Reviews (3)

With over a hundred color photos and diagrams
Exploring Our Solar System is a definitive guide to space will particularly interest readers ages 10 and older with its survey of the planets by former astronaut Sally Ride, who begins with the Sun and moves outward. Over a hundred color photos and diagrams lends to classroom assignment and research use.

This Book Rocks My Solar System!
This is an outstanding book! My mother bought it for my younger sister but I borrowed it to help me research a report for my 10th grade science class. It is extremely clear and well written, and the pictures are cool! My science teacher liked it so much that she bought a copy for our classroom. I highly recommend Sally Ride's book for kids (and teachers) of any age.

Spectacular View of Our Solar System!
Wow! This book offers a fabulous introduction to the solar system and our place in it. It is more than the usual description of the sun and 9 planets -- it describes how the solar system was formed, how the planets came to be so different, and why the Earth is unique. And the pictures are spectacular! ... Read more

Book Description

Freddy and friends decide to take a trip to Mars in Benjamin Bean's fabulous space ship. But the intrepid explorers are knocked off course and find themselves on a strangely familiar planet, where danger (and Martians) lurk around every corner! Freddy and his friends from the Bean farm make the trip to explore the final frontier-with hilarious results! ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Good Lord, this brings back memories.
As a preteen I read every "Freddy the Pig" book except "The Clockwork Twins" and that only because my library couldn't find a copy of it. Reading these in order was one of the highlights of my trips to the local library. I'm delighted to see them being re-released in mass market editions. They are absolutely timeless and priceless additions to any child's collection.

Freddy Takes Off
While not the best of the stories about Freddy the Pig, this novel is one of the better ones, coming at the end of the middle cycle. The first few books, while entertaining, were before Brooks really reached his stride as a writer, and shortly after this book he was coming down from his peak. Besides exploring outer space with several friends, Freddy must also help save the Bean family from inlaws who make a plague of locusts look like fun. Even Brooks'least Freddy book is head and shoulders above most other children's books, and most can be enjoyed by adults as well.

5 stars for Brooks
These books are the hidden gems of children's literature in the United States. They are all so warm, smart and fabulously funny. Freddy and the Space Ship is no exception. It sounds like a cliche, but these novels truly embody the spirit of timelessness. They are all a delight. Freddy and the Space Ship continues the formula, providing witty insights and familiar old characters to a new and exciting, albeit naive, story. Wonderful books. Every child, or child at heart should own one. ... Read more

Book Description

Experience the force of liftoff

• Create your own constellations
• Write a postcard from another planet
• Make a club-soda comet, and more!

From rocketing out of Earth's gravity and orbiting our planet to probing other planets and walking on the Moon, Cosmic Science makes exploring space a blast! More than 40 easy, safe—and fun—activities show how rockets work, why the shape of the Moon seems to change, just how much power the Sun has, what it's like to live and work in space, and much more! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Great for Educators
As a new teacher, I am a firm believer of hands-on activities; as the saying goes, "I do, and I understand." While beginning a unit on space, I wanted to make it as concrete as I could, and my kids are now able to understand some very abstract concepts - thanks to the activities in this book. Most of these activities can be modified for students of all levels; for higher-level students, teachers could get into inertia, air pressure,... My kids really loved the activity that proves how rockets work. All of the activites use materials that you already have at home. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

An Astronomer's "Friend"
This book provides a lot of information in just 96 pages. It describes the lifespan of stars, the unique characteristics of each planet in our Solar System, the constellations and the history behind them, plus tips for star-gazers (like getting the best out of you telescope or even binoculars and what areas of the sky provide the best "show".) At the end of the book is a quick reference section that sums up the info into easy-to-read charts. There is also a page where you can find the history of astronomy and answers to space-related questions. I plan to be an astronomer when I grow up, and this book was an excellent starting point in my research of astronomy. ... Read more

Book Description

During the seventh century, the land which is now Korea was fraught with political and religious intrigue.The country was spilt into Three Kingdoms, each fighting for supremacy. Besides this, three religions are in conflict: Shamanism, Buddhism, and Confucianism.In this atmosphere of conflict, we meet 14-year old Sondok, eldest daughter of King Chinp-yong, ruler of Silla. ... Read more

Reviews (22)

Very Good Book
"Sondok: Princess of the Moon and Stars" is about a fourteen-year old princess growing up in Silla, which is now present-day South Korea. She loves astronomy, though girls and women at that time were not expected to study the stars and the sky, and she is willing to prove herself to her father, the ruler of Silla, that she could be just like a son to him since he never had any sons and because women did not rule back then. Instead of writing in a diary, Sondok writes a series of notes to her grandmother describing her private feelings and what is going on in her life. She also writes about her dissapointments about not being able to study astronomy. This was a great Royal Diary, and I think many people wil enjoy it!

