Children's Space Books Books

I aint good with words so here it is in just a few of them. A must read for any lover of sci-fi. Light hearted but not childish in nature. Mature but a good read for younger readers. Good near future sci-fi.

This last installment of Planetes sets Hachimaki, who I had thought was the main character of the series, up as more of a backstory, much as in Part I. The most important part of this volume concerns the character of Fee as she comes to terms with her lack of parenting skills when it comes to her young son. Her character is further fleshed out as she remembers events from her childhood about an uncle who was falsely accused in the disappearance of a little girl simply because of his odd character. Werner Locksmith, the creator of the Van Braun ship is already moving on to other projects, already trying to recruit the brighest minds to begin work on a Saturn expedition. And while all this is going on, Hachimaki and crew finally reach Jupiter, but who is going to write the speech that needs to be delivered back to Earth, a speech that will inspire everyone to continue exploring the stars? Why Hachi or course!

Part II of Volume 4 made up for the immaturity of execution and plot in Part I. The story of Fee's uncle was touching, even though it reminded me of The Green Mile and Man Without A Face at times. We really got down into the belly of Fee's character and it was a great experience. It did seem a tad unrealistic that Tanabe was going to wait 7 years for Hachi to make it back. I doubt either of them will be the same people after that length of time. I thought that too little time was spent on the Jupiter mission and that Planetes needs more volumes to fully tell the story. I do feel that this series was a step above most manga in terms of plot, character, art, and depth. You should check it out.

Volume 4 of Planetes has been divided into two parts for some reason. Perhaps in order to bring characters that were once mainly in the background of Hachi's quest to go to Jupiter. Strangely enough, he is absent from this volume except in flashbacks. After a US transport is destroyed by an orbital mine controlled by the Republic Country, factions in both governments are itching to go to war. The problem is that any war conducted in space risks Kessler's Syndrome, in which so much debris accumulates in Earth's atmosphere that leaving the atmosphere becomes an impossible task. With the background of impending war, the story focuses mainly on Fee, and the decisions she makes on whether to intervene in the conflict or not. Along the way, her and Tanabe make friends with a weirdo named Baron who sports an Elvis pompadour and claims that he is an alien observer. In a more touching storyline, Dr. Locksmith, the designer of the Von Braun Jupiter exploration ship, meets with the loved ones of the scientists that died in the development of his dream. And in a homage to Kentucky Fried Chicken, a US Army Space Intelligence Officer named Col. Sanders tries to convince Fee to take his side against the coming space conflict.

The writing in the first part of Volume 4 seemed a little lacking in the maturity department, especially in the scenes where Fee is kicked in the butt by her young son and we see just how pitiful her home life is. I do not know of any parent that would allow their kid to kick them and not respond. Of course it's all a message about rebelling against the system and all that but I just didn't get it. The Baron storyline tried but failed to achieve humorous results. And what is the whole Col. Sanders thing? It was just weird. Again, the pages about Dr. Locksmith were well done but did not make up for the juvenalia of the others.

The small epic of planetary exploration comes to a close after only five volumes. It is difficult to say much about events and developments without giving away the story. Let it suffice to say the final volume continues the character-driven plotlines, is intelligent, well-written, poignant and logical. Drawings are well and carefully done, clear and more free of ambiguity and difficulty of comprehension than in most manga.

A supplemental section gives some of the backstory of the Planetes world, including some scientific speculation and timelines. I look forward to the next work from Makoto Yukimura, and hope to someday see the anime adaptation of this fine graphic novel.

A girl named Mary Frewin has a great great grandmother namedMary Coram. Mary Frewin looks alot like her great greatgrandmother.Mary Frewin is transformed somehow into another world. How will she ever get back to her own world?

The book was The Red Eared Ghosts. A girl named Mary is confused. She clames she can see ghosts. Everyone thinks she is crazy. Her mom can't see the ghosts but her grandmother could, just as she can. When she goes to see where her grandmother disappeared she ends up in a new world. What will happen to Mary when she doesn't know where she is and doesn't know anyone?

The beggining of the book caught my interest but the middle got dragged out and got boring but the end caught my interest once again. All in all it was an OK book.

I enjoyed reading this book, but some parts didn't fit together well. It was somewhat boring in the middle, but picked up in the end. Over all a "solid" read

I enjoyed the book . It explains things easily. The only thing I didnt get was on one page, it said "the next 3 planets are the gas giants..." and it has a picture of 4 planets. I dont know if its a typo or what! LOL Then it also confused me because it doesnt consider Pluto a planet. I grew up thinkingit was. Maybe scientists changed that recently but it threw me off a little.

excellent, up to date book about space/solar system. lots of words, but my 2 yo still enjoys it and will grow with it.

