Heavens Above

The sky’s no longer the limit, and it hasn’t been for more than a generation. Today’s young readers may be planetbound still, but in their lifetimes many of them will leave the “cool, green hills of Earth” to travel or work in space, view close-up what we can now only see with the help of powerful instruments, and walk alien hills. The books below offer tantalizing glimpses of what’s waiting–or may be waiting–on that high frontier: inspiring, sometimes amusing, introductions to explorers past and present; exciting accounts of space missions both successful and disastrous; thought-provoking poetry to read or listen to; and stimulating gatherings of basic facts–along with insights into how those facts are collected and understood. Most importantly, each entry is imbued with that sense of wonder that impels all interest and discovery. This is but a sampling of recent first-rate books on matters astronomical; for reasons of (pardon) space, the many exemplary titles on single planets and space probes, as well as topical collections of science experiments and handbooks for stargazers have been left for, perhaps, future columns. Furthermore, such is the pace of discovery in the space sciences that, when it comes to keeping current, paper should always be paired with pixel; fledgling astronauts and astronomers, as well as their teachers and librarians, should be as conversant with such frequently updated Web news resources as www.space.com, www.spacedaily.com, or links from the NASA KIDS page, as with the books here.

THE AMAZING INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION. illus. by Rose Cowles. Kids Can. 2003. Tr $15.95. ISBN 1-55337-380-4; pap. $8.95. ISBN 1-55337-523-8.

Gr 3-5 –This breezy, thoroughly illustrated tour offers engaging glimpses of both scientific work and daily routines aboard the International Space Station, along with brief intros to its crew of “’nauts,” sobering references to the dangers of even temporary residence in space, and some simple science activities for earthbound readers to try. Children will come away understanding that the station is a truly international effort, with great potential for short- and long-term rewards.

BERGER, Melvin & Gilda Berger. Can You Hear a Shout in Space? Questions and Answers about Space Exploration. illus. by Vincent Di Fate. (Scholastic Question and Answer Series). Scholastic. 2001. PLB $14.10. ISBN 0-613-32367-X.

Gr 2-4 –Answering the title question (“Not unless you have a radio in your space suit”) along with over 80 more, two veteran science writers cover rocketry, satellites, space exploration, astronaut training and work, space stations, and future plans for exploration. The Bergers liven their clearly written mini-essays with well-chosen facts and comparisons, and the painted, labeled illustrations often add visual interest as well as additional information. Like its companion volume, Do Stars Have Points? Questions and Answers about Stars and Planets (Scholastic, 1998), this makes an engaging alternative to more conventional presentations.

BRANLEY, Franklyn M. The Planets in Our Solar System. illus. by Kevin O’Malley. (Let’s-Read-and-Find-Out-Science Series). HarperCollins. 1998. Tr $15.95. ISBN 0-06-027769-6; PLB $15.89. ISBN 0-06-027770-X; pap. $4.95. ISBN 0-06-445178-X.

Gr 1-2 –Here the prolific Branley is at his best, offering precise information uncluttered by distracting dialogue or side commentary. He also departs from the usual, one-planet-after-another tour format to group the solar system’s residents. Discussing such topics as temperature, size, and orbital length in comparative terms, he reinforces the idea of the solar system as a system rather than an assemblage of isolated elements. To his typically lively cartoon scenes of a class taking a planetarium tour, O’Malley adds occasional space photos.

COLE, Joanna. The Magic School Bus Lost in the Solar System. illus. by Bruce Degen. (The Magic School Bus Series). Scholastic. 1992. pap. $5.99. ISBN 0-590-41429-1.

Gr 2-3–A class trip to the planetarium takes an unexpected direction–up!–when Ms. Frizzle and her class board their ever-surprising bus. First stop: the Moon. Then it’s off for close-up views of the planets, surrounded by basic facts, deft observations, and smart-mouthed comments delivered by the students. Considerable drama ensues after Ms. Frizzle’s disappearance somewhere in the asteroid belt leaves the kids to do their own navigation–but she’s back by the end of this memorable outing.

DAVIS, Kenneth C. Don’t Know Much about® the Solar System. illus. by Pedro Martin. (Don’t Know Much about Series) HarperCollins. 2001. Tr $15.95. ISBN 0-06-028613-X; PLB $16.89. ISBN 0-06-028614-8; pap. $6.99. ISBN 0-06-446230-7.

