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To Fly Among the Stars: The Hidden Story of the Flight for Women Astronauts
A searing look at the birth of America's space program, and the men and women aviators who set its course.
In the 1960s, locked in a heated race to launch the first human into space, the United States selected seven superstar test pilots and former military air fighters to NASA's astronaut class--the Mercury 7. The men endured grueling training and constant media attention for the honor of becoming America's first space heroes. But a group of 13 women--accomplished air racers, test pilots, and flight instructors--were enduring those same astronaut tests in secret, hoping to defy social norms and earn a spot among the stars.
With thrilling stories of aviation feats, frustrating tales of the fight against sexism, and historical photos, To Fly Among the Stars recounts an incredible era of US innovation, and the audacious hope of the women who took their fight for spaceflight all the way to Washington, DC.
In the 1960s, locked in a heated race to launch the first human into space, the United States selected seven superstar test pilots and former military air fighters to NASA's astronaut class--the Mercury 7. The men endured grueling training and constant media attention for the honor of becoming America's first space heroes. But a group of 13 women--accomplished air racers, test pilots, and flight instructors--were enduring those same astronaut tests in secret, hoping to defy social norms and earn a spot among the stars.
With thrilling stories of aviation feats, frustrating tales of the fight against sexism, and historical photos, To Fly Among the Stars recounts an incredible era of US innovation, and the audacious hope of the women who took their fight for spaceflight all the way to Washington, DC.
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First published March 3, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
July 26, 2020
I'm the author, and I'll be honest with you-- I think It's pretty great.
February 5, 2020
@kidlitexchange Partner: To Fly Among the Stars by Rebecca Siegel. Releases March 3, 2020 by @scholasticinc. ⭐️ This book is many things in one. It is a history of the space race. It is a tale of the first animals in space. But more than anything, it is about the thirteen women, the “Mercury 13,” who wanted nothing more on earth than to leave it—for a moment in space.
The book is a fascinating look at an unheard of part in history. It develops the women (and the male astronauts, too) into real people we can see and hear and feel for. The intense research poured from every page as it taught ME so many things I never learned about in school.
The ending left me genuinely so sad. It was hard to shake. If these women had lived in a different era, they could have fulfilled their dreams. But instead, their years of hard work ended up being for nothing, just because NASA did not want women. It was emotional and because of that, as well as mentions of a few other things, I would recommend it for 11/12 and up. Though every kid is different.
If you want to learn about and appreciate thirteen brilliant and hardworking woman hidden in history, get To Fly Among the Stars on March 3! Thank you Kid Lit Exchange for a review copy—all opinions are my own.
The book is a fascinating look at an unheard of part in history. It develops the women (and the male astronauts, too) into real people we can see and hear and feel for. The intense research poured from every page as it taught ME so many things I never learned about in school.
The ending left me genuinely so sad. It was hard to shake. If these women had lived in a different era, they could have fulfilled their dreams. But instead, their years of hard work ended up being for nothing, just because NASA did not want women. It was emotional and because of that, as well as mentions of a few other things, I would recommend it for 11/12 and up. Though every kid is different.
If you want to learn about and appreciate thirteen brilliant and hardworking woman hidden in history, get To Fly Among the Stars on March 3! Thank you Kid Lit Exchange for a review copy—all opinions are my own.
January 18, 2020
To Fly Among the Stars: A True Story of the Women and Men Who Tested to Become America's First AstronautsTo Fly Among the Stars is an inspiring story for all of us, and best of all, it is true. I recently watched the 1998 Tom Hanks TV series “From the Earth to the Moon” about the Apollo space program. To Fly Among the Stars provides a similar behind-the-scenes look at both the individual characters and the program for early astronaut testing and training. What we learn from Rebecca SiegelRebecca Siegel’s research is that women pilots were also training to go to space.
I cannot believe that I had never heard of early women astronauts, the Mercury 13, until now - 2020. I have read a couple of books and watched documentaries on the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs) during World War II. Too Fly Among the Stars introduces us to the training and other challenges for the men and the women. The women had little institutional or societal support yet still were able to pass the tough flying and health requirements.
The writing is engaging – showing the personalities behind the names. I loved a chapter that starts with the flight dreams – and training – of 12-year-old Jerrie Cobb. The book will appeal to anyone who likes airplanes, flying, or space. To Fly Among the Stars is for readers who dream, who love newly discovered American history, who like stories of resiliency, or those looking to learn about women and men heroes of the past.
