Children's Space Books Books

I read "Larry Tyler and the Planet Buksdahuda", and, frankly, I was expecting it to be a weakly-written children's story, with some fair references to space and maybe an alien or two. I was pleasantly surprised, and so very wrong! The characters are interesting, the space references are not over my head, and there is even a little "clean" romance thrown in for good measure (for those teenagers who are wanting to be enticed by something spicy). Of course, being related to the author, Larry Pefferly, didn't hurt, either. But, even without the "blood ties", this book is an enjoyable read for all ages. I'm certainly not a teenager, and yet I found it to be a page-turner! Quite a bit of research went into the writing of this book, so for those students of astronomy and science, there are plenty of BIG words that will keep you hopping from dictionary to encyclopedia to textbook. And, for those adventure-seekers, this book will keep you on the edge of your seat wondering whether the hero makes it out alive! And, finally, it has a happy ending! Very rare in today's world.

Do take the time to read "Larry Tyler and the Planet Buksdahuda"--whether you're 9 or 90, you'll be glad you did.

As a teacher, no matter how well this book is written, there is no way I'd read it aloud to my class or recommend it to a child.

This author has clearly not done his research. If he'd looked at a map, he might have noticed that the Yukon Territory is in Canada - not Alaska (see p. 7). Further, Barrow is quite a distance to the northwest of the Yukon.

Please get it right, people already think Alaska is somewhere off the coast of California because of the way most maps are published.

And a blonde-haired, blue-eyed protagonist in a Inupiaq Eskimo village? Hmmm. Why not set the book in Minnesota?

As an adult, I found this book very exciting. The author has got to have a vivid imagination. I couldn't put it down until I finished. Passed it alone to my grandchildren.

Finally, a great adventure that relates to kids of today and teaches them that its OK to be different! This book embraces the wonderful unique qualities that each of us have; which makes us individuals and different from the next person. A great lesson for todays youth! Really a timeless message.
I hope this b/comes a series and also part of required reading for middle school students.

I stayed up late reading Larry Tyler and the Planet Bukstahuda! A well structured and finished tale extolling simple virtues, leadership and teamwork. Lawrence R. Pefferly has a clear and refreshing writing style that completely draws you in to this exciting tale of space adventure appropriate for boys and girls of any age. I hope this is the first of many Larry Tyler books. - R ebecca H. Billard - Partridge Hill Reviews

I'm not going to say much about Planetes. This is a review for the whole series.

There was never a dull moment in the series. Each page propelled the reader to keep reading until the whole volume was done with.

The characters were very realistic and I could relate to them and the overall themes of this manga unlike man fictional mangas.

This was realistic fiction at its best.

When I finished the series, for about a week I couldn't help gazing up at the stars and thinking "I want to be an astronaut."

I think anybody's whose anybody should check out this series, I promise, you won't be disappointed.

There are space stations, cities on the moon and a huge demand for more resources. And whereever man goes he takes his trash with him. Disused satellites, fuel tanks and other space junk makes it dangerous just moving about in orbit. The young Hachimaki works as a orbital garbage man but he has bigger plans in mind. He wants his own spaceship.
The manga is realistic, using real science, but never shoving it into our face - the characters and their stories are always the most important point. Great hard science fiction set in a near future that seems just around the corner.

The year is 2074AD and the human race is primed to explore the solar system. There are bases on the moon and preparations are underway to send an expedition to Jupiter. 23 year-old Hachimaki has always talked about owning his own ship and becoming a famous astronaut. But somehow, over the years that dream has given way to reality. Hachimaki is an astronaut, from a certain point of view. He has gotten a job as a debris collector, a job which entails removing space garbage caused by all the satellites and assorted junk that mankind has left in orbit around the Earth. Space debris probably doesn't sound that dangerous, but just ask his colleague, Yuri, who lost his wife because of a piece of space junk, how serious it can be. The other crewmember of their operation is the pilot, Fee, a single mom who lets the guys do all the dangerous work.

