Astronauten som inte fick landa : om Michael Collins, Apollo 11 och 9 kilo checklistor

by Bea Uusma

När Neil Armstrong och Buzz Aldrin sätter ner månlandaren vid Stillhetens Hav den 20 juli 1969 sitter en femtedel av jordens befolkning framför sina tv-apparater och håller andan. Samtidigt, på andra sidan månen, glider en liten rymdkapsel genom mörkret. Där inne sitter Michael Collins. Han är längst bort från jorden av alla.

Det här är boken om den tredje astronauten på Apollo 11, som reste hela vägen till månen men ändå inte fick hoppa ner. Det är en bok om 701 strömbrytare, spakar, tangenter och alarmknappar, och vad man tänker på när man är ensam på månens baksida.

Presidenten ringer till Neil och Buzz på månen. Ingen ringer till Michael Collins, för han är i radioskugga.

Genres: Nonfiction, Space, Biography, History, Science, Middle Grade, Swedish Literature

77 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

Mari Beatrice "Bea" Uusma, previously Uusma Schyffert, is a Swedish author, illustrator and medical doctor.

Reviews

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the format of this book and how it conveys info for the lay person like me.

[Frida · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intressant och engagerande för barn och vuxna om månlandningen.

[Emil Nilsson-Mäki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bea Uusma❤️

[Lindsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

MILDRED BATCHELDER HONOR BOOK (2004)

Format: Nonfiction
Age level: Late elementary / middle school
Protagonist: Nonfiction
Originally published in Sweden

Review:
This is a nonfiction work that tells the story of Michael Collins, one of the astronauts on Apollo 11. Michael Collins didn't get to walk on the moon; Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin did. However, that doesn't make his contribution to the endeavor any less important. This books gives an important glimpse into the role of this unsung hero.

First of all, I really appreciated the topic of this book. I'm not sure I even knew there were three astronauts on Apollo 11! The text describes Collins' specific part in the mission as well as what life was like for all three of the astronauts inside the spacecraft. Intersting tidbits of information - such as the 20 pounds of checklists and the 15 miles of power cables on board - are woven throughout the book. The text is easy to read and understand. While it does not go into the specific technology, the reader still gets a feeling for its complexity.

There are a variety of illustrations used in this book. There are samples of Collins' writings and notes. There are photographs of Collins and his fellow astronauts. There are also a variety of charts that makes additional information easier to read. Some of the topics were the food pack, the parts of the spacecraft, and the parts of the space suit.

This book could obviously be used with a biography unit. It could also be used in history in regards to the space race or in physics.

The Man Who Went to the Far Side of the Moon could be paired with Flying to the Moon: An Astronaut's Story, which was written by Michael Collins. It could also be used alongside nonfiction texts such as Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11 or The Moon.

[Igor · Rating 4 out of 5]

• Igor Kovalyov
• APA citation: Schyffert, B. U., & Guner, E. (2003). The man who went to the far side of the moon: The story of Apollo 11 astronaut Michael Collins. San Francisco: Chronicle Books.
• Genre: Biography
• Awards (If applicable): Mildred L. Batchelder honor book, 2004.
• Format: Print
• Selection Process: Recommendation
• Review:
This is a nonfiction biographical account of Michael Collins, one of the three astronauts of Apollo 11. Although Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were the ones who actually walked on the moon, this book talks about the accomplishments and contributions of Michael Collins, the one who did not get to walk on the moon. This book presents the information in a great way displaying diagrams and images throughout the text but never delving too deeply into the technology but still showing the levels of difficulty that the three astronauts had to work with.
The book recounts what the three men did on the moon, spending close to 22 hours on the surface inside their lunar module which 2 hours of that time was spent outside on the actual surface. While Armstrong and Aldrin were on the moon Collins was orbiting the moon doing the job of three individuals, waiting for the perfect moment to retrieve his fellow astronauts. The book covers a part of the landing story often forgotten within textbooks. This book presents the information through a series of text, images and factual information to really make the reader understand and see this event through a different point of view.
• Recommendation: Highly Recommended

[Aimee Fuhrman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such an unusual biography. Instead of telling the life story of Michael Collins, it just gives a snapshot of his career, namely the Apollo 11 mission to the moon. And speaking of snapshots, this book is full of them, as well as drawings and sketches, and information laden sheets made to resemble old NASA files. In this scrapbook style format, information is meted out to children in bite-sized pieces, with plenty of visual interest to keep their attention. All four of my children loved this one, from my nine-year-old to my twenty-year-old!

