Mars is Stark Slopes, Silvery Snow, and Startling Surprises by Suzanne Slade

On August 12, 2005 NASA launched the Atlas V rocket, carrying the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) equipped with a remarkable camera. Seven months later the MRO was orbiting Mars. Soon its camera began sending photos back to earth. The photos are astounding. Magnified images reveal Mars’ surface in detail showing rock layers, sand dunes, canyons, craters, volcanoes, and lava flows. The landscape changes continually. For example, the planet’s two polar ice caps are composed of dry ice. In spring, cracks begin to form in the ice, allowing gases to bubble up to the surface.

Hear the Wind Blow by Doe Boyle ill by Emily Paik

Lyrical text, expressive illustration, and the science of weather are beautifully blended in Hear the Wind Blow, a picture book describing the wind. Beginning at dawn, when all is calm, with just a "kiss of air," the text progresses throughout the day as later a breeze sends leaves "scuttling in the gutter." Evidence of the approaching storm can also be observed when ocean waves begin cresting. The narrative climaxes when hurricane force winds batter a community and a family must take shelter. The denouement describes the storm’s devastating effects. Individuals move outdoors and neighbors work together to clean up and repair damage. Wires droop, and tree roots shudder- ​the world's atilt, without a rudder. Boyle's reassuring text makes clear that the storm will pass. But a warning embedded in the verses emphasizes the importance of responding to signs which signal potentially extreme weather.

Weather Spotting

The National Weather Service invites interested individuals to become weather spotters. Students may be interested in creating a school-wide initiative to identify and catalogue local weather patterns.  Charting and reporting on weather conditions could be an interesting activity.

The Popper Penguin Rescue by Eliot Schrefer

The penguins are back! Countless generations have loved Florence and Richard Atwater's Mr. Popper's Penguins. Awarded a Newbery Honor in 1939, this classic is a staple in home, school, classroom, and public libraries. Like many readers, I hoped that the story would go on and speculated about what would become of Captain Cook, Greta, and their droll offspring. My wish has been granted. Award-winning author Eliot Schrefer continues the penguin saga with contemporary sensibilities while retaining the charm of the original. Years after Mr. Popper and Admiral Drake established a penguin colony in the Arctic, a Popper descendant and her children move into the old Penguin Pavilion located in a neighboring Stillwater community. The kids, Nina and Joel, explore the basement and discover two eggs. The decision to take the eggs to school does not turn out well. Nina's egg cracks during a spelling quiz and a playground bully steals Joel's egg. Despite the difficulties and with a touch of Atwater-like magic, the long-forgotten penguin eggs hatch.

Gnu and Shrew by Danny Schnitzlein ill by Anca Sandu

Meet a most unlikely pair. Gnu and Shrew sit together on the banks of a crocodile infested river. Gnu shares a secret with his friend: a cave filled with diamonds is on the other side of this very wide and deep river. Gnu dreams of someday obtaining the diamonds. With wealth from these gems he could get his own Ferris wheel or perhaps a golden bicycle. As he imagines the possibilities, the bespectacled Shrew sets to work, figuring out how to cross the river. Gnu’s musings spark Shrew's thought processes. For example a revolving wheel has a possible practical application for a paddleboat design.

It will come as no surprise that Shrew's skill and hard work pay off.  He obtains the diamonds and sets off to travel around the world. Success is his. But what will become of Gnu? Schmitzlein gives this tale of perseverance and friendship a happy ending. The final page offers a hint to the happily-ever-after for this twosome. Hurrah for Gnu and Shrew. ​

A word about the illustrations. Sandu restricts the main color palette to deep yellow and complementary turquoise This color scheme accents the contrasting natures of the two protagonists. The cover features Gnu dreamily gazing at a butterfly while Shrew, tongue sticking out, is concentrating on the workings of a lightbulb. However, the animals are not drawn to scale. Similar sizes suggest that each character is equally important.

Discussion Guide: Points to Consider

Meet the gnu. This member of the antelope family is native to Africa. The horned animals with shaggy manes and tails are very strong and can run up to 50 miles per hour. Their main predators include lions, hyenas, leopards, cheetahs, and crocodiles. Often gnus that attempt to cross a river are attacked and eaten by crocodiles. The gnu is also known as a wildebeest. Note: The "g" is not voiced. It might be interesting to discover other words that begin with "gn." Hint: gnat, gnome and gnaw are three common words.