The first volume of Planetes is really a character study. There's Yuri, who must deal with the haunting presence of his dead wife. Yachimaki must ponder whether what he is doing is conducive to his goals in life, especially when he returns home to a little brother who sees him as a loser. And then there's Fee, who is just looking for a place to smoke a cigarette, even if the radical environmental group "Space Defense Fighters" is targeting smoking areas on the lunar base.

Planetes is a manga that features more realism than most which is reflected in the story and the art. It's good science fiction with a does of humor and a cast that is instantly likeable. Highly reccomended.

Planetes almost defies description, but it's nominally about a space debris clean-up crew in the near future who work ceaselessly at clearing away all the now-useless junk we've launched into orbit. It has all the stillness and mystery of 2001: A Space Odyssey, without the detachment and tension. The characters deal with real-life issues of loss, inadequacy and loneliness against the vast backdrop of limitless space, and without bringing out a stick to beat the moral into us, Planetes proves that companionship and purpose make us whole and give meaning to life. Can you tell I love this series? I want to run out and buy all the books. Then I found out there is an anime series, too - released on DVD here in America, with subtitles! I'm giddy with anticipation.

I'd overall give this a 3.5 stars...
And this short review is more for the whole 5-manga series and not just for the first volume, but if you are thinking of geting the first one, you might want to know what you are in for.
I agree with what several of the others have said in Planetes' favor. The characters are interesting, the "realistic sci-fi" aspect is quite good, and the overall direction or plot pull the reader in.
This lasts through the first two or three books. The last two seemed to me at least to lose the pulse of the earlier volumes. Maybe it is the case that all manga/anime must devolve into "emo," but that doesn't mean I have to like it. I appreciated the psychological aspects to the storytelling, and their importance to the tale's overall theme...but, well, Planetes emphasized this to excess. What began as a complicated human story ended up as a facile lesson. I wouldn't want to ruin it for anyone, so I won't disclose any more of the conclusion (if it could be called that).
Great first book, great 2nd, and maybe 3rd...weaker 4th and a disappointing 5th (or 4.part 2...as it is called)

This is an excellent book for a 3+ year old child. My grandson loved it. I had to read this book to him (he asked for it by name) every night for a week; sometimes he asked that I read it to him two times in a row.

He now knows what a Lunar Lander is and he knows there is no gravity in space.

I highly recommend this book.

Eugene

My 2 yr. old is enjoying this book as a companion to the play rocket he got for Christmas. The illustrations are perfect for his age and the rhyming, accurate text is entertaining. Winner!

We added another Amazing Machines book to our collection. These are fantastic books that our boys have always loved.

My son loves the animals on the rocket as much as he loves reading about the rocket. It's short and sweet and introduces him to some new space travel concepts (like wearing oxygen).

Great book to add into the night reading routine. I like to read a few books each night and this one is a perfect short read. Great rhymes and simple illustrations- my son enjoys this book very much.

This was, I think, the most touching book of the Cazalet series. After the war their situations are not automatically better, but slowly things begin to improve for some of the Cazalets. Clary and Polly fall in love, Rupert and Zoe try to rediscover each other, and Louise makes peace with her past and takes control of her life.

For those in the United States who are having a hard time finding this book (as I did) I suggest you try W. H. Smith On-line. I ordered it from them and it took about a month to arrive from England (cost was about 10 pounds).

I enjoyed these four novels about the Cazalet family. It was very interesting to be able to observe how England changed from the years before World War II to the period after it, going from a calm self-absorption and a reliance on live-in help to everyone listening to news bulletins and servants being almost impossible to get. Rather strange, though, I thought, that so many of the marriages were between young women and middle-aged men. And virtually everyone having an affair -- is this realism, or just overuse of a good technique for revealing character? And I thought Clary's choice of a husband implausible.

But in general the books were very believable. I was interested in all the characters and moved by their experiences. They have been absorbed into my mind just as if they were real people. Major virtues of these books are the atmosphere of English culture of the time, and the subtle character development. An unfortunate minor distraction in this book, unlike the three other volumes, were editing errors, for instance characters starting the paragraph with the wrong name, or Christopher's pet Oliver being a cat for ages and then suddenly on p. 478 being a dog!