A book of astronomic quality!
In ancient Asia, females, as a general rule, were not allowed to rule. They could only be the wives of kings and emperors. However, in Silla in 595, it's a girl who is heir apparent to the throne of Silla (now called South Korea). Fourteen-year-old Sondok has no brothers and her mother is too old to have any more children. Her father's brothers are all dead and they didn't have any sons either. Thus, it is she who must inherit the throne.

Sondok thinks she's up to the job. She comes across as forthright and intelligent as she writes in her diary. She's especially fascinated by astronomy, and displays her skill at it by correctly predicting an eclipse. Unfortunately this earns her the wrath of the Chinese ambassador, also an astronomer, who predicted the wrong date. "Astronomy is not for women," Lin Fang says. "Go do something female like look after silkworms." Sondok tries to win him over, but he is unmoved. Worse yet, her father agrees with the ambassador and forbids his daughter to study the moon and stars!

This is the principal conflict in this narrative. There are some others: Sondok's father casts aside his old wife and takes a new, younger one whom he hopes will bear him a son. Sondok is in love with someone whom she cannot marry, as he is below her station, and when he goes off to be a Buddhist monk she wonders if she'll ever see him again. She wonders a lot about religions: Korean Buddhism vs. Chinese Confucianism.

Sondok: Princess of the Moon and Stars is one of my favorite books in the royal diaries, entertaining and quite historically accurate. I'd recommend it to young girls nine and up, especially those interested in Korean culture and astronomy.

I have definitely read better
Sondok is a Korean princess who is heir to the throne, much to the dismay of the Chinese, who believe that a woman cannot properly rule.
Another thing that is special about Sondok is that she loves astronomy, and she want's an observatory of her own so she can learn to read the stars and their meaning.
But in Korea at that time it was not considered proper for a woman to study astronomy, but Sondok refused to give up hope that someday she will be an astronomer and rule Korea with wisdom.

This book is good, except I have read better. It certainly isn't boring, though. I thought the part about the New Year's festivals was very well done.

What a wonder!
This book was a pleasant surprise for me, a Korean female looking for books in English for little cousins. Queen Sondok has been the most famous & beloved queen to Korean children, especially to girls, like the amalgam of Joan of Arc and Queen Elisabeth the first.

She was the first princess who came to the throne in whole Korean history, and her succession was possible due to the special succession law of ancient Shilla dynasty which put a higher value on the pure royal birth than the genders of heirs. There was no male heir whose both parents were royal then, so Sondok was raised as the heir apparent with formidable duty to answer to love and hope of her own parents and her people in the time of endless wars and diplomatic intrigues. And she did more.

Until this book, I always imagined her as a grown-up, like Athena with full armors springing from Zeus's head, partly because of all stories in historical texts such as the famous her 3 prophecies and the anecdote of Mun-Hee(a lady saved by Sondok from burning at stake) showing her silent bravery, deep understanding of human nature, and somewhat supernatural, shman-like foresight, all three of them which were necessary for ancient rulers.

Holman portrayed her as a little princess rather than a queen who ruled successfully her kingdom for 15 years in a very turbulent time with love of arts and intelligence and deep Buddhistic faith. And it was an interesting move. Even young readers without any knowledge of Korea may enjoy it. Thank you Holman for saving the difficulties of finding an easy and good book.

Very good, although I've read better
This book is really great. Read it! ... Read more

Book Description

How many stars do you think you can see on a clear, dark night? Can you see thousands, millions, billions?

Stars are huge balls of hot, glowing gases. Our sun is a star. It is just an ordinary star, not the biggest nor the brightest. But the sun is the star that is nearest to our planet Earth.

