Rocket Man

December 1, 2004
Gr 4-6-Reminiscent of biographies written in the 1950s, this book describes Glenn's life in a highly readable style. Ashby also skillfully includes historical events in the narrative. Beginning with Glenn's childhood, she highlights his contributions to his family during the Great Depression, as he helped save their house by growing and selling crops, washing cars, and delivering newspapers. She traces his flying career during World War II and the Korean War and as a test pilot. She also describes the difficulties he had to overcome to become an astronaut, his historic orbital flight around the Earth, his time as a senator, and his return to space on the Discovery at age 77. The few photographs included are limited to a short section describing the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo programs. There is no documentation for the many quotes and thoughts that appear throughout the text. Michael Cole's John Glenn (Enslow, 1993) or Rafael Tilton's John Glenn (Lucent, 2001) are better suited for research.-Lana Miles, Duchesne Academy, Houston, TX

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