Far Side of the Moon: The Story of Apollo 11's Third Man - Hardcover

Irvine, Alex

3.67

72 ratings by Goodreads

9780884484523: Far Side of the Moon: The Story of Apollo 11's Third Man

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0884484521 ISBN 13: 9780884484523

Publisher: Tilbury House Publishers, 2017

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*Junior Library Guild Selection 2017*

A unanimous selection to the 2018 Maverick Graphic Novel List!

This graphic retelling of the Apollo 11 moon-landing mission follows astronaut Michael Collins, commander of the lunar orbiter, to the far side of the moon.

When the Earth disappears behind the moon, Collins loses contact with his fellow astronauts on the moon’s surface, with mission control at NASA, and with the entire human race, becoming more alone than any human being has ever been before. In total isolation for 21 hours, Collins awaits word that Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin have managed to launch their moon lander successfully to return to the orbiter―a feat never accomplished before and rendered more problematic by the fuel burn of their difficult landing. In this singularly lonely and dramatic setting, Collins reviews the politics, science, and engineering that propelled the Apollo 11 mission across 239,000 miles of space to the moon.

Fountas & Pinnell Level U

Drawings

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About the Author:

Alex Irvine (Portland, ME) has written more than thirty books, both original fiction and licensed work for Marvel, Hasbro, Warner Brothers, Fox, Blizzard, Legendary, and other international entertainment companies. He has also written comics (Daredevil Noir, Iron Man: Rapture, Hellstorm, Son of Satan: Equinox), games, and animation. The three games he’s currently writing―Marvel Avengers Alliance, Marvel War of Heroes, and Marvel PuzzleQuest―have together reached more than 75 million players.

Ben Bishop (Portland,ME) is a comic creator who wrote, illustrated,and self-published his first book, the graphic novel Nathan the Caveman,in 2008. In 2011 he provided the illustrations for the award-winning book The Lost Trail, a graphic novel retelling of the famous Donn Fendler story Lost on a Mountain in Maine. Most recently Ben illustrated a short story for Archaia’s The Reason for Dragons and provided cover artwork for IDW’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series.

From School Library Journal:

Gr 5–8—Everyone knows Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, but how many people can reliably name Apollo 11's third man, the one who is most known for not getting to walk on the moon? Irvine and Bishop look to increase that number by focusing on the experiences of Michael Collins while telling the story of the moon landing in graphic format. Collins was the first person to walk in space twice and the first to orbit the moon. The pace of this title is fairly slow, as the narrative meanders between a straightforward account of the events of and leading up to the Apollo 11 mission and flashbacks to the Gemini 10 mission. Technical illustrations of spacesuits and rocket stages are included, and Irvine covers the daily tasks Collins was responsible for to keep the command module functioning. Bishop's illustrations stick to a limited palette (black, white, and purple) but are versatile, showing great contrast among the technical drawings, scenes taking place on Earth, and those in the vastness of space. One of the standout sequences is the cinematic spread of the launch, with a sketchy close-up of Collins in the second panel that effectively brings to life this momentous occasion. VERDICT Readers looking for an exciting graphic novel adventure may be disappointed, but true space enthusiasts will appreciate the details that shed light on the reality of being part of the lunar mission. For larger collections seeking additional materials on space.—Kacy Helwick, New Orleans Public Library

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