Exploring the Solar System : A History with 22 Activities
Carson, Mary Kay
Chicago Review Press (February 1, 2006)
Ages 9-12
ISBN: 1556525931
In this illuminating activity book, kids delve into the rich history of
space exploration, where telescopes, satellites, probes, landers, and
human missions lead to amazing discoveries. Tracking astronomers'
recent progress—including the discovery of 2003 UB313, what some
are calling the tenth planet in the solar system—kids explore the
planets and other celestial bodies for themselves through activities
such as "walking" from the sun to Pluto or creating their own reentry
vehicle to safely return an egg to Earth's surface. With biographies of
more than 20 space pioneers, specific mission details, a 20-page field
guide to the solar system, and plenty of suggestions for further
research, this is the ultimate guidebook to exploring the solar system.
The Magic School Bus Lost In The Solar System
Cole, Joanna and Bruce Degen (Illustrator)
Scholastic Press (February 1, 1992)
Ages 4-8
ISBN: 0590414291
(From School Library Journal)
The planetarium is closed for repairs, so the Magic School Bus
blasts off on a real tour of the solar system. After their previous field
trips, the children in Ms. Frizzle's class are all blase about such things;
as they land on the Moon, Venus, and Mars, and fly by the other
planets and the Sun, they comment on what they see, generate a
blizzard of one- or two-sentence reports on special topics and--even
while Ms. Frizzle is temporarily left behind in the asteroid belt--crack
terrible jokes ("Could Saturn take a bath? Yes, but it might leave a
ring!"). Although some of the information is radically simplified--people
are said to float in space because "without a large mass nearby …they do not have weight"--Cole keeps the narrative specific without
burdening it with loads of facts.
Degen's fresh, energetic illustrations
complement the breathless pace perfectly. A first-class introduction to
the planets, fine for pleasure or purpose reading.
-John Peters, New
York Public Library Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Exploring the Night Sky: The Equinox Astronomy Guide for Beginners
Dickinson, Terrence
Firefly Books Ltd (February, 1987)
Ages 9-12
ISBN: 0920656668
(From School Library Journal)
"If starships are ever developed, there will be no shortage of
destinations." With clarity and enthusiasm, Dickinson presents a look
at the high frontier, combining a "universe in 40 jumps" sort of tour-
taking readers from the Moon (1.3 light-seconds) to the galactic field in
general (300 million light-years)with a quick spin about the solar
system, adding season-by-season charts of the salient planets, stars,
and constellations visible from North America.
Dozens of color
paintings and some photographs accompany the text, and there is a
page of advice on choosing and using binoculars and telescopes. The
information is readily available elsewhere, but not so engagingly
presented. Thus this is a good additional purchase for heavily-used
astronomy collections.
-John Peters
New York Public Library
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.
The Moon Book
Gibbons, Gail
Holiday House (March, 1998)
Ages 4-8
ISBN: 0823413640
(From Booklist)
This fully illustrated introductory book offers young children
information about the moon: its orbit and phases, its place in solar and
lunar eclipses, its effect on Earth's oceans, moon exploration, and the
legends the moon has inspired in various cultures. Written clearly yet
without too much detail, the text moves along quickly. The pictures
and diagrams deserve study, as they help readers visualize such
concepts as how the moon moves in relation to the earth and the sun
and why it seems to change shape. Gibbons uses a spacious format
to vary page layout, presenting each facet of the moon's story with a
large illustration or a series of smaller ones. Her colorful pictures of
people observing the moon seem all the more brilliant against
backgrounds of midnight blue. A fine resource for school and public
library collections.
-Carolyn Phelan
If You Decide To Go To The Moon
McNulty, Faith and Steven Kellogg (Illustrator)
Scholastic Press (October 1, 2005)
Ages 4-8
ISBN: 0590483595
(From School Library Journal)
In this lavish picture book, readers accompany a boy on a
fascinating excursion to the moon. The lyrical text provides tips on
what to pack and describes the distance to be covered. After blastoff,
facts about space travel are mingled with descriptions of what the
journey might be like: the loneliness, the lack of gravity, and how you
might pass the time. After landing, the text warns: Your first step will
be difficult. You will rise in the air and leap forward like a kangaroo, but
once you learn how, walking will be fun.
