Countdown 2979 Days to the Moon by Suzanne Slade and Thomas Gonzalez

Countdown 2979 Days to the Moon 
by Suzanne Slade and Thomas Gonzalez
Expected Publication Sept. 1, 2018
Peachtree Publishers
144 pages
Nonfiction
Review copy provided by publisher

Goodreads Summary
Free verse and illustrations tell the true story of the American effort to land the first man on the Moon.
In 1961, President John F. Kennedy announced that the United States would try to land a man on the Moon within ten years. During the two thousand, nine hundred and seventy-nine days that followed his speech, eighteen astronauts climbed into spaceships; three of them died before even leaving the ground. Eight rockets soared into space. And four hundred thousand people--engineers, technicians, scientists, mathematicians, and machinists--joined Project Apollo in hopes of making the dream a reality.

My Thoughts

I will admit that I normally shy away from nonfiction that is longer than a picture book. It is just not a genre I am drawn to.  I received this book from Peachtree in exchange for my honest thoughts. I was immediately drawn in to the story. The story itself was compelling. I was familiar with Apollo 11 and the first Moon landing of course, but I had no idea about the first 10 Apollo missions and all that went into the US's quest to put the first person on the moon. Before I knew it, I had finished it in one sitting. 

I found the free verse format very appealing and will make the book accessible to a wide-range of readers. The book itself is a bit larger (10"X10") with a mixture of beautiful illustrations and original photographs. 

I would recommend this book for grades 4-7. It would be fun to read it aloud to students a little each day as they see how the events unfold. 

Check out the book trailer!

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Kid Lit Frenzy
Kirkus

To Burp of Not to Burp: A Guide to Your Body in Space by Dave Williams and Loredana Cunti

To Burp of Not to Burp: A Guide to Your Body in Space 
by Dr. Dave Williams and Loredana Cunti
Illustrated by Theo Krynauw
Expected Publication Oct. 11, 2016
Annick Press
Nonfiction
56 Pages
Review copy provided by publisher

Goodreads Summary

Of all the questions astronauts are asked by kids, the most frequent one is “How do you go to the toilet in space?”

This book not only answers that question, but many others about the effect of zero gravity on the human body:

How do you brush your hair in space? What happens when you sweat? What does food taste like? The best thing is that the answers are provided by Dr. Dave Williams, a NASA astronaut who speaks from first-hand experience. Written for kids ages 7 to 10, this book uses age-appropriate language to explain the different phenomena that astronauts encounter during a mission. The bright, colorful pages, short blocks of text accompanied by photos and humorous illustrations make this a very attractive choice for young readers. The opening message from Dr. Dave empowers kids to follow his example by believing in themselves and following their dreams.

My Thoughts

True or false: People actually grow a bit taller while they are in space. TRUE! The space between vertebrae expands, making astronauts a bit taller while in space.

True of False: Astronauts do not cut their hair in space. FALSE! Electric clippers attached to a vacuum hose are used to keep hair trimmed. 

People (and especially kids) have a natural curiosity about space travel. This book answers so many questions that many want to know and some I would have never thought of. Nothing seems off limits. In fact the entire first chapter is dedicated to using the bathroom. 

The illustrator uses a black back ground with bright yellow text boxes and colorful illustrations. There are also several actual photographs with captions. Other text features include a table of context, index, and headings. 

Dr. Dave Williams is a Canadian astronaut who has completed two tours on NASA space shuttles. Loredana Cuntis is a former Senior Vice President of Children's Programming at Universal Studios. Together, with illustrator Theo Krynauw, they have created an engaging and informative resource about space travel for kids. 

The trio also has another book due out next spring. 

I am excited to add this book to my classroom collection. I would recommend To Burp or Not to Burp for grades 3-5. 

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Kirkus (Starred review)

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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Mother-Daughter Reviews
Word Spelunking

A Review of How Do You Burp in Space? by Susan E. Goodman

How Do You Burp in Space?
by Susan E. Goodman
Illustrated by Michael Slack

Release date July 9, 2013
Published by Bloomsbury USA Children's
Nonfiction
For ages 8 and up
80 pages
I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars. 




Summary
Did you know if you cry in space, the tears just stay in your eyes because of the reduced gravity?  Or did you realize that each member of a space flight is allowed only 2 pounds of personal supplies because the fuel costs approximately $10,000 per pound!! 


In this relatively short "travel guide", the reader gets a taste of what might be experienced if one were to travel into space.  Starting from take-off, the author describes what the travelers might see, feel and do in space.  It contains factual information combined with some entertaining humor.  Some things the reader will learn include what to expect during take off, what microgravity feels like, what astronauts do for fun, and what daily activities, such as eating (and yes, using the bathroom) will be like. 

My Thoughts
I was very happy I decided to read this book.  It is not the type of book I usually choose to read.  I found it to be very entertaining and informative.  Having only seen clips of space travel on the news, I knew very little about what astronauts actually do in space.  I never really thought about how difficult everyday things could be in microgravity.  Think about it.  So much of what we do every day relies on gravity such as brushing our teeth, drinking, and eating just to name a few. 
The author also describes what can be seen looking down on Earth from space.  Space travelers might see erupting volcanoes, and storm systems as they look back on the "big blue marble". 

The book contains photographs of real astronauts in space interspersed with some cute cartoon-ish characters that I think kids will really like.  Throughout the book, there are interesting quotes from real astronauts.  A timeline of space travel and suggestions for further reading are at the end.  At 80 pages, the book is not too long, but is long enough to engage a wide range of readers. 

In the Classroom
I know some students in my 4th grade class that would absolutely love this book.  How Do You Burp in Space? will appeal to many students who like non-fiction and/or books about space exploration.  It would make a great addition to a classroom library nonfiction section or in a thematic bin of books about space.  I could also imagine reading aloud a few pages per day during a unit on space and discussing as a class. This book could be used when teaching about different points of view as it is a good example of a text written in second person.
The writing style is narrative expository.  How Do You Burp in Space? could be analyzed and used as a mentor text to explore this type of writing. Students would also have fun coming up with questions they have about space travel after reading the book. I know I have a ton of questions now. 

Visit Susan Goodman's Website
Visit Michael Slack's Website

For more info on space exploration
kidsastronomy.com
ESA Kids 
NASA Kids' Club

Writing Resources
Travel for kids- Click on a country to view a brief travel guide for kids.
Design a travel brochure at Read, Write, Think
Download travel guide templates 

More Books for Kids Who Love Space
Visit Amazon and Goodreads for lists of children's books about space and space exploration.


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