I cannot believe that I had never heard of early women astronauts, the Mercury 13, until now - 2020. I have read a couple of books and watched documentaries on the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs) during World War II. Too Fly Among the Stars introduces us to the training and other challenges for the men and the women. The women had little institutional or societal support yet still were able to pass the tough flying and health requirements.
The writing is engaging – showing the personalities behind the names. I loved a chapter that starts with the flight dreams – and training – of 12-year-old Jerrie Cobb. The book will appeal to anyone who likes airplanes, flying, or space. To Fly Among the Stars is for readers who dream, who love newly discovered American history, who like stories of resiliency, or those looking to learn about women and men heroes of the past.
April 20, 2023
fascinating, heart wrenching and despicable are the words that come to mind when I wanted to write this review.
There are obvious signs of racism in the world and America in days past that still creep out to today's times but often one issue that is overlooked (I feel) is sexism (regardless of race). Here in this recollection of America's space race and flight industry as a whole, there are such disregards for such phenomenal women of aviation.
This was an insightful and intriguing read to say the least that sheds light on how hard women had it in the past few decades. Very disturbing even, in some instances, how highly overqualified many of these women were to take part in what their male counterparts were doing, simply due to their gender.
There are obvious signs of racism in the world and America in days past that still creep out to today's times but often one issue that is overlooked (I feel) is sexism (regardless of race). Here in this recollection of America's space race and flight industry as a whole, there are such disregards for such phenomenal women of aviation.
This was an insightful and intriguing read to say the least that sheds light on how hard women had it in the past few decades. Very disturbing even, in some instances, how highly overqualified many of these women were to take part in what their male counterparts were doing, simply due to their gender.
December 19, 2019
I love space but hadn't read a non-fiction piece since the Michael Collins biography Carrying the Fire, which had such cringey bits of sexism in it I tried to forget them. I began paging through To Fly Among the Stars with interest and it quickly absorbed me for an entire weekend. This book! I kept reading aloud passages to my 13 year old daughter and we just stared at each other, dumbstruck at the sexism and narrow-mindedness that deprived these Mercury 13 pilots from their chance in space (and deprived the US space program of some fantastic talent). By the time I finished it I'd thought of three people I have to buy this for. Completely recommended for anyone with an interest in space, women's history, or the history of human endeavour. A fantastic companion, too, to Hidden Figures.
August 3, 2021
I think middle school kids would love this! I enjoyed the history of the book, but since this is geared towards a younger reader (middle school and early high school), there were some details that I wish she would've expanded on more.
September 26, 2019
Great review! Very entertaining!!
November 7, 2019
Rebecca Siegel's book on of the untold side of the space race is a brutally honest and thoughtful examination of the determination and hard work of thirteen qualified women who were turned away from participation in the space program due to backward thinking and gender discrimination, and the parallel (contrasting) journeys of the men of Mercury 7.
I read it in one sitting, pulled in by the personal stories and fascinating anecdotes collected by the author, detailing behind-the-scenes training, the pilot's life experiences, and the hearing where two pilots fought for the right to be fairly considered for the US space program.
As an aside, I appreciated the author's note at the beginning of the book that noted the racial privilege afforded even to the shunned women pilots, and the candy-coating of the racist behavior of several of the male pilots of Mercury 7 (as these are facts often omitted and overlooked in most history books).
This review is of an ARC given to me by the author, and I look forward to purchasing the book for my own daughters (who are long-time NASA fans). I recommend it highly to parents, educators, and librarians looking to round out their understanding of space race history, and to fans of books like CODE GIRLS.
I read it in one sitting, pulled in by the personal stories and fascinating anecdotes collected by the author, detailing behind-the-scenes training, the pilot's life experiences, and the hearing where two pilots fought for the right to be fairly considered for the US space program.
As an aside, I appreciated the author's note at the beginning of the book that noted the racial privilege afforded even to the shunned women pilots, and the candy-coating of the racist behavior of several of the male pilots of Mercury 7 (as these are facts often omitted and overlooked in most history books).
This review is of an ARC given to me by the author, and I look forward to purchasing the book for my own daughters (who are long-time NASA fans). I recommend it highly to parents, educators, and librarians looking to round out their understanding of space race history, and to fans of books like CODE GIRLS.
November 2, 2019
Reviewed for professional publication.
July 3, 2020
Reviewed from an ARC; compared with final copy and have removed comments that have been corrected.
Siegel offers a look into the process used to identify and train early male astronauts in the U.S. space program and expands on the unsuccessful attempt to integrate women into it at that time. She alternates the narrative to focus on the white male astronauts then on the potential white women pilots who dreamed of going up in space, highlighting the differences in treatment, exceptions, standards of the time, and the uncertainty of how to get out in outer space and its effects on the human body, given its limitations. The book wraps up with what the future held for the astronauts and the potential astronaut candidates.