It also suggests that the
moon's lack of sound and color may make it seem like a dream. After
viewing the flag left behind by astronauts, it's time to depart. As Earth
looms closer, a four-page foldout in a glorious burst of color marks our
planet's contrast to the moon's black-and-white shades. These pages
depict a variety of wonders: all sorts of animals and landscapes as
well as people from different historical periods and locales. The
narrative notes, Air and water are Earth's special blessings. We must
guard them well. The final pages show the boy returning home. Rich
artwork complements the strong text. Kellogg's generous splashes of
bright hues in the Earth and shipboard scenes juxtaposed with the
somber moonscapes set the appropriate moods. Houston, we have a
winner!
–DeAnn Tabuchi,
San Anselmo Public Library, CA
Copyright ©
Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights
reserved.
Exploring Our Solar System
Ride, Sally and Tam O'Shaughnessy
Crown Books for Young Readers; 1st edition (November, 2003)
Ages 9-15
ISBN: 0375812040
(From Booklist)
In this copiously illustrated volume, astronaut Ride and educator
O'Shaughnessy offer a thrilling introduction to our solar system.
Although our neighboring planets were "formed at about the same time
and from about the same stuff," the authors write, "they are nine very
different worlds." Each chapter takes readers on a planetary tour. The
section on Earth includes a time line and theories of the evolution of
life on our planet. The authors explain facts in simple, straightforward
language that doesn't condescend to a young audience, and the
visuals include exciting images from space, charts that contrast the
planets' properties, and artists' renderings of unattainable space views
and imagined explorations. Throughout, the authors successfully put
the planets in wider context, as in the section "Venus, Earth and Mars-
-Why They Are So Different." Useful appended charts, including a full
listing of all space flights, add to the appeal. Visually arresting and
clearly presented, this is an obvious choice for both public and school
libraries.
-
Gillian Engberg
Copyright © American Library Association. All
rights reserved.
Our Solar System
Simon, Seymour
HarperCollins (September 21, 1992)
Ages 9-12
ISBN: 0688099920
(From School Library Journal)
Having worked his way through individual volumes on the Sun and
its galactic companions, Simon now offers a brief overview of the solar
system itself. The full-color photographs and illustrations are
spectacular. Each of the planets gets several pages of coverage, with
comets, meteors, and asteroids also receiving attention. This book
serves best as an introduction to the single topic books since the
information presented here is quite brief. The endpapers have a nicely
organized chart of useful statistics such as diameter, rotation period,
revolution period, etc., for each planet. Not sufficient in itself for most
report needs, this title's eye-catching illustrations and understandable
text should encourage young readers to look for further information.
--
Elaine Fort Weischedel,
Turner Free Library, Randolph, MA
Copyright
1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Astronomy for Every Kid : 101 Easy Experiments that Really Work.
Van Cleave, Janice.
Jossey-Bass (March, 1991)
Ages 9-12
ISBN: 0471535737
Why do planets spin? How hot is the Sun? What keeps the Moon
in orbit around the Earth? What are Saturn’s rings made of? What’s a
black hole in space? Now you can discover the answers to these and
other fascinating questions about basic astronomy. In Astronomy for
Every Kid you’ll learn about the constellations using a shoe box
planetarium. You’ll chart the movement of the stars with nothing but a
string, a marker, and a nail. 
And you’ll use a toy magnet to simulate
the Earth’s protective force field. Each of the 101 experiments is
broken down into its purpose, a list of materials, step-by-step
instructions, expected results, and an easy to understand explanation.
Every activity has been pretested and can be performed safely and
inexpensively in the classroom or at home.
Galileo Galilei: Inventor, Astronomer, and Rebel
White, Michael
Blackbirch Press; 1st U.S. ed edition (September, 1999)
Ages 9-12
ISBN: 1567113257
...engaging and clearly written. Full-captioned color and black-and-
white reproductions and photographs as well as boxed quotes
enhance the text on almost every page. Galileo covers the life and
accomplishments of the great scientist and is full of the drama of
persecution, court trials, and house arrests. White does an excellent
job of explaining the background of the conflict between the scientists
of the time and the Catholic Church. He also includes many interesting
tidbits, such as the fact that Galileo timed things by taking his pulse
and then subsequently discovered the pendulum, which led to the
invention of clocks and timekeeping. The volume concludes with a
time line of important events in the scientist's life. Excellent additions
to the science collections of school and public libraries.
-Maren
Ostergard,
Bellevue Regional Library, WA
