Moonwalking

Thirty years ago, U.S. astronauts landed on the moon. To celebrate this historic triumph, many books have been issued to teach young minds about space travel.

First on the Moon tells the story through the accounts of Jan Aldrin, daughter of Buzz Aldrin, who was 11 years old when her father joined Neil Armstrong on the lunar surface. Telling the story in this manner helps young children personalize the moon landing and perhaps understand it better. Author Barbara Hehner includes fact boxes, neatly set aside on the outermost margins, which include photographs and describe important details of the moon landing story, such as moon rocks, space suits, and food. In addition to the photographs, Greg Ruhl's impressive illustrations add warmth to an event that is often depicted in cold technical terms.


Ian Graham's The Best Book of the Moon also tells the story of the moon landing, but focuses on the moon itself. Many lunar mysteries are revealed here, through easy-to-understand text and colorful illustrations. Discover the moon's phases, history, faces; explore the mystery behind the moon's relationship with Earth's tides; learn about moon gear and moon bases. The Best Book of the Moon includes a glossary and topical index.


Moonlanding: The Race for the Moon