One Giant Leap

The New York Times bestselling, “meticulously researched and absorbingly written” (The Washington Post) story of the trailblazers and the ordinary Americans on the front lines of the epic Apollo 11 moon mission. President John F. Kennedy astonished the world on May 25, 1961, when he announced to Congress that the United States should land a man on the Moon by 1970. No group was more surprised than the scientists and engineers at NASA, who suddenly had less than a decade to invent space travel. When Kennedy announced that goal, no one knew how to navigate to the Moon. No one knew how to build a rocket big enough to reach the Moon, or how to build a computer small enough (and powerful enough) to fly a spaceship there. No one knew what the surface of the Moon was like, or what astronauts could eat as they flew there. On the day of Kennedy’s historic speech, America had a total of fifteen minutes of spaceflight experience—with just five of those minutes outside the atmosphere. Russian dogs had more time in space than US astronauts. Over the next decade, more than 400,000 scientists, engineers, and factory workers would send twenty-four astronauts to the Moon. Each hour of space flight would require one million hours of work back on Earth to get America to the Moon on July 20, 1969. “A veteran space reporter with a vibrant touch—nearly every sentence has a fact, an insight, a colorful quote or part of a piquant anecdote” (The Wall Street Journal) and in One Giant Leap, Fishman has written the sweeping, definitive behind-the-scenes account of the furious race to complete one of mankind’s greatest achievements. It’s a story filled with surprises—from the item the astronauts almost forgot to take with them (the American flag), to the extraordinary impact Apollo would have back on Earth, and on the way we live today. From the research labs of MIT, where the eccentric and legendary pioneer Charles Draper created the tools to fly the Apollo spaceships, to the factories where dozens of women sewed spacesuits, parachutes, and even computer hardware by hand, Fishman captures the exceptional feats of these ordinary Americans. “It’s been 50 years since Neil Armstrong took that one small step. Fishman explains in dazzling form just how unbelievable it actually was” (Newsweek).

The exciting story of the first-ever moon landing—a perfect way to introduce young readers to that pivotal moment in human history! On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong became the first person in history to set foot on the moon. As he did so, he uttered his famous declaration: “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” But how did he and Buzz Aldrin reach the moon? What was their journey like? In this gorgeously illustrated book, readers join the crew of Apollo 11 as they race into space and reach incredible new heights. With a message that anything is possible if you try, and a large trim size that works nicely for group reads, this is a wonderful classroom or story-time read-aloud and a great way to share the story of the first moon landing with young readers. To commemorate this extraordinary moment in human history, Robert Burleigh and Mike Wimmer have created a breathtakingly beautiful tribute that transports readers to the stars, where they will experience the moon landing just as Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin did.

On July 20, 1969, Americans had their eyes and ears glued to their TVs and radios. NASA’s successful moon landing left the nation in awe. This moment inspired inventors and engineers across the nation. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the 1969 moon landing, we share with you 20 patents that were inspired by the space race and how they reshaped the world. Featuring the original patent schematics from the US Patent and Trademark Office, blast off with the inventions inspired by the moon landing including: Memory foam Freeze-dried food Firefighting equipment Emergency "space blankets" DustBusters Cordless tools Protective paint (Used on both the Statue of Liberty, a gigantic Buddha in Hong Kong and the Golden Gate) Cochlear implants LZR Racer swimsuits CMOS image sensors Moon dust as fuel for space travel Carbon nanotubes Pocket calculators Other patents in the book reflect the general surge in space-related inventions in that era: Dispersed space based laser weapon Toy ray guns Flying saucers Propulsion systems Lasers The modem Integrated circuit Astro Lamp (Later called the Lava Lamp)