The fourth and final volume of "The Cazalet Chronicle" brings to a satisfying conclusion the story of this much-extended English family. Taking place in the aftermath of World War II, each family member grapples with the rationing, food and housing shortages, and other deprivations the English endured. Marriages break apart and new unions are formed, pregnancy shatters the life of one cousin while another eagerly anticipates motherhood, new careers are begun, family rifts pit brother against brother, and old loves are rekindled as the Cazalets head into the future. Elizabeth Jane Howard writes the intimate details of their lives with a warmth,humor, and passion that is almost magical.

I, too, have been left hanging and am eagerly awaiting this last book, as I know it too will receive a five star rating from me. I can recommend both the books and the tapes in this series to be among the best. Keep writing, Ms. Howard!

The Second World War has ended, but "normal" eludes most of England and, in particular, the Cazalet family and assorted family retainers, servants, etc. Communication between family members reaches a new low, families break apart and regroup, and faith appears as a real issue. Teddy acquires an American bride of the worst type, Louise sheds a famous husband, Villy becomes the odd one out, Polly does not seek but still finds, Angela travels to the U.S. to marry, Christopher becomes his own man, and Neville is utterly charming in his hideously truthful way. Crawling into the covers of this book gives the reader a real sense of the present emerging. The recorded version sounds magnificent, the dialogue is so skillful that I'd love to listen to the books too. And, having read all four books, must we end it here?

I'm 35 now and have had the original 50's version of this book since the third grade--it's been one of my most treasured possessions ever since. The story is delightful and the illustrations wonderfully unique. I picked up a recent boxed set of this and Eager's other books (softcover), but was highly disappointed with the third rate revised covers from a frankly hack artist. In any case, this anniversary edition restores the original, unparalleled cover. Get this book, you won't be disappointed. I can't wait to share this new edition with my daughters (the original can stay on the shelf). Harry who?

I first read Half Magic when I was about seven years old. It was the first book I read "all by myself" and I was thunderstruck. It's a wonderfully literary and literate story of four siblings who find a magic charm that works by halves. (If, for example, you wish to be on a desert island, you might end up in the desert.) They have to figure out the "rules" as they go along, and they learn lessons along the way. The author, Edward Eager, is obviously a big fan of E. Nesbit, and acknowledges his debt to her in this and other books. Mr. Eager never "talks down" to his young readers, and I think this allows the book to stand up well for those of us who re-read it as adults. I would certainly recommend this for childen who are ready to "really read" and the adults willing to let them.
I must also say that I love the illustrations, too, and I much prefer the cover of the hardback edition to that of the paperback.

Sorry. I'm the kid who wote the other review on November 29th, 2006. This book does not take place in London. It takes place in America in 1924, in Toledo, Ohio. This book is a timeless classic for the young and old, not just middle readers. I'd reccomend it to my grandmother, as well as my 4-year old cousin. If you like Half Magic read Magic by the Lake, for more advetures with Jane, Mark, Katherine, and Martha.

I first read "Half Magic" in elementary school and I have read it 4 or 5 times, since. It is a funny, exciting, literate, book that is good for all ages. Toddlers will miss a lot of what it has to say, but get the adventure.
Four children find a magic charm that grants wishes by halves. Fun and adventure happens when they use the charm and when they forget its secret. Their lives and the lives of those they love are made much better. When the book is finished, the reader smiles and wishes there were more. There are more books in the series, but this one is the best.

These days, when so many of us are reading the Harry Potter books, it may be good to remember some of the more classic fantasy tales of a couple of generations ago. Yes, one could try "Peter Pan" and all the Oz books, but there were a bunch of other books such as this one which I think were excellent as well.

I think that "Half Magic" is about right for kids around eight or so. The language is about right for children (the toughest line for a really young reader might be "whence do you hail?"). And it is simply a charming little book. We get to read about a talking cat, visits to faraway places, and maybe best of all, a person who is not exactly all there.