Gr 3-5 –Despite the title, Davis covers not only the solar system, but stars, constellations, galaxies, and space travel, too. The not-entirely-earnest tone (“What planets are the saddest? Answer: Uranus and Neptune, because they’re always blue”), which is echoed in Martin’s lighthearted cartoon scenes, should attract even less-able readers. A generous selection of Web site addresses is appended.

FELDMAN, Heather. Dennis Tito: The First Space Tourist. (Space Firsts Series). Rosen/PowerKids Pr. 2003. PLB $19.95. ISBN 0-8239-6249-0.

Gr 2-3 –Paired to engrossing photo montages, Feldman’s simply written narrative introduces a man with a dream: to prove that anyone–anyone, that is, willing to fork over $20 million and spend 900 hours in training–could travel into space. Tito’s enthusiasm for what he’s dubbed “the ultimate human adventure” comes through clearly and cannot fail to kindle dreams in young readers that, a few years down the road, stand a good chance of becoming (affordable) realities.

FELDMAN, Heather. Sputnik: The First Satellite. (Space Firsts Series). Rosen/PowerKids Pr. 2003. Tr $19.95. ISBN 0-8239-6244-X.

Gr 2-3 –The Space Race is ancient news to today’s readers, but this account of its kickoff re-creates a sense of its drama and offers both unusual facts (such as the actual instruments that Sputnik I carried) and a more balanced point of view than other histories. The U.S.’s Explorer I weighed in at 29 pounds, resembling, the author notes, a carrot, whereas boosting the 183 pound Soviet satellite into orbit represented a far greater technological achievement.

GIBBONS, Gail. The Planets. rev.ed. illus. by author. Holiday House. 2005. RTE $16.95. ISBN 0-8234-1957-6.

K-Gr 2–With her customary lack of distracting bells and whistles, Gibbons uses brief declarative sentences to describe the sun and each planet of the solar system in succession, introducing concepts such as a day, a year, orbit, and rotation. The bright colors, simplified shapes, and uncomplicated compositions of her accompanying illustrations make this an inviting gateway to the subject.

GOLDSMITH, Mike. Solar System. (Kingfisher Young Knowledge Series). Kingfisher. 2004. Tr $8.95. ISBN 0-7534-5773-3.

Gr 2-4–Children just past Gail Gibbons’s picture books will enjoy the slightly richer array of fact in this tour. It begins at the Sun, spins past each planet from “Fast Mercury” to “Distant Pluto,” then doubles back for looks at the “Failed Planet” of the asteroid belt and other “Space Rubble,” and closes with instructions for constructing an ice-cream “comet.”

HIRST, Robin & Sally Hirst. My Place in Space. illus. by Roland Harvey & Joe Levine. Scholastic/Orchard. 1990. Tr $15.95. ISBN 0-531-05859-X.
SWEENEY, Joan. Me and My Place in Space. illus. by Annette Cable. Crown. 1999. pap. $6.99. ISBN 0-517-88590-5.

Gr 1-2 –Using similar approaches, these titles really put readers in their places. In the first, Henry answers a condescending bus driver’s question–“Do you know where you live?”–in complete detail, from specific house number to local galactic supercluster, and beyond. In the second, a child looks up from her “place in space–the planet Earth”–at the Moon and outward in astronomical stages, all the way to another planet like Earth with, perhaps, another observer just like her. Simple, colorful art in both transports viewers well past the Sun, the planets, and the Milky Way.

HOPKINS, Lee Bennett, sel. Blast Off!: Poems about Space illus. by Melissa Sweet. HarperCollins. 1995. PLB $15.89. ISBN 0-06-024261-2.

Gr 1-2 –“A rocket ship/will take you far,” writes Hopkins–but not as far as the poetry in this gathering of easy reading flights from the likes of Jane Yolen, Ashley Bryan, J. Patrick Lewis, and Eve Merriam. The soaring words are accompanied by scenes of young people–not all of them human–looking up at the stars in wonder.

MCNULTY, Faith. If You Decide to Go to the Moon. illus. by Steven Kellogg. Scholastic. 2005. RTE $16.99. ISBN 0-590-48359-5.

