Beyond: A Solar System Voyage
With dramatic, unframed color photos on thick glossy paper, this big photo-essay looks like a coffee-table browser, but the science details are just as exciting as the pictures. Starting with a long chapter on the early history of astronomy, Benson examines the solar system from the perspectives of robot explorers launched in the last 60 years. He also gives in-depth descriptions of how the photos were taken by unmanned spacecraft. More technological information about how scientists identified the space probe’s findings would have been welcome, but the informal text raises the big questions that will captivate young readers: Are we alone in the universe? Has Mars ever supported life? Does life exist there now? Or elsewhere? More than 20 space probes are in action right now, and engaged readers will want to reference the listed Web sites. The comprehensive glossary is also a handy resource. Older students may want to move on to Benson’s adult title of the same name, published in 2003. Grades 6-9. --Hazel Rochman