Siegel does an excellent job of including anecdotes about each person featured in the narrative, often including quotes from the person in order to give the reader a taste of their personality. Here is the but... While it offers some enlightenment into a time in American History that offered moments of glory, the commentary is, at times, a bit heavy handed on the sexist way that women were objectified by society at the time and often stifled in their attempt for equal opportunity (ex. p. 281, a "measly 3%"). Her lack of objectivity in comments made throughout the text regarding this sexual typecast never lets the reader come to a conclusion on their own. Another quibble: by breaking up the text into chapters that relate the history and experiences of 21 individuals over 25 years (7 astronauts and 14 women who aspired to be astronauts) in under 400 pages, Siegel often feels the need to repeat details to refresh the reader. Examples include explaining Alan Shepard's path to become an astronaut (twice), Shepard's carousing behavior (at least three or four times), informing that Janey Hart's husband was a politician and that she was a mother of eight (two times), commenting that Jerri Sloan was attractive and a pilot looking on growing her career (at least twice), a discussion that women might make better astronauts than men (twice within six pages).
It is very problematic for middle grade readers that the author includes details such as Shepard's juvenile action when he "flipped the jet the middle finger" (p.60), the types of scandalous behaviors Shepard exhibited (fast cars, fast women) and were detailed in chapter 14, and Shepard's inappropriate comments made while inebriated and making a jerk of himself on stage on p. 201 and on p. 217. It is unfortunate that she chose to focus on and share details about one individual, applying behavior standards of 2020 in the text when discussing the poor behavior choices he made, without little acknowledgement of the different set of behavior standards that were acceptable in the late 1950-early 1960's. She does note once in the text that NASA did nothing to discourage astronaut boorish behaviors at the time, nor did the military discourage these behaviors either. She never allows that there was a level of acceptability for this kind of poor behavior made by men in the military in order to "blow off some steam" after a stressful event at work or after a mission. Yes, some drank and partied, but they also used physical activities such as golf, tennis or other diversions to decompress. It was not until an increase in the number of women entering the military in the 1980's-1990's that a crackdown on sexist types of behavior was instituted in the military. To this day, the military still has to deal with the problem of rape, sexism, and sexual harassment within its ranks. (Siegel never mentions this in her wrapup. I would have rather her address this issue in the wrap up, than to include it within the text as she did.) Just to clarify, I do not condone boorish behavior by Shepard or anyone else in the past, however feel we need to be cognizant of the lens we are looking through at history when telling its story. It needs to be told with an understanding that this was the "norm" at the time, and clarified that in our current time, this behavior is not to be tolerated - not just condemned outright with no explanation as to why.
NOTE: It is my intent to look at a final copy of the book to see how many of these errors are corrected in the finished book. At that time, I will revise this list of errors.
A number of editorial problems were noted throughout the book, particularly when discussing aircraft:
• p. 44 - John Glenn's photo is backward; his medals are shown on the wrong side of his chest; they should be on his left.
• Throughout the text, Siegel is inconsistent in her naming conventions for aircraft. Sometimes she uses the airplane model number only (ex. p.16 - P-51, A-26, C-47), sometimes the name of the aircraft model only (ex. p.81-82 - Stratofortresses and Stratotankers are B-52s and KC135s, respectively), and sometimes both are mentioned, but named incorrectly (ex. p.39 - "Sabre (F-86)" is properly called a "North American F-86 Sabre"). There is an established designation system for naming aircraft, established by each branch of the military for the aircraft they fly. It is proper to use the name of the manufacturer, then the aircraft type and model, then aircraft name when mentioning an aircraft for the first time in the text. After that, then the aircraft type/model number or aircraft name can be used.
• p. 45 - Just an aside. Deke Slayton was not the only person to call the Douglas C-47 Skytrain a "gooney bird". That was a common nickname used by military personnel at that time. Veterans still refer to the C-47 as a "Gooney Bird" more often than not because it was so difficult and clumsy to fly.
• When referring to the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy, U.S. Marines, U.S. Army, and U.S. Coast Guard in a familiar, shortened manner/nickname or as an adjective (as in Air Force, Navy/Naval, Marines/Marine, Army, and Coast Guard) the organization should be capitalized. These are the organizations' proper names. Many countries in the world have an "air force", "navy", "marines", "army" or "coast guard" - a generic name for the type of military affiliation. Go to their websites for verification. Remember that "navy" indicates a color and "marine" indicates something from the ocean.
