Mars and Beyond
Just saying the word “Mars” conjures up thoughts of space travel, little green men, and Roman gods. The red plant has inspired much contemplation since it is comparatively visible to the naked eye and very visible through a telescope. Its “canals” have prompted much debate as to whether or not these topographical features were caused by water or created by other means. Because of all of the interest in the planet, astronomers and NASA have invested a great deal of effort (and money) in studying and exploring this far away neighbor of Earth.
Visit these websites for more basic information about Mars:
http://desert.marssociety.org/
NASA’s Center for Mars Exploration
The following books discuss many aspects of the quest to better understand the planet Mars.
Reviews
Cars on Mars: Roving the Red Planet
Alexandra Siy
In 2003, two rovers were sent to the planet Mars, which was the closest to Earth that it had been in 60,000 years. In this readable and fascinating account, anyone with an interest in science and space will learn about the actual development of the rovers, their launch, the experiments they have performed, and what we have learned to date about this nearby planet. Full color pictures, artists’ drawings, and black and white imagery from the rovers bring this amazing story to life. A day on Mars is called a sol, and it is just thirty nine minutes longer than a day on Earth. Was there ever running water on Mars, and is there still water hidden on this planet? Scientists have learned so much about the rocks and what has created their various layers; all of which suggest that there were cycles of wet and dry conditions on the planet. Scientists have concluded that between 3.5 and 4 billion years ago, there was underground water at Meridiani Planum on Mars, and no one has ruled out the possibility that life once existed. Originally designed to last three months and to determine if any life existed or exists on Mars, these little engines that could are still working. That means they have been at their job for nine years. They have new software, but the mechanical parts are suffering from wear and tear—no one knows how long they will keep exploring, but each sol that they are there, new information increases our knowledge about this amazing planet. Kids who want to see what the rovers are currently doing can visit http://marsrovers.nasa.gov/home/index.html where they will find even more information. In addition, the back of the book contains references to other websites, a glossary, and selected bibliography. This is a book that will fascinate the arm chair space traveler and pique the interest of budding space scientists. 2009, Charlesbridge, Ages 10 up, $18.95. Reviewer: Marilyn Courtot (Children’s Literature).
ISBN: 978-1-57091-462-1
Earth and Mars
Rosalind Mist
The first two pages provide a definition and overview of the Solar System. A drawing shows the size of the planets “roughly to scale, but the distances between them are not to scale.” Browsing readers can look for the eye-catching star facts that are found throughout the book. Clear, simple sentences explain the layers of the earth, day & night and the seasons. “Eggy Earth” describes how to use a hard-boiled egg to understand the layers of the earth. A description of the surface, the winds and the moons of Mars are presented. There are a few experiments for readers. Readers can see what a Mars Exploration Rover looks like and can view some photos taken by one. The photos are clear and interesting. A Glossary and index are also included. The final page contains notes for parents and teachers offering further information and an experiment. A mix of drawing and photographs in this twenty-four page book will help both browsers and students working on simple assignments. Sidebars are distinguished from the main text by print size. This is part of the “QEB Solar System” series which, as a whole, provides a good introduction for young readers to the sun, planets, moons, meteors, asteroids and comets. 2008, QEB Publishing, Ages 8 to 10, $24.25, $16.95. Reviewer: Sharon Salluzzo (Children’s Literature).
ISBN: 978-1-59566-580-5
George’s Cosmic Treasure Hunt
Lucy and Stephen Hawking
George’s adventures continue in this new book from Lucy and Stephen Hawking. George travels to America to visit with his friend Annie. Her father, Eric, is having troubles with his latest project: a robot on Mars not performing as it should. Could this be interference from Eric’s nemesis, Reeper? Eric is willing to forgive Reeper for his crimes before, but George and Annie are still cautious. With the help from Emmett, an annoying but very smart new acquaintance, George and Annie and Eric travel to Mars for another wonderful inter-planetary adventure. While the story is slow to get started (the real story begins around page 50, when George finally arrives in America), it is fun to get to know the characters as well as some background information about both the story and the science. Sprinkled amidst the text are eight articles written by some of the leading scientists in the modern world, including the author of the book himself, Professor Stephen Hawking. Hawking and the other scientists make advanced ideas particularly accessible to children, especially when placed in context by George’s story. A fun and informative read for children and adults. 2009, Simon and Schuster, Ages 8 to 12, $18.99. Reviewer: Amie Rose Rotruck (Children’s Literature).