I highly recommend this book. Of course, it's supposed to be only for kids. We grownups are supposed to be way past reading this sort of thing. And if we did read it, we probably wouldn't admit it. But some kids will still recommend this book to their grandmothers, and I think they're right to do so.

worth reading, a great book for kids up to 14 years old. The next 1 is already out and the next one is out 2008 may.

Ulysses Moore: The Long-Lost Map by Pierdemonico Baccalario tells of three kids who journey back in time into ancient Egypt - but an accident returns Julie to home, with the boys trapped in the past. They must find a long-lost map hidden somewhere in Egypt to return - and in the process, solve more puzzles left by one Ulysses Moore. A rollicking, involving time travel story emerges with delightful twists and turns of plot.

A wonderful book with lots of excitement and great adventure. Twins, Jason and Julia and their friend Rick go on an adventure through time to Ancient Egypt to find the long lost map of Kilmore Cove.In this course, they go through many adventures using the clues left behind by Ulysses Moore.
I really enjoyed this book and could never put it down!I definetely recommend this book to other children because I know they'll love it! This book even has a strong sense of humor in it!

Mira,Chicago

Michael Page's reading brings to life the story of Jason, Julia and Rick, time travelers to ancient Egypt who are trapped in the past, unless they can locate the long-lost map of Kilmore Cove hidden somewhere in Egypt. Puzzles left by the strange Ulysses Moore may help in this fine audio mystery.

The book: Ulysses Moore: The Lost Map was an excellent read and belongs on your book case. Its educational, exciting, and all about Egypt!
The story takes place in the land of punt: a forgotten Egyptian city lost in time. Ulysses Moore (the man who found this land before the children) is dead now and its up to recover the map of Kilmore Cove. It all starts when the kids walk into the chest and make a mess. Julia, and Rick are twins, and Jason is a young boy with a "devil tongue".

When they walk threw the door they find them selves in a humongous storage room. They hear tapping and all of the sudden the walls start crashing down and the boys are trapped in Punt, with there sister outside of the door! In the book before the children are trying to find a map and discover the secrets left behind by Ulysses. That book continued into this book. Now that the boys are in Punt they meet a young girl named Maruk. She will be there guide threw the Land of Punt. With only Mr. Moore's journal, they will find the map and hopefully return home safely.

I loved this book. If you like adventure, comedy, and even action this book is for you. The best thing about this book is that the author knows how to make the characters sound realistic and alive. Especially in the beginning they give us an "e-mail" from Michael Merryweather explaining that he found the second manuscript to the Ulysses Moore mystery. I find this amusing even though it isn't real, it makes you feel as if your becoming a detective yourself; solving the mystery, and watching as the children make there way through the Land of Punt.

I did not like this book because at the very end they continued to a different book. Honestly I would like to know the end of the story and if the bad guy gets away with it right now! I don't want to go out and buy the book and them read the whole thing just to see what happened!!!

I would recommend this book to anyone who is an aspiring Egyptologist, like me. I also would recommend this book to children over 10, because it has something that you might have to figure out in your head, or really think about it.

My daughter had a hard time with the difference between cities, states and countries until we read this. I feel it gave her a good understanding of where we are on the map.

I liked "Me on the Map" MUCH better. I ordered the space book because the map book was very useful in explaining the concept of map representation to my four year old. This book simply wasn't as good. It is inaccurate, also, as it includes Pluto as a planet, though it is no longer considered to be one.

This book is great! Excellent teaching tool. Engaging for children.

I bought this book to introduce a unit on Saturn for my third grade class. When I first scanned the book I thought maybe I'd made a mistake and bought something beneath their level. Not so! I read it aloud to them & they loved it. They all wanted to take it home to read again.

Great illustrations, and informative non-fiction for preschoolers. I am a big beleiver in improving young children's vocabulary through non-fiction reading. This book series will help keep your youngsters attention while you talk to him/her about the world around us. A couple sentences per page. If you want to read another science series with more reading and more detail, but still great illustrations try the "Let's read and find out science" series including "Why Frogs are Wet" and many others.

