Tag Archives: Stars

MG/YA – Our Solar System (Series NF)

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Our Solar System. BrightPoint Press, 2023. $33.05 ea. $198.30 set of 6, 64 p. Grades 6-12. 

Fraiser, Carolyn Bennett. Moons. 978-1-678-20406-8.
LaPierre, Yvette. The Asteroid Belt. 978-1-678-20402-0.
Mitchell, KS. The Gas Giants: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. 978-1-678-20404-4.
Terp, Gail. Pluto and the Dwarf Planets. 978-1-678-20408-2.
Thacher, Meg. The Terrestrial Planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars. 978-1-678-20412-9.
Wolny, Philip. The Sun. 978-1-678-20410-5.

This reviewer evaluated the titles The Sun and Moons. Each of the series titles is organized in a similar fashion, with a two-page ‘at a glance’ summary preceding the books’ longer introduction and chapters. An index, source notes, and a bibliography is included for students to use in further research of the topic. In The Sun, Wolny includes information about the Parker Solar Probe, launched in 2018 to gather new information about Earth’s relationship with the Sun. The book also contains information about heliocentric and geocentric models, and it covers civilization’s historical understanding of the Sun. Moons contains a multitude of information about not just Earth’s moon but the many other moons present in the solar system. In each book, the authors take care to place vocabulary words in bold font, and they include clear text features with extra information on missions and locations. Pictures are varied and contain captions that do not distract from the chapters’ text.

THOUGHTS: These new hi-lo solar system nonfiction titles will be great primers in all things outer space for interested students in both middle and high school. The up-to-date information offered in this collection will be a welcome addition for libraries that may be living with an otherwise aged natural science nonfiction collection. One thing I particularly liked about this series is its inclusion of carefully curated source notes and bibliography. The authors include credible online sources (as well as books), so students easily can look up additional bits of information as needed. These series books are short but mighty at 64 pages each, and this series makes great resource material for young scientists!

500 Science

Elem. – The Dark Was Done

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Stringer, Lauren. The Dark Was Done. Beach Lane, 2022. 978-1-534-46393-3. 48 p. $18.99. Grades PK-3.

The Dark Was Done spins a modern folktale about when the Dark, tired of being pushed away by lights and fears of humanity, decides to leave the earth. Initially, the boy at the center of the story and those around him do not miss the dark and go on with their daily business. But over time, the boy begins to realize what he has lost–the song of crickets, the hoot of owls, the stars–and goes on a journey to find the Dark and persuade it to return. Along the way, the boy is joined by others yearning for that which is missing. As the voice of one boy becomes the voice of many, the Dark is persuaded to return… and embraces the community that, in turn, embraces it.

THOUGHTS: Lauren Stringer’s illustrations are a wonderful compliment to her writing, reflecting the Dark’s personification in the text as a warm, mysterious entity. The people in the community are as diverse as they are foolish and frequently strike a fanciful note with their peaked caps. Small details, like the teddy bear the boy brings on his journey, a burglar portrayed as a racoon, and speech bubbles that illustrate the joys of night that the community is missing make the story both child-friendly and worthy of reading again and again. A beautiful story with beautiful illustrations. Highly recommended.

Picture Book          Hannah J. Thomas, Central Bucks SD

Elem. – The Stars: A Gazillion Suns

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Perdew, Laura. The Stars: A Gazillion Suns (Picture Book Science). Nomad Press, 2021. 29 p. 978-1-619-30992-0. $9.95. Grades K-3.

This nonfiction picture book introduces the reader to the basic principles about the galaxy and the stars. The book goes over information about the sun in our solar system, how stars are created, why they twinkle, as well as how they end. Throughout the book, there are two extraterrestrial commentators who have silly commentary to the reader, and at the end of the book there is an activity for the reader to complete related to the constellations. There is also a glossary in the back of the book; however, there is no table of contents.

THOUGHTS: This is a great introduction to space and the constellations for a young reader. The addition of the two extraterrestrial commentators is a great choice by the author, and the illustrations add to the charm of the whole book. Highly recommended for an elementary collection. 

523.8 Constellations          Mary McEndree, Lehigh Valley Regional Charter Academy

Elem. – Picture Book Science

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Perdew, Laura. Picture Book Science. Nomad Press, 2021. $8.96 ea. $116.48 set of 13. 29 p. K-3.

The Earth: One-of-a-Kind Planet. 978-1-619-30984-5.
The Moon: Small-but-Mighty Neighbor. 978-1-619-30988-3.
The Stars: A Gazillion Suns. 978-1-619-30988-3.
The Sun: Shining Star of the Solar System. 978-1-619-30992-0.

Endearing alien narrators tell the story of the sun, moon, Earth, and stars. The narrators discuss how they were all formed and how they are all related. Hands-on activities and glossaries are included in the end matter of each book, giving readers even more opportunities for learning. These informative, easy-to-follow narratives of our solar system are a solid addition to any elementary science collection.

THOUGHTS: I personally received and reviewed The Moon: Small-but-Mighty Neighbor, but there are actually four new releases in the Picture Book Science series (listed above). Additionally, there are 9 other previously published books in the series on topics such as energy, animal adaptations, and more. I especially like how these books bring scientific topics down to a level easily understood by elementary schoolers, and I appreciate the extension activities included in the books.

523 Solar System          Julie Ritter, PSLA Member

MG – Quintessence

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Redman, Jess. Quintessence. Farrar, Straus, Giroux,  2020. 978-0-374-30976-3. $16.99. 384 p. Grades 3-6.

Twelve year old Alma, a once curious girl, hasn’t felt like herself since moving to the town of Four Points. Shortly after moving, Alma began having panic attacks, and though she’s managed to convince her parents that they stopped, they really haven’t. Instead of going out to explore like she used to love doing, Alma spends afternoons after school in her parents’ new law office. When she meets the reclusive shopkeeper of the Fifth Point, a local junk store with a legendary lookout on its roof, he gives Alma a quintescope. It seems like a sign when – while running out of school – Alma spots an astronomy club flyer on the door. Her curiosity piqued, Alma decides to stop by to see what the club is like. There she meets Hugo, a brilliant young mind who lacks some awareness of himself socially; Shirin, a girl who seems to be part of the popular crowd but doesn’t feel like she fits there; and Dustin, a boy who has more to himself than the bully like he seems. With a shared interest of helping the Starling, this group of misfits learns about each other while learning about more themselves.

THOUGHTS: With a lovable cast of characters, each with his or her own insecurities, Quintessence captures what it means to find oneself at a time in life where many struggle. Give this book to fans of the inexplicable, those who recently moved or are looking for a new friend, or those who need a little magic in their lives. This book deserves a place in all middle school library collections.

Fantasy          Maryalice Bond, South Middleton SD