Space Science

School Library Journal

Gr 5-7-In essence, this set supercedes Outer Space (Grolier, 1998), offering topical volumes that cover the solar system, the history of space exploration, and the universe in general. As in its predecessor, the plethora of illustrations, which include true-color and digitally manipulated photographs and plenty of easy-to-understand graphics, is a bright, bold plus. Unfortunately, the lack of relevant Web sites or other outside information sources in this set also limits its immediate utility and its currency. Each volume is consigned the same 57 pages, making for inequities in the level of detail. For instance, in What Satellites See (the set's strongest volume), Knapp presents an extensive, fascinating gallery of Earth images created with a range of special films, lenses, and enhancements. However, any discussions of brown dwarf stars, the largest-scale supergalactic structures, and even string theory have been crowded out of volume one, How the Universe Works. Still, the author divides his wide-ranging, nontechnical discourse into easily digestible segments, enhanced by detailed picture captions, see references, and one-page definitions of special terms. Each volume closes with a small-print glossary and index. Though much of the territory is more closely surveyed in Phillis Engelbert's Astronomy & Space: From the Big Bang to the Big Crunch (UXL, 1997), the often-riveting visuals make this a potentially popular supplementary resource.-John Peters, New York Public Library Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.