THE
LIBRARY
Recommended
Books for Children -
We
are building a library of books which we recommend for
children. We start with books about science. Check back as we
add other subjects, new books and online purchasing of our
recommended titles.
Title: The Planets in
Our Solar System
Author: Franklyn M. Branley
Publication Date: 1981
ISBN: 0064450643
Price: $4.95
Reading Level: Grades 2-4
School Level: Late Primary
Science Discipline: Space Science
Summary: The focus of this book is the solar system.
The book has many good illustrations and photographs. At the
end of the book there are two hands-on science activities. One
of the activitites involves making a mobile of the nine
planets. The other activity involves making a map of the solar
system that is to scale.
Title: Space
Author: Steve Blackman
Publication Date: 1993
ISBN: 0531142752
Reading Level: Grade 4+
School Level: Late Elementary/Middle
Science Discipline: Space Science
Summary: An activity book which focuses on building
various kinds of spacecraft.
Title: Space Detectives
Author: Antje Von Stemm
Publication Date: 1996
ISBN: 0811814610
Reading Level: K-1
School Level: Early Elementary
Science Discipline: Space Science
Summary: This pop-up book focuses on two children
"space detectives" who are looking for their lost
friend. Their imagination sends them traveling throughout the
solar system, visiting the moon and many planets.
Title: Everyday Science
Author: Shar Levine and Leslie Johnstone
Publication Date: 1995
ISBN: 04771110140
Price: $9.99
Reading Level: 3+
School Level: Late Elementary/Middle
Science Discipline: Earth and Physical Science
Summary: This book contains many simple experiments
that use common materials.
Title: Silly Science
Author: Shar Levine and Leslie Johnstone
Publication Date: 1995
ISBN: 0471115142
Price: $9.99
Reading Level: 3+
School Level: 3+
Science Discipline: Physical Science
Summary: This book contains many simple experiments
exploring principles of physical science. The materials used
are usually common household items.
Title: The Spinning Blackboard and Other Dynamic
Experiments in Force and Motion
Author: Paul Doherty
Publication Date:1996
ISBN: 0471115142
Price: $10.95
Reading Level: 4+
School Level: Late Elementary/Middle
Science Discipline: Physical Science
Summary: This book contains experiments that focus on
the principles of physical science. Many principles are
defined throughout the text. Time frames are provided for each
section of every activity.
Title: A-Maze-ing Space
Author: Anthony Morris Esposito
Publication Date:1997
ISBN: 0887059708
Price: $9.99
Reading Level: 3-7
School Level: Late Elementary/Middle
Science Discipline: Space Science
Summary: This book contains mazes, puzzles, and games
about the sun and the planets in our solar system. Each
activity contain fun facts about each topic.
Title: Space Challenger: The Story of Guion Bluford
Author: Jim Haskins and Kathleen Benson
Publication Date: 1984
ISBN: 0876142595
Reading Level: 2-4
School Level: Late Elementary
Science Discipline: Space Science
Summary: This biography of the life of Guion Bluford,
the first African American in space, focusing on his space
shuttle Challenger mission. This book carries a positive
message about the value of hard work and education.
Title: Women in Space: Reaching the Last Frontier
Author: Carole S. Briggs
Publication Date: 1993
ISBN: 0822595478
Price: $5.95
Reading Level: 4-8
School Level: Late Elementary/Middle
Science Discipline: Space Science
Summary: This book focuses on women in the United
States program, past and present. There is a small description
of the voyages that ten female astronauts experienced. There
is also a section dedicated to female astronauts from outside
the United States.
Title: Cosmic Science
Author: Jim Wiese
Publication Date: 1997
ISBN: 0471158526
Price: $12.95
Reading Level: 4+
School Level: Late Elementary/Middle
Science Discipline: Physical and Space Science
Summary: This books contains experiments that students
can do with the help of an adult. Most of the materials used
in these activities are easily obtained household items.n.
Many principles in physical science are defined and applied to
the corresponding experiment.