Shrews are tiny mole-like animals with long noses and very sharp, spiky teeth. They have small eyes and cannot see well but have excellent senses of hearing and smell. They are very active and need to eat constantly. A shrew can consume from one half to two times its body weight each day! Shrews are venomous. The venom is stored within grooves in the shrew's teeth. There are 385 different species of shrews. They can be found throughout the world.

The Power of Bold Ideas

What new dreams might be imagined? What dedicated individuals will make those dreams a reality?

Beatrix Potter, Scientist (She Made History)
​by Lindsay H. Metcalf ill by Junyi Wu

The connection between art and science is symbiotic. Scientists record observations with accurate representations of phenomena. Artists rely on a careful study of anatomy and physiology to inform their art. It is no surprise that artist Beatrix Potter studied her surroundings and recorded her findings with precision. What is remarkable is that her published books are not scientific treatises, but instead are delightful fantasies. Metcalf gives young readers fresh insight into the life of the author of The Tale of Peter Rabbit. Each summer Beatrix’s family would travel to Scotland. It was there that the young girl met Charles McIntosh , the postman who encouraged her study of life forms. She was a dedicated researcher, making meticulous drawings, examining small animal skeletons, and preparing slides for microscopic observation.

The Silver Arrow by Lev Grossman narrated by Simon Vance

It's Kate's birthday and rich Uncle Herman, who wears a banana yellow suit and is a bit unorthodox, presents her with a most unusual gift: a train. Not a toy. This is a mammoth-sized steam-belching machine on a track in her backyard. When Kate and her younger brother Tom climb aboard, they begin an adventure that is beyond their wildest imaginings. The Silver Arrow is a dream come true. Tom and a Kate create their ideal train with such delightful cars as a library car, a swimming pool car, and even a candy car. But the children soon learn that this will not be a pleasure excursion. They are tasked with transporting endangered species to less hostile environments. Kate is the conductor. She is charged with protecting and finding proper homes for animals such as a white bellied heron and a fishing cat.  Yes, they really exist. I looked them up.

TinkerActive Workbooks

​TinkerActive Workbook series is designed for young learners ages 5-8.  Three disciplines are covered within each grade level: English, Math, and Science.  The workbooks are sturdy, with stiff, laminate covers.  This will protect from spills that may occur. Thick quality paper, pages with round corners.  A lot of thought is evident in the creation of this series.

Calling All Minds: How to Think and Create Like an Inventor
by Temple Grandin with Betsy Lerner

Calling All Minds is an intriguing mix of inventor mini-biographies, images of registered inventions from the U.S. Patent office with step-by step project instructions.  Grandin frames these elements within a running narrative describing her personal journey of discovery.  She introduces readers to her thinking process, her experiments with various concepts, and schematic drawings of her creations.  The book is organized into five general sections: "Things Made of Paper," "Levers and Pulleys," "Things Made of Wood," "Things That Fly", and "Optical Illusions." Each section includes a cornucopia of material that is loosely connected. Like the discovery process, they do not flow in a strict linear fashion, instead inviting moments of serendipity along the way.

Explorer Academy by Trudi Trueit

National Geographic takes on a new publishing venture with Explorer Academy, a fiction series combining action-adventure with science, technology and world exploration. Twelve-year-old Cruz Coronado is a member of Explorer Academy, an international team of young people training to become the world's future scientists. Trueit has created stories with action, intrigue, and suspense galore. At one point in my reading I replied to a request from an individual near me, saying “I can’t come right now. Cruz is trapped underwater and can’t breathe.”

Crafty Cat series by Charise Harper

Comics, a charming cat, and crafts. What more could you ask for? Crafty Cat and the Crafty Camp Crisis is a story of expectations, making friends, and dealing with bullies is appropriate for younger readers. Back pages include directions for making each of the six monster crafts described in the text.

Bonus: There's No Place Like Home

KidLitTV stories, crafts & activities Celebrated actors read children's books.

Activity guides from Just Us Books Create with Jarrett  J. Krosoczka

​Plan your day with this suggested daily schedule from NESCA (Neuropsychology & Education Services for Children & Adolescents. Accessed via Lorena Germán

Red Rover: Curiosity on Mars by Richard Ho ill by Katherine Roy

Here's an intriguing approach for an informational picture book: anthropomorphize a mobile space laboratory. Red Rover: Curiosity on Mars introduces young readers to Curiosity, a two-thousand-pound laboratory exploring the geology and climate of Mars for seven years. With succinct sentences and elegant language Richard Ho describes the mission, history, and accomplishments of the scientific endeavor. ​It ...is quiet...but not still. Vast...but not empty. Barren...but not lifeless. Near the book's conclusion the perspective shifts. Moving beyond Curiosity's close-up view, the planet Mars takes up the narration and provides readers with an expanded view of space exploration.

