Are you longing for new inspiration and guidance for your goals after school is out? Here are more books to help you navigate your life and keep you headed in the right direction. All but the last three are picture books and are good for all ages. The last three are great for ages 12 and up.
Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11, by Brian Floca, celebrates one of the most amazing feats of mankind. Forty years ago, during the summer of 1969, the Apollo 11 lunar module landed on the moon. The grandeur of the blackened sky as the astronauts float through space spatially sucks in the reader into the ride, and the thrill becomes unified with reader and rider. The poetic placement of words describes the event simply, yet powerfully. The book's entire experience relays the momentous event. And don't forget to catch all of the additional information about the spacecraft and the event on the inside covers. This is an exceptional book!
Another book that also celebrates this incredible event is Footprints on the Moon, by Mark Haddon, and illustrated by Christian Birmingham. A young boy falls asleep and dreams of walking on the moon. This extraordinary mission affected the author while growing up and his story certainly reflects his memorable impressions. Both of these books will surely enlighten children about one of the most amazing feats of the last century.
“ Louise, The Adventures of a Chicken”, by Kate DiCamillo, and illustrated by Harry Bliss, takes you through the high adventures of this fowl-feathered friend. She experiences the high-wire and fending off pirates, and in the midst of it all realizing that what she yearns for most is the comfort of home. This book is written with four simple chapters and illustrations that fill the pages with extraordinary color and action. The delight of Louise's exploits is a thrilling read, but just as satisfying is the reminiscence of home.
I Will Make Miracles, by Susie Morgenstern, and illustrated by Jiang Hong Chen, takes on a most challenging question about what you will be when you grow up. A young boy ponders this question as he proceeds to envision a better world. He would heal the sick, feed the hungry, stop wars, even stop damaging weather conditions. The rhyming pages build to the last page where the greatest miracle awaits. This oversized book is filled with double-page scenes that will sweep you away.
Imagine a Place, by Sarah L. Thomson, and illustrated by Rob Gonsalves, celebrates the creative mind with the most imaginative flowing words that match beautiful renditions of painted scenery that is beyond compare. If this book doesn't spark your imagination, I don't know what will.
And along this same theme, Ready to Dream, by Donna Jo Napoli and Elena Furrow, and illustrated by Bronwyn Bancroft, is all about looking at your world differently, with more awareness and creatively. A young girl, Ally, and her mother are visiting Australia for the summer and meet an Aboriginal artist. Ally's outlook on life is about to change when she begins to take notice of all that surrounds her on the ground, in the ocean, and in the sky. Her eyes are opened with the beauty that lies everywhere and that art isn't always created with paper and paint and mistakes help us learn. Ms. Furrow, who painted the rich and vivid illustrations is an Aborigine.
I want to conclude with books about some outstanding people that we all can look to for help, guidance and inspiration. The Neal A. Maxwell Quote Book, edited by Cory H. Maxwell, is a thick, and beautifully illustrated, book that is rich with Brother Maxwell's concise spiritual advice. He had a way with words that few of us ever hope to be able to convey and this book is filled with inspirational, motivational and intellectual quotes. A few of these amazing quotes include : “When life is seen as good, a bad day can easily be absorbed” and “When we really care, we will try to transform our complaints into recommendations and our observations into solutions.” The subject matter begins with ability and goes through the alphabet ending with Zion. Every family should have this exceptional book laying out for all members to absorb and read.
Supersonic Saints 2, compiled by John Bytheway, encompasses more real stories from LDS pilots. Along the same vein as the first book in this series, the stories are filled with the Spirit as these pilots experienced near-death situations and the Holy Spirit helped guide and direct them to safety. There are stories from World War II up through and including modern airplanes. Kids and adults will be enlightened and exhilarated from these stories.
Another “flight” book that will surely inspire is Almost Astronauts: 12 Women Who Dared to Dream, by Tanys Lee Stone. This is a great non-fiction book filled with important attributes that help make great people: courage, intelligence, being physically fit and handling tremendous stress. When NASA was created back in 195 8, it was difficult to be accepted into the astronaut program. But one requirement that was necessary back then was that they only accepted men. The 12 women listed here had a tremendous amount of prejudice and jealousy to overcome and prove that they were worthy of this type of flight. These stories are amazing and inspirational and photos are found throughout the book.
