A bit of "science-faction" today. There was a lot of space fiction in the 1950s and 1960s, one series that seemed very timely and stands out in the memories of children was/is the "Mike Mars" series.
The series was:
(1961) Mike Mars: Astronaut
(1961) Mike Mars Flies the X-15
(1961) Mike Mars at Cape Canaveral/Kennedy
(1961) Mike Mars in Orbit
(1962) Mike Mars Flies the Dyna-Saur
(1962) Mike Mars: South Pole Spaceman
(1963) Mike Mars and the Mystery Satellite
(1964) Mike Mars Around the Moon
I strongly recommend this detailed analysis of the series here: http://thethunderchild.com/Books/MikeMars/MikeMars.html
It covers the detail, politics, and timeliness of this series much better than I could so rather than plagiarize I will direct you there.
"AND MARS MY DESTINATION!"
I have a good friend Michelle L. Evans who wrote a book in 2013 about the experiences of the pilots in the X-15 program. Please consider buying her book or search out her presentations on Youtube:
The X-15 Rocket Plane: Flying the First Wings into Space (Outward Odyssey: A People's History of Spaceflight)
https://youtu.be/uuZO1jaxUYc
More 1959 My Weekly Reader articles.
First is Oct 26 and an article about hydroponics and astronauts growing food on the Moon, plus a couple of short news items.
The second is from Nov 2 1959
An article about early satellite "reflection" of telephone and television signals.
This book is a fictional story about a "space dog". I think they used the name Laika for recognition. I don't read Romanian (I am not even sure that is the language) but wanted to share some delightful illustrations.
Laika the Space Dog. Teresa Noce. Illustrated by Maria Constantin. Editura Tineretului. 112 pp. 22.5 cm x 17 cm.
Dreaming of the sky.
He travels to the planet of the robots.
They construct a rocket to send Laika home.
A bit of fun fiction today, a give-away comic from 1952. These were usually generic and then the business giving them away would print information about itself on the back.
Peter's Adventure in Space 10 pp. 8"X5" 1952
The seems to have been given away by the British manufacturer: Trimsona.
Trimsona was a process or coating to make clothing easier to clean.
I like the strong coloring and style of the illustrations, making it feel like a great boy's adventure. An alien takes over a young boys and mind and makes him fly to Mars. Where he stops an invasion and keeps earth from being blown up by an enormous bomb. Enjoy!
