Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that, though the publisher lists this book for ages 8 and up, and the story certainly seems meant for that age, there are numerous sexual references, and more swearing than you'd expect in a book aimed at middle elementary-aged kids. Also, a boy is encouraged and aided in lying to his mother by his father and by government agents, including the president.
Families who read this book could discuss the mysteries about the space program raised in the Author's Note. The premise of the book seems ridiculous, but the secrets encourage speculation. Why might the government still be keeping secrets so many years later? What do you think really happened? What could they be hiding? Do you think anything like this story is even remotely possible?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Matt Berman
OK, granted, there's a huge suspension of disbelief to get over with this book. NASA secretly sending a boy and two chimps to land on the moon before Apollo 11 has to be one of the most absurd premises ever. The author compounds this with references to possible UFOs, a mystical encounter in the last part of the story, and an Author's Note that claims much of the Apollo program is "still shrouded in secrecy" and that no one really knows when the chimp program was discontinued. Even fans of Tom Swift may have to take a deep breath before swallowing all of that.
And yet ... take the leap, and you'll find an immensely enjoyable, exciting, engrossing story, the stuff of hours of childhood fantasy. Scott and the chimps are appealing characters, and the details are as grounded in scientific and historical reality as the premise is not. Scott is a boy's boy in the '50s series-book mold: stalwart, vastly competent and levelheaded, openhearted, and calmly willing to defy adult authority to do things his way, outwitting them at every turn. This is nearly perfect summer reading -- ridiculous escapism at its purest.
From The Book
Instinctively, I reached down beside my thigh, took hold of one of the ejection-seat handgrips, and raised it to the full up position, exposing the trigger the way he had shown me. I felt the shoulder harness tighten. I needed only to squeeze the trigger to launch myself out of the aircraft. Except that I couldn't do it. Despite what he'd said earlier, there was no way I could eject.
For one thing, I could only eject myself, and that would have been like killing my dad. For another, the canopy was a mess. It was supposed to blow off a split second before the seat ejected. But looking at it now I had my doubts about that happening. It seemed just as likely that my seat would be fired straight through the damaged canopy, killing me outright. There could be no question of ejecting. Our only chance was for me to take control of the aircraft and land it myself -- something I had never done. I grabbed the stick as the Tweet gave a little shudder and began to dip to the right.
"I have control of the aircraft!" I yelled at him.
The trouble was, I didn't. Not by a long shot.
Plot Summary:
In the late '60s, Scott's father is an Air Force flight trainer in Texas. He teaches Scott to fly in a private plane, but then, against the rules, also teaches him to fly fighter jets. When Scott's father is knocked out in an in-flight accident and Scott lands the plane, NASA takes notice. They have a secret program that precedes each of the manned rocket launches with a scaled down test flight using chimps. Before the moon landing, one of their highly trained chimps wigs out, and they enlist Scott to train to fly to the moon and back with two other chimps. Includes Author's Note.
Related Books:
Other Books by P. B. Kerr:
The Akhenaten Adventure: Children of the Lamp, Book 1
Kids Go into Space:
The Wonderful Flight to the Mushroom Planet by Eleanor Cameron
Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator by Roald Dahl
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
George's Secret Key to the Universe by Lucy & Stephen Hawking
Related Web sites:
Author's Site
| Content | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CS | adults | kids | ||
Sexual ContentReferences to having sex, multiple references to Playboy magazine, a discussion of women wearing miniskirts so that men can see their underwear, mention of condoms. |
 |
|||
ViolenceAn fatal airplane accident, another with injury. |
 |
|||
LanguageA fair bit of mild swearing: "g-ddamn," "nuts," "dick," "assholes," one use of "s--t." |
|
|||
Message |
|
|||
Social BehaviorThough the main character is full of admirable qualities, he lies to his mother, aided by his father and the government. |
 |
|||
CommercialismCar, lawn mower, soda brands mentioned. |
 |
|||
Drug/Alcohol/TobaccoTeens and adults smoke and young teens drink beer. |
|
|||