Nina Soni, Former Best Friend
​by Kashmira Sheth ill by Jenn Kocsmiersky

Nina Soni’s life just got more complicated. She accidentally destroys her best friend's art project. Nina fears that Jay will no longer be her friend. She is stymied when her teacher assigns a Personal Narrative Project. She has nothing to write. Her life is as boring as plain rice. ​Then she discovers an interesting phenomenon that will be the basis for her person narrative. To her dismay, she learns that her idea is the same experiment used by  Jay at last year's science fair. She is discouraged. When her sister's birthday party plans fall through, Jay and Nina come together and develop a clever solution to the birthday dilemma. Upon reflection, Nina realizes that retelling events of the past twenty-four hours will make an interesting writing project.

For=get-ful-ness means your mind becomes so full of new thoughts and ideas that it pushes out the old ones.

Former means once-upon-a-time.

Scientific Discoveries

Dish soap

Lemon juice

Baking soda

Vinegar

Lunar Landing July 20, 1969

Go for the Moon: A Rocket, A Boy, and the First Moon Landing by Chris Gall From childhood, Chris Gall has always been fascinated with rockets and space exploration. Go for the Moon: A Rocket, A Boy, and the First Moon Landing chronicles the parallel stories of the Apollo 11 launch and a young boy’s attempt to replicate the event on a personal and considerably smaller scale. His rocket is a water rocket that he transports via a little red wagon. He builds a lunar module from cardboard boxes and climbs inside. He and his brother replicate the difficulty of precisely reaching the moon with a soccer ball and a stone. Gorgeously illustrated and chock full of fascinating facts, the generous trim size invites readers to experience the Apollo11 mission from a kid’s point of view. Grab a glass of Tang and share in the adventure. ​Copy provided by publisher ​Pub date: June 11, 2019 Publisher: Roaring Brook Press ISBN: 978-1250155795 Rocket to the Moon!:  ​Big Ideas That Changed the World ​by Don Brown Big Ideas That Changed the World, a series created by Don Brown, "celebrates the hard-won succession of ideas that ultimately remade the world." Rocket to the Moon! is the first book in Don Brown's Big Ideas That Changed the World series This volume recounts the history and development of rockets. ​A substantial portion of the book is devoted to the United States' space exploration, including the "space race" with Russia. The narrative culminates with the successful Apollo 11 lunar landing. ​Line drawings, and link wash are clean and straightforward, moving the narrative along. The full-page panel of the moon's surface appropriately gives readers pause. Pacing shows the module’s slow descent to the Sea of Tranquility with a series of jagged-edge panels. Horizontal panels zoom in on one footstep as it descends the ladder to the moon's surface.

T-Minus: ​The Race to the Moon by Jim Ottaviani ill Zonder Cannon Kevin Cannon Jim Ottaviani’s fictionalized retelling of the race between the USA and the USSR to reach the moon is a gripping, emotionally charged saga. T-Minus: The Race to the Moon chronicles the development of space exploration and the back stories of key players such as Robert Goddard and Sergei Korolev. The failures, successes, political intrigue come to a climax when Apollo 11 reaches its destination and NASA's astronaut takes the first steps on the moon. Hard to put down. Read the author’s notes for information on his storytelling process as well as suggested bibliography. Inventive placement of rockets which break out of rigid panel frames and span the entire vertical space is noteworthy. The black and white line art is well-suited to the subject matter. Public library copy. ​Pub date: May 9, 2009 Publisher: Adallin ISBN: 978-1416949602 Countdown: ​2979 Days to the Moon  by Suzanne Slade ill Thomas Gonzales Countdown: 2979 Days to the Moon chronicles events leading up to and concluding with the first lunar landing on July 20, 1969. The narrative begins with the challenge uttered by President John F. Kennedy in May 1961. ​Suzanne Slade, a mechanical engineer who worked on several space projects including the development of Saturn V rocket, is well qualified to write this superlative work of nonfiction. Her lyrical text vivifies the marvel of space exploration. The free verse is accompanied by direct quotations, systematically describing each of the eleven Apollo missions. ​Gonzalez' paintings are enhanced with infographic spreads located between chapters. Generous trim size (10.3" x 11") while accessible and easy to handle, gives added emphasis to the grandeur of this achievement. The book's text, with clear clean font is thoughtful placed, awarding the narrative added significance. For contrast, pages describing the Apollo 8 expedition as it moves to the far side of the moon are black with striking white text. ​

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