"Avoid Being on Apollo 13!" is an ideal text for shared and guided reading for Key Stage 2 pupils within the framework of the National Literacy Strategy. It tells the story of the American astronauts who set out on the voyage of a lifetime in 1970 to land on the moon. After months of practice, they blasted off from Earth to the cheers of bystanders, but things took a turn for the worse and they had to face up to the perils of space travel. The cartoon-style illustrations and the narrative approach encourage readers to get emotionally involved with the characters and to follow the story from the safety of Planet Earth and into outer space. Will the astronauts make it back again? The book features handy hints and informative captions to keep you alive on this dangerous journey.