I Love You Michael Collins

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.