A Smile as Big as the Moon: A Special Education Teacher, His Class, and Their Inspiring Journey Through U.S. Space Camp

Rating:
Summary: A Book Worth Reading
Review: A Smile As Big As The Moon, by Mike Kersejes, is truly inspirational. It is qualified to inspire both teachers and students of all age groups. With the charisma for teaching and the love for his students this special education teacher lets nothing stand in the way of his students future. The challenges that the students are faced with beause of their disabilities are challenged by their very own teacher and themselves. This story can truly give a student who has no determination the will to move forward and stand up for what they believe is right. This book gives readers new strengths and the ability to see the lives and struggles that special education students deal with on an every day basis. This book will give all readers a new view on life.
I give this book four stars becuase of its inspiration and the message it sends out to readers.


Rating:
Summary: Kids and Space are Special
Review: "Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds." Albert Einstein.

For Kerjes, sticking with coaching football at Forest Hills Northern High School in Grand Rapids, Michigan would have been easier than navigating the loops necessary to get to Space Camp. At stake was setting a precedent: They were pioneers, the first in line. Would they fail, only to have NASA close the shuttle doors to Space Camp for all children with special needs?

What happened was a miracle: Kersjes class was the first group of children with special needs to not only attend Space Camp but, in the process, run circles around the neuro-typicals and gifted children from other schools across the U.S.

But look further than this softcover version; the rights have been bought by Jerry Bruckheimer and Walt Disney Pictures. Surely the book and screen version will be mandatory curricula in teacher's colleges nationwide.

Go for it, Mike Kersjes!

Rating:
Summary: A Smile as Big as the Moon
Review: A Smile as Big as the Moon by Mike Kersjes is a great book for everybody to read because it was an inspirational story about a group of special education students that overcame all odds at space camp. It is also about their specail education teacher Mike Kersjes that helped his students get to space camp. The students were very successful; they won most of the awards and did everything right during their missions. The most thing that amazed me about the students was that before space camp camp the students were acting like little kids and had no confidence in themselvesl. After space camp the students left with confidence and felt that they could do anything if they put their minds to it. This all happened because their teacher was determined to get them to space camp and because thier hard work.

I loved the book because it had a great story and it was easy to read. Teachers,parents, and students should read it.



Rating:
Summary: Love it, love it, love it!
Review: Being somewhat of an idealist working in the field of special ed., I am frequently frustrated by the barriers placed in front of me by administrators, special ed. directors, program managers, etc. This book reminds me that it's worth the battle...that our kids really can touch the sky. As I'm sure you can tell, I love this book! Kerjes is honest and humorous in his portrayal of the struggles he faced in bringing his kids to Space Camp. It's inspiring, and even better, it's TRUE!

Rating:
Summary: A special-ed wish-fulfillment fantasy
Review: I don't quite dare hope that I'll ever find a special education teacher for my kids who's as determined, ornery and willing to dream big dreams as Mike Kersjes, but it's sure nice to think so. As the parent of one child with learning disabilities and one with fetal alcohol effects, I've often been frustrated by the careful modesty of the goals proposed for challenged children -- the very lack of specialness in special education. What I like about this book is the fact that with really well thought-out planning -- not just wishes or hopes or good will but real nitty-gritty planning and thinking about what the kids would need to get them to Space Camp and then seeing it through -- the students were able to succeed beyond their own or anyone else's imagining. It's a matter of deciding what's best and making it happen, rather than making the best of what's happened already. I'd sure like to see more of that outside of the pages of books. (A note regarding the cover of the paperback edition: Did the illustrator read the book at all? Despite the sweet little March of Dimes-style children shown gazing moonward, the book is about big, troublesome, oversized, irreverent, unhygeinic teen-agers. Compelling, but not so cute.)

Rating:
Summary: GREAT book--but what's with the paperback cover?!
Review: These are supposed to be HIGH SCHOOL kids not little kids! That cover is ALL WRONG!

But the book itself is awesome. An inspirational, funny, heartwarming story.

I hope they make a movie of it!