Elon Musk: A Mission to Save the World by Anna Crowley Redding
July 1, 2019
Dear Mr. Hemingway,
As you already know, I am a mom to three boys (13, 11, and 9). Like many kids, they typically ride the bus to and from school every day. Taking the bus decreases school morning traffic, is better for the environment, and is overall a more efficient way to get to school. During the last few weeks of the school year (who am I kidding…the last few months) we have embraced some extra sleep time and a more relaxed morning and opted to drive to school (FYI…bad habit to fall into). Every morning as we pulled into the middle school parking lot my son would shout…“Did you see that Tesla car mom? That is so cool. It goes on a charger at night like a phone. I think you need to be a millionaire to drive that.” I’ll admit, in my pre-coffee morning haze, I found myself shouting back, “where, which one, what color?” Once I saw the sleek and stylish Tesla vehicle exiting our school parking lot, I proceeded to ask, “Do you know who came up with that particular car?” Radio silence. “Well, guess what, Anna Crowley Redding ( AKA…….our friend/neighbor) just wrote a book about the man behind Tesla and it was written just for you and your friends.”
Elon Musk: A Mission to Save the World is Anna Crowley Redding’s new Young Adult biography perfect for your 13 year old and up. Her book introduces you to Elon Musk, the billionaire behind Tesla cars and many other groundbreaking companies. Not only is her book fresh and relative for today’s teens, it inspires readers to think outside their comfort zone, become forward thinkers and dream the impossible dream (they sometimes really do come true).
Elon Musk is one of the most successful entrepreneurs in the world. I will admit, other than Tesla electric cars, a few rocket ships, a messy love life and controversial tweets on Twitter, I personally did not know that much about this multi-billionaire. Tesla, PayPal, and SpaceX are just a few of his accomplishments. Did you also know that this gentleman developed reusable rockets and is determined to colonize Mars sooner than later? What makes Crowley Redding’s book so accessible to teens is that she takes them back to Musk’s humble beginnings to see how this global genius came to be. Launching rockets in his backyard and being bullied at school, Musk had a childhood that many were unaware of and many can actually relate to. He was a dreamer and problem solver from day one. His goal to save our planet and make our world a more efficient place to live still rings true today. Crowley Redding offers her readers a VIP pass into the powerful and intellectual world of Elon Musk from his childhood through present day.
What I love about Anna Crowley Redding’s new book is that it draws readers in from the beginning. She hooks you from the start with superhero references, video games and inspiring classic novels (can you say, The Lord of the Rings and The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy?). She writes about Musk in a way that makes him seem everyday and relatable. Her book depicts a man that was and still is always thinking and planning 10 steps ahead of everyone else. His ideas for reusable energy, maximizing resources, space travel and changing public transportation continue to flourish each day. She thoughtfully introduces her readers to Musk’s family and important people in his life that helped shape him into who he is today. Her style of writing is perfect for teens with caption boxes included throughout her book labeled, “Lingo Alert”, “Road Trip Alert” and “Fun Fact”. These boxes beautifully highlight places, unfamiliar jargon and important facts for readers to easily access throughout their reading journey. Along with her wonderful writing, Crowley Redding brings to life Musk’s story with plenty of real life photos and social media pics of the people and places in her book. With her easy to digest writing and photos to match, teens will gobble this book up in no time flat. I look forward to seeing this book in our middle schools, high schools and on bookshelves around the world. Though Crowley Redding’s book was written with teens in mind, it is a stimulating read for us older folks as well ( mind you……I’m not really that old).
Happy Reading everyone!
Until next time Mr. H.
Your Biggest Fan,
Kelly
P.S. Mr. Musk………..if you are reading this, my boys are requesting a Tesla MINIVAN. I must say………this would be extremely beneficial to us mini-van moms and dads! I am very happy to share my professional mom input with you for the ultimate family ride. Can you also make this a lease-option?????????? Just saying!!!!
To purchase Elon Musk: A Mission to Save the World by Anna Crowley Redding click here.