[Traci · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading the novel, I Love You Micheal Collins, I decided to read some nonfiction titles about Apollo 11 & Micheal Collins. I’m so glad I picked this one up. It is full of interesting facts. The format is child friendly and includes cool graphics. A great companion to I Love You, Michael Collins by Lauren Baratz-Logsted.

[Stasia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative, but left me with an eerie feeling. I actually get the heebie-jeebies thinking about people being up in space. I can't even imagine how Michael Collins remained so calm during the mission, most of which he spent alone. I didn't know that after this mission, he retired completely from any kind of flying. Interesting.

[Dest · Rating 4 out of 5]

This had at least 10 really funny/interesting parts.

[Frankie Martinez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although Michael collins did not step foot on the moon, he had a lot of work to do.

[Alycia Mcleod · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really an inspiring testament of what these men went through in the name of science and exploration! I recommend this book for children and adults, alike. Has just enough information to keep you interested, but not weighed down by too many facts that might make one lose interest. I enjoyed it thoroughly!

[Kelsi Haff · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is super good. It helps you when you are doing a project I'm using it for my Apollo 11 project for ELA and it truly gave me a lot of facts that I can us on the project on all of the astronauts. It is a great book to read.

[Ana Marlatt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Engaging format for middle grade readers. I think all kids and adults who love space would enjoy this informative and fun book. The author explores an interesting fact that does not get a lot of publicity!

[Ana Hernandez · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book contains factual information about space, astronauts, and the Apollo 11. The book also focuses on Michael Collins, who was the astronaut who was in command of the Apollo 11 navigation. The book can help my students get familiar with the particular event of the first man on the moon, as well as the what the astronauts when through. Also, the book can be use to study gravity and space.

[Amy Jayasuriya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simple book with fasicnating details and facts. I enjoyed it very much!

[Laura Reinhardt · Rating 4 out of 5]

More of a children’s book than I thought. Still fun to see examples of Collins’ handwriting and to understand a bit of what went through his mind out there alone in space.

[Ricardo Portella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short book on the point of view of Michael Collins, the guy that did not land in the Moon in the Apolo 11 mission. Good book with many facts about the first mission to the Moon.

[Abrielle]

Won’t let me read really mad

[Alexandra Melander · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinerande och gripande. En stjärna från full pott p.g.a. för kort.

[Lars Björklund · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mysig, lik Expeditionen, lite väl kort

[Alexander · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spännande format och stämning.

[Jack · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wow! Spännande och kult upplagd, blandar fint fakta och känsla på något sätt. Fick med mycket på få sidor.

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kul barnbok om astronauten Michael Collins som snurrade runt månen medan Neil Armstrong och Buzz Aldrin satte sina fotavtryck i månens grå aska. Samma författare som till boken Expeditionen (om Andrées polarexpedition), vilket märks tydligt då hennes talang som illustratör och hennes sätt att plantera kuriosa lite varstans berikar även denna bok.
//Ann

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great biography written for kids about Michael Collins and the Apollo 11 mission. There are lots of interesting facts, drawings(all those switches and buttons in the command module) and photos about the astronauts' experiences during the mission. Astronaut Collins shares his unique perspective as he orbits the moon while Armstrong and Aldrin are on the surface. I learned that Michael was offered to command Apollo 17 where he would have finally walked on the moon. He declined and went on to become director of the National Air and Space Museum.

