I was really intrigued by the premise of this story - a children's space program designed to send kids to the moon, with a space-obsessed boy at the center of it all. I couldn't help but like Michael from the start - he's smart, and a bit quirky, but knows who he is. I enjoyed following Michael through all the trials needed to be cleared to become an astronaut. Having a kid's POV was a nice, fresh take on all of it. The story moved along smoothly from start to finish. Geared for older middle grade and lower young adult readers, this book is sure to spark imaginations.

With thanks to netgalley

Part fiction and part 'instruction manual, May's Moon is perfect for those children who want to be an astronaut.

A very informative work of fiction! May's Moon is full of action and anticipation. The main character, Michael, is finally one step closer to his dream of being the first child on the moon, but first he must pass all the challenges. Although Michael is making friends with several of the other young competitors, strange occurances remove one competitor after the other. The mystery kept me on the edge of my seat, but some of the more descriptive passages did get a little wordy and slowed me down from time to time. Overall, an interesting and humorous story. I look forward to reading the second installment.

Pretty awesome story. I think kids 6th grade and up who have an interest in space, the moon, becoming an astronaut, etc...will love reading this book. It's actually a pretty quick read, A good, engaged reader could probably finish it in an evening or weekend. Lots of info on training to be an astronaut. Kids interested could also look into Space Camp (not sure if this is still offered, but if I was a kid, I'd want to go!) Sequel is on it's way, too, so kids looking for a space series will be happy to know this!

A sci-fi/middle grade book that had a great mix of plot and space travel history & science. The characters felt very realistic and relatable. This is a definite read for space lovers.

Michael traveled all the way from the UK to participate in a contest against a group of kids his age to be the first kid in space. To win, he'll need to be physically competent, and better than everyone else. But it also means he'll have to face his fears of swimming & figure out who's sabotaging his fellow contestant's chances before he's knocked out of the race. At the same time, Michael's father is on a forced vacation due to an injury, and their family is finally getting to spend time together. Will his participation in the space contest ruin his family's new relationship?

The writing was a bit choppy at times. It was easy to read, but some moments didn't flow properly. There were also so many characters, it took a while to get to know them all.

The plot was very unique. It managed to teach a lot of science and space travel without sounding like a school lesson. Someday, we'll get kids up in space...

I received a copy in exchange for an honest review.

May's Moon by S.Y. Palmer took me by surprise. After thinking that this was a small children's book when first requesting it, I was taken off guard when I realized it was for a higher reading grade instead. This is not usually a level I read books for but I was positively surprised! I really enjoyed Michael's journey through the trials of CMP (Children's Moon Mission) to try for the spot of being the first child in space. This book was fun, interesting, and kept you wanting to figure out what would happen next! I read this really quickly because I wanted to find out who would make it to the final selection process for CMP. This book had so many interesting facts about space and space travel as well, which is something I really enjoyed. I like being able to learn something from a book and will happily share this book with the children in my life. If you know a child that is interested in anything space-related, then this book is definitely for them! It is such a fun way to put a story to your dreams.