A review by rjozinga
Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream by Tanya Lee Stone

4.0

I was pleasantly surprised by this book! The story of 13 women who tried to become astronauts in 1958. Led by Jerrie Cobb, the Mercury 13 went through rigorous testing to ensure that they were capable of becoming astronauts. Unfortunately, at that time, NASA was a "boys club" and not ready to let in women. This book details the tests they went through as well as their congressional hearing to gain acceptance into the astronaut program. While non of these women ever made it into space, they paved the way for future women astronauts and proved they were just as capable as men. This book contains beautiful photos as well as a great narrative style that tells the facts, yet reads like a story. As someone who is not a huge fan of space, this book made me completely forget I was reading about astronauts and focus on the fight these women had to go through. This book will appeal to girls, especially those who prefer things and activities more geared toward boys. I would recommend it for ages 11 to 16.