WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE NIGHT SKY?

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Wow - In case you haven't heard (or seen the bright heavenly bodies), March 2012 ranks among the best months ever for planet watching!  Five planets are visible, according to Earthsky.org:
"Mercury, the innermost planet, makes its best evening appearance for the year in the Northern Hemisphere. All over the world, Mars shines at its greatest brilliance for the year – and moreover, the red planet stays out all night long. Plus, the brightest and second-brightest planets – Venus and Jupiter, respectively – come together for a stunning conjunction in mid-March. Saturn, the farthest and faintest visible planet, is nonetheless as bright as the brightest stars, and its glorious rings are surprisingly easy to view through a backyard telescope".

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Do you have a child who is showing interest in the night sky?  Below are some excellent picture books about the planets. (To read my past posts about space, the moon, and constellations, click HERE).

Since ancient times, people have been looking up and wondering about all of the things that glow in the night sky, and about our place in the big, wide universe. The study of the night sky and all of the objects and forces up there is called astronomy, and A Child's Introduction to the Night Sky by Michael Driscoll is a great introduction to what astronomers have learned (and are still discovering), what astronauts and scientists explore—and what you yourself can find by gazing up into the night sky... (ages 8 and up)

You live on Earth, so you already know a lot about it. But do you know about its place in out solar system? For instance, it's not the largest planet. If Jupiter were a hallow ball, 1,000 Earths would fit inside it. And did you know our planet Earth takes 365 days to go around the sun, while the planet Pluto takes 248 years?
This simple text by Franklyn M. Branley introduces the nine planets in our solar system and is complemented by Kevin O'Malley's full-color illustrations, which incorporate some of the newest space photographs available. How hot is it on Venus? Which planet takes longest to orbit the sun? Find out the answers in this updated version of this popular text.  Included are many hands-on activities... (ages 5 and up)

My kids loved The Magic School Bus series! To celebrate its 20th anniversary, Scholastic has re-releasing the ten original Magic School Bus titles in paperback. With updated scientific information, the bestselling science series ever is back!
The Magic School Bus Lost in the Solar System, by Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen: The field trip to the planetarium is foiled when the museum turns out to be closed, but Ms. Frizzle saves the day. The Magic School Bus turns into a spaceship and takes the class on a trip zooming through the atmosphere, to the Moon, and beyond! With up-to-date facts about the solar system, revised for this edition. (ages 5 and up)

BOOKS FOR YOUR BUDDING ARCHITECT, INVENTOR, OR ENGINEER...

Yesterday, while at my friend's house, I was directed by her young cartographer son, Jude, to look on her refrigerator door at an amazing hand drawn aerial "map" of their house.  His mom told me that he had also drawn a map of the whole floor plan of Smart and Final (a huge grocery store.)  They plan on photo-copying the artwork and giving it to the store manager!  

I love supportive parents like my friend, who encourage and applaud their kids' talents and interests!  Books are also a great way to help ignite these sparks of interest (or fuel the fire that may already be there!)   If you have a little engineer or architect in-the-making, you should check out some of these great CHILDREN'S books on PHYSICS, TECHNOLOGY, INVENTIONS, AND ENGINEERING:

The Lever and The Pulley by Hal Hellman (ages 4-8)

Mickey’s Magnet by Franklyn M. Branley and Eleanor K. Vaughan.  One of my kids' favorites!  (ages 4- 8)

How Do you Lift a Lion? by Robert E. Wells (ages 4-8)

Wheels At Work by Bernie Zubrowski (ages 9-12)

Diary of an Early American Boy by Eric Sloane.  This is a reprint of an actual early-19th-century diary  of a 15-year-old boy.  The concise notebook is accompanied by Sloane's 72 drawings and explanatory narrative. (ages 10 and up)

Robots, What They Are, What They Do by Fredericka Berger (ages 4-8)

The Phone Book:  Instant Communication from Smoke Signals to Satellites and Beyond by Elizabeth MacLeod  (ages 8-12)

The New Way Things Work by David Macauley (And his others: City, Castle, Cathedral, Pyramid, Underground, Ship, Mill, Building Big.  (ages 6 and up - young children will love just looking at the pictures; the story/text is written more for ages 10 and up).

Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burton (ages 4-8)

Amazing Impossible Erie Canal by Cheryl Harness (ages 8 and up)

Eureka! It’s an Automobile by Jeanne Bendick  (ages 8 and up)  Out of print - look at the library for it.

Archimedes and the Door of Science by Jeanne Bendick.   Another of our family's favorites. (ages 9-12)

Rocket: How a Toy Launched the Space Age by Richard Maurer.  (ages 9-12)

Story of Inventions by Frank P. Bachman (ages 10 and up)

Carry On, Mr. Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham.  Fascinating biography of Nathaniel Bowditch, an eighteenth-century nautical wonder and mathematical wizard.  (ages 10 and up)

SCIENCE IS FUN!

Even a four-year-old can sometimes stump a parent with "why" and "how" inquiries... kids love to ask questions and there are some great non- fiction picture books available that can help you answer them! One author, in particular, has written some very informative and interesting books on science, for kids aged 4-8.

Dr. Franklyn M. Branley (1915-2002) is the author of over 100 books about science for kids. He was Astronomer Emeritus and former Chairman of the American Museum-Hayden Planetarium. He was dedicated to explaining science and encouraging young children to explore their world through his series, Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science, which he originated in the 1960's.

What I appreciated about Dr. Branley's books is that they are simple and well thought out - not dumbed-down, but not too complex. Some of the books have easy, hands-on experiments.

Here's a list of Franklyn M. Branley books.


NOTE: We've read a few of these and they were GREAT! Just make sure you preview them - not sure how he deals with evolutionary issues...