In a clear, easy-to-read text and over twenty spectacular, full-color photographs, noted science writer Seymour Simon describes many varieties of stars, from red giants to white dwarfs, from the enormous explosions known as supernovas to tiny, extremely dense neutron stars-a tiny drop of a neutron star would weigh a billion tons on Earth. You will also learn about such fascinating objects as nebulas, black holes, pulsars, and the incredible quasars, each of which gives off more than a hundred times the energy of all the stars in the Milky Way put together.

Stars will introduce young readers to some of the most amazing mysteries in the universe. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Good childrens introduction to the stars.
I bought this for my seven year old.He is delighted with it, the book is clearly a hit.The text is perfect for him to practice his reading as he learns about the stars.

He is especially taken with stars he recognises, such as Betegeuse in Orion.And he was very impressed with the drawing of a planet being sucked into a black hole.That sparked a couple of days of discussion about what life would be like in black holes.Kids always love the gruesome stuff!

The photographs of nebulae are very beautiful.I have to admit though, I'll need an adult version to answer some of the questions I am being asked.

This book teaches you alot about stars.
The book teaches you many things about stars.some things it teaches you is about Galaxes, Globuler clusters and clusters. THis book was very intresting and I recomend people that like stars to read this book. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Postcards from Pluto
Dear Lareen, I like your books. I read Postcards from Pluto. You are very creative and smart. I have read a couple of your books,and my favorite is Postcards from Pluto. It is a very good book to me. I'm glad you wrote some books because I really enjoy them. ....

Postcards From Pluto: Fun way to learn solar system facts
From the beginning of this comic strip like tale of an outer space journey children are mesmerized by the non-fiction facts in such unique format. The illustrations are wonderful and accurately depict the details in the text. The actual postcards entertain while teaching and contain humorous addressees and addresses. Postcards From Pluto is a great way to introduce the solar system to kids. This book is a great investment, because it will be looked at and read time and time again! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Don't know much about space? Interested in finding out where the goodvacation spots would be on Mars if humans ever lived there? Wondering how manystars are out there in the universe? All these answers and 10 billion trillionmore can be found in the latest volume from Kenneth C. Davis's fun Don't KnowMuch About series for kids. Oh wait--10 billion trillion is the number of starsin the universe, not answers in the book. Using a lively, wittyquestion-and-answer format, Davis provides remarkable information about the sun,stars, planets, and the universe, and encourages readers to contemplate suchissues as humans' ability to travel to and live in other worlds.

Kenneth Davis, author of the bestselling Don't Know Much About History,as well as Don't Know Much AboutPlanet Earth, Don't KnowMuch About the Solar System, Don't Know Much About the 50States, etc., has a special knack for bringing science and historyalive. Simple and amusing drawings by illustrator Sergio Ruzzier accompany thetext. (Ages 9 to 12) --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Reviews (1)

We're adults and we couldn't stop reading it!
My husband, who is from Japan, reads only 4x4 magazines and Japanese comics, yet, he read this book from start to finish. The book is written for kids 8-12, but I found it very entertaining and well written.

This would be great for a kid who is interested in science (or even, not interested... it may spur their interest). For example, a couple of the topics are "True or False: Astronauts grow taller in space" and "Do Saturns Rings have Sheep?"

The illustrations are fun and there's some nice space photos. The book is well organized with a timeline in the back, as well as a glossary. It's an easy enjoyable read. The added bonus was that we looked really smart when we were watching Jeopardy with some friends and we both blew through all of the questions in the space category ;-) ... Read more

Book Description

Open your eyes to a world of discovery. Travel from Earth to the ends of the known universe. Space is a colorful first guide to astronomy packed with facts about space exploration, the solar system, planets, stars, galaxies, and much more. Dramatic, atmospheric photography provides a wealth of visual information. Packed with facts and written in an accessible style, Eye Wonders are the perfect educational start for young children. A groundbreaking reference series specially developed for younger children aged five plus. In a stunning style departure for DK, wonderful photography shows subjects within their natural setting, offering a whole new level of information through powerful images. Vocabulary is accessible to children aged five plus, with the meanings of new, subject--related words clearly explained. The series provides an excellent knowledge base on the natural world for children starting to learn. The combination of breathtaking visuals and informative, accurate text will hook even those children who usually avoid books. ... Read more

Book Description

Spectacular full-color photographs introduce Earth's "sister planet," from its scorching deserts and clouds of sulfuric acid to the crushing pressure of its atmosphere.

