Man on a Mission: The David Hilmers Story

Gr 4–7—The title of this autobiographical profile is a triple entendre, as Hilmers not only relates experiences both as a crew member on four space-shuttle flights and a post-NASA career as a pediatrician in multiple poverty-stricken and war-torn countries, but also promotes the central role his Christian faith has played in guiding him through doubts, dangers, and significant life decisions. Interspersing frequent ruminations on his "faith journey," but only rarely even mentioning his family, he takes readers from his Iowa upbringing through his military and astronaut training, flights before and after the Columbia disaster (two of which he coyly notes were classified, but curious readers can consult Wikipedia for details), medical school, and overseas relief missions to, among other locales, Botswana, Haiti, Pakistan, and even North Korea. The stingy assortment of small, murky black-and-white photos depicts Hilmers in a wide variety of settings, and though his steadfastly positive outlook gives the narrative a bland cast, his eventful life and his watchwords-"Did I make a difference?"-make worthy models.—John Peters, Children's Literature Consultant, New York City