THESE SPACE SCIENCE BOOKS REACH OUT ACROSS ALL AGES, FROM YOUNG SPACE SCOUTS TO SEASONED CADETS!
These award-winning books have been translated into French, Spanish, Croatian, Greek, Japanese, Italian, South Korean and Slovenian!
INDUSTRY BOOK REVIEWS:
for “LUNA”: National Geographic Kids does it again with a fantastic and comprehensive look at Earth’s only natural satellite. From its creation to myths and legends, to what the future holds for humans and the moon, Aguilar gives an in-depth profile of the moon’s surface and descriptions of important locations explored by astronauts and satellites...VERDICT An excellent, extensive, and focused look at the moon, perfect for leisure reading or research." - School Library Journal
for “LUNA”: Earth’s constant companion receives a first class look in this exploration of our closest neighbor in the sky. Perfect for research projects or to satisfy the curious, the pages have a nice balance of both real and imagined images next to in-depth text.
You’ll learn how the moon was created, it’s comparison to Earth, and have a glance at the myths the moon has created. Key in the werewolves and the Great Moon Hoax of 1835—a fascinating account of when The New York Sun published a story claiming the moon was inhabited by purple unicorns and winged batmen.
The majority of the pages though are reserved for what scientists really know about the moonscape, including the moon’s role in tides and eclipses here on earth. The best part for future explorers is what they can do today. Detailed are ten features of the moon you can see right from your home with a simple telescope. Pictures and details are provided for each.
The guide ends with a fun activity to create your own craters and how to draw the moon. There’s also a brief glossary and extended resources. A fantastic resource no library or space enthusiast should be without. The old song said Fly Me to the Moon, but that can wait while you enjoy the diversions LUNA has to offer. - Greg Pattride, “Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday”
For “7W MW”: Older readers and adults will be drawn to the fascinating Seven Wonders of the Milky Way The first thing I liked about this book is that I learned what many cultures called the Milky Way and why. I love little nuggets of information I can drop into a conversation! Aguilar has organized the book around topics sure to draw the reader in, such as “Omega Centauri: Oldest Stars in the Milky Way,” and “Tabby’s Star: Weirdest Object in the Milky Way.” He also takes the reader beyond the Milky Way and under the stars. He makes good use of analogies to help the reader understand the text, and the illustrations are wonderful in the true sense of the word — full of wonder. - J. Greenlaw “Mysteries above fit…about the Universe”
for "7W MW": Admittedly our solar system holds many amazing features, but Aguilar selects the seven presented here based on where he would want to visit and take a selfie. Olympus Mons, a 16-mile high volcano on Mars; Saturn’s rings; Planet Nine, which is based off of mathematics and is still being studied; a few different moons (Europa, Titan, Charron); and planet Earth make the cut. Each wonder has several pages dedicated to describing and explaining its discovery, as well as information about the astronomers that studied it and visits made by spacecraft. Aguilar weaves together a narrative of science and imagination—readers can envision what it would be like to set foot on these distant lands. The majority of the amazing artwork was created by building 3-D models (using data gleaned from space probes, and scientific facts and figures) and then photographing and digitizing them. Students will be fascinated and educated at the same time. A thorough index helps make it useful for research, but since the work covers a mix of facts, it will be better suited for curiosity seekers. –Sandra Welzenbach, Villarreal Elementary School, San Antonio
for "COSMIC CATASTROPHES" : "Chilling, compelling, and clearly explained. A lively exploration of seven cosmic catastrophes that could hit Earth and any of the other 20 billion Earth-like planets in our galaxy." - Vancouver Public Library
"Readers who like their adventure on a planetary scale will be captivated by this book - Outstanding!" School Library Connection.
for "ALIEN WORLDS": Alien Space Scouts Wanted!” are the opening words. Aguilar lays out the mission – “Use your science-based imaginations to help investigate exoplanets.” Well, who could possibly resist that? First are some pages explaining what types of planets could support life, what those conditions might be and how we can find them. Then eight exoworlds are introduced and Aguilar’s imagined life forms both explained and portrayed. Each world is rendered in gorgeous paintings and the aliens are fabulous – and all solidly based on physical and biological science.
for “ALIEN WORLDS”: This book is SO much fun! I loved reading about each and every world and I wasn’t alone. The older members of the focus group were fascinated by this book and examined each page minutely and it has generated some wonderful discussions and drawings. The backmatter is equally wonderful including 4 pages on How to Build Your Own Alien and I know that will soon happen at our house. Aguilar also provides extensive resources, a glossary and an excellent index. - Lynn Rutan, Booklist Online: ALA
Through the Looking Glass Children’s Book Reviews:
http://lookingglassreview.com/books/alien-worlds-your-guide-to-extraterrestrial-life
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