ISBN: 978-1-4169-8671-3
Mars
Robin Birch
Originally published in Australia, this “New Solar System” series delivers the latest astronomical news through 2008, illustrations on every page, and lots of statistics. In five or six brief chapters, young scientists will learn about the planets and other heavenly bodies and the space exploration that provided the information. An attractive extra is a short explanation and illustration of Greek or Roman deities associated with the planets—Mars’s namesake is represented by an impressive statue of the Roman war god (iron-rich Mars is often called the “red planet”). Another chapter explores its revolution and rotation on a tilted axis, seasons, temperature, and thin, dust-filled atmosphere, while frozen water in Mars’s carbon dioxide ice caps suggests the fascinating possibility of life on this dry planet. Readers may not know that Mars has huge extinct volcanoes and two small moons, Phobos and Deimos, made of rock and ice. For those intrigued by space exploration, the author explains that a 1965 space probe, Mariner 4, took the first Mars photos, with many others following; the Mars Exploration Rovers of 2003 and 2004 discovered evidence of water at some time in the past. Clear, no-nonsense text moves along briskly, while illustrations (mostly in saturated colors on dark backgrounds) are eye-catching; some pages with dark photos bordered in somber black or midnight blue are less appealing. Further help includes a “Mars Fact Summary,” a glossary, and a list of websites. 2008 (orig. 2004), Chelsea Clubhouse/Chelsea House, Ages 8 to 11, $23.00. Reviewer: Barbara L. Talcroft (Children’s Literature).
ISBN: 978-1-60413-211-3
Mars
Elaine Landau
Although our understanding of the solar system and its planets does not change much from year to year, what we know about Mars is an exception. Mars is in the news, on television, and on the Internet as a family of orbiters, two rovers, and a polar lander are changing our view of the Red Planet. So it is timely to update our knowledge about Mars, which is what this book sets out to do. It includes a history of our views of Mars from previous missions and ends with the Spirit and Opportunity rovers, still operating there today. The book poses questions to readers and then answers them throughout the course of the presentation. This approach should help keep young readers' attention to the end. The book includes other ones as resources, as well as organizations and websites to contact for more study. Under "Places to Visit," on page 45, it is curious that while the Kennedy Space Center is listed, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, where the Mars missions are designed and built, is not. The “Important Words section,” on page should help readers navigate the more technical descriptions. Some of the graphics are confusing, and they should have been chosen with more care. For example, on the “Contents” page, a question is posed on how astronomers found the Mars "happy face," but that is not what is pictured next to the question. Similarly, in a set of side-by-side photographs that purport to show the progress of a dust storm traveling over the surface of Mars, it is hard to distinguish the features; another, more dramatic event could have been chosen. Since NASA and the European Space Agency make updated material available daily on their ongoing Mars missions, it would be worthwhile to combine real-time Mars exploration with the contents of the book. (True Book) Glossary; Index, C.I.P. Recommended, Grades 3-6. 2008, Scholastic, 48pp., $26.00. Ages 8 to 12. Reviewer: Marsha Freeman (Science Books and Films (Vol. 45, No. 2)).
