SCIENCE IN KIDS'BOOKS

Science in Kids' Books

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Space & Science Fiction Books Reviewed for Accuracy

by Marianne Dyson

Former NASA Flight Controller, Award-winning Children’s Author

There IS gravity in space, the Moon does NOT have a dark side, and Jupiter has at least 60 moons. However, kids today might not know these things because space and science fiction books are full of misleading explanations, incorrect terminology, impossible physics, old data, and confusing illustrations.

I hope that the book reviews below will help young people (and educators) choose nonfiction books that are accurate, and science fiction books that will not fill their heads with misconceptions such as that a lack of air produces weightlessness. The reviews focus on books dealing with space, physics, astronomy, technology, and space history because these are my areas of expertise. Purchases through the Amazon links support my volunteer efforts to promote science literacy, and are MUCH appreciated.

Site discussed in interview in Chemical & Engineering magazine.

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ALL BOOKS rated with a maximum of 6 points. 6=Exceptional. 5=Recommended. 4=Okay-Good. 3=Maybe. 0-2=Not Recommended. See details on point assignments and review criteria below table. Books are listed in alphabetical order by TITLE.

A - F

RATING	TITLE (click to read review)	AUTHOR (click to visit author/illustrator’s website)	TYPE NF or SF/hard/paperback-#pgs/price	AGE	PUBLISHER - YEAR (click to visit publisher’s website)
5.0	Astrobiology	Fred Bortz	NF/library/48 pgs $26.00	9-12	Lerner 2007
5.0	The City of Ember	Jeanne DuPrau	SF/pb/270 pgs $5.99	9-12	Yearling 2004
2	Comets, Stars, the Moon, and Mars	Douglas Florian	poetry/hb/56 pgs $16.00	9-12	Harcourt 2007
5.0	Darok 9	H.J. Ralles	SF/pb/178 pgs $9.95	9-12	Top 2002
4	The Divide	Elizabeth Kay	SF/hb/320 pgs $15.95	9-12	The Chicken House (Scholastic 2003)
5.5	Earthseed	Pamela Sargent	SF/pb/293 pgs $6.99	YA	Tor Teen, 1983, mass market 2007
5.5	Earth to Stella!	Simon Puttock Philip Hopman	SF/hb/32 pgs $16.00	0-7	Clarion, division of Houghton Mifflin 2006
5	Exploring Space with an Astronaut	Patricia Murphy	NF/hb/24 pgs $16.95	6-8	Enslow 2004
NEW! 5.0	Exploring the Solar System: A History with 22 Activities	Mary Kay Carson	NF/pb/176 pgs $17.95	9 and up	Chicago Review Press
6	Faraway Worlds	Paul Halpern, PhD Lynette R. Cook	NF/hb/32 pgs $16.95 hb, $6.95 pb	7-12	Charlesbridge 2004
4	First Graders from Mars Episode 4	Shana Corey Mark Teague	SF/hb/32 pgs $15.95	4-8	Scholastic Press - 2003

G - L

RATING	TITLE	AUTHOR	TYPE	AGE	PUBLISHER - YEAR
5.0	Galileo's Universe	J. Patrick Lewis Tom Curry Bruce Foster	NF/pop-up/18 pgs $24.95	9-12	Creative Editions, 2005
6	Greetings From Planet Earth	Barbara Kerley	SF/hb/256 pgs $16.99	9-12	Scholastic Press 2007
6! (my book!)	Home on the Moon	Marianne Dyson	NF/hb/64 pgs $18.95	8-12	National Geographic Books 2003
4.5	How the Moon Regained Her Shape	Janet Ruth Heller Ben Hodson	SF/hb/32 pgs $15.95	6-10	Sylvan Dell Publishing 2006
5	Hubert Invents the Wheel	Claire & Monte Montgomery	SF/hb/32 pgs $16.95	7-10	Walker 2006
2	If You Decide to Go to the Moon	Faith McNulty	F/hb & pb/48 pgs $16.99 hb/$4.99 pb	K-3	Scholastic Press 2005/2007
NEW 5.5	Impact	Douglas Preston	F/368 pgs $25.99 hb	YA-Adult	Forge, 2010
3.5	I Spy A Rocket Ship	Dan Marzollo Ward Yoshimoto, Michael Lokengaard	SF/pb/24 pgs $3.50	preschool	Scholastic - Cartwheel Books 2004
3	I Wonder Why Stars Twinkle	Carole Stott	NF/pb/32 pgs $5.95	4-8	Kingfisher - 93/97/03
5.5	Journey Between Worlds	Sylvia Louise Engdahl	SF/hb/240 pgs $17.99	9-YA	G.P. Putnam's Sons 2006
6	Killer Rocks From Space	Steven N. Koppes	NF/hb/112 pgs $29.27	9-12+	Twenty-First Century Books (Lerner) 2004
2 (revised 7-09)	Life As We Knew It	Susan Beth Pfeffer	SF/hb/337 pgs $17.00	YA	Harcourt 2006
5.0	Look to the Stars	Buzz Aldrin Wendell Minor	NF/hb/40 pgs $17.99	4-8	G.P. Putnam's Sons 2009

