Reading Planet - Level 7: Fiction (Saturn) - Reading age: 10-11 years
The Apollo Time Capsule is included in the Rising Stars Reading Planet reading scheme at the Blue-Red level. The book is an engaging fantasy story involving two characters: Ryan and Clare. On the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, Ryan’s class, 6A, unearth the time capsule buried by the pupils of 6A in 1969. Ryan discovers a letter written by Clare in which she seems to predict the details of several space missions undertaken after the famous events of 1969, and so the mystery unfolds. After much investigation, the now adult Clare is brought back to her old school where she meets Ryan, and both experience an overwhelming feeling of déjà vu.
This is a delightful fantasy asking pupils to consider the possibility of time travel whilst framed in the familiar setting of home and the primary school. The book also deals with the themes of aspiration, hard-work and honesty and includes several characters who have fulfilled their potential through pursuing STEM subjects at school and beyond.
The Apollo Time Capsule includes comprehension questions from across the range tested in the KS2 tests and provides children with sufficient additional activities to extend and secure their understanding of the text.
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Without being a spoiler, I would say that this is an amazing, thrilling, space geek story full of action. Space geeks would love this book!
Ryan is a curious, adventurous boy who is obsessed with space and couldn't think much about anything else. Clare is very much like Ryan, she is a space geek too and also in class 6A. The only difference between these two adventuring characters is that they were born 50 years apart.
It is the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11, 2019. Ryan's class, 6A find a time capsule which was buried in 1969 by a different class 6A. The discovery makes Ryan embark on a hunt to find Clare; her letter was in the time capsule.... Read Full Review
Calling all space enthusiasts and time-travel experts, your next mystery has arrived.
A great read for anyone interested in NASA, space and time travel. Many children (and grownups) will be able to relate to Ryan, the story’s main character. It is clear from the first page that Ryan is fascinated by space, but refreshingly he is not presented as a stereotypical nerd. The fact that he is a ‘space geek’ is acknowledged by his friend Kayden, but I liked that this was not Ryan’s defining feature. He is a normal student who rushes around and likes to hang out with his friends, space just happens to be his favourite subject.
The author has highlighted not only Ryan’s passion for space, but readers can also see his intelligence and kindness.... Read Full Review
