When Sparks Fly sometimes so do rockets.

When Sparks Fly sometimes so do rockets. And in Kristen Fulton’s new book, When Sparks Fly: The True Story of Robert Goddard, the Father of US Rocketry shows you how in the late 1920s one man help create rockets and started our space program, worked with weapons and more.

In 1822 Goddard was born. In 1945 he would have passed away from cancer. But in between his experiments and discoveries would be astronomical. He would not see us on the moon, but he made it possible.

Diego Funck’s modern illustrations capture the modern reader but does not really take away from the historical of everything. This is a biography but is historical fiction. There is a short afterwards and a works sited page if you want to know more. It might be difficult to read to the very young but ages six to eight would fit best. The text is a more advanced reader (first grade perhaps) but still might need some assistance with reading it.

The part that probably captured my thoughts the most was due to the fact he was sick as a child and read a lot (especially The War of the World). Therefore, he had to stay home a lot, study on his own and was inspired by the classics. If he had not been sick and basically home schooled, who knows if he would have accomplished what he did. Did he know his work would make the bazooka? This does make me curious about the man and I would not say no to learning more about him. I think this book will do the same for your child.