On July 20, 1969 the whole world stopped. It was a day in which a man who grew up on a farm without electricity would announce, "One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." In this, the first ever biography of Neil Armstrong, Leon Wagener explores the man whose walk on the moon is still compared to humankind's progenitor's crawl out of the primordial ooze. And whose retreat back to a farm in his native Ohio soon after the last ticker tape confetti fell, has left him looked upon as a reclusive hermit ever since. This is the true story of a national hero, whose life long quest to walk on the moon truely mirrors our best selves, an American who braved incredible danger daily over a long career, finally achieving what seemed impossible, and broke free of the Earth's surly bonds proving forever that man can reach for the stars, and succeed. Relying on hundreds of interviews with family and friends of the astronaut, plus generous access to the NASA files, Leon Wagener explores the life of one of America's true heroes, in a book filled with extraordianry adventure, and even greater achievement. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

As a young boy, Neil Armstrong had a recurring dream in which he held his breath and floated high in the sky. He spent his free time reading stacks of flying magazines, building model airplanes, and staring through a homemade telescope. As a teenager, Neil worked odd jobs to pay for flying lessons at a nearby airport. He earned his student pilot’s license on his sixteenth birthday. But who was to know that this shy boy, who also loved books and music, would become the first person to set foot on the moon, on July 20, 1969.

Leap into the unknown with the second book in Heather Kaczynski’s heart-pounding duology, which is perfect for fans of The 5th Wave. When Cassandra Gupta was chosen to be the youngest member of a top-secret mission to the far reaches of the universe, she knew to expect the unexpected. But nothing could have prepared her for the catastrophic events that would occur once she left Earth. Cassie and the rest of the crew have found themselves in the middle of a conflict between two alien civilizations hell-bent on destroying each other . . . and anyone else who gets in their way. What was supposed to be a reconnaissance mission soon becomes a fight for their lives. But Cassie knows that it isn’t enough to simply survive. The war is coming to Earth, and only she has the information that can possibly stop the devastation it will bring. With humanity’s fate in the balance, Cassie must decide who she can trust and who she's willing to sacrifice in order to complete her mission.

A New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller! Delight in this heartwarming picture book about a moon who just wants a friend... the perfect Earth Day gift! Commemorate the extraordinary 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission and learn about the spaceflight that first landed humans on the moon through this sweet story about friendship! From high up in the sky, the Moon has spent her whole life watching Earth and hoping for someone to visit. Dinosaurs roam, pyramids are built, and boats are made, but still no one comes. The Moon can't help but wonder...will friends ever come visit her? Until one day a spaceship soars from Earth...and so does her heart. Filled with beautiful illustrations and charming text, this moon book for kids ages 4-7 and bedtime read aloud is a must-have for parents and teachers alike searching for new solar system books and astronaut books for toddlers and children. Why readers love Moon's First Friends: An educational and heartwarming story about the first moon landing told from the unique perspective of the Moon herself! Makes a fantastic back to school book, holiday stocking stuffer, or gift for birthdays, Christmas, Easter, or any occasion! Educational bonus content in the back includes out-of-this world facts about the moon, space flight, and the individuals who made the mission possible A scannable QR code allows readers to listen to the exciting countdown to Apollo 11's liftoff and touch down

First man on the Moon Neil Armstrong reveals the adventure of the first Moon landing, and how the Earth and the Moon came to be, in this unique non-fiction picture book. A young boy sits up in bed and gazes at the distant Moon through his window. He wonders if, one day, a human will stand on its surface and look back at the Earth. But Earth is already being studied from the Moon. An all-seeing Moon rock of almost impossible age, called Bok, has been looking down at our blue and green planet for millennia. Geologists - people who study rocks - have a saying: 'Rocks remember'. During his time, Bok has witnessed some truly wondrous things. Created in the Earth-shattering collision 4.5 billion years ago that led to the formation of the Moon, he has seen stars burst into being and meteors streak through the solar system. He has seen his own Moon surface be transformed with craters, and he has watched a fiery, volcanic planet transform into the haven we know today - as mountain ranges rose up, oceans appeared and dinosaurs roamed the Earth. And he found himself rudely awoken one early lunar morning by a strange creature picking him up and throwing him into a box. That is how Bok and Neil Armstrong first met, and this is their (true) story.