A Smile as Big as the Moon

A SMILE AS BIG AS THE MOON

MIKE KERSJES

How far would you go to stand up for your belief in others?  Would that change if everyone else thought you were crazy for the measures you took? When Mike Kersjes, a special education teacher from a high school in northern Michigan, is confronted with these questions, his answer is clear; whatever it takes. In just 274 pages worth of a compelling memoir, he describes the year-long journey it took to get his team of twenty students, ages fourteen to seventeen, to Space Camp on Huntsville, Alabama. Their sucess in the face of doubt and competition makes this book an enjoyable, heartwarming, and fast read. 

I would recommend this book for many reasons. First, the writing style is brilliant. Witty and natural, though poetic, it makes the experiences come to life. The characters are the second reason. They are all real people, so of course they're nicely rounded out and feel natural. The reader falls in love with at least one instantly. Really, there is something or somebody that every reader can connect with. 

On that note, I feel like I should warn everyone reading this that this is a hard book to find in most chain bookstores. I found my copy in the gift shop for a science museum, for example. But most online stores such as Amazon should have it in stock. 

~ Caroline