ISBN: 978-0-5311-2560-1
ISBN: 0-5311-2560-2
ISBN: 978-0-5311-4790-0
ISBN: 0-5311-4790-8
Mars: Distant Red Planet
David Jefferis
Large colored captions and overlapping graphics help provide a layered context for this look at space exploration. The book is organized into three distinct sections that introduce and reinforce its main ideas and vocabulary. The first section describes basic facts about the climate and geography of the planet. The second takes a “Closer Look” and the third is directed to the “Young Astronomer.” Each short chapter poses a question, some of which assume prior knowledge on the reader’s part (e.g., “Have Robots Explored Mars?”). Two to three queries further develop these investigations in a style that demonstrates the scientific method. As a result, the presentation is largely non-linear and pleasantly detailed, with two-page spreads that stand alone. The text concludes with a “Database” of facts and statistics. A glossary and an index will help readers make sense of the complex subject. One of four engaging titles in the “Exploring Our Solar System” series, this is a highly visual volume that can be referenced again and again. 2008, Buzz Books/Crabtree, $8.95. Ages 8 to 11. Reviewer: Tina Dybvik (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 978-0-7787-3748-3
ISBN: 0-7787-3748-9
ISBN: 978-0-7787-3732-2
ISBN: 0-7787-3732-2
Mars and the Search for Life
Elaine Scott
Stunning photographs accompany a historical look at the planet Mars beginning with the Orson Welles broadcast on 30 October 1938 when he told listeners that a “huge flaming object” catapulted to earth and had landed in a farmer’s field in New Jersey. Little did he think that prank on Halloween would cause such alarm. Borrowing from H.G. Wells’ war of the Worlds radio listeners were spellbound thinking that Martians had landed. Fast forward to the fifties and the race for space. New technologies and the money poured into the space program allowed scientists to study the planets. From 1964 to the present decade missions were sent to Mars to gather information about the red planet. Scott keeps the reader’s attention with her prose and supports her thesis with scientific facts. Back matter gives information for further reading which are current and websites devoted to the planet as well as the NASA site. More mature and fluent readers will find answers to questions, but this is also a book that the person with an interest in astronomy would want to pick up and read. Captions are clear, type size easy to read, and the photographs well-chosen. 2009, Clarion Books/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Ages 8 to 12, $17.00. Reviewer: Leslie Greaves Radloff (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 978-0-618-76695-6
Seeing Red: The Planet Mars
Nancy Loewen
Illustrated by Jeff Yesh
With its large square pages and poster-bright pictures, the “Amazing Science: Planet” series is designed to have maximum visual appeal for young space explorers. It largely succeeds, presenting quite a bit of information about each planet in nine double-page spreads (liberally sprinkled with “Fun Facts” boxes) that show sizes, composition, surfaces, orbits, rotations, and something about each planet’s exploration. Readers are introduced to Mars through its blood-red color, which caused it to be named after the Roman god of war. Through both pictures and text, the book explains Mars’s small size and icy temperatures, its tilted axis, and its valleys, mountains, and plains. Kids can chuckle at one girl’s idea of green Martians and enjoy an excited Percival Lowell looking through his telescope and imagining man-made “canals” on Mars. Suggesting flat acrylic paintings, Yesh’s illustrations are actually created with digital media. Though not realistic in style, their brilliant colors on dark backgrounds make them eye-catching, often glowing, and sometimes action-filled, as in a depiction of Mars’s two moons racing around their planet. Loewen provides directions for a simple science project in which students, with the help of friends and a stopwatch, dance the orbits of Mars and its moons. Includes a glossary, a short bibliography of children’s books about the planet, and a few more Mars facts, such as that dozens of spacecraft have had problems on Mars: is there a “Martian Curse?” This lively series should be fun for budding astronomers; who knows, it might inspire some planetary poetry or astronomical art. 2008, Picture Window, $25.26. Ages 7 to 10. Reviewer: Barbara L. Talcroft (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 978-1-4048-3953-3
ISBN: 1-4048-3953-4
ISBN: 978-1-4048-3962-5
ISBN: 1-4048-3962-3
You Are the First Kid on Mars
Patrick O’Brien
There is plenty of talk about going to Mars in certain scientific circles; and just what would that experience be like? O'Brien describes the experience and imparts of bit of factual information. Our young astronaut takes a space elevator that is connected to a space station where scientists and others then take a rocket to Mars. It is a long trip--about four months, but you have a sleeping cabin, exercise room, library, bathroom, kitchen and gravity so it is more like home but much smaller. Once near Mars you board a Lander and once on the planet you must wear a spacesuit. The atmosphere of Mars is thin and people would not be able to breath without protective suits plus the temperatures are very cold and very hot. Scientists are hard at work studying the planet, growing food, studying rocks, searching for signs of life and much more. Robots do the dangerous work especially things that require them to be outside on the planet surface. On one of your excursions you find Sojourner, the first Mars rover. The pictures O'Brien has created look like photographs--you see the landscape, the tallest mountains on any planet and a huge canyon that extends for hundreds of miles. After six months it's time to return home. What a trip and what a painless way to impart lots of factual information about the very first planet mankind might visit. 2009, G. P. Putnam’s Sons/Penguin, Ages 7 to 10, $16.99. Reviewer: Marilyn Courtot (Children’s Literature).
ISBN: 978-0-399-24634-0
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Added 08/24/09
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