• p. 18 - The word "naval" is redundant in front of the word "battleship" in the last paragraph.
• When referring to places by nicknames (particularly military bases of operation), the author should either clarify the nickname with the proper name, then be consistent in the use of the place name in the rest of the book. Or, choose to include this info in the glossary. Siegel refers to "Naval Air Station in Patuxent River" on p.14 (which should have been called Naval Air Station Patuxent River because that is the name of the NAS - it is located at the mouth of the Paxtuxent River, not in a town called Patuxent River - there is no such place), then calls it Pax River later p. 64, and finally calls it Pax even later on p.64. One wonders if Siegel understands that these names are all for the same location. She does the same with Edwards Air Force Base in California. Nicknames for military installations is local lingo that may be confusing for many readers unfamiliar with the bases.
• p. 38-39 - A Soviet MiG is mentioned, but never clarified what it was: a Russian fighter aircraft manufactured by the Mikoyan and Gurevich Design Bureau at the time. This term would have been helpful to include in the glossary, in the same way that the word "reconnaissance" is listed.
• p. 47 - The arresting hook or tailhook is attached to the underside of the tail of each aircraft that is equipped with a tailhook. It is not on the "belly", as stated in the book. The belly of a plane is inside and under the center fuselage of an airplane.
• p. 50 - editorial problem with the last sentence in the 2nd paragraph. Either she found a "niche student": war veterans or she developed a "niche program" aimed at war veterans.
• p. 61 - Test pilot school is not "at Patuxent River, Maryland", rather it is at at NAS Patuxent River or Naval Air Station Pax River.
• p. 87 - Carpenter would wear a Service Dress Blue Uniform, also known as "Service Dress Blues", not his "navy blues".
• pp. 206-207 - Choppy, out of sync timeline makes this passage awkward to read.
• p. 220 - Use of the term "U.S. Navy brass" is very informal, a slang term that doesn't fit in this list. In this case they should probably be called "high ranking Naval officers".
• p. 238 - 241 - The words "vice president" should be capitalized in all the places it is mentioned in this passage, as it was naming his formal title, not a description of his job: Vice President of the United States or Vice President. Ditto for "future president of the United States" on p. 241.
• p. 252 - The word "convention" should be capitalized, as it is part of the name of the Air Force Association Convention.
• p. 263 - The first sentence makes no sense. Glenn flew on Space Shuttle mission STS-95 aboard the orbiter Discovery (OV-103). He did not fly "...on board the space shuttle Discovery (STS-95)...".
• p. 278 - Same problem with Eileen Collins piloting Discovery (STS-63). Additionally, there is a repeat of John Glenn flying on Discovery to study how space affects an aging person's body here.
The book includes a good assortment of black and white period photographs of the astronauts and women pilots, with captions that relate to the text. Most are placed appropriately to match the text, though a few are a page turn away from their subject.
Backmatter includes two pages of glossary of terms, 34 pages of sources the author used, two pages of photo credits, and an (unseen) index. There is no bibliography or list of websites for further reading for young people who might want to learn more about this topic. Evaluation of the backmatter is evidence that Ms. Siegel has given only a cursory look at alot of materials about the early astronaut program. Her research was not deep; instead it was very superficial, as evidenced by the many errors. This particular book - as is with all of its flaws - does a disservice to military communities. There is no thought to military tradition or protocol evident in the text.
I find the subtitle of this book to be a bit misleading. I thought this book would be more about the lives of the women - and not a one-sided discussion of the preferential treatment the male astronauts received compared with the discrimination dealt to the women pilots. Tanya Lee Bolden's Robert F. Sibert Award-winning book, Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream, (Candlewick, c2009), does a much better job of telling a balanced story of these amazing women who were ahead of their time and denied the opportunity to be astronauts - without being preachy about the topic. For this reason, my suggestion is to skip To Fly Among the Stars and buy another of Bolden's Almost Astronauts for a richer reading experience.
Not recommended. For grades 7-10.
Siegel offers a look into the process used to identify and train early male astronauts in the U.S. space program and expands on the unsuccessful attempt to integrate women into it at that time. She alternates the narrative to focus on the white male astronauts then on the potential white women pilots who dreamed of going up in space, highlighting the differences in treatment, exceptions, standards of the time, and the uncertainty of how to get out in outer space and its effects on the human body, given its limitations. The book wraps up with what the future held for the astronauts and the potential astronaut candidates.
