DVD Review: When We Were Apollo

When We Were Apollo

(DVD 629.454 Whe)

 

For anyone interested in the United States history of the Space Race, this documentary is a must-see. As someone who has always been interested in the space program and NASA, I found this film to be a fascinating look at the men and women who made every mission possible. Growing up in the 1960s and watching each mission to the moon and back, it was interesting to me to see old news reels of each event interspersed with clips of major news events that were happening simultaneously with the space program and their effect on each other. I was especially moved by the interviews with men and women who were part of the program to land a man on the moon and hear their memories first-hand. It is important that we should remember the accomplishments of these people at a time when our country was in a technological war with the former Soviet Union in its efforts to get ahead in the space race. We still have many people alive today who can provide first-person accounts of the advancements made in the early years of NASA; now is the time to record those memories for future generations to learn from.

 

(If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Apollo 13 or Hidden Figures.)

 

( Internet Movie Database entry for this film ) | ( official When We Were Apollo Twitter feed )

 

Recommended by Kim J.
Bennett Martin Public Library — Public Service

 

Have you watched this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide Blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewer’s recommendations!

Book Review: The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen

The Magic Fish

by Trung Le Nguyen (YA PB (Graphic Novel) Trung)

 

A young queer boy uses fairy tales to connect with his Vietnamese-speaking mother. A language story. A gender story. A family love story. Threaded together with fairy tales. The boy speaks English as his first language, while his mother speaks Vietnamese. The boy is queer and he’s scared to tell his mother/parents. Mom uses a fairy tale to reassure him that they can write their own ending. Together.

 

( publisher’s official The Magic Fish web site ) | ( official Trung Le Nguyen web site )

 

Recommended by Carrie K.
Bennett Martin Public Library — Public Service

 

Have you read or listened to this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide Blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewer’s recommendations!

Book Review: The Aquanaut by Dan Santat

The Aquanaut

by Dan Santat (jPB Santat)

 

Sophia’s dad has been lost at sea for years, and her uncle is working hard to preserve his legacy at Aqualand — the marine life theme park they started. Sophie is having a hard time because her uncle is so focused on work that he’s missing all the important things in her life. Suddenly, an old diving suit shows up, seemingly walking around on its own, since whomever’s inside never speaks. Sophie discovers the secret inside the suit, but tries her best to keep it secret. Eventually, Uncle Paul finds out, too, and even more is revealed.

 

A little bit mystery solving, a little bit daring rescue, a little bit dark secrets, but more about friendship and love, this was a quick well-illustrated read.

 

( official Dan Santat Instagram feed )

 

Recommended by Kolette S.
Anderson and Bethany Branch Libraries

 

Have you read or listened to this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide Blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewer’s recommendations!