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EARTH'S MOON

A SHIPMATE'S GUIDE TO OUR SOLAR SYSTEM

Awards & Accolades

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A children’s book that gives readers a thorough, enriching new look at the moon.
The moon certainly has its share of folklore involving werewolves or green cheese. But what about the facts? How big is it, and what’s it really made of? And how do we teach kids these facts in an interesting way? This gorgeously written children’s book answers all those questions, and many others. It begins with an overview of the solar system, and then focuses on the moon’s formation. It eventually covers everything from lunar dust and the moon’s effect on tides to the dark regions called maria, thought by Galileo to be vast seas on the moon’s surface. It also covers, in great detail, the 1969 Apollo 11 landing, complete with facts and figures regarding the astronauts’ journey. It even takes a peek at NASA’s most recent moon exploration tool called LADEE (Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer). The New York Times once dubbed Simon (Coral Reefs, 2014, etc.) “the dean of [children’s science] writers” so it’s not surprising that his latest tome is a wonderfully thorough, engaging science book. It’s often easy for kids to pass off science as boring (all those facts!), but Simon truly understands how to speak to his audience. His language is spot-on: never too dry, but also never too conversational. His prose urges young and old readers to press on and learn more about each topic, and the glossy photographic images add to the wonder of the words on the page. Another brilliant addition is the glossary at the back: It details, by page, the history and importance of each image, from shots of craters on the moon’s surface to historic events. This attention to detail will definitely inspire children to do further research; as such, this work would be an asset in schools.
An educational, engaging science text.

Pub Date: May 1, 2014

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: 33

Publisher: StarWalk Kids Media

Review Posted Online: July 9, 2014

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GUTS

With young readers diagnosed with anxiety in ever increasing numbers, this book offers a necessary mirror to many.

Young Raina is 9 when she throws up for the first time that she remembers, due to a stomach bug. Even a year later, when she is in fifth grade, she fears getting sick.

Raina begins having regular stomachaches that keep her home from school. She worries about sharing food with her friends and eating certain kinds of foods, afraid of getting sick or food poisoning. Raina’s mother enrolls her in therapy. At first Raina isn’t sure about seeing a therapist, but over time she develops healthy coping mechanisms to deal with her stress and anxiety. Her therapist helps her learn to ground herself and relax, and in turn she teaches her classmates for a school project. Amping up the green, wavy lines to evoke Raina’s nausea, Telgemeier brilliantly produces extremely accurate visual representations of stress and anxiety. Thought bubbles surround Raina in some panels, crowding her with anxious “what if”s, while in others her negative self-talk appears to be literally crushing her. Even as she copes with anxiety disorder and what is eventually diagnosed as mild irritable bowel syndrome, she experiences the typical stresses of school life, going from cheer to panic in the blink of an eye. Raina is white, and her classmates are diverse; one best friend is Korean American.

With young readers diagnosed with anxiety in ever increasing numbers, this book offers a necessary mirror to many. (Graphic memoir. 8-12)

Pub Date: Sept. 17, 2019

ISBN: 978-0-545-85251-7

Page Count: 224

Publisher: Graphix/Scholastic

Review Posted Online: May 11, 2019

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2019

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SMILE

Telgemeier has created an utterly charming graphic memoir of tooth trauma, first crushes and fickle friends, sweetly reminiscent of Judy Blume’s work. One night, Raina trips and falls after a Girl Scout meeting, knocking out her two front teeth. This leads to years of painful surgeries, braces, agonizing root canals and other oral atrocities. Her friends offer little solace through this trying ordeal, spending more of their time teasing than comforting her. After years of these girls’ constant belittling, Raina branches out and finds her own voice and a new group of friends. Young girls will relate to her story, and her friend-angst is palpable. Readers should not overlook this seemingly simply drawn work; the strong writing and emotionally expressive characters add an unexpected layer of depth. As an afterword, the author includes a photo of her smiling, showing off the results of all of the years of pain she endured. Irresistible, funny and touching—a must read for all teenage girls, whether en-braced or not. (Graphic memoir. 12 & up)

Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2010

ISBN: 978-0-545-13205-3

Page Count: 224

Publisher: Bantam Discovery

Review Posted Online: Dec. 22, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2010

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