I am kind of disappointed at this book. The illustration is dull. The words are plain.

Not very appealing for preschoolers or 1-2 graders, while it is too simple for a savvy reader. I would not recommend it for either gifts or self use.

What a GREAT book! I was looking for a book for my 3 1/2 year old that would introduce him to space in a simple way, "What's Out There" is exactly what I wanted. He is so captivated by this book, it is short, simple and easy to understand. It is perfect for him now and will be for the next several years. All of the basics are covered such as the 9 planets and their relation to the sun, how the earth travels around the sun and spins, the moon, gravity, the make-up of all the planets, asteroids etc. Each topic is explained in a fun and easy way for a child to understand and the illustrations are wonderful. Highly recommend as a first book about space!

Wynne Jones is a fabulous author and her daring takes her in all directions in her writing. This work is good, but gives the feeling it's not one thing or t'other. It would make an excellent first two or three chapters for a novel, or, if rewritten, an excellent short story. As is, with 116 pages, it is either too much, leading nowhere, or not enough. Personally, since I can't get enough of her work, I would vote for a novel ;).

Wild Robert was a great book filled with mystery, sadness,and joyfull feelings. It is so funny and suspenceful you won't know what to do.I bet you that once youv finised it you will turn the book over and over in your hands saying " Wow ".

This story is about a little girl who lives in an old house where her parents are the caretakers and tourguides. One day, while trying to escape a horde of tourists, she accidentally wakes the mischievous ghost of Wild Robert.

This was another great story by an author I truly admire. Read it! The illustrations are great, too.

Most of Diana Wynne-Jones' fantasy adventures are solid, self-enclosed stories all by themselves. "Wild Robert" is a charming, interesting fantasy adventure, but it never quite figures out where to go or what to be. It's an entertaining novella, but not Jones' best.

Heather lives at Castlemaine, where her parents are the curators. But Heather hates the tourists and the lack of privacy. Then one day, she climbs onto an old mound and wishes that the legendary Wild Robert would come help her get rid of the tourists. Then she hears a voice: "Did someone call?"

It turns out that Wild Robert has been trapped in the mound for over three hundred years, because he studied the magic arts. Now he's just as ticked off as Heather is about the tourists -- but unlike Heather, he has no problem using his magic to help drive them away...

Diana Wynne-Jones seems to specialize in stories about the fantastical intruding on everyday people. And "Wild Robert" is one of those books. It's only a short novella (or long short story), but Jones manages to keep the storyline interesting and original (such as the feud of the old paintings).

Jones' customary sense of humor carries the story along, with the background about medieval witchcraft, magic, and the clash with modern-day tourists (who can be pretty obnoxious). The problem is that there isn't much of a plot -- Wild Robert visits, works magic, and weird things happen. At the end of the book, the story is clearly ongoing. Nothing changes, except that Wild Robert is hanging around.

Heather and Wild Robert are the principal characters in this book, and they are the only ones who get much development. Heather is a fairly typical Jones heroine, gutsy and willing to believe the unbelievable. It's Wild Robert himself who steals the show, with his tragic past and distinctly odd sense of humor.

"Wild Robert" is an entertaining light read, with a likable half-living hero and plenty of supernatural hijinks, but at the end you wish that Jones had expanded it into a fuller book.

Lindbergh's life was full of triumph and tragedy. This book has both, it follows him from his childhood to his old days and throughly documents every event. It also has some small photos to allow the reader to become more familiar with the times. This is an interesting and inspiring story. It's also a must read because it sheds light on the difficult past that most people alive today have no idea about.

This biography about Charles A. Lindbergh covers his whole life from childhood through his eventual depression and death.

Charles Lindbergh lived an interesting life. His first son was kidnapped and murdered. His father was a politician for the state of Minneapolis. His grandpa spent a lot of time with him and also was a great inventer. All of these helped me really get into the book. At certain points I didn't want to put the book down!

I also liked this book because I could relate to him. He was bad in school but turned out to be a hero. He didn't like school, went to collage and didn't do well once again. Then, he went to flight school and found flying was what he really enjoyed. After discovering this interest, Charles Lindbergh soon became a hero. This story was inspirational to me.

This is a fascinating and interesting book, full of hiddenfacts that force the reader to become involved in the book. Togetherwe share his triumphs and tragedies: we are with him when he flies theAtlantic, we are there when he loses his son. A must read for all those who have fantasised of being a hero.

They're simple. They're informative. They're cheap. If your child is too young to read, they're perfectly good read-aloud books.

What more can you ask for when stocking your kid's library?

This one is not my favorite, probably because neither niece has shown a real interest in space yet. It's full of facts and well-done pictures, however, it does jump around a little. It might have been written in a more coherent manner.

