5. Have Space Suit - Will Travel

by Robert A. Heinlein (276 pgs)

rating: 4

Kit is a bright young man who decides that he wants more than anything to go to the moon. His somewhat eccentric but highly intelligent parents give him their blessings and wish him good luck. When a soap company offers a contest with a free trip to the moon as the grand prize, Kit goes to work sending in entry form after entry form. Unfortunately, he doesn't win the grand prize...but he does get his very own space suit.

Have Space Suit-Will Travel is an example of Heinlein's young adult fiction and a good example at that. It's a quick read and a delightful specimen of the 1950's style of science fiction. Missing are all the things I sometimes dislike about Heinlein. There's no blatant political grandstanding and the sometimes objectionable attitudes toward women are missing it this one.

Recommend to everyone as a fun quick read. I need to find a copy of this for my library.