Common Sense Media Review
By Mary Eisenhart
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Science-rich picture bio tracks first "small step" on moon.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 6+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
The bright-eyed, pint-sized narrator of I AM NEIL ARMSTRONG grows up on a farm and fascinated by airplanes. Working a lot of hard, dirty jobs to pay for it all, young Neil goes from model airplanes to flying lessons, earning his pilot's license before his driver's license. A successful career (along with some harrowing near-death experiences) as an engineer and pilot in the military leads him to become an astronaut in the fledgling U.S. space program -- where his own hard work and that of many others all come together for "one small step" on the moon.
Is It Any Good?
In this '"Ordinary People" entry, Brad Meltzer and Christopher Eliopoulos do a great job of spotlighting the 1969 lunar landing through the eyes of its central figure. In the years between aviation-crazed farmboy childhood and first step on the moon, I Am Neil Armstrong's title character works hard, focuses on patience and problem-solving, and gives lots of credit to others along the way. In the process, there's a lot of detail about the science and technology of space travel, which will thrill some young readers but may bore others.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how space travel seems in I Am Neil Armstrong. Why do you think people want to go into space? Do you have any favorite stories about space travel?
Have you ever been in a situation where you were really scared, but instead of panicking you tried to stay calm and figure out a solution? What happened?
Have you ever worked on something that involved a whole lot of people working together to get it done? What was it? How did it turn out?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Christopher Eliopoulos
- Genre : Biography
- Topics : STEM , History
- Book type : Non-Fiction
- Publisher : Dial
- Publication date : September 11, 2018
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 5 - 8
- Number of pages : 40
- Available on : Nook, Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate