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Fly Me to the Moon
This month's Recommended Reads list features books about the moon, including novels and even some nonfiction imagining our future there!
Earth might not have a pair of moons like Mars or one with erupting volcanoes like Jupiter’s moon Io, but our humble satellite can still do us proud! It’s been decades since astronauts last travelled to our moon, but it’s still the subject of much observation and research, the guide to our oceans tides, and a lovely companion in the night sky. If you’ve ever pointed out a particularly beautiful full moon, tried to place yourself in Neil Armstrong’s spacesuit, wondered what it might be like to live in a moon colony, or simply gazed up at night, this month’s list covering fact and fiction about the moon might be for you!
Digital book (DB), braille (BR), large print (LT), and audio described videos (DVD) copies of these titles are available from the Perkins Library or the Worcester Talking Book Library. Please contact the library to order any of these books.
Prepared by Leah Ellenbogen
Children’s Resource and Service Librarian
Perkins Library
American Moonshot: John F. Kennedy and the Great Space Race
by Douglas Brinkley
DB 94870, LT 25942, Available as BARD Download
Historian presents a chronicle of the early American space program, particularly during the administration of John F. Kennedy, and the goal to land a man on the moon. Discusses how science fiction, World War II, and the Soviet space program fueled America’s determination to succeed. 2019.
Apollo 8: The Thrilling Story of the First Mission to the Moon
by Jeffrey Kluger
DB 88328, LT 22736, Available as BARD Download
Author of Journey Beyond Selene (DB 50687) chronicles the Apollo 8 mission—manned by Frank Borman, James Lovell, and William Anders—which was the first to successfully orbit Earth’s moon. Discusses behind-the-scenes interactions in Mission Control, at the astronauts’ homes, and in the labs tasked with making the mission a success. 2017.
The Apollo Chronicles: Engineering America’s First Moon Missions
by Brandon R. Brown
DB 96727, Available as BARD Download
Highlights the work done by engineers and technicians—including the author’s father—in ensuring successful missions to the moon by NASA. Uses input from those who worked in NASA’s early days to discuss the origins of the space program, computer coding, problem solving, and building a teamwork environment. 2019.
Artemis
by Andy Weir
DB 89733, DB 91027 (Spanish), BR 22166, LT 23366, Available as BARD Download
Jazz Bashara smuggles contraband into the moon city of Artemis as a way to make extra money. After she takes on a particularly lucrative job, however, she soon finds herself entangled in a conspiracy for control of Artemis itself. 2017.
The Cassandra Project
by Jack McDevitt
DB 75772, Available as BARD Download
2019. When a reporter confronts Jerry Culpepper with a tape indicating there was a moon landing before Neil Armstrong and Apollo XI, the NASA public affairs director is caught by surprise. As he researches the recording, he uncovers a deep conspiracy at the heart of NASA. 2012.
Cinder
by Marissa Meyer
DB 75631, BR 21348, LT 13644, Available as BARD Download
Cinder, a teen cyborg and the best mechanic in New Beijing, labors to support her stepmother—and owner—Adri and Adri’s two daughters. But after Cinder’s only human friend, her stepsister Peony, is infected with the plague letumosis, Adri volunteers Cinder’s body for plague research. For senior high and older readers. 2012.
Countdown: 2979 Days to the Moon
by Suzanne Slade
DB 92490, BR 22776, Available as BARD Download
Told in free verse. Recounts the story of the American effort to land the first man on the moon in 1969, and the eleven Apollo missions it took to get them there. For grades 4-7. 2018.
The Dark Side
by Anthony O’Neill
DB 86744, Available as BARD Download
An exiled police detective arrives at a lunar penal colony just as a psychotic android begins a murder spree. The amnesiac android, Leonardo Black, is programmed only with the notorious “Brass Code” and has only one goal in mind—the conquest of the Purgatory colony. Violence and strong language. 2016.
Dear Neil Armstrong: Letters to the First Man from All Mankind
by James R. Hansen
DB 97814, Available as BARD Download
Collection of some of the thousands of letters received by astronaut Neil Armstrong between the time he was the first man to walk on the moon and his death in 2002 along with some replies. Letters include congratulations on his accomplishment, interesting requests, and correspondence regarding interviews. 2020.
Destination Moon: The Remarkable and Improbable Voyage of Apollo 11
by Richard Maurer
DB 95841, Available as BARD Download
Chronicles how the United States won the space race against the Soviet Union by landing a man on the moon in 1969. Features stories about the people behind the mission and the Apollo program. For senior high and older readers. 2019.
The Eagle Has Landed: 50 Years of Lunar Science Fiction
by Neil Clarke
DB 98519, Available as BARD Download
A collection of science fiction short stories involving or taking place on the moon. Includes stories by John Varley, Kim Stanley Robinson, Michael Swanwick, Stephen Baxter, John Kessel, Jack McDevitt, and Nancy Kress. 2019.