... Read more

Reviews (2)

This book is a winner.
As soon as the book was unwrapped and opened for inspection, my 5 year old wanted to dive right in. A mother can't help but love a book like that. Usborne's many pictures and small paragraphs of information are ideal for children. The content is astonishingly good, and the presentation is even better. I absolutely love the experiments throughout the book. They are easy to do and only require items I normally have around my house. My only regret is that I didn't have this book to read when I was younger. After this book, I believe Usborne could make a book on the anything seem interesting.

a good buy
This has turned into a useful book. I homeschool our five children using a classical approach. Following the recommendation of The Well Trained Mind, I purchased this book. Initially, I was not as thrilled with this as with some of my other school purchases. References to macroevolution, the Big Bang, etc,,, as if those theories are fact don't seem suitable to a science book when you are training children in the beginnings of the scientific method. Unfortunately, this is a common approach. For those concerned about Biblical creation, the evolutionary detail is limited and can be easily skipped or discussed in light of the Bible.

On a practical level, this book is great. On numerous pages it offers little ideas to follow or use as mini-experiments or further research. It is easy enough for my youngest scholar to follow, and my oldest, a third grader, on busy days can read to the others.

We school for six weeks and take a break the seventh. The format of the book fits this perfectly. Each of the six sections can be read in a four-page spread weekly in six weeks, totalling the 36 weeks needed for school. This schedule allows one or two days a week for reading and a second day a week for experiments, field trips, or alternative reading/studying. (I usually read Tues. and Thurs. and do field trips and experiments on Saturday with Dad).

Overall rating of this book is positive. ... Read more

Book Description

In this first of a trilogy, the Universe tells its own life story of chaos and creativity, science and struggle. Time after time the Universe nearly perishes, then bravely triumphs and turns itself into new and even more spectacular forms. Eventually it turns stardust into you. This story begins in the very beginning, and ends with the formation of Earth. The second book From Lava to Life: The Universe Tells Our Earth Story tells of tiny new living things and ends with giant dinosaurs. In the third book, mammals rise and so do you (available spring 2005). ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Important Book to Read and Share
Jennifer Morgan's Born with a Bang is an great read for all ages. Imaginatively and beautifully illustrated, it opens eyes and minds to the new learnings of recent decades.

Supported by helpful scientific discoveries detailed at the end, I found this book very helpful to share with my children and grandchildren. Ms. Morgan's enthusiastic insights into the wonderful new learnings helped me to absorb the "Universe's story" into my current understanding of where I came from, how I got here and what it takes to protect life on Earth.

I am grateful for this book and suggest it for book and church reading groups of all ages. Her next book continues the learning and I look forward to her third and last of this series.

For all ages
I'm giving this book to my grandchildren although I recommend it for adults who are not familiar with the new story of the evolutionary universe. It is accessible, well-written, carefully researched and stunningly illustrated. In the spirit of Thomas Berry and Brian Swimme, the book, while faithful to science, begins to open doors to the remarkable insights offered by our new origin story.

magic and more
Born with a Bang is a unique book....at once visually stunning, scientifically rich, accessible to kids and adults, entrancing, and most importantly...presenting a new (to me) way to think and feel about who we are and how we got here.

Learning what could be the important lessons in life, while being entertained and often amused....I'll take that anytime. Can't wait for more from Ms Morgan and Ms Andersen..

Born with a Bang, The Universe Tells Our Cosmic Story
I was entertained by this imaginative, yet scientific "telling" of many transformations that the Universe has gone through from the Big Bang up to the formation of our solar system. The book assumes consciousness precedes material manifestation. I have seen children listen wide-eyed and pleased to have this story told from the point of view of the "first person". It makes what could be dry cosmological science seem very personal. I especially appreciated the scientific markers in the back of the book which revealed a number of new conclusions that were unknown when I went to school. The illustrations are amazing and evocative.

