05/11/2021
Book Review: I Love You, Michael Collins
“Buster says that everything that has ever happened in the
world and anything a person could ever want to know about the world can be
found in books.”
Buster is Mamie’s best friend, and he is the kind of best
friend we can relate to—a bookworm. Mamie loves to read as well but is not as
enamored of it as Buster is. But that’s okay, because even with this difference
in personality, they are both very, very interested in the upcoming launch of
Apollo 11, the first mission that put humans on the moon.
Mamie, named after the First Lady in the White House when
she was born (like her sister Bess), has a class assignment to write to one of
the astronauts. After everyone in the class chose their astronaut, there was
one name with no checkmarks next to it: Michael Collins. And one kid had not
chosen: Mamie. Mamie of course chooses Michael Collins, stating, “Because he’s
the best one.” Her classmates ridicule her, as Collins will not even be landing
on the moon, but Mamie doesn’t mind. Her mind is set. Michael Collins will do
the most important task of all: he will stay with the ship.
Through her letters to Collins, we see Mamie’s daily life,
leading up to the launch on July 16, 1969. The cultural references and details
are so much fun, from Mamie’s parents’ criticisms of the hairstyle and makeup
worn by Buster’s mom to Mamie’s preference for Fruit Loops over Cap’n Crunch.
We feel Mamie’s growing excitement as the launch date approaches and she makes
plans for an Apollo 11 party (with Tang, of course). Unfortunately, not
everything will go as planned.
In the past, space travel united us as a nation and as a
world, and it shows signs of doing so again. SpaceX is sending manned flights
to the ISS in partnership with NASA; AppleTV+ has a hit with “For All Mankind”,
an alternate history of the Space Race. Our collective eyes are turned once
more to the stars, and with the recent death of Astronaut Collins, this book is
perfect for solo or family reading right now. It does deal with some difficult
topics, like marital strife and the Vietnam protests, but there is no content
that would be inappropriate for middle and YA readers. As with all Penworthy
Prebound Books, this chapter book will circulate and endure, and our quality
guarantee means that if you are ever unsatisfied, let us know and we will
replace the book. You can find this funny and heartwarming book on our website here.