Gr 2-3 –In big, bright illustrations, a lad boards a rocket, blasts off for a lonely trip through starry blackness, walks across bitterly sere moonscapes to the flag left by former visitors, then makes the return voyage–reflecting, in a magnificent foldout, on the life-giving miracle of Earth’s air and water. In an unusually fertile mix of reality and imagination, poetic imagery mixes with accurate observations. Children will come away excited about the possibility of exploring other worlds along with an enhanced appreciation of their own.

PEDDICORD, Jane Ann. Night Wonders. Charlesbridge. 2005. RTE $16.95. ISBN 1-57091-877-5; pap. $6.95. ISBN 1-57091-878-3.

Gr 2-4 –Riding a beam of light in her imagination, Peddicord travels past stars and glowing nebulae into intergalactic space–and then loops back to a special blue-green planet “graced by water, wind, and air.” Each stage of her journey is marked by a (literally as well as figuratively) spectacular, full-page space photo or artist’s rendering.

RAU, Dana Meachen. The Milky Way and Other Galaxies. (Our Solar System Series). Compass Point. 2005. Tr $22.60. ISBN 0-7565-0853-3.

Gr 3-4 –Rau gazes far beyond our astronomical neighborhood to introduce some of the universe’s most mysterious and spectacular structures. Earning high marks for visual appeal, and for clear, specific presentation of information, she describes the nature of our own galaxy and then presents a gallery of other types, along with brief mentions of quasars, clusters, and superclusters.

RAU, Dana Meachen. The Solar System. (Simply Science Series). Compass Point. 2000. PLB $21.26. ISBN 0-7565-0036-2.

Gr 2-3 –Beginning with the Sun, Rau takes newly independent readers on a tour of the solar system, including its meteors, comets, and moons, and then looks outward to extra-solar planetary systems. This science primer contains enough specific information to challenge the understanding of newly independent readers without overwhelming them. An intellectually stimulating choice for children curious about just what’s underfoot, and overhead.

SIMON, Seymour. Destination: Space. HarperCollins. 2002. Tr $15.99. ISBN 0-688-16289-4; PLB $16.89. ISBN 0-688-16290-8; pap. $6.99. ISBN 0-06-059681-3.

Gr 3-5 –Opposite stunning views of several planets, the stormy collision of two galaxies, a gathering of new stars in the Eagle Nebula, and other wonders revealed by the Hubble Space Telescope, Simon offers clear, matter-of-fact descriptions and insights that will not only help young readers understand what they’re seeing, but should also lure them into more in-depth study.

SIY, Alexandra. Footprints on the Moon. Charlesbridge. 2001. PLB $16.95. ISBN 1-57091-408-7; pap. $7.95. ISBN 1-57091-409-5.

Gr 3-5 –Siy binds together a large array of space photos and speculative paintings with summary accounts of the early history of rocketry, our space program, and several of those now-long-ago Apollo missions–including not just Neil Armstrong’s famous line as he stepped onto the Moon’s surface, but what Buzz Aldrin said as well. This outstanding look at our venture to the Moon ably captures both the magnitude of the technological achievement and that heady feeling of going where none had gone before.

WOODFORD, Chris. Space Dramas. (Space Busters Series). Raintree/Steck-Vaughn. 2002. PLB $25.69. ISBN 0-7398-4850-X.

Gr 3-4 –This heavily illustrated catalog of massive explosions and spectacular failures will widen the eyes of even hardened disaster fans. Beneath chapter heads like “Countdown to Danger,” and “Big Booms,” Woodford presents natural events, such as Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9’s fiery contretemps with Jupiter, as well as an array of risky or calamitous space-program incidents. Young readers will be enthralled, and also come away with a greater appreciation for the costs, and rewards, of space exploration.

ASIMOV, Isaac & Richard Hantula. The Milky Way and Other Galaxies. rev. ed. (Isaac Asimov’s 21st Century Library of the Universe, Near and Far Series). Gareth Stevens. 2005. PLB $24.67. ISBN 0-8368-3968-4.

