Chasing Space

Memoir of an astronaut whose road to space took an unusual twist--through the National Football League.Rewritten for younger audiences, this version of Melvin's simultaneously publishing memoir for adults not only retraces his development from "a skinny black kid" who wanted to be the next Arthur Ashe to an engineer who flew on two space-shuttle missions, but is even capped with a trio of science projects. Though he pushes the conventional platitude that "hard work and dedication are all you need to succeed," his experiences point more to the value of being ready to take full advantage of second chances when they come along--which they did in his (brief) NFL career, in college after he was suspended for (inadvertent, in his view) cheating, and later at NASA in the wake of a training injury that left him partially deaf. He has also enjoyed a second career as a speaker, educator, TV host, occasional poet, and songwriter with Pharrell and other musicians. Religious faith and racism sound occasional notes in his account, the latter underscored by a picture of his otherwise all-white astronaut class in one of the two photo sections, but he devotes warmer attention to tributes to his mentors, colleagues, role models--and, oddly, his dogs, whose lives and deaths make up much of what he has to say about his adult private life. A detailed picture of astronaut training and work, threaded on a decidedly unusual storyline. (Memoir. 11-14) COPYRIGHT(1) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

October 1, 2017

Gr 6 Up-Former astronaut Melvin has the distinction of being the only person to be drafted into the NFL and fly into outer space as an astronaut. This autobiography chronicles his unique and inspirational journey. The narrative opens with Melvin in a somber place after losing his hearing in an underwater astronaut training accident, before doubling back to his childhood in Virginia. Melvin's readable prose follows his life from his stop off in the NFL, where he was waylaid by an injury before ever playing in a game, through graduate school and all during his time in the International Space Station, to his retirement from NASA. The astronaut proves a likable narrator. He matter-of-factly relates his own experiences with racism as an African American man and gives occasional nods to his Christian faith as a source of strength in difficult times. The scale of Melvin's achievement is impressive: he completed graduate-level engineering coursework at night while attending Dallas Cowboys training camp, and he never gave up his pursuit of going into space, even after his hearing was damaged. While his crowning achievement-being selected to go into space-is not given the level of detail some space buffs may hope for, it's balanced by his encounters with significant historical figures, such as Katherine Johnson, and major historical events-the explosion of the space shuttle Columbia. VERDICT An accessible contemporary autobiography that would be a strong choice for any middle school or teen collection.-Bobbi Parry, East Baton Rouge Parish School System, LA

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2018
Abridged and revised for young readers, Melvin's inspirational memoir movingly and honestly relates his fascinating journey from promising professional football receiver to NASA astronaut on two space shuttle missions. Melvin emphasizes how family-instilled values of hard work, community commitment, and religious faith impacted his life. Two full-color photograph inserts are included, and three do-it-yourself experiments reflecting influential experiences in the author's life are appended.

(Copyright 2018 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

Starred review from May 8, 2017
In this wide-ranging memoir, Melvin, a retired astronaut, football player, engineer, and educator, shares anecdotes of the many challenges he has faced as well as his multitude of accomplishments and the role models who inspired him. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions, but hamstring injuries ended his hopes for a career in the NFL before it even took off. Fortunately, Melvin was recruited to work as an optical engineer at NASA’s Langley research center in Virginia. He writes with bemusement about the publicity he dealt with after earning a coveted slot in the astronaut corps. For someone of such remarkable achievement, Melvin demonstrates impressive humility and depth of character as he discusses overcoming myriad setbacks, such as the training accident that left him deaf in one ear and nearly grounded him for good. His missions aboard the space shuttle ended after the cancellation of the shuttle program, sending Melvin to break new ground in NASA’s Educator Astronaut Program and as cochair of the White House Committee on STEM Education. Melvin writes honestly about his mistakes as well as his triumphs, urging readers to pursue their dreams with determination and hard work. Agent: Dave Larabell, Creative Artists.