Our Solar System: Revised Edition - Softcover

Simon, Seymour

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0061140104 ISBN 13: 9780061140105

Publisher: HarperCollins, 2014

Synopsis

Join award-winning science writer Seymour Simon in this completely updated edition of Our Solar System, as he takes young readers on a fascinating tour through space! 

With beautiful full-color photographs and spacecraft images, including many taken by the Mars rovers and Hubble Space Telescope, this nonfiction picture book teaches young readers all about the solar system, including the sun, the eight planets, and their moons. Covering all the latest discoveries in space, young astronomers will be over the moon about the fun facts, fascinating science, and incredible photographs. A must-have for every child interested in outer space!  

This book includes an author's note, a glossary, an index, and further reading suggestions. An excellent choice for classrooms and homeschooling, Our Solar System supports the Common Core State Standards.

Check out these other Seymour Simon books about the universe and space:

• Comets, Meteors, and Asteroids
• Destination: Jupiter
• Destination: Mars
• Destination: Space
• Exoplanets
• Galaxies
• Stars
• The Sun
• The Universe

About this title

About the Author

Seymour Simon has been called “the dean of the [children’s science book] field” by the New York Times. He has written more than 300 books for young readers and has received the American Association for the Advancement of Science/Subaru Lifetime Achievement Award for his lasting contribution to children’s science literature, the Science Books & Films Key Award for Excellence in Science Books, the Empire State Award for excellence in literature for young people, and the Educational Paperback Association Jeremiah Ludington Award. He and his wife, Liz, live in Columbia County in Upstate New York. You can visit him online at www.seymoursimon.com, where students can post on the “Seymour Science Blog” and educators can download a free four-page teacher guide to accompany this book, putting it in context with Common Core objectives. Join the growing legion of @seymoursimon fans on Twitter!

From the Back Cover

Born almost 5 billion years ago at the edge of the Milky Way galaxy, our Solar System is a place filled with mystery and wonder. In the last fifty years, we have learned more than ever about the farthest reaches of our world. With dramatic full-color photographs and spacecraft images, Our Solar System takes young readers on a fascinating tour of the sun, the eight planets and their moons, plus asteroids and comets. Award-winning science writer Seymour Simon presents this new, updated edition of his much-admired book about the vast and mystifying part of the universe that we live in.

Reviews

Gr 3–6—Revised and updated, this edition takes readers on a journey through the solar system with upgraded photos, content, and glossary from its predecessors (1992, 2007). While much of the content remains the same as the previous edition, small details have been adjusted, such as Jupiter's clouds, which are no longer "mostly hydrogen gas, not water droplets like clouds on Earth" but are now simply "frozen ammonia droplets." Although these details may be nearly imperceptible to young readers, what will stand out are the captivating photographs. The images, many of which are from NASA, are remarkably crisp and more detailed than before, giving a nod to changes in imaging technology in the past decade. As stated in the author's note, Simon uses comparisons to help readers comprehend the scale of these celestial masses ("If Earth were the size of a basketball, the sun would be as big as a basketball court."). He does not return the favor for specific calculations, though, thus leaving readers to grapple with the meaning of "the crust, which ranges from 5 to 30 miles deep" and "the mantle, an 1,800-mile-thick layer of heavy rock." Furthermore, some words do not appear in the glossary, such as typhoon and asteroid, and the unexplained transition from "800 degrees Fahrenheit" to "-300°F" may confuse some readers. However, the brief overview of the solar system and the spacecraft sent to explore it make this title a worthwhile consideration for school and public libraries.—Meaghan Darling, Plainsboro Public Library, NJ

Edition details

• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Publication date: 2014
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0061140104
• ISBN 13: 9780061140105
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 48