This is a fun little book. It is a bit dated but the boys loved it. ( )

After Sylvia Plath, I needed something that wouldn't tax my emotions. What better thing to read than a novella (19,430 words, I counted them) written for children, wherein the main character has a pet cow and we are treated to some gentle science lessons?

Miss Pickerell is a spinster who lives alone on a small, isolated farm with her pet cow and her prize rock collection. She's happy and content to be away from people and noise. But, once a year, she spends a month with her seven nieces and nephews in the city. It just about drives her bats. They all chatter endlessly. On the other hand, she will admit to having learned rather a lot from their chatter.

Anyway, after visiting them, she arrives home to her peace and quiet, only to find that someone has been in her house. Worse, she finds that there's a giant construction in her pasture. She climbs up the construction to give the people inside a piece of her mind, and the next things she knows, the doors close, there are some explosions, she passes out. When she regains consciousness, she finds she's in a rocket ship headed for Mars.

She has a few adventures on the way to Mars and back. Also, we get some gentle lessons about gravity and its effects. Rather a nice respite from depression and suicide.
( )

Definitely not scientifically accurate, but fun nonetheless. The kids and I enjoyed it. ( )

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 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?" ( )

From 1965 vintage scholastic cover:

Miss Pickerell was mighty glad to be home from her vacation. She had had an overdose of noise and confusion. As she led her cow out to graze behind her little house she thought happily about the rest they were both going to have. But suddenly she saw, right in the middle of the pasture, the strangest, largest contraption she had ever laid eyes on. She was very frightened, but this was a clear case of trespassing. Miss Pickerell didn't hesitate. She went right up to investigate the outrage.

What happens after that is more than she bargains for. It is a question who is most surprised: Miss Pickerell or the captain and the crew!