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This spectacular introduction to the International Space Station, by a talented and prolific science writer, is a welcome addition to the Let’s-Read-And-Find-Out-Science series. Fully meeting the publisher’s intent to provide books that “explore challenging concepts for children in primary grades,” the text is filled with careful explanations and precise detail that will delight younger science students and surprise many adults. The author explains why space suits are necessary in outer space, how astronauts eat, exercise, shower, and use a screwdriver in zero gravity. A seven-country endeavor, the Space Station, which is a stepping-stone to planetary exploration, will be built in sections well into the 21st century. Eventually “the station will be more than 350 feet long—as long as a 30-story building is tall. It will weigh a million pounds.” Elsewhere the author describes the special escape boat in case of disaster, solar panels to produce electricity, and what astronauts will do inside. Full-color paintings capture the detail and drama of the station inside and out, while various elements are carefully labeled. Most dramatic are those in which white type is set against the inky black background of space. The author promises: “Someday you may be a crew member aboard the International Space Station.” For young readers as well as those too old to travel, this is the stuff of dreams. A brief experiment and a NASA Web site for more information conclude a fascinating and accessible book for young readers. Bravo! (introduction) (Nonfiction. 6-9)
