Synopsis
Describes past space missions and explains the types of tasks scientists and astronauts perform during space travel, remotely by robot, and on the international space station.
School Library Journal
Gr 2-4-Though these books are accessible to young children, the more natural audience for them may be older ESL students and newly literate adults. Each volume treats a specific topic with a combination of full-page color photos, nearly all of which are from NASA, and brief but relatively high-vocabulary texts. After explaining that "Astronauts take space walks to fix spacecraft or to launch satellites. Astronauts call space walks Extravehicular Activity (EVA)," Deady goes on to mention the first Soviet and U.S. space walkers, what EVA is like ("Some astronauts say walking in space makes them feel carsick"), and how astronauts get around in space. In sharp contrast to the narrowly focused Walks, Missions covers virtually the entire space program, from Sputnik to the Cassini Probe, which will arrive at Saturn in 2004. Each book ends with a poorly chosen science activity. Because they barely even skim the surfaces of their respective subjects, these titles aren't going to enhance general collections significantly but merit consideration as additions to support reading programs.-John Peters, New York Public Library Copyright 2003 Cahners Business Information.