This 48–page book allows young scientists and readers to journey through space to reach for the idea of what the late Dr. Carl Sagan stated: "We are all star–stuff." It begins with an overview of the descriptions of what we can see in the sky, including stars, planets, moons, and galaxies. Within the descriptions, illustrations, and photographs, the author provides accurate information concerning measurement of light years, star brightness, star temperatures, and star colors. The focus then shifts to the composition, birth, and death of stars. Galaxy composition and classifications are presented with amazing illustrations, photographs, and kid–friendly narrative that is certain to spark young scientists’ minds. After my almost 10–year–old granddaughter looked at the artist’s illustration of the Milky Way and read about it, she said, "So, stars are part of the Milky Way Galaxy and our Sun is a star. So, our Sun and all of us are part of the Milky Way." My reply echoed Dr. Carl Sagan, "Yes, we are all star–stuff." This book is highly organized with a table of contents, fact file, find out more section, websites, glossary, and index. A Word Station with possibly unfamiliar words and brief, clear and concise definitions is included at the bottom of most pages. This is one of those books that could be used in so many ways—read aloud, independent reading, teacher directed reading, reading buddies, and even using a think–pair–share approach. The content, illustrations, and photography certainly can inform young scientists about stars and galaxies. I recommend this book to anyone who would like to learn about stars and galaxies. - Coralee Smith NSTA 4/16/2012 http://www.nsta.org/recommends/ViewProduct.aspx?ProductID=21145
With a voice reminiscent of the Bill Nye videos, these books will appeal to reluctant scientists in the middle grades. Employing a layout similar to many textbooks, this series presents colorful, captioned photographs; sidebars with interesting facts; and bolded words that can be found in the glossary at the end of the book. The sidebars are guaranteed to catch attention with headings like "The Death Star" (Stars and Galaxies) and "The Science of Farts" (Life on Earth). Readers who have outgrown the excellent Magic School Bus series will enjoy the friendly, conversational style of these books: it is as if Ms. Frizzle is still lecturing without the cartoons. Each volume includes a table of contents, a brief glossary, a page of additional resources including both books and websites, and an index. In Life on Earth, there is also a timeline of the discovery of planets, and in Stars and Galaxies, the supplemental pages include a "Fact File," listing the sizes of the brightest stars and their distance from earth. Unlike some nonfiction texts, this series does not overwhelm the reader with scientific jargon and unpronounceable names, but this is not to say that the information presented is light and fluffy. This five-book series presents an age-appropriate introduction to large-scale scientific concepts. These books would be a lovely addition to classroom libraries and younger grades’ collections.—Jen McConnel Voya December 2011
This handsome astronomy series is very readable, with artwork throughout that enhances the reader’s knowledge. Telescopes, rockets, black holes, stars, and numerous other topics are briefly introduced, and will inspire further interest in outer space. Reference features in each title include a contents page, a fact file or timeline of discoveries or achievements, a bibliography of books and websites for further exploration, and a glossary. These volumes are a good investment for collections needing up-to-date information about our solar system and its exploration. Index. Dr. Audrey Irene Daigneault, Library Media Specialist, West Side Middle School, Groton, Connecticut Recommended Library Media Connection May/June 2012 Issue
