NT_120618

30 | December 6, 2018 | The Northbrook tower news
northbrooktower.com
Author gives local students out-of-this-world visit
Submitted by District 30
Suzanne Slade is the author
of “Countdown, 2979
Days to the Moon,” which
covers the first journey to
the moon on the Apollo
11 spaceflight; and details
how on July 20, 1969, astronaut
Neil Armstrong
was the first person to take
a step on the moon, making
a “giant leap for mankind.”
Slade, who has a degree
in mechanical engineering,
worked on car brakes and
rockets during her engineering
career, but became
interested about working
on space journey after reviewing
President John F.
Kennedy’s call to land a
man on the moon, and interviewing
the fourth man
on the moon, Alan Bean.
She told this to a group of
parents and students who
attended her evening presentation,
which was held
at Maple School on Nov.
28, courtesy of Anderson
Books.
“The more I learned
about space travel, the
more passionate I became
about the subject,” she
said.
She talked about how
the book went on a journey
of its own, before final
publication.
“I began writing ‘Countdown’
in 2009, and ironically,
the project took
about 2979 days or 8.2
years to complete,” Slade
said.
Since then, the book has
been named 2019 Outstanding
Science Trade
Book, California Reading
Association’s Eureka
Gold Winner, 2018 Junior
Library Guild Selection,
Chicago Public Library
Best of the Books 2018,
2019 NSTA Best STEM
Books List, and more.
The popular book is illustrated
by New York
Times best-selling illustrator
Thomas Gonzalez.
Slade said that she was so
honored to work with an
artist of his caliber.
After discussing Apollo
space journeys, and the
famed moonwalk, Slade
held a contest between
parents and children, about
space travel facts.
The children were the
winners and some of the
facts presented included
the following:
Author Suzanne Slade signs copies of her book “Countdown, 2979 Days to the Moon,” on Nov. 28 during her visit
to Maple School. Photos Submitted
• 600 million people
worldwide watched Neil
Armstrong on live television
take his first step on
the moon in 1969
• July 20, 2019, will
mark the 50th anniversary
of Armstrong’s first step
on the moon
• Suzanne Slade’s newest
book, “Astronaut Annie”
will launch in February
2019, and will be read
by an astronaut from her
post at the International
Space Station
To find out more about
Slade’s books, visit suzan
neslade.com/books
After the presentation,
the kids had the opportunity
to take NASA selfies
with the author, and a
raffle was held. Winners
of the Anderson Books
gift certificate and gourmet
cookies made by Amy
Kauth’s daughter were
Wescott School fifth-grader
Nicholas Aleakos and
Maple School seventhgrader
Sofia Sommer.
Eight Field students selected to All-Illinois Band
Submitted by District 31
Eight District 31 students
recently won seats
in the 2019 All Illinois Junior
Band, an honors band
hosted by the University of
Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
The Field Middle School
students selected for the
honors band were eighthgraders
Justine Liu, (flute),
Trinity Choi (clarinet), Michelle
Lim (clarinet), Mia
Burshteyn (bass clarinet),
Anna Vierimaa (bassoon),
Andrew Jeon (tuba), and
seventh-graders Jessica An
(clarinet) and Claire Yum
(clarinet). Burshteyn and
Vierimaa distinguished
themselves by placing first
in their section from those
around the state who auditioned.
Middle school band students
from the state of Illinois
were invited to send
in recorded etudes and
scales selected as audition
pieces in early November.
These recordings were
evaluated anonymously by
a panel of judges who then
selected an elite band from
those who auditioned.
The students will meet
on the campus of the University
of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana
for rehearsals
Feb. 8 and 9, giving a
public performance on the
stage of Krannert Center
for the Performing Arts on
Saturday afternoon.
RIGHT: Pictured are
eight District 31 students
recently won seats in the
2019 All Illinois Junior
Band, an honors band
hosted by the University
of Illinois at Urbana-
Champaign. Photo
Submitted