Still, if your kid is very into space, I would recommend this book.

Teaches basic vocabulary and ideas related to space and various spacecrafts (probe, satellite, etc.). Colorful and varied book design. Has select vocabulary words in boxes with an appropriate photograph. Text is straightforward. For example, "The plane part of the space shuttle can be used again and again. It takes off like a rocket, then it glides back to Earth and lands like an airplane." Karen Woodworth-Roman, Children's Science Book Review

This book was given to my 4 year old for his birthday. The book is fairly easy to read, and provides photos and descriptions of new vocabulary words. It's a challenge for those who are beginning to read solely for the purpose of reading, but it's a delight for those who devour everything about rockets and space!

I read this as an adult, remembering how much I enjoyed the Tripod Trilogy as a teen. This was a fun read with plausible history woven through out the story. One of the sequels is "The New Found Land," which I remember to be good.

Hey, Amazon, the reading level listed under Product Details is an error. It's a young adult novel.

This is the third of the famous (or infamous depending upon one's disposition) 'young-adult fantasy-trilogies' by J. Christopher, and quite obviously (due to it's current order status), the most overlooked one. This particular novel (alas, I do not remember the names of the other two) takes place in present day (you guessed it!) England, and is indeed, told in the first person by a young man with a slight inferiority complex. He and his buddy (genius orphan I believe) hang out and play chess, until they get slung around in time by a big fireball, and end up in an alternate-present-reality, where the Catholic church (via the Roman Empire) still controls those precious hearts and minds, and has stifled the growth of science prodigiously....and so the narrator and his friend try to make things right. Aren't too successful. Sound familiar? It had better not...it's at least partially original... and kicks off the trilogy nicely. In the next two books these two lads journey to 'the new world'...then finally end up in China (which is, quite naturally, much more sophisticated than Europe)...and so on. I hope I haven't ruined the plot too thoroughly, but the ending (as per usual with Christopher) is quite innovative (see: Sword of the Spirits Trilogy). Overall, the trilogy is a great read, excellently written...and enjoyable by both young and old. I would suggest reading the Tripod tril. and the aforementioned Sword of the Spirits tril. just to build up the appreciation level, as it were, before delving into this one. But, for the Christopher fans out there, this is an absolute must-have (as are the other two in this series), and spotlights J.C. at his most imaginative (if a tad farfetched) best. A note in addendum is necessary here, because as with the other two trilogies, there may-or-may-not-be deep religious symbolism involved here (i.e. the dangers of worshipping 'falsely', and the nature of 'the true religion'.), but it's all terribly ambiguous and supplants much of what was said about this subject by him in the earlier two...so take it with a grain of salt. Regardless of this, younger readers will NOT discern this, and these implicatory ideas should only add to the enjoyment of advanced reader.

James Vining did the cover art for the novel, Midnight in a Perfect World, a favorite of mine, so I wanted to check out his graphic novel. Impressive. The story of the NASA apes and much of the clinical way they were handled isn't all happy and smiley and the book reflects that. However, being aimed towards kids, it isn't too dark a look into the early "pioneers" of the space program that the young readers would be upset unless they're really sissy kids, which there seems to be a lot of these days. Nevertheless, I recommend it for the kids who are actually interested in learning about the space program. It might even be good for the ones that need some toughening up - an introduction to man's cruelty, but softened enough so they shouldn't be overwhelmed.

A sentimentalized account of NASA's Chimpanzee Astronaut training program from the early 1960s. The trauma to the animals is depicted too lightly in some cases, and the powerful epilogue depicting one chimp's tragic later days is softened by a "happy" flashback ending. The Chimps are presented as unique characters, drawn differently from each other, and overall the art is crisp and unique, with a retro feel. Scientific facts regarding their similarity to humans is dutifully presented, but the question of the ethical appropriateness of this program is glossed over. If, in fact, chimps are SO similar to humans, how do we justify subjecting them to treatment unfit for humans?

With 'First in Space' James Vining tells the true story of the first monkey shot into space with brilliant simplicity.
He manages to keep an overall upbeat, almost whimsical tone throughout the story's telling even as the chimp faces the physical, mental and emotional tests involved with his role in the space race and the narrative never falls into becoming didactic as many historical tales do, leaving the reader to their own conclusions as the story comes to a close.
The pictures reflect the heart of the words well with playful shape and line. It's not just got eye candy, but eye protein more importantly.
I found this a delightful and educational read; a must have for any adult or child interested in chimps, space or stories grounded in this nation's history.

This children's book is an account of the famous French aviation pioneer, Louis Bleriot (1872-1936) who was the first person to fly across the English Channel (on July 25, 1909). The book won the 1984 Caldecott Medal for best illustrations in a book for children. IT is an excellent book for use in a discussion of history, particularly the history of aviation.