[Balla Jallow · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book 'the man who went to the far side of the moon' is a nonfiction book that tells the story about Michael Collins Apollo 11 astronaut. He was among the three astronauts that travelled, but he never get the opportunity to walk on the moon. The astronauts faced lot of difficulties, many astronauts experience space sickness.

[Michelle Kelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first glance, this slim text looked overly busy and not particularly inviting. But focusing in on the first paragraph of text, I was immediately hooked. The text is an absolutely fascinating account of the landing of Apollo 11 and the three man crew who took the first journey to the moon. There are some diagrams that provide additional information about details on the trip that many kids would find really interesting. But there is also a fair amount of busy-ness to the text that is both unnecessary and at times distracting. The "Before You Move On" is likely to be entirely overlooked by most kids and choices of words to define at the bottom of the text are often puzzling choices and provide minimal benefits to a reader capable of accessing the text. The cover on our edition is unexciting which is unfortunate. I think many readers will pass this book by just by the lackluster cover and convoluted first impression of the book's layout. But this is a real gem of a read and one worth talking up. This would make a great teaser read - share just the first part of the story and let the "hooked" kids finish it up on their own.

[Amanda Almén · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jag hade förväntat mig en lika tjock, stor, fin och vacker bok som Expeditionen och blev lite besviken när den här visade sig vara inte ens en tiondel så stor, lång och vacker.. MEN! Det felet ligger hos mig och inte hos boken: jag VISSTE att det är en barnbok, och att den följaktligen inte kan vara lika tjock och stor och komplicerad som den senare. Läsningen var rolig, boken är finurlig och kärleksfull och Beas känsla för detaljer är helt klanderfri. Det är exakta angivelser om hur mycket månlandarnas anteckningar vägde, hur många timmar de tränat på att göra rymdresor innan de reser till rymden, hur många centimeter bred väggen på rymdkapseln är på det smalaste stället samt hur många minuter det tar för kroppen att börja koka om ens rymddräkt skulle gå sönder på månen (0,25). Det här blandas med Michael Collins egna storslagna dagboksanteckningar, som nästan klingar av poesi, om hur det är att befinna sig som ensam människa på andra sidan månen.

Mycket vackert, tänkvärt, genomarbetat och kärleksfullt. Bea Uusma alltså <3

[Margaret · Rating 3 out of 5]

Batchelder Award Honor Book 2004

This book tells the story of Michael Collins, the third astronaut on Apollo 11. He stayed on the command modjule and didn't walk on the moon. The book was originally written in Swedish and translated into English in 2003. I wanted to read the book to see how a Swedish person wrote about such an American event. The book was well written with personal information about all three astronauts not just Michael Collins. The book talks about the darkness on the far side of the moon away from the sun. Michael Collins was in total darkness and could not communicate with Earth, Neil Armstrong or Buzz Aldrin during this time.

The book would be good for grades 3-8. It could be used for units on space travel or biographies.

[Dana Berglund · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this in one quick sitting. This was a great book for middle readers about the Apollo 11 mission, focusing on Michael Collins rather than Buzz and Neil. It had glossary terms and comprehension questions scattered throughout, and would be excellent for English language learners, as footnotes explain English idioms. (This is a bit ironic, considering it was originally published in Swedish.) I enjoyed it as an adult, however (skipping the footnotes), and think it is a good read for anyone. Why don't we know the names of everyone who has been to the moon? There aren't that many of them! A new goal for me. (To memorize their names, not to go to the moon.)

[Jean Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Man Who Went to the Far Side of the Moon tells the story of Michael Collins, Apollo 11 astronaut, who never actually set foot on the moon, but was nonetheless a critical player in the mission. Written in the form of a scrapbook, The Man Who Went to the Far Side of the Moon gives details of the Apollo 11 mission through text, pictures, charts and actual journal entries from Collins. The book takes the reader to the moon and back allowing the average person to see what the famous mission was like for all three astronauts from professional, personal and scientific perspectives.