Gr 4-6– Incorporating recent discoveries and theories, plus some striking sky photos, into a coherent, straightforward tally of galactic types, structures, and super-structures, this handsomely spruced-up entry in a long-running series will give less able readers the big picture, as well as a leg up on the more detailed studies below.

DYSON, Marianne J. Home on the Moon: Living on a Space Frontier. National Geographic. 2003. RTE $18.95. ISBN 0-7922-7193-9.

Gr 4-6–An engaging look at the Moon’s history, resources, and potential as a site for future colonization. After hitching a vicarious ride aboard Apollo 8, Dyson delves into the Moon’s origins, explains which resources future settlers will find and which they will need to bring with them, describes the difficulties of the journey, and offers general suggestions about colony design. Enhanced by four low-tech science activities, this should be a popular resource for reports and is apt to inspire a yen to walk where the astronauts walked.

GRAUN, Ken. Our Earth and the Solar System. (21st Century Astronomy Series). Ken. 2001. Tr $15.95. ISBN 1-928771-02-5.

Gr 4-6–In an unusually well-designed tour, Graun imparts specific information about our solar system in topical spreads that never seem busy or overstuffed. Consistently noting when the sharply reproduced space photos are composites or computer enhanced, the author aims his presentation at active young sky watchers and armchair tourists alike, supplementing the narrative text with fact boxes, an image of the relative size of the sun from each planet, and, frequently, particular physical features to search out with binoculars or a telescope.

HALPERN, Paul. Faraway Worlds: Planets Beyond Our Solar System. illus. by Lynette R. Cook. Charlesbridge. 2004. RTE $16.95. ISBN 1-57091-616-0; pap. $6.95. ISBN 1-57091-617-9.

Gr 4-6 –This introduction to one of astronomy’s most active and exciting pursuits combines a simplified account of the clever techniques scientists use to infer the existence of planets orbiting other stars with a gallery of dramatic, if speculative, painted views of what those planets and their suns might look like. Considering how little we do know about these planets, the guesswork is forgivable, and readers will have no problem distinguishing fact from fancy.

JACKSON, Ellen B. Looking for Life in the Universe: The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence. photos. by Nic Bishop. (Scientists in the Field Series). Houghton. 2002. Tr $16. ISBN 0-618-12894-8; pap. $6.95. ISBN 0-618-54886-6.

Gr 4-6–This outstanding series entry profiles Dr. Jill Tarter, astrophysicist, SETI research leader, and a model for the protagonist in Carl Sagan’s novel, Contact. Jackson follows Tarter on a tour of the mammoth radio telescope at Arecibo, Puerto Rico, where the shifts begin at midnight, and receptors sensitive enough to detect the night-light-sized transmitter aboard Pioneer 10, seven billion miles out, comb millions of frequencies for any hint of a regular signal (no luck so far, but stay tuned).

KERROD, Robin. Universe. (Eyewitness Bks.). DK. 2003. Tr $15.99. ISBN 0-7894-9238-5.

Gr 4-6 –In the familiar “Eyewitness” format, Kerrod covers the sky and its study, from Stonehenge to quasars–but it’s the holistic approach, in which eye-catching images of astronomical bodies or phenomena appear next to portraits of the scientists who studied them, and the scientific instruments those astronomers used, that sets this apart from more linear treatments of the topic.

LIVINGSTON, Myra Cohn. Space Songs. illus. by Leonard Everett Fisher. Holiday House. 1988. Tr $15.95. ISBN 0-8234-0675-X; pap. $5.95. ISBN 0-8234-1029-3.

Gr 4-6 –“Space keeps its secrets hidden./It does not tell./Are black holes time machines?/Where do lost comets go?” Impressionistic poems and pictures invite readers to dream of the high frontier and to wonder at the mysteries waiting to be discovered there.

RIDE, Sally & Tam O’Shaughnessey. Exploring Our Solar System. Crown. 2003. Tr $19.95. ISBN 0-375-81204-0; PLB $21.99. ISBN 0-375-91204-5.

Gr 4-8 –This title stands out from the throng of solar-system tours, offering the headiest combination of information with both visual and narrative excitement. Experienced young planetologists will come away knowing more about our home system and the ways each planet is both like and unlike its neighbors, and they’ll also be eager to go and see for themselves.

