When Neil Armstrong Built a Wind Tunnel

by Mark Weakland, Luciano Lozano (Illustrator)

Astronaut Neil Armstrong couldn't be held down by Earth's gravity. As the first person to step foot on the moon, Neil took the US space program to new heights. But before he did that, he had humble boyhood jobs-cutting lawns, cleaning ovens, washing airplanes-and plenty of adventures, including building a wind tunnel in his parents' basement! This playful story shows young readers that not even the sky is the limit for their own dreams.

Genres: Biography, Picture Books, Technology

31 pages, Library Binding

Published August 1, 2017

About the author

While earning a degree in the sciences, author/educator/musician Mark Weakland played drums and percussion with scores of Pittsburgh-based bands. He then went on to earn multiple teacher certifications and a master’s degree in education.

Mark expresses his creative side through music and writing. He is the author of eighteen non-fiction children’s books. Upcoming books, written as collaborations between Warner Brothers, Sports Illustrated Kids, and Capstone Press, include a set of Scooby-Doo (and mathematics) books, a set of Wile E. Coyote (and physics) books, and a set of hockey (shapes and patterns) books.

Other kid projects include an award-winning audio book, a poetry collection, and Jack Attack, his first YA novel. Mark’s books have received outstanding reviews from Booklist and Library Media Connection and won multiple awards, such as the 2012 Green Award for Sustainable Children’s Literature and the 2011 Eureka Nonfiction Children’s Book Award.

His academic book for teachers and administrators, Super Core! Supercharging Your Basal Reading Program with More Reading, Writing, and Word Work, will be published by the International Reading Association in January of 2014.

As a musician and songwriter, Mark has written and recorded music for both kids and grown-ups. His songs have won Parents' Choice and Children's Web awards and finished as finalists in The John Lennon Songwriting and USA Songwriting contests. Performing on drums, guitar, and vocals, Mark still records and plays with various artists and bands in Western Pennsylvania.

Reviews

[Norkett · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun story with some interesting facts about Neil. He was prone to motion sickness as a child during car rides but that didn't stop his adventures. He was given the go ahead to graduate high school early despite only excelling in his favorite subjects and he became an Eagle Scout. It had us look further into who was the first Eagle Scout and how long that dated back to.

[Debra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would prefer a biography with a time line and an entire life detailed, but this book is interesting and will certainly appeal to my students. Very worthwhile purchase if you have the funds.

This is an interesting series that allows for some good discussions about how we get to the jobs we choose. Since we are mandated in Michigan to teach career planning, this is a good fit for us!

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book to read with students who are studying the solar system. Shows young people not to give up on their dreams.

[Tina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Neil Armstrong was ambitious at a young age. Not surprising for the first moon walker.

[Sadie · Rating 2 out of 5]

My kids and I didn't like the abrupt ending. It felt like we only got half of a story. The illustrations were fun and gave it a mid-century feel. They told me to give it 2 stars.