Charles F. Bolden Jr. tells the story of his life as an astronaut and the first Black Administrator of NASA.  This biography details the challenges and successes he experienced in his career at NASA, a career he had to fight to get into.  Some highlights include how he felt photographing Earth, especially Africa, from space and what it was like to work with a Russian cosmonaut after the Cold War.  Readers will not only learn about this interesting astronaut, but also about important events in the United States space program.

This biography has great voice- the reader feels like they are listening to Bolden tell his story to them in person.  There is humor, suspense, and personal anecdotes that keep the reader entertained and informed.  The one drawback to this book is that the photographs, including the giant picture on the cover, are outdated, which might prevent kids from picking up this book.  This book seems like it would be a slow read, but photographs, side bars, and diagrams break up the text so it isn’t overwhelming. The table of contents, index, and a timeline will help students access the information presented in this biography.  Upper elementary students who love space will enjoy this biography, but they will probably need an adult to put it in their hands.

Reviewed by Lindsay Varnum, Orono Public Library