Children's Literature
Between July 1969 and December 1972, United States astronauts made six landings on the moon. They explored the surface of the moon and brought back samples of the rocks and soil they found. The nine chapters in this book give readers information about those moon rocks, as well as the plan for establishing space station on the moon's surface, and background about how the moon was formed. Computer-generated drawings and diagrams make this a good reference choice. An index and a glossary are included. One of ten volumes in the series "Planet Library" The series is excellent and would be a desirable addition to an elementary or middle school collection, as well as science classrooms. 2000, Lerner Books, Ages 8 to 14, $22.60. Reviewer: Joyce Rice
School Library Journal
Gr 4-7-Readable texts, good illustrations, and eye-catching page layouts contribute to the appeal of these attractive titles. In the first book, Kerrod discusses the Moon's origin and physical description, its orbit and phases, its effect on tides, its craters, eclipses, and its exploration, with an emphasis on the Apollo missions. There are also good-quality maps of the Moon's surface. Seymour Simon's Moon (Four Winds, 1984; o.p.) is not as detailed, but its text is more unified and moves more smoothly from start to finish. The second book covers the origin of our solar system, the types of planets and other celestial objects, their orbits, the difference between planets and stars, gas giants and terrestrial planets, the exploration of the solar system, and the possibility of other solar systems and the search for extraterrestrial life. Both books feature charts with factual data and helpful diagrams. These flashy, up-to-date titles will serve as excellent starting points for astronomy reports.-Jeffrey A. French, Euclid Public Library, OH Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.
