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I have to admit that I don't know if my son would like this book, "I Love You Michael Collins" but I am fairly sure a couple daughters of a friend would. Mamie is a young lady who knows her own mind. She isn't the most popular child in school because of it, but she and her best friend are indeed the best of buds. Set in the 1969 when the first planned landing on the moon is in the works. Her school class is given an assignment, write to one of the astronauts. Mamie chose "the forgotten astronaut" Michael Collins.
This book is her series of letters to him, talking to him about her life and asking him questions. It is written in conversational tone, you could just see a 10 year old lass writing like this. :)
Part of the conversation in this book is how to handle a fractured family, teen angst, selfish of a variety of people, and how family matters.
Published by Farrar Straus & Giroux, 204 pages long, written by Lauren Baratz Logsted, it's a wonderful piece of history. Walking us through the divergent opinions of putting a man on the moon, how families interacted, and wonder of astronauts in space for middle school students.. I thoroughly enjoyed this read. Geared to youth 9-12 years old.
This book is her series of letters to him, talking to him about her life and asking him questions. It is written in conversational tone, you could just see a 10 year old lass writing like this. :)
Part of the conversation in this book is how to handle a fractured family, teen angst, selfish of a variety of people, and how family matters.
Published by Farrar Straus & Giroux, 204 pages long, written by Lauren Baratz Logsted, it's a wonderful piece of history. Walking us through the divergent opinions of putting a man on the moon, how families interacted, and wonder of astronauts in space for middle school students.. I thoroughly enjoyed this read. Geared to youth 9-12 years old.
In BHHs, you are often asked, “What does the author think you know?” In I Love You, Michael Collins, Baratz-Logsted drops the reader into the 1960s during the era of the US’s space race against Russia to be the first to get to the moon.
The author alludes to the politics of the era as well as the challenges of being female in the 1960s.
This book is a great example of choosing a setting that matches the struggle of the character herself. It’s also written in epistolary (letter) style which means the story is told to us even though the character is writing to an astronaut. This is a surprisingly complex text considering that it is also appropriate for a younger audience.
You can go as deep or shallow as you like with this story.
Dive in!
The author alludes to the politics of the era as well as the challenges of being female in the 1960s.
This book is a great example of choosing a setting that matches the struggle of the character herself. It’s also written in epistolary (letter) style which means the story is told to us even though the character is writing to an astronaut. This is a surprisingly complex text considering that it is also appropriate for a younger audience.
You can go as deep or shallow as you like with this story.
Dive in!
this book made me ugly cry in a good way. innocently heartbreaking and sweet, ‘i love you, michael collins’ has landed into my favourites shelf for all the right reasons possible.
There are so many things I love about this book: the very realistic depiction of family and how sad it can be, especially when you're only ten-years-old, when people begin to leave. You feel left behind. My heart broke for Mamie, and the way her situation compared with the astronauts was so well done. I really loved the quote, "Does no one stay with the ship anymore?"
The best part though was the amazing friendship behind Mamie and Buster. Buster was such a good friend, so kind and thoughtful. I loved this book to pieces.
The best part though was the amazing friendship behind Mamie and Buster. Buster was such a good friend, so kind and thoughtful. I loved this book to pieces.
More of a 3.5
Reminiscent of Dear Mr. Henshaw...enjoyed learning about Michael Collins (truth: I did not know the name of the third astronaut beforehand--or if I ever did, I forgot it)
Reminiscent of Dear Mr. Henshaw...enjoyed learning about Michael Collins (truth: I did not know the name of the third astronaut beforehand--or if I ever did, I forgot it)
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
mamie writes letters to micheal collins, one of the astronauts planned to go onto apollo 11. it was a very cute story.
emotional
informative
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I think the story here is actually closer to three stars, in the enjoyable but not spectacular range. I had to bump it up a little on personal enjoyment though, because I love astronaut stories, and this book gave me a chance to vicariously experience the first moon landing, with all the excitement and fear that went with it. (Though my pet peeve of books subtly dissing full time homemaking is present here. Grr.)
Minor: Death
A large part of the story revolves around tensions between the main characters parents, and includes their separation.
I don’t love books written in letter form, but these letters were so full of information that I tended to forget I was reading a letter. I loved the seemingly mundane details of the time period that got slipped into the writing here - the different ways the moms dressed, the food, etc. A fun, cute and quick read!
I loved this one. Mamie reminded me a bit of myself. As a kid, I would have picked the least popular thing because I was afraid it would feel bad and then tell people it was really the best. I love episolatory novels, like this one and I think the style really works. I also thought the potential disintegration of the family made sense. I didn't like that it was happening, but it felt real. This is a great story.
"It's like this. You look forward to something happening, you even dream about it. But dreaming and doing are two different things. When you're actually doing, there's still so much that could go wrong."