While the world was watching Neil Armstrong step onto the surface of the moon, Michael Collins was orbiting high above it, speeding his way through space. Collins was the third crew member of the Apollo 11 mission, along with Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin. While the other two made the lunar landing, Collins’s job was to man the spacecraft of the historic mission. He orbited the moon 14 times, spending 28 solitary hours in space. “On the backside of the moon...you can’t see the surface. The moon is defined simply by the absence of stars. The laws of physics tell you that our fine spacecraft is in an orbit sixty miles above it and there’s no way you can hit anything. But the thought does occur...” This fascinating book documents many facets of the Apollo 11 mission, from how the astronauts were chosen and trained to what life was like in space to the return home, with Collins’s experiences the primary focal point. There’s at least as much to look at as there is to read in this unique, highly visual volume. Graphic elements range from spacecraft schematics to photographs (including images taken by Collins in space) to pages from the astronaut’s journal. (Ages 8–14)

Do you know the story of Michael Collins, the Apollo 11 astronaut who went all the way to the moon but never walked on its surface? Instead, he orbited the moon 14 times, surrounded by 701 power switches and 20 pounds of checklists. Reminiscent of a scrapbook, this extraordinary book chronicles what Michael Collins did, saw, and thought about in space. Through fascinating facts, quotes, checklists, original drawings, and photos taken both in space and on Earth, it also tells how the astronauts prepared for their historic journey, what they brought with them, and what they left behind.