10-year-old Mamie and her best friend and next door neighbor, Buster, are excited about watching Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins launch Apollo 11 to the moon. Mamie's teacher asks the kids in her class to each write a letter to one of the astronauts. Everyone chooses Aldrin or Armstrong, because they will be walking on the moon, while Michael Collins just stays in the Columbia module orbiting the moon. But Mamie is more impressed with Collins dedication to staying behind in the less glamorous position and making it possible for the others, so she writes to him. And keeps writing to him. The entire book is made up of Mamie's letters to Michael Collins, as she shares with him all the details of her life.
And Mamie's family is struggling. First, her mother, fed up with her husband, walks out on the family one day, without so much as a good bye to anyone. Then when he realizes where his wife has gone, Mamie's father takes off after her, leaving Mamie in the care of her (worthless) 16-year-old sister Bess. In the end, Bess leaves too, abandoning a 10-year-old to get by on her own for an indefinite period. This is a reflection of course, of her favorite astronaut, Michael Collins, who is left alone to man the base ship.
I loved Mamie and her friend Buster. They made the book worth reading. What holds me back from a full scale endorsement is the way Mamie's family one by one abandons her. In the book, there is a happy ending when everyone comes home. But in the real world, social services would have stepped in, and Mamie's parents would likely have lost custody of their children for abandoning them, and perhaps even gone on trial for child neglect. None of that is touched on. So as much as I liked Mamie and the story in many ways, I was deeply bothered that her family abandoned her one by one, and that as much as that did distress her, it didn't distress her nearly to the depth that such actions would in reality. ( )

Working through this year's Golden Sower nominees. Nice epistolary novel that would be totally accessible to teach young children how to write a novel through letters. Loved that I learned who the third man was in the Apollo 11 crew...I never knew his name. Did not expect the final letter to have the emotional impact that it did. Listened to this book via Libby. ( )

In 1969, the United States is preparing to send men to the moon. At the same time, Mamie experiences significant turmoil in her household and she uses Michael Collins and the moon landing as her touchstone. Includes Author’s Note, Suggested Reading.

This heartfelt middle-grade epistolary novel draws a parallel between the lonely and underappreciated flight of Apollo 11 astronaut Michael Collins and a girl who's (temporarily) lost between the cracks in the disintegrating marriage of her parents. Along the way, it delivers a fair amount of factual information about the architecture of the Apollo missions without being too pedantic. ( )

1969. Ten-year-old Mamie is preparing, with the rest of the world, for men to walk on the moon. But while most are focused on Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, she's especially rooting for Michael Collins, who must remain alone on the ship in order for the mission to succeed. What begins as a class assignment to write to one of the astronauts turns into a series of letters as Mamie reflects on her determination to remain home while everyone around her leaves, one by one—except for her steadfast and best friend, Buster.

I was a child in the late 60s and enjoyed Baratz-Logsted's references to TV dinners (a novelty then), no AC in the car, etc. Sounds corny, but it made me nostalgic for a simpler time, especially during these crazed Covid-19 days. And I learned more than I ever knew about space flight thanks to Buster.

More than that, it's a sweet story about family, friendship, and realizing that we have it in us not only to survive rough times, but to thrive. As Mamie discovers, we are all more resilient and independent than we know. That's an important message, particularly now. Definitely adding this CT Nutmeg Nominee to our grade 4/5 school library. ( )