The Space Adventurer's Guide

April 1, 2018

Gr 4-8-Written like a travel guide, this title leads readers throughout space, from orbiting Earth, visiting planets, and traveling to the stars. Beginning with training and expectations of a space trip, readers will learn how astronauts have prepared and how everyday items react in space. With photographs of actual space missions alongside drawings and diagrams, readers can easily determine what has actually been accomplished in space travel and what lies in the future. To help prepare for the trip, a glossary is provided near the beginning that includes terms used by astronauts. An index makes it easy for readers to locate specific astronauts, space voyages, and other interests. Information about Mars, Saturn and Jupiter is presented here as an itinerary: what to see and do upon arrival. The format lends itself easily to school research, as well as independent reading. VERDICT With up-to-date information and captivating photographs and illustrations, this would be a welcome addition to school libraries.-Denise Moore, formerly at O'Gorman Junior High School, Sioux Falls, SD

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 1, 2018
With a new era of commercial space flight in the offing, here's a timely guide for young prospective travelers headed to choice astro-destinations.Whether the itinerary features a suborbital flight, extended stays aboard the International Space Station, or longer excursions to the moon, Mars, a comet, Jupiter, or Saturn, McMahon supplies not only advice about preparing for each journey and coping with issues from boredom to bone loss, but also suggestions for appropriate activities. These include swimming in a zero-gravity pool, spotting certain terrestrial landmarks from orbit, or windsurfing on Saturn's moon Titan. The author fills in background facts about major sights on the planets and other destinations, and he describes several spacecraft currently operational or under development. Additional reflections from such experienced astronauts as Chris Hadfield and Sunita Williams, plus plenty of color photos complementing Holinaty's illustrations, bring space tourism that much closer to seeming like a real thing. Frank cautionary references to "consciousness-losing, barf-inducing g-forces" and other hazards only serve to buff up the promise that the experience of space travel will be a vivid one. Humans in the photos are diverse, as are Holinaty's cartoon figures of space-suited young travelers.Tickets (not to mention affordable ones) may still be a few years off...but it's never too soon to start planning. (index) (Nonfiction. 10-13)

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Starred review from March 1, 2018
Grades 4-7 *Starred Review* Composed as a futuristic travel guide, this inventive, inviting volume introduces young readers to some basic space science along with a bevy of thrilling proposed advancements on the horizon. Beginning with a discussion of the requirements of space travel, such as intense training and the realities of living in zero gravity, and an overview of the current state of space tourism, McMahon then launches into the possible future of space vacations, such as taking a spin in a luxury space yacht or touring some of Jupiter's moons. In each section, McMahon uses a genial tone to introduce concepts, like time dilation during speed-of-light travel or how magnetic fields affect the likelihood of auroras on other planets. Each section is packed with weird and wonderful tidbits?all of which are grounded in real science?photos of actual astronauts, and clearly labeled full-color images of planets, moons, asteroids, and comets, all tied to the text. Inset boxes, tone-setting cartoon spot illustrations, and quotes from astronauts make the magazine-like pages even more engaging. Though sources notes and a further reading list would have been welcome, this thoughtfully designed, browser-friendly, fantastically entertaining look at the future of space travel will have science-mad kids utterly enthralled.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)