Title:The Thomas Edison Book of Easy and Incredible
Experiments
Author: The Thomas Alva Edison Foundation
Publication Date: 1988
ISBN: 0471620904
Price: $14.95
Reading Level: 6+
School Level: Middle/High School
Science Discipline:Earth, Physical, and Chemical
Sciences
Summary: This book contains more advanced experiments
that can be carried out by middle school students and beyond.
The experiments in this book were created by Edison and are
still used today to explain scientific phenomenon.
Title: Be Your Own Astronomy Expert
Author: Guillume Cannat, Nathalie Locoste, and
Jean-Claude Senee
Publication Date: 1993
ISBN: 0806961317
Price: $14.95
Reading Level: 3+
School Level: Late Elementary/Middle
Science Discipline: Space Science
Summary: This book contains topics and that are often
ignored in other beginning books about the solar system, for
example comets and meteorites. Many simple space science
topics are explained simply, with diagrams and activities for
each topic.
Title: Mae C. Jemison: First Black Female Astronaut
Author: Ebraska Dalton Ceasor
Publication Date: 1992
ISBN: 0913678228
Reading Level: K-2
School Level: Early Elementary
Science Discipline: Space Science
Summary: This book focuses on the life of Mae C.
Jemison. It describes her childhood, her education, and her
contribution to the United States space program.
Title: Postcards from Pluto: A Tour of the Solar
System
Author: Loreen Leedy
Publication Date: 1993
ISBN: 0823412377
Price: $6.95
Reading Level: 1-3
School Level: Early Elementary
Science Discipline: Space Science
Summary: This book is a collection of postcards sent
from the sun and the planets of our solar system. The
postcards describe the terrain, what the temperature is, etc.
Title: Rockets, Probes, and Satellites
Author: Isaac Asimov
Publication Date: 1988
ISBN: 0440403510
Price: $4.95
Reading Level: 3-5
School Level: Late Elementary
Science Discipline: Earth and Space Science
Summary: This book features the origin and pioneers of
rockets and satellites. It contains details of particular
space missions, but it also explains how satellites can be
used to predict the weather.
Title: Machines and How They Work
Author: Harvey Weiss
Publication Date: 1983
ISBN: 069004299
Price: $10.95
Reading Level: 5-8
School Level: Middle
Science Discipline: Physical Science
Summary: The first part of this book explains how many
common machines, such as a pulley, are designed and operated.
This book also contains diagrammed instructions showing how
students can build many of these simple machines.
Title: Outer Space Funstation
Medium:Book
Author: Godfrey Hall
Publication Date: 1996
ISBN: 0843182326
Price: $21.95
Reading Level: 3+
School Level: Late Elementary/Middle
Science Discipline: Space Science
Summary: This "funstation" includes an
activity book along with many other supplies such as a poster,
a mini telescope, a compass, 7 plastic planets, 2 inflatable
planets (Saturn and Jupiter), an inflatable sun, and more.
Title: What's Out There
Author: Lynn Wilson
Publication Date: 1993
ISBN: 0448405172
Price: $2.95
Reading Level: 1-3
School Level: Early Elementary
Science Discipline: Space Science
Summary: This book contains facts about the planets and
summarizes how the sun provides light and heat for the rest of
the solar system.
Title: Amazing Space Facts
Author: Dinah L. Moche
Publication Date: 1988
ISBN: 0307118150
Price: $1.95
Reading Level: 2-4
School Level: Early to Late Elementary
Science Discipline: Space Science
Summary: Besides facts about our solar system, this
book provides information about stars, supernovas, and
galaxies. This book also explains how these things are studied
and what instruments are used to study them.
Title: Mary Cleave: Astronaut
Author: Muriel Schloss
Publication Date: 1990
ISBN: 0962182028
Reading Level: 3-5
School Level: Late Elementary
Science Discipline: Space Science
Summary: This biography discusses the education of Mary
Cleave, including her dream to become an astronaut. Her duties
as a mission specialist aboard the Atlantis are described.
Title: Comets
Author: Kate Petty
Publication Date: 1985
ISBN: 0531100243
Price: $1.95
Reading Level: 1-3
School Level: Early Elementary
Science Discipline: Space Science
Summary: This book discusses many aspects of comets,
including size, composition, shape, and frequency of
occurrence. It also describes some of the historically
significant comets that people have observed over hundreds of
years.