M - R

RATING	TITLE	AUTHOR	TYPE	AGE	PUBLISHER - YEAR
5	Updated Mars	Melanie Chrismer	NF/24 pgs $6.95 library	4-8	Children's Press (Scholastic)
5 to 5.5	Max Goes to Mars	Jeffrey Bennett Alan Okamoto	SF&NF/hb/32 pgs $16.95	4-12	Big Kid Science 2006
5	Max Goes to the Moon	Jeffrey Bennett Alan Okamoto	SF&NF/hb/32 pgs $16.95	4-8	Big Kid Science 2003
0	Midnight on the Moon (Magic Tree House #8)	Mary Pope Osborne Sal Murdocca	SF/pb/70 pgs $3.99	9-12	Random House 1996
5.75	Mission Control, This is Apollo	Andrew Chaikin with Victoria Kohl Alan Bean	NF/hb/128 pgs $23.99	9-12 (adult)	Viking, 2009
6	Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11	Brian Floca	NF/hb/48 pgs $17.99	4-8	S&S, Atheneum/Richard Jackson Books, 2009
4	The Parasite Pig	William Sleator	SF/hb/192 pgs $15.99	12-A	Dutton 2002
5	Pieces of Another World	Mara Rockliff Salima Alikhan	SF/hb/32 pgs $15.95	5-9	Sylvan Dell Publishing 2005
NEW 6.0	Planet Hunter	Vicki Oransky Wittenstein	NF/48 pgs $17.95 hb	9-12	Boyds Mills Press, 2010
4	Remnants - The Mayflower Project	K.A. Applegate	SF/pb/178 pgs $1.99	9-12	Scholastic 2001
5	Robots Slither	Ryan Ann Hunter Julia Gorton	NF/hb/32 pgs $16.95	4-8	Penguin 2004

S - Z

RATING	TITLE	AUTHOR	TYPE	AGE	PUBLISHER - YEAR
5.5	Saturn for my Birthday	John McGranaghan Wendy Edelson	SF/32 pgs $16.95 hc, $8.95 pb	4-8	Sylvan Dell 2008
5.0	Shanghaied to the Moon	Michael J. Daley	SF/hc/249 pgs $16.99	9-12	Putnam 2007
4.5	Sky Horizon	David Brin	SF/hc/120 pgs $35.00	9-12	Subterranean Press
6! (my book!)	Space and Astronomy: Decade by Decade	Marianne Dyson	NF/library/284 pgs $49.50	12 & up	Facts On File 2007
6.0	Spacer and Rat	Margaret Bechard	SF/hb/192 pgs $16.95	YA	Roaring Brook Press 2005
6! (my book!)	Space Station Science	Marianne Dyson	NF/pb/128 pgs $11.95	8-12	Windward 2004
5.0	Stars (Jump into Science)	Steve Tomecek	NF/hb/32 pgs $16.95	4-8	National Geographic 2007
5	Stella Brite and the Dark Matter Mystery	Sara Latta Meredith Johnson	SF/pb/32 pgs $6.95	7-10	Charlesbridge 2006
5.5	To Fly	Wendie Old Robert Andrew Parker	NF/hb/48 pgs $16.00	7-10	Clarion Books 2003
2.5	When Is a Planet Not a Planet: The Story of Pluto	Elaine Scott	NF/pb/48 pgs $17.00	9-12	Clarion 2007
4	You Are The First Kid on Mars	Patrick O'Brien	SF/32 pgs $16.99 hc	4-8	Putnam Juvenile 2009

Authors or publishers who want books reviewed should send the title, author, and publisher information to me by e-mail. All books reviewed must be readily available for order through Amazon.com. I also review ADULT BOOKS for the National Space Society. Please send me announcements of new books to consider. NSS does not review self-published books.

Note: I charge $60/hour for manuscript consultation. I do not critique adult novels. Contact me for estimates.

Nonfiction Books are rated using the following scale:

2 points for accuracy of facts;

1 point for clarity of explanations, proper use of analogies, terms, and concepts;

1 point for current data/expert quotes;

1 point for readability/good grammar, voice, design, reading level;

1 point for useful and accurate illustrations/photos.

Science Fiction/Science-related Fiction Books are rated using the following scale:

1 point for consistency and plausibility of fictional “facts” with real facts;

1 point for clarity of descriptions, illustrations, terms;

1 point for new perspective on old idea or story about a new concept;

1 point for readability/good grammar, point of view, dialog, reading level;

1 point for science use in plot;

1 point for interesting/inspirational character.

All Dyson Books, Barnes and Noble Link

QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? SEND E-MAIL to MARIANNE DYSON