Beyond Jupiter: The Story of P

Heidi Hammel is an out-of-this world explorer. With her feet planted firmly on Earth, she takes trips millions of miles out into space. How does she do this? Heidi Hammel is a planetary astronomer, a scientist who uses the world's most powerful telescopes to learn about planets. By making remarkable discoveries in the farthest reaches of our solar system, Heidi also helps us better understand the planet we call home. The giant planets Neptune and Uranus are Heidi's specialties. She was on the team that first spotted Neptune's Great Dark Spot, a raging storm as big as Earth. Heidi also led a team of astronomers tracking the Great Comet Crash, a spectacular event in which a fragmented comet pounded Jupiter for an entire week. There's no telling what Heidi will find when she peers into a telescope. That's what makes her work exciting. Beyond Jupiter is the fascinating story of a scientist and her science. To tell this true tale of adventure, author Fred Bortz draws on firsthand accounts from Heidi and her friends, family, and colleagues. How did a down-to-earth girl grow up to be one of the world's most highly respected astronomers? The life story of Heidi Hammel will intrigue and inspire readers of all ages.

This title aligns to Common Core standards:

Interest Level Grades 6 - 8; Reading Level Grade level Equivalent: 7.1: Lexile Measure: 1080L; DRA: Not Available; Guided Reading: Z

Grade 6-10–Engaging career biographies of contemporary scientists. Each volume offers a background profile of the woman, including her childhood interests. The sections about their early lives will pull readers into the books and help them related to these budding scientists. Once the biographical information is laid out, the individuals career arcs are profiled. For example, France is active with the Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Teams (DMORT) that helped excavate the 9/11 rubble. The books are well written and punctuated with full-color photographs from the womens personal albums, showing their honors and awards as well as their growing-up stages. Illustrations also include scientific diagrams and charts related to their research. As these women are currently on the job, their historical impact is not yet known. However, the fine writing and inspiring work of the scientists will reward those students who choose to read these books.–Cass Kvenild, University of Wyoming, Laramie
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.