. The realistic story and lifelike illustrations bring this heartwarming story to life, delighting readers young and old as, once again, the power of the small is celebrated.

Highly recommended. show less