As others have noted, it IS a quiet book, but my children (3rd grade, 2nd grade, and pre-K) enjoyed it very much (although my 3rd grader, looking over my shoulder, said it was just 3 stars because he isn't that interested in planes - ahem).

Anyway, I used this book as part of a short aviation unit study this summer after we came back from Nags Head - we studied the Wright Brothers, Amelia Earhart, and Louis Bleriot.

I absolutely love the illustrations in this book, the author uses a fairly muted palate, and we used butcher paper, various brown paints, and white paint applied with sponges and cotton balls to make our own plane-lost-in-the-clouds picture.

We also used the book to discuss persistence & passion (the Wright Brothers made 3 trips to Kitty Hawk before they were successful, but Louis Bleriot had - if memory serves me correctly, which admittedly it hasn't been doing lately - 8 or 9 "failures" before he was successful building his plane). We also discussed France, being an inventor, the English Channel & the Chunnel, and Roman Numbers.

I think the beautiful illustrations, combined with the book's encouraging and REAL LIFE message of learning from your mistakes and not giving up when you are trying to achieve your dreams, makes this book a worthwhile addition to any child's library. As the mother of a somewhat perfectionist daughter, I can't have too many books like this on my bookshelf.

Alice and Martin Provensen certainly had a good run in the early 1980s. First there was their Newberry-winning-Caldecott-Honor-attaining, "A Visit to William Blake's Inn" (which I'm not a fan, but oh well) and then their very own Caldecott winning, "The Glorious Flight". If you were randomly scanning the shelves of your local library and you stumbled upon this book, you might consider it an early picture book. The story's muted color schemes and simple characters give it a particularly classic feel, unlike anything else you might find in contemporary tales. This may not be THE most exciting book in the world (the Provensens excel in moods and tones rather than fast-paced adrenaline rushes) but there is a lovely feel to it that outweighs its occasional lapses into deadened flatness.

Voila, Monsieur Louis Bleriot (who, for purposes that remain unclear, is referred to here as a very un-French "Mr."). A well-to-do man of France in 1901, Bleriot lives a contented existence with his spouse, five children, cat, dog, and cockatoo. Just your average bourgeoisie. All that changes one day when up above the city streets Bleriot spots a remarkable new invention. It's a great white airship circling the skies. Suddenly, much like Toad in "Wind in the Willows", Bleriot is entranced and mesmerized by the contraption. Says our hero, "I, too, will build a flying machine". The book chronicles his various attempts, each growing more sophisticated as Bleriot himself grows more learned. Finally, he enters a contest to be the first man to fly across the English Channel and, after some tense moments, succeeds and wins. Says the text, "Truly, it was a glorious flight".

Indeed. It's a nice story too. In many of their books, the Provenses' style strikes the reader as a bit lacking in basic human emotions and warmth. In this case, however, it works perfectly within the text. The illustrations in this story are like old posed family portraits, only with a twinge more life and verve to them. The colors are, as I said before, muted. Yet somehow this doesn't bore the reader or even so much as put them to sleep. I think this may have something to do with the fact that this book, in the end, is a biography of sorts. Based on true events, the unnatural style and shades fit better than over-the-top bright/gaudy colors ever could have.

It's somewhat backhanded praise, but praise just the same when I say that in spite of my deep down dislike of the Provensens' other books, I could not help but like, "The Glorious Flight". It really isn't going to deeply capture the attention of any children but those interested in history, France, or flying machines. A nice story that somehow garnered itself a Caldecott Award. And it's nice to page through.

I got this book for my 4-year-old son who loves helicopters. I read the book myself and think it is a great book. It has a lot of good information about helicopters and has many beautiful color pictures. I think it's a little beyond a 4-year-old's comprehension, so I put it away for a while. I know he will love this book.

The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is that I thought the book was a little overpriced. When I opened it up I thought it was awefully thin.

This is a great book for kids that are interested in learning about helicopters and how they work. The book is well written and nicely illustrated which certainly enhances the understanding of the various types of helicopters.

The book explains how the pilot flies the helicopter and the various types of work to which the chopper is put including search and rescue, medical evacuations and in the military.

This is a fantastic book that is a helpful guide for kids who may wish to have a career as chopper pilots when they grow up.

This is a very informative book, with great pictures and good descriptions. The only reason that I've given it three stars is that it includes a page on Helicopters at War. It has a very short summary of the use of helicopters in Vietnam, Korea, and the Gulf War. Certainly done very well and with pictures showing soldiers jumping out the helicopters -- some with medical situations and one with guns (albiet from distance).

I just didn't want to have to answer the next questions that would come from my 4 year old. Perhaps for an older age when these topics have already been discussed.