Siegel does an excellent job of including anecdotes about each person featured in the narrative, often including quotes from the person in order to give the reader a taste of their personality. Here is the but... While it offers some enlightenment into a time in American History that offered moments of glory, the commentary is, at times, a bit heavy handed on the sexist way that women were objectified by society at the time and often stifled in their attempt for equal opportunity (ex. p. 281, a "measly 3%"). Her lack of objectivity in comments made throughout the text regarding this sexual typecast never lets the reader come to a conclusion on their own. Another quibble: by breaking up the text into chapters that relate the history and experiences of 21 individuals over 25 years (7 astronauts and 14 women who aspired to be astronauts) in under 400 pages, Siegel often feels the need to repeat details to refresh the reader. Examples include explaining Alan Shepard's path to become an astronaut (twice), Shepard's carousing behavior (at least three or four times), informing that Janey Hart's husband was a politician and that she was a mother of eight (two times), commenting that Jerri Sloan was attractive and a pilot looking on growing her career (at least twice), a discussion that women might make better astronauts than men (twice within six pages).
It is very problematic for middle grade readers that the author includes details such as Shepard's juvenile action when he "flipped the jet the middle finger" (p.60), the types of scandalous behaviors Shepard exhibited (fast cars, fast women) and were detailed in chapter 14, and Shepard's inappropriate comments made while inebriated and making a jerk of himself on stage on p. 201 and on p. 217. It is unfortunate that she chose to focus on and share details about one individual, applying behavior standards of 2020 in the text when discussing the poor behavior choices he made, without little acknowledgement of the different set of behavior standards that were acceptable in the late 1950-early 1960's. She does note once in the text that NASA did nothing to discourage astronaut boorish behaviors at the time, nor did the military discourage these behaviors either. She never allows that there was a level of acceptability for this kind of poor behavior made by men in the military in order to "blow off some steam" after a stressful event at work or after a mission. Yes, some drank and partied, but they also used physical activities such as golf, tennis or other diversions to decompress. It was not until an increase in the number of women entering the military in the 1980's-1990's that a crackdown on sexist types of behavior was instituted in the military. To this day, the military still has to deal with the problem of rape, sexism, and sexual harassment within its ranks. (Siegel never mentions this in her wrapup. I would have rather her address this issue in the wrap up, than to include it within the text as she did.) Just to clarify, I do not condone boorish behavior by Shepard or anyone else in the past, however feel we need to be cognizant of the lens we are looking through at history when telling its story. It needs to be told with an understanding that this was the "norm" at the time, and clarified that in our current time, this behavior is not to be tolerated - not just condemned outright with no explanation as to why.
NOTE: It is my intent to look at a final copy of the book to see how many of these errors are corrected in the finished book. At that time, I will revise this list of errors.
A number of editorial problems were noted throughout the book, particularly when discussing aircraft:
• p. 44 - John Glenn's photo is backward; his medals are shown on the wrong side of his chest; they should be on his left.
• Throughout the text, Siegel is inconsistent in her naming conventions for aircraft. Sometimes she uses the airplane model number only (ex. p.16 - P-51, A-26, C-47), sometimes the name of the aircraft model only (ex. p.81-82 - Stratofortresses and Stratotankers are B-52s and KC135s, respectively), and sometimes both are mentioned, but named incorrectly (ex. p.39 - "Sabre (F-86)" is properly called a "North American F-86 Sabre"). There is an established designation system for naming aircraft, established by each branch of the military for the aircraft they fly. It is proper to use the name of the manufacturer, then the aircraft type and model, then aircraft name when mentioning an aircraft for the first time in the text. After that, then the aircraft type/model number or aircraft name can be used.
• p. 45 - Just an aside. Deke Slayton was not the only person to call the Douglas C-47 Skytrain a "gooney bird". That was a common nickname used by military personnel at that time. Veterans still refer to the C-47 as a "Gooney Bird" more often than not because it was so difficult and clumsy to fly.
• When referring to the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy, U.S. Marines, U.S. Army, and U.S. Coast Guard in a familiar, shortened manner/nickname or as an adjective (as in Air Force, Navy/Naval, Marines/Marine, Army, and Coast Guard) the organization should be capitalized. These are the organizations' proper names. Many countries in the world have an "air force", "navy", "marines", "army" or "coast guard" - a generic name for the type of military affiliation. Go to their websites for verification. Remember that "navy" indicates a color and "marine" indicates something from the ocean.
• p. 18 - The word "naval" is redundant in front of the word "battleship" in the last paragraph.
