January 28, 1986, the space shuttle Challenger exploded just seconds after takeoff in Florida. Killing all seven aboard, this was the worst disaster in the US space program. Christa McAuliffe was the first American citizen to be given the opportunity to go to space. Another important fact was that Christa was a teacher and had planned to teach 2 lessons from space. This biography written especially for young readers is produced through Gateway Biographies.
I remember exactly where I was at the time the Challenger exploded. I remember being in a mall standing in front of Radio Shack and other shoppers stopped in awe to see this devastating situation. The book is well written and a great way for young children to learn about the lady in the astronaut uniform and experience what the world did that day, yet in an appropriate forum for children. I would like to own this and the other biographies that are provided through Gateway Biographies. They do a great job at making the book interesting and appealing to a group of young readers.
As a classroom extension, just having this book available for children to read is an assett to any class. The students could use this as a research item, they could learn about the challenger mission as well as Christa the person. The students could learn about space and NASA. This book is a great feeder for children writing about following their dreams.