It's 1969 and the country is gearing up for what looks to be the most exciting moment in U.S. history: men landing on the moon. Ten-year-old Mamie's class is given an assignment to write letters to the astronauts. All the girls write to Neil Armstrong ("So cute!") and all the boys write to Buzz Aldrin ("So cool!"). Only Mamie writes to Michael Collins, the astronaut who will come so close but never achieve everyone else's dream of walking on the moon, because he is the one who must stay with the ship. After school ends, Mamie keeps writing to Michael Collins, taking comfort in telling someone about what's going on with her family as, one by one, they leave the house thinking that someone else is taking care of her-until she is all alone except for her cat and her best friend, Buster. And, as the date of the launch nears, Mamie can't help but wonder: Does no one stay with the ship anymore?
"The story neatly parallels the astronauts' journey, and Mamie's letters to Collins effectively capture her earnest voice . . . Readers will be charmed by Mamie's story of hope in a difficult moment in American history."
Kirkus Reviews
"The story's momentum builds gradually, culminating in the July space flight, moon walk, and splashdown, events that bring people together . . . The narrative offers accessible dialogue and inherent drama as well as a sense of how the historic Apollo 11 mission affected the folks back home on earth."