• When referring to places by nicknames (particularly military bases of operation), the author should either clarify the nickname with the proper name, then be consistent in the use of the place name in the rest of the book. Or, choose to include this info in the glossary. Siegel refers to "Naval Air Station in Patuxent River" on p.14 (which should have been called Naval Air Station Patuxent River because that is the name of the NAS - it is located at the mouth of the Paxtuxent River, not in a town called Patuxent River - there is no such place), then calls it Pax River later p. 64, and finally calls it Pax even later on p.64. One wonders if Siegel understands that these names are all for the same location. She does the same with Edwards Air Force Base in California. Nicknames for military installations is local lingo that may be confusing for many readers unfamiliar with the bases.
• p. 38-39 - A Soviet MiG is mentioned, but never clarified what it was: a Russian fighter aircraft manufactured by the Mikoyan and Gurevich Design Bureau at the time. This term would have been helpful to include in the glossary, in the same way that the word "reconnaissance" is listed.
• p. 47 - The arresting hook or tailhook is attached to the underside of the tail of each aircraft that is equipped with a tailhook. It is not on the "belly", as stated in the book. The belly of a plane is inside and under the center fuselage of an airplane.
• p. 50 - editorial problem with the last sentence in the 2nd paragraph. Either she found a "niche student": war veterans or she developed a "niche program" aimed at war veterans.
• p. 61 - Test pilot school is not "at Patuxent River, Maryland", rather it is at at NAS Patuxent River or Naval Air Station Pax River.
• p. 87 - Carpenter would wear a Service Dress Blue Uniform, also known as "Service Dress Blues", not his "navy blues".
• pp. 206-207 - Choppy, out of sync timeline makes this passage awkward to read.
• p. 220 - Use of the term "U.S. Navy brass" is very informal, a slang term that doesn't fit in this list. In this case they should probably be called "high ranking Naval officers".
• p. 238 - 241 - The words "vice president" should be capitalized in all the places it is mentioned in this passage, as it was naming his formal title, not a description of his job: Vice President of the United States or Vice President. Ditto for "future president of the United States" on p. 241.
• p. 252 - The word "convention" should be capitalized, as it is part of the name of the Air Force Association Convention.
• p. 263 - The first sentence makes no sense. Glenn flew on Space Shuttle mission STS-95 aboard the orbiter Discovery (OV-103). He did not fly "...on board the space shuttle Discovery (STS-95)...".
• p. 278 - Same problem with Eileen Collins piloting Discovery (STS-63). Additionally, there is a repeat of John Glenn flying on Discovery to study how space affects an aging person's body here.
The book includes a good assortment of black and white period photographs of the astronauts and women pilots, with captions that relate to the text. Most are placed appropriately to match the text, though a few are a page turn away from their subject.
Backmatter includes two pages of glossary of terms, 34 pages of sources the author used, two pages of photo credits, and an (unseen) index. There is no bibliography or list of websites for further reading for young people who might want to learn more about this topic. Evaluation of the backmatter is evidence that Ms. Siegel has given only a cursory look at alot of materials about the early astronaut program. Her research was not deep; instead it was very superficial, as evidenced by the many errors. This particular book - as is with all of its flaws - does a disservice to military communities. There is no thought to military tradition or protocol evident in the text.
I find the subtitle of this book to be a bit misleading. I thought this book would be more about the lives of the women - and not a one-sided discussion of the preferential treatment the male astronauts received compared with the discrimination dealt to the women pilots. Tanya Lee Bolden's Robert F. Sibert Award-winning book, Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream, (Candlewick, c2009), does a much better job of telling a balanced story of these amazing women who were ahead of their time and denied the opportunity to be astronauts - without being preachy about the topic. For this reason, my suggestion is to skip To Fly Among the Stars and buy another of Bolden's Almost Astronauts for a richer reading experience.
Not recommended. For grades 7-10.
March 17, 2020
@kidlitexchange
Thank you to @scholasticinc for sharing an advance copy of To Fly Among the Stars by Rebecca Siegel with the #kidlitexchange network. This book was released March 3, 2020. All opinions are my own.
To Fly Among the Stars offers a new look at the space race between the USA and Russia during the 1960s. The book details how NASA selected their first astronauts and the progress of the US space program during the 1960s. Chapters alternate between the male astronauts' progress and what female aviators were doing to try to get into astronautics.
This book is full of detail and very well researched. I learned so much about the space program, the first astronauts, and the women who dared to try to break the glass ceiling and become astronauts. I have to admit that I was a little throne by the novel as the ARC I received had the subtitle: The Hidden Story of the Fight for Women Astronauts. While the book does tell the story of the fight for women astronauts, it gives equal time and information on the original Mercury 7 and the NASA space program in general. Based on what I read, I felt it was more a story of the US space program which is why I was happy to see that the subtitle on Goodreads was different and more fitting, I believe, to the content of the novel: A True Story of the Women and Men Who Tested to Become America's First Astronauts. I liked that I was able to learn so much from this book and that the author shared both successes and failures and positive and negative character traits and episodes. This book is listed as being written for the 8-12 market; however, I feel like the narrative voice of the book and it's topic may interest a slightly older reader. I would recommend To Fly Among the Stars to those who read and enjoyed Steve Sheinkin's Born to Fly or Margot Lee Shetterly's Hidden Figures.
