Moonshot: a NASA Astronaut's Guide to Achieving the Impossible (Common Text 2025-2026)

One strategy to help our students discover a broader understanding of an inclusive society is for them to see what they might not have noticed before. These multi-leveled reflections encourage readers to pause and reflect on the cultural representation of characters, setting, and events in the books they read. Then they can compare, contrast, and develop a connection to their own culture while taking a deeper look at the representation of others. Each level includes spaces with default questions that you can customize to meet your learning objectives and goals.

If you ask children what they want to be when they grow up, chances are good that among the answers, you’ll hear “astronaut.” But becoming an astronaut can be more difficult than becoming a veterinarian, firefighter, marine biologist, or some of the other common childhood job aspirations. The odds aren’t good: In 2021, NASA selected 10 astronaut candidates from a pool of over 12,000 applicants. And last year, over 22,000 applications to the European Space Agency resulted in 17 job offers.