This is my favorite book of all time. I want to go to Talia soooo badly!!! I find myself wishing this was not a fantasy book. The way it is written, the characters, plot, and setting seem so real and fantastic and intriguing. If you were to read one book in your entire life, I hope this would be it- you need to read it.

this is the 2nd in the Stravaganza series (1st is City of Masks)! Luciano, Silvia,Rodolfo,Enrico, Arianna and many more characters are back in this book. They are joined by another stravagante , Georgia, and many other people such as Cesare, Paolo, Falco and ofcourse the star of the show :Merla (i won't tell who this is gotta read the book). This book is packed with adventure, friendship, bravery and a bit of romance.This is definetly for all ages but especially for all those girls who dream of things that seem impossible. just dont read this before you read city of masks! That will ruin everything! If you have read this already get City Of Flowers! Get reading and remember VIVA LA STRAVAGANZA!!!!!

This book deserves nothing less than than 5 stars! This is by far the best series I have read like ever! But you must read the first book or it will not have the same spark to it! Arianna,Rodolfo, Lucien,Silvia, Enrico and Guido are all back in this fast paced adventure. They are joined by another stravagante:a girl named Georgia,Flaco (DiChimici) , Geatano, Cesare, and Paolo. This book is definetly for all ages but especially for all those girls out there who dream of getting what seems impossible. Whatever you do don't read this before you read City of Masks. If you have, what are you waiting for??? Get to the bookstore ! If you've read this get the next book City of FLowers for more sparkling adventures! Viva la Stravaganza!!!!

It is honestly a great book by mary Hoffman but the City of Mask was better. It seems like the race was the big turning poin of the book and I don't think the race was not all that important. Georgia (new stravagante) comes and I think she is only good for the racing. Lucien doesn't express anything to Arianna or Georgia. Overall a great book but not the best.

I think City of Stars is a really great book because it is exciting, has great charachters, and an interesting plot. I liked City of Masks, also and strongly suggest you read that first to enjoy this book much more. This is a good sequel to City of Masks, I enjoyed meeting Lucien again and I like Georgia, the protagonist. I can't wait for City of Flowers! (The next book in the trilogy will be published soon... I hope!)

I would have to say the Stravaganza series is one that get's worse in each book. I'm not so sure if the switching main chara's in each book was what did it, but I felt no liking for our third chara.

Because of this, the ending feels rather cheap when we return to Lucien and Arianna. The whole, and they "fell in love and lived happily ever after" only works when the two chara's actually spend time together and develop. That way it doesn't sound so fairy tale like. (I have a strong liking to books like HP, where fantasy feels realistic)

Yes, its exciting, but I wish it had been dull through the beginning, so I didn't rush to the end only to find I would never pick this book up again.

The relationships dont feel whole hearted, but rather, "I'm choosing you cuz I have no other choice and the book is nearly over,"

Also, through the whole series the Pagan worldview is blunt and annoying. The whole, "we worship a woman cuz we dont like men" came off feminist and disturbing. When it was introduced long ago it felt unneeded, since Lucien, and everyone else never felt time to wonder if she was even real. One has to wonder why we even have it?

If you care nothing for religion, and dont find yourself nitpicking over the unreal love in badly written stories (I confess, it's easy to want to live happily ever after no matter what) then you will enjoy this last book.
Why does it seem so many authors rush the last book????

This was a GREAT book. I loved the first book in the series, City of Masks, and thought that none of the sequels could be any better. I was wrong!! The plot is full of twists and turns and so much happens on every page, there were some points I thought I would get lost. The author, however, does a perfect job of distinguishing each plot line and making everything clear. It was great to see all of the characters together and I enjoyed every part of the book. I would definately recommend this book to anyone looking for a good book, but only after reading the first two. This is the sort of book you can read over and over.