Thank you to @scholasticinc for sharing an advance copy of To Fly Among the Stars by Rebecca Siegel with the #kidlitexchange network. This book was released March 3, 2020. All opinions are my own.
To Fly Among the Stars offers a new look at the space race between the USA and Russia during the 1960s. The book details how NASA selected their first astronauts and the progress of the US space program during the 1960s. Chapters alternate between the male astronauts' progress and what female aviators were doing to try to get into astronautics.
This book is full of detail and very well researched. I learned so much about the space program, the first astronauts, and the women who dared to try to break the glass ceiling and become astronauts. I have to admit that I was a little throne by the novel as the ARC I received had the subtitle: The Hidden Story of the Fight for Women Astronauts. While the book does tell the story of the fight for women astronauts, it gives equal time and information on the original Mercury 7 and the NASA space program in general. Based on what I read, I felt it was more a story of the US space program which is why I was happy to see that the subtitle on Goodreads was different and more fitting, I believe, to the content of the novel: A True Story of the Women and Men Who Tested to Become America's First Astronauts. I liked that I was able to learn so much from this book and that the author shared both successes and failures and positive and negative character traits and episodes. This book is listed as being written for the 8-12 market; however, I feel like the narrative voice of the book and it's topic may interest a slightly older reader. I would recommend To Fly Among the Stars to those who read and enjoyed Steve Sheinkin's Born to Fly or Margot Lee Shetterly's Hidden Figures.
March 5, 2020
Thank you to the publisher and to @kidlitexchange for the review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
Did you know when the United States chose the seven men for Mercury 7, there were 13 women bravely facing the same grueling tests with the hope of also becoming an astronaut? I certainly didn’t!
This NF MG book will enlighten not only students, but anyone fascinated by the history of the 1960s race to the moon. I learned so much about the tests these brave men and women had to endure as they prepared to fly in space. As I read, I was astounded at, as well as proud of the determination of everyone to achieve their goal. I also learned about the fight for funding, the bullying and discrimination the women faced daily and thd women’s never ending fight to become astronauts.
The women’s unknown story will remind us of how far women scientists, pilots and astronauts have come in 60 years. You’ll feel so much admiration for these 13 strong women who willingly dedicated their lives to their dream.
This is a must for all libraries as well as a gift for all those who dream of one day of flying in space. It’s out now!
Did you know when the United States chose the seven men for Mercury 7, there were 13 women bravely facing the same grueling tests with the hope of also becoming an astronaut? I certainly didn’t!
This NF MG book will enlighten not only students, but anyone fascinated by the history of the 1960s race to the moon. I learned so much about the tests these brave men and women had to endure as they prepared to fly in space. As I read, I was astounded at, as well as proud of the determination of everyone to achieve their goal. I also learned about the fight for funding, the bullying and discrimination the women faced daily and thd women’s never ending fight to become astronauts.
The women’s unknown story will remind us of how far women scientists, pilots and astronauts have come in 60 years. You’ll feel so much admiration for these 13 strong women who willingly dedicated their lives to their dream.
This is a must for all libraries as well as a gift for all those who dream of one day of flying in space. It’s out now!
March 9, 2020
This book does a great job of telling the story of the first astronauts and the women who fought to be included in that list. Siegel tells the story (mostly) in alternating chapters of the all-male Mercury 7 crew and the 13 women who strove to be considered for the astronaut program at the same time. Siegel humanizes everyone in this book; she portrays the men as the men they were rather than the golden American heroes they're usually depicted as, and she shows the women as they were: hard-working, jaded, and ambitious. Neither group is really portrayed as negative. The struggles of these women are brought into sharp focus, and Siegel outlines what else still needs to be done. Siegel also makes a point to explain that this fight is a white one. She doesn't focus on how much more difficult it was for minorities, but she doesn't ignore it either. She makes everyone's struggle clear.
August 12, 2021
I actually cried during this book because of what happened to these women. It was just terrible. Before I read this book, I had no idea that this was going on. Why hasn't this been talked about? I feel that there should be more information out there discussing this.