SCHOLASTIC ATLAS OF SPACE. Scholastic Reference. 2005. Tr $17.95. ISBN 0-439-67272-4.

Gr 4-6 –This invitingly designed general overview, without (despite the title) maps, includes clear accounts of the Big Bang, the life cycles of stars, and the major components of our own solar system. Vekteris writes in an easy, informal tone, livened by thought-provoking observations and occasional exclamations! A good choice for smaller collections, or those serving less able readers–particularly when supplemented by a good set of maps, such as those in Robin Scagell’s Children’s Night Sky Atlas (DK, 2004).

SCHYFFERT, Bea Uusma. The Man Who Went to the Far Side of the Moon: The Story of Apollo 11 Astronaut Michael Collins. Chronicle. 2003. Tr $14.95. ISBN 0-8118-4007-7.

Gr 4-7 –In a marked departure from conventional, impersonal accounts of space missions, Schyffert livens hers up with astronauts’ resumes, handwritten passages from Collins’s notes, candid family and mission snapshots, control panel and spacesuit diagrams, lists of personal items that Apollo astronauts brought to the moon, the sometimes-quirky things that they left there, and much more. Unusual page design and a fine array of memorable, seldom-mentioned details make this an irresistible invitation to travel along with the astronaut who stayed aloft while Armstrong and Aldrin walked on the Moon.

SILVERSTEIN, Alvin, Virginia Silverstein, & Laura Silverstein Nunn. The Universe. (Science Concepts Series). 21st Century Bks. 2003. PLB $26.90. ISBN 0-7613-2255-8.

Gr 6-8 –Building his tour of the solar system and beyond around the idea that “the universe is much more complicated than the orderly arrangement the ancient Greeks thought they saw,” Silverstein enhances his clear, systematic presentation of basic information with tantalizing hints of some of the mysteries out there waiting to be explained.

SIMON, Seymour, ed. Star Walk. Morrow/Avon. 1995. Tr $15. ISBN 0-688-11887-9.

Gr 4-8 –A rich gathering of poems, songs, and observations from many traditional and modern sources are paired with an array of dramatic, eye-filling space photos. Ending with a shot of a floating astronaut beneath tributes to Sir Isaac Newton, this wide-ranging collection will fire the imaginations of young readers and viewers.

SKURZYNSKI, Gloria. Are We Alone? Scientists Search for Life in Space. National Geographic. 2004. Tr $18.95. ISBN 0-7922-6567-X.

Gr 4-6 –Skurzynski expands the discussion in Jackson’s Looking for Life in the Universe to introduce the new science of “astrobiology,” which complements the search for signs of technological civilizations on other planets by gathering clues about the nature of “life as we don’t yet know it” on Earth itself. Her profiles of scientists who are exploring our planet’s hottest, coldest, darkest, and most remote environments, and finding decidedly strange organisms that thrive in all of them, make for reading that is both eye opening and inspirational.

STIKKY NIGHT SKIES: LEARN 6 CONSTELLATIONS, 4 STARS, A PLANET, A GALAXY, AND HOW TO NAVIGATE AT NIGHT–IN ONE HOUR, GUARANTEED. Laurence Holt Bks. 2004. pap. $12. ISBN 1-93297-401-6.

Gr 4-8–Using an innovative approach involving step diagrams and reinforcement, this series of sky maps will painlessly teach even mildly motivated readers how to recognize six northern-hemisphere constellations, four stars, and a galaxy, as well as to spot planets along the plane of the ecliptic, and to use stars to tell which way is north. Though not specifically aimed at children, they will have no trouble using this unusual, informal approach to making sense of the night sky.

TOBIAS, Russell R., ed. USA in Space. 2nd ed. 3 vols. Salem. 2001. PLB $240. ISBN 0-89356-020-0.

Gr 5-8 –For students of our country’s exploration of space, this is the essential reference tool. Though dense pages of text and substandard illustrations give it a daunting, deceptively dry look, as a trove of often hard-to-find information on every U.S. probe, satellite, vehicle, and mission, plus related subjects such as “Ethnic and Gender Diversity in the Space Program,” it’s a unique resource. And, lines like “today, spy satellites are utilized in scientific research when they are not spying on our neighbors,” indicate that the prose isn’t as affected as initial impressions might dictate.