Chasing Space Young Readers' Edition
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Winner of the 2019 Grand Canyon Reader Award for Tween Non-Fiction
Meet Leland Melvinβfootball star, NASA astronaut, and professional dream chaser.
In this inspiring memoir, adapted from the simultaneous version for adults, young readers will get to learn about Leland Melvinβs remarkable life story, from being drafted by the Detroit Lions to bravely orbiting our planet in the International Space Station to writing songs with will.i.am, working with Serena Williams, and starring in top-rated television shows like The Dog Whisperer, Top Chef, and Child Genius.
With do-it-yourself experiments in the back of the book and sixteen pages of striking full-color photographs, this is the perfect book to inspire young readers.
When the former Detroit Lionβs football career was cut short by an injury, Leland didnβt waste time mourning his broken dream. Instead, he found a new oneβsomething that was completely out of this world.
He joined NASA, braved an injury that nearly left him permanently deaf, and still managed to muster the courage and resolve to travel to space on the shuttle Atlantis to help build the International Space Station. Lelandβs problem-solving methods and can-do attitude turned his impossible-seeming dream into reality.
Lelandβs story introduces readers to the fascinating creative and scientific challenges he had to deal with in space and will encourage the next generation of can-do scientists to dare to follow their dreams.
Bill Nye the Science Guy says: βLelandβs story moves fast; once you get started youβll want to join the chase.β
- From the NFL to NASA: Follow Leland Melvinβs unbelievable journey from being drafted by the Detroit Lions to orbiting the Earth on the International Space Station.
- Overcoming Adversity: Discover how a devastating football injury and a freak accident that nearly left him deaf couldnβt stop Leland from chasing a new, out-of-this-world dream.
- Hands-On STEM Activities: Get inspired to become a can-do scientist with do-it-yourself experiments in the back of the book, perfect for curious young explorers.
- An Inspiring True Story: Packed with sixteen pages of full-color photos, this memoir shows kids that with a can-do attitude, resilience, and a little grit, anything is possible.
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A former wide receiver for the Detroit Lions, Leland Melvin is an engineer and NASA astronaut. He served on the space shuttle Atlantis as a mission specialist and was named the NASA Associate Administrator for Education in October 2010. He also served as the cochair on the White Houseβs Federal Coordination in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education Task Force, developing the nationβs five-year STEM education plan. He is the host of the Lifetime show Child Genius and a judge for ABCβs BattleBots. He holds four honorary doctorates and has received the NFL Player Association Award of Excellence. He lives in Lynchburg, Virginia.
