Welcome to Mars by Buzz Aldrin

Welcome to Mars: Making a Home on the Red Planet 
by Buzz Aldrin, with Marianne J. Oyson
Published September 2015
National Geographic Children's Books
96 Pages
Nonfiction
Review copy provided by publisher


Goodreads Summary

Space is still the final frontier and Mars continues to make news and attract generations of young people. In this fascinating book, hero-astronaut Buzz Aldrin challenges curious kids to think about Mars as not just a faraway red planet but as a possible future home for Earthlings! 

What will your new home be like? How will you get there? What will you eat for breakfast? Find out what life might be like far, far from Earth as you navigate your way through this fun and fascinating book. What kid wouldn't want to blast off with him on this (literary) journey!

My Thoughts
Mars seems to be all the rage at the moment with recent studies apparently revealing "liquid water" on Mars and of course, the release of The Martian movie, which I can not wait to see! 
In this book, Buzz Aldrin has everything covered. He is a huge cheerleader for exploration of Mars and has studied what it might be like if we Earthlings ever attempted to inhabit the red planet. He has certainly done his homework! 
I have to admit, I was initially very reluctant when I picked up Welcome to Mars. I do not have a particular interest in space exploration, planets and the like. However, I found myself quickly captivated. It reads almost, like a travel guide with realistic photos and scenarios. I learned a ton! Did you know that Mars is the planet most like Earth in our solar system? And even at rocket speeds, it would take six months to get there! 

Welcome to Mars covers everything from food to clothing to recreation. There are fun little activities for kids to do throughout the books to explore size ratios, air pressure and designing living spaces. 
I know many kids will be fascinated by this book, but it is quite dense. I would recommend it for students in grades five and above as an independent read. It could be incorporated nicely as a read aloud during a solar system unit as well. 

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