The Lonely Existence of Asteroids and Comets

April 1, 2012

Gr 4-9-Don't be fooled by the graphic-novel style format of this series; titles explore their subjects in depth. For example, in Volcanoes, readers are introduced to many different types of eruptions: Strombolian, Plinian, Surtseyan, etc. The volumes are unique and a bit quirky. The subtle humor in Rocks is quite endearing in its depiction of geologists' love for rocks and the many fascinating things they can learn from them. Some readers may find it disconcerting when subjects are anthropomorphized. For example, Volcanoes states that, "Mount Vesuvius in Italy erupted in furious anger," and in Asteroids and Comets, it's suggested that the title objects "live lonely lives." Though the format may make this content-rich series more attractive for many readers, it may disappoint those looking for a quick read because of the extensive detail.

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 15, 2012
Grades 3-5 It can be tricky to keep all those chunks floating around in spacecomets, asteroids, meteorsstraight. And though these space rocks don't have quite the brain-bendingly cool allure of other cosmic wowers like black holes and supernovae, they provide a solid thematic bedrock for a wide-ranging tour of the vastness of the universe in this graphic-format title in the Adventures in Science series. Though the panels present a series of stills rather than a sequential narrative, and the text is set entirely in boxed captions, the artwork has an irreverent, cartoony panache that works oddly well with the straightforward presentation of astronomical information. Speeding through the formation and layout of our solar system and the Milky Way galaxy, the compositional makeup of different space objects, a history of humankind's observation of cosmic phenomena, and looks into the future of space exploration, this book covers a lot of information in an efficient and easygoing manner.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)