This engaging information book tells the story of the American astronauts who set out on the voyage of a lifetime in 1970 to land on the moon. After months of practise, they blasted off from Earth to the cheers of bystanders, but things took a turn for the worse and they had to face up to the perils of space travel. The humorous cartoon-style illustrations and the narrative approach encourage readers to get emotionally involved with the characters, aiding their understanding of what life would have been like aboard Apollo XIII. Informative captions, a complete glossary and an index make this title an ideal introduction to the conventions of non-fiction texts for young readers.