Title: The Magic School Bus: Lost in the Solar System
Author: Joanna Cole
Publication Date: 1990
ISBN: 0590414291
Price: $4.95
Reading Level: 2-4
School Level: Late Elementary
Science Discipline: Space and Physical Science
Summary: This book describes a trip through the solar
system. This book contains many facts about each planet, such
as the atmosphere of each planet, (if it has one) the
gravitational pull of each planet, and the composition of some
planets' rings.
Title: Black Holes
Author: Paul P. Sipiera
Publication Date: 1997
ISBN: 05616261622
Price: $6.95
Reading Level: 1-3
School Level: Early Elementary
Science Discipline: Space and Physical Science
Summary: This book focuses on the phenomenon of black
holes using great illustrations. This book focuses on mass and
gravity to describe how a black hole works and how it is
formed.
Title: Space
Author: Bobbie Kalman and Niki Walker
Publication Date: 1997
ISBN: 0865057389
Price: $5.95
Reading Level: 2-5
School Level: Late Elementary
Science Discipline: Space Science
Summary: This book focuses on our solar system,
describing the planets, the sun, and other objects. Also
includes a section on what it is like to be an astronaut in
space including how they eat, go to the bathroom, and sleep.
Title: I Want to Be an Astronaut
Author: Byron Barton
Publication Date: 1988
ISBN: 0064432807
Price: $5.95
Reading Level: K-1
School Level: Early Elementary
Science Discipline: Space Science
Summary: This book explains why the narrator wants be
an astronaut. It discusses space food, zero gravity, and space
walks.
Title: The Intergalactic Bus Trip
Author: Martin Oliver
Publication Date: 1994
ISBN: 0746001517
Price: $5.95
Reading Level: 4-6
School Level: Late Elementary/Middle
Science Discipline: Space Science
Summary: This book focuses on a bus trip through the
galaxy. Throughout the trip there are puzzles and problems,
which must be solved to understand the next part of the
journey. Includes clues and an answer key.
Title: To Space and Back
Author: Sally Ride with Susan Okie
Publication Date: 1986
ISBN: 068809112
Price: $12.95
Reading Level: 3-5
School Level: Late Elementary
Science Discipline: Space Science
Summary: The training and the space flights of Sally
Ride, the first American woman in space.
Title: Blast Off: A Space Counting Book
Author: Norma Cole
Publication Date: 1994
ISBN: 088106498
Price: $6.95
Reading Level: K-2
School Level: Early Elementary
Science Discipline: Space Science, Mathematics
Summary:This book is a trip through our solar system
that focuses on numbers and counting.
Title: The Day We Walked On the Moon
Author: George Sullivan
Publication Date: 1990
ISBN: 0590455877
Price: $5.95
Reading Level: 4-6
School Level: Late Elementary/Middle
Science Discipline: Space Science
Summary: The history of the space age, including
Sputnik, Apollo, Skylab, and the space shuttle with numerous
photographs. Includes a timeline of the important dates in
space history.
Title: Black Stars in Orbit: NASA's African American
Astronauts
Author: Khephra Burns and William Miles
Publication Date: 1995
ISBN: 0152002766
Price: $8.95
Reading Level: 4-6
School Level: Late Elementary/Middle
Science Discipline: Space Science
Summary: This book focuses on the training and the
space flights of several African American astronauts.
Title: Astronomy
Author: Kristen Lippincott
Publication Date: 1994
ISBN: 1564586804
Price: $15.95
Reading Level: 4+
School Level: Late Elementary and up
Science Discipline: Space and Physical Science
Summary: This illustrated story of science and
scientific inventions in astronomy from the ancient world to
the present day.
Title: The Visual Dictionary of the Universe
Author: Paul Docherty, ed.
Publication Date: 1993
ISBN: 1564583368
Price: $15.95
Reading Level: 4+
School Level: Late Elementary and up
Science Discipline: Space, Earth, and Physical Science
Summary: This book provides valuable information about
space for all ages. Includes more advanced topics such as the
composition and formation of heavenly bodies (plus much more).