This book is a must read!!!! but not unless you've read City Of Masks and City of Stars. Hoffman creates and incredible world in (unfortunately) the last installment of this AMAZING series. You'll want to stay in Talia forever. This book had the perfect combination of love, adventure, suspense, and wit. For those of you who read the first 2 books to me City of Flowers was very shocking but in a good way. *****

I cannot write because i just finished this book and i am still under its spell! it was it was hmmmmTHE MOST AMAZING BOOK IN THE WORLD !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! READ IT READ IT READ IT READ IT NOW (THAT MEANS ADULTS TOOO) READ IT READ IT READ IT READ IT READ IT NOW NOW NOW IT WILL AMAZE YOU JUST LIKE IT AMAZED ME !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

this book will make you laugh, cry, sigh, smile, and everything else you can think of !!!!!!!! It is the best book i have ever read and it is certainly the best book for teens!!!!! It has the adventure scenes, romance, fear, bravery, and deep emotion !!!!! READ IT !! YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT!!! AND YOU TO WILL HAVE TO RATE THIS A 5 STAR BOOK !!!!! GO TALIA & LUCIEN,GEORGIA AND SKY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Years ago I read The Time Garden to my children. Now that I'm finally settled in one place, I plan to have a time (thyme) garden of my own. I'm in the wrong country for a natterjack to come visit, but American toads may fill the bill.

I've begun experimenting with thymes and they're wonderfully rugged and smell wonderful. And of course you can cook with them, too.

The story's plot has faded with . . . time . . . but the notion of the time garden hasn't. I look forward to renewing my acquaintance with Mr. Eager's characters when my grandchildren grow just a little more.

Edward Eager continues to entertain decades after his death through his books about ordinary children who experience magic. THE TIME GARDEN was always one of my favorites (oh, okay, I admit it - I like all of Edward Eager's books and can't really pick a favorite). Roger, Ann, Eliza, and Jack encounter time traveling at its finest when they are exiled to spend the summer with old Mrs. Whiton. An interesting note, their mothers were two of the children in HALF MAGIC and MAGIC BY THE LAKE also by Eager. A bank of wild thyme in the garden opens doors to the past, present and future for these four delightful children. If it's imagination you are looking for, look no further. Edward Eager's books are witty and wild and funny. There is a certain degree of sophistication in his style of writing that makes these stories interesting even for the mature reader.

In this sequel to Knight's Castle, the four kids - Roger, Ann, Eliza, and Jack - are together again, this time staying at the house of a distant relative, Mrs. Whiton. Mrs. Whiton just happens to have a rather extraordinary garden, which includes a sundial (inscribed "Anything can happen...when you've all the time in the world"), every variety of thyme known to man (except common), and a Natterjack. Naturally, time travel adventures ensue.

The Natterjack is a character reminiscent of the Psammead in E. Nesbit's The Five Children and It - he's an inherently magical creature with a great deal of power and the potential for good advice, but also a difficult personality with an ego and a temper. He's also a frog. And he gets the children into no end of trouble - like when he sings "Rule Britannia" in an American pub during the Revolution.

And Roger, Ann, and Eliza are just as nifty as they were in Knight's Castle. Jack, however, features rather less in The Time Garden, as he's plunged into the throes of adolescence and spends most of his time making phone calls. (Isn't it good to know that some things never change?)

The children, with the help of a little thyme, visit the ride of Paul Revere (with singing Natterjack), a stop on the Underground Railroad, and Louisa May Alcott's Little Women, among other adventures.

The book is fun, and funny, and you will have new feelings for thyme when you're finished with it. Lots of children would enjoy this book, and those adults who like children's literature will love The Time Garden.

Although I remember enjoying other Edgar Eager books when I was younger, I was horrified upon rereading this one! Not only is the writing hideously predictable and plodding, the plot is filled with unbearable whiteness; for example, the children at one point find themselves on an island of cannibals who chanted, "Wah! Samoa! Goona goona!" Unbelievable.

This is a GREAT book! I read it about 5 months ago and still remember it clearly!
UNFORGETABLE!!!!!