Miss Pickerell Goes to Mars (No 9)

This book shocked me by being *actually reality based*.

Okay, yes, the basic premise of "little old lady who has frighteningly close relationship to her cow find scientists building moon rocket in her pasture and accidentally stows away" requires deep, deep suspension of disbelief. But once she

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actually gets on the rocket, the science is all *good* science. Written for about a third-grade level, so very simplified, but despite the 1951 publication date, there's nothing that makes me want to write corrections in the margin. And in fact this would serve as a very good primer on space travel: more accurate than some *textbooks* I've encountered. But not too preachy or teachy, and the character of Miss Pickerell shines over all.

It's very ... something ... when the part of the story that takes place on Earth is the fantastic part, but that's the 1950s for you. (And why I adore old-fashioned YA SF. As much as I like modern SF, what happened to a story where you could have a line like "Wouldn't work," Mr. Killian said, "On account of the orbits. You know about orbits?"

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