To Fly Among the Stars is about the sexism of the space race, NASA, women pilots, and the Mercury 13. It's extremely interesting, and it makes you wonder what would have happened if NASA had accepted the women. Would we have gotten to the Moon faster? Would we have beaten the Russians in some other areas, including the first woman in space?
Overall, this was a great book. Some of the points are repeated unnecessarily, but it wasn't really a big deal. If you're interested in the space race, NASA, and the path to becoming an astronaut, then this book is worth the read!
To Fly Among the Stars is about the sexism of the space race, NASA, women pilots, and the Mercury 13. It's extremely interesting, and it makes you wonder what would have happened if NASA had accepted the women. Would we have gotten to the Moon faster? Would we have beaten the Russians in some other areas, including the first woman in space?
Overall, this was a great book. Some of the points are repeated unnecessarily, but it wasn't really a big deal. If you're interested in the space race, NASA, and the path to becoming an astronaut, then this book is worth the read!
April 6, 2020
I was very surprised at how engaging this book was -- all about America's space program and the aviators who set its course. There's amazing focus on how difficult it was for women to be involved with NASA and so many personal details about various people who came in and out of the picture over the years. Also, I didn't realize this until after I finished the book, but Mercury 13's story is told in a recent Netflix documentary and a play based on Cobb's life, "They Promised Her the Moon." So I hope to check that out very soon!
For more children's literature, middle grade literature, and YA literature reviews, feel free to visit my personal blog at The Miller Memo!
For more children's literature, middle grade literature, and YA literature reviews, feel free to visit my personal blog at The Miller Memo!
March 7, 2021
This novel relates a side of the race into space I was unaware of the 13 women who also went through the trials to become astronauts based on the beliefs of one lone doctor. This doctor pursued this on his own and had to fund the project himself it was not a NASA-sponsored trial and he viewed the women in a supporting role, not as pilots as revealed at the end of the book. While the story is intriguing I did not feel it was well written. The book was filled with bias and spent as much time trying to put the male astronauts in a negative light as it did the females in the positive one. The book does reflect the sexism that was ingrained in the American culture in the 1950s and 1960s and the beginning of the feminist movement.
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December 5, 2020In the time period in which this book is about, women were not supposed to be pilots, successful pilots at that with some having logged more flight hours in their flight logs than men. I wish this book focused more on the women from Dr. Lovelace's Lovelace’s Woman in Space Program rather than the men. I loved reading about the women and was heartbroken when Lovelace's program was canceled. Lovelace's Woman in Space program showed that women could do what the men did and sometimes even better than them. I felt that this book did a great job of highlighting the unfair sexism that the 13 women endured.
July 16, 2020
So much interesting history packed into this! It was eye-opening to get so much insight about the world of early aviation and space flight, and how women had to fight for every minute of air time. Great for history nerds and anyone interested in inspiring women.
September 28, 2020
What a wonderful tribute to those pioneers who helped break the glass ceiling. This book takes a close-up look at the fearless and indefatigable women who paved the path for others to take flight, despite numerous obstacles put in their paths. Thank you for telling their story!
November 5, 2021
Interesting history though I wish there was more on the women, but alas in understand why there isn’t. But reading I was naturally upset at the sexism and super upset at the sabotage at the hands of other women. I hate that the most. But I learned a lot. Good book.
March 30, 2024
The fact that my students and I both really enjoyed this book says something about how great it is, especially considering the fact that I usually don't like nonfiction! Seeing my students' eyes light up reading and discussing this book was an incredible experience
July 21, 2024
I just wanted so badly for these women to get what they were working towards and the ending was honestly a little devastating.
A really fascinating look at the start of the space program, and the little known women that were working to be a part of it.
A really fascinating look at the start of the space program, and the little known women that were working to be a part of it.
May 12, 2020
This was an enjoyable read. A lot of information that I did not know about the early days of the space program.
May 16, 2020
Nonfiction book that explores the beginning of space navigation. It talks about the challenges of the science and those seeking to go to space. It addresses the under-appreciated role of women.
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May 31, 2021Prereading for library purchase: secondary has several titles on this subject and too complex for elementary.
Revisit if the topic needs additional titles.
Revisit if the topic needs additional titles.
March 14, 2023
Huh. Interesting historical information that comes out long after the fact.
April 28, 2024
Great telling. of the story of the journey women astronauts
July 16, 2023
As a female pilot and astronaut hopeful, this is a story I know and love. However, this version just contained too much blatant hatred against 20th century male astronauts and space leaders for my taste. The story of the Mercury 13 is amazing on its own, the snarky bashing (while probably all true) is unnecessary and cheapens the story.
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