An Eye Opener
I purchase several copies of this book at a time and give them away to families I know with young children. As a student of the universe story and Director of an environmental organization that bases its work on this material, I find the book to be entertaining (for adults as well as children), and scientifically very solid. I read it to myself over and over. The "first-person" approach is enchanting, especially for kids, It removes the fields of cosmology and astro-physics from the realm of the abstract and renders them delightfully understandable. If you or your kids are curious about how the universe came to be (and our place in it as humans), run, don't walk to this book (and its sequel, "From Lava to Life"). ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Excellent first book about space...
What a GREAT book! I was looking for a book for my 3 1/2 year old that would introduce him to space in a simple way, "What's Out There" is exactly what I wanted. He is so captivated by this book, it is short, simple and easy to understand. It is perfect for him now and will be for the next several years. All of the basics are covered such as the 9 planets and their relation to the sun, how the earth travels around the sun and spins, the moon, gravity, the make-up of all the planets, asteroids etc. Each topic is explained in a fun and easy way for a child to understand and the illustrations are wonderful. Highly recommend as a first book about space! ... Read more

Book Description

Revealing the hidden and often unexpected world around us, this unique system of show-and-tell combines cutting-edge computerized photomontage and acetate technology with tried-and-true nonfiction subjects. DK Revealed Space features material written, researched, and photographed by experts in their field. Turn each acetate page and marvel at the in-depth, multidimensional magic that unfolds before you. ... Read more

Book Description

It was 1969 and no one had ever set foot on the moon. Some said it couldn't be done. But astronauts Mike Collins, Buzz Aldrin, and Neil Armstrong were going to try . . . Here in picture book format is the amazing true story of the first moon landing, when a man set foot on an unexplored world and showed us that the boundaries of our world were limitless.

"[A] perfect introduction to space, the space program, and exploration. Thrilling!" (Kirkus Reviews)

"The milestone event [is] a great idea for a picture book!" (Publishers Weekly) ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Man on the Moon
This is a great book for children. It can interest your child in space travel, astronauts or the moon. Suen easily explains the first landing on the moon that is understandable for children. Children learn the names of the first three astronauts that were on the flight and other information that can be useful to them. The illustrations complement the text on every page. The Author's Note is an added extra. A must share/buy for anyone who remembers when man landed on the moon. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Perfect for Students
This is the perfect book to use with middle school and high school students. I use this as a reference for cross-curricular projects with science fiction, science, language arts, and government. The background and general information is not too much for students to digest and the illustrations are fabulous. When required to come up with feasible life-forms for various planet types, the breakdown of possibilities for "alien" senses helps students to consider new approaches. The specific planet descriptions are also immensely helpful, giving students something to build on, opening their minds to the limitless possibilities of extraterrestrial life. This is the singlarly essential building block for endless projects. I wish I could afford a class set. Marvelous!

Meet "The Guide"
This is not your sci-fi book on aliens. This book is more like "Audbon Society Guide To Birds" of extraterrestrial biology. Dickinson and Schaller start by discussing our contemporary views of aliens and shows the fallicies behind it. They then explore places where life could be found. Then there is a discussion of biology, rules of life that would apply anywhere in the universe. Then, one by one, Dickinson and Schaller discuss possible inhabited worlds and what life might have eveolved there. Everything from gas giants to ocean worlds to ice planets are discussed. Then, inorganic life, like intellegent comets and macronulear life is discussed. Finally, to sum it up, the possibilty of contact is discussed. Throughout the book, a scientific aprouch is used, but the book is still very easy to read. Anybody interested in the possibilty of life on other worlds, and anybody who would like to see what theis life might be like, definatley should read this book.

Fun but not geared towards adults
This is a fun book but, I must admit, that I was a bit disappointed. I was hoping for something geared towards adults (or, at the least, towards an intelligent teen). This book is specificially geared towards children (i.e., a bright 8 year old or above). It is certainly a friendly book filled with colorful (if somewhat unimaginative) drawings. As well, it covers many of the issues relevant to the subject (e.g., why movie aliens shouldn't be regarded as realistic). My only complaint, once you correlate it to its intended audience, is that it does speak authoritatively more often then it should for such a speculative topic (e.g., it claims that we can expect that most intelligent species should have a humanoid template which is, to say the least, a debatable position).

Be that as it may, I would certainly recommend it if you want to introduce a child to the topic or if you know of a child that is already interested. For adults, however, I'd give it a miss. ... Read more