Eagle Station
by Dale Brown
DB 101008, Available as BARD Download
The Iron Wolf Squadron uncovers a plot by Chinese and Russian leaders to build a joint secret base on the moon. If they are successful, America will be unable to mine the moon for resources as planned. Sequel to Kremlin Strike (DB 101218). 2020.
Farside
by Ben Bova
DB 76834, Available as BARD download
People from the lunar nation of Selene set out to build an observatory on the far side of the moon to capture images of a recently discovered planet dubbed “New Earth.” But politics and murder may derail the project. Some violence. 2013.
Luna: New Moon
by Ian McDonald
DB 83607, Available as BARD Download
Amidst the harshness of life on the Moon, where even basic necessities like air have a cost, corporate warfare rages. The five children of the aging Adriana Corta find they must defend their family’s future from those who would crush it. Strong language, some violence, and some explicit descriptions of sex. 2015.
Magnificent Desolation: The Long Journey Home from the Moon
by Buzz Aldrin
DB 69784, Available as BARD Download
Astronaut reflects on his notoriety after the 1969 Apollo 11 moon landing: his alcoholism, clinical depression, and two failed marriages. Discusses his recovery from addiction, eventual acceptance of his celebrity status, and his loving and lasting marriage to Lois Driggs Cannon. 2009.
Moons: A Very Short Introduction
by David A. Rothery
DB 86414, Available as BARD Download
Compendium of facts about the moons that revolve around our solar system’s planets, from Earth’s one satellite to Jupiter’s sixty-plus. Explains how moons got their names and how Earth’s moon influences tides. Gives examples of different types of moons. Includes an appendix with details of other planets’ moons. 2015.
The Moon and the Other
by John Kessel
DB 90467, Available as BARD download
In the twenty-second century, millions live in underground cities on the moon. The Society of Cousins functions as a matriarchy and is rivaled by the colony of Persepolis. When the Organization of Lunar States investigates the treatment of men in the Society, many see the opportunity for change. Then, war erupts. 2017.
One Giant Leap: The Impossible Mission That Flew Us to the Moon
by Charles Fishman
DB 95795, LT 26292, Available as BARD Download
Author of The Big Thirst (DB 74346) chronicles NASA’s mission to put a man on the moon by 1970 after President John F. Kennedy set that goal in 1961. Discusses the technologies that needed to be developed and key figures who made it all happen. 2019.
The Relentless Moon
by Mary Robinette Kowal
DB 100788, Available as BARD Download
As the climate disaster on Earth gains attention, tensions rise, threatening the IAC’s goal of getting as many people off Earth as possible before it becomes uninhabitable. Meanwhile, Elma travels to Mars. Sequel to The Fated Sky (DB 93286). 2020.
Rocket Men: The Epic Story of the First Men on the Moon
by Robert Kurson
DB 91450, LT 23943, Available as BARD Download
Profile of the Apollo 8 space mission, which launched in December 1968 after a year of turmoil in the United States and was the first manned spacecraft to orbit the moon. Also profiles the crew, including astronauts Frank F. Borman II, James A. Lovell, Jr., and William A. Anders. 2018.
Sex on the Moon: The Amazing Story Behind the Most Audacious Heist in History
by Ben Mezrich
DB 73993, Available as BARD Download
Detailed account of college intern Thad Roberts’s theft of moon rocks from NASA in 2002 and the FBI sting that snared him. Describes Roberts’s sheltered upbringing, his estrangement from his parents, and his romance with a coworker that motivated the heist. Some strong language. 2011.
Spacefarers: How Humans Will Settle the Moon, Mars, and Beyond
by Christopher Wanjek
DB 99321, Available as BARD Download
Analysis of the challenges and benefits to creating human settlements off Earth—including in orbit, on the moon, asteroids, and Mars. Examines why humans have not created cosmic habitations beyond missions to the International Space Station since they first landed on the moon in 1969. Suggests predictions for future space habitation. 2020.
The Sun and the Moon: The Remarkable, True Account of Hoaxers, Showmen, Dueling Journalists, And Lunar Man-Bats in Nineteenth-Century New York
by Matthew Goodman
DB 77126, Available as BARD Download
Chronicles the events of August 1835 when the tabloid newspaper the New York Sun published a series of articles declaring that the moon was inhabited by unicorns, beavers, and man-bats. Details the hoax’s worldwide popularity and the rise of the Sun as the most read newspaper in the world. 2008.
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon
by Grace Lin
DB 70391, BR 18712, Available as BARD Download
Minli, an adventurous girl, lives in a poor Chinese village near Fruitless Mountain. Inspired by her father’s stories, Minli sets out to find the Old Man of the Moon to restore the mountain’s bounty. Along the way, Minli encounters magical creatures, including a helpful dragon. For grades 3-6. Newbery Honor Book. 2009.
Download Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, DB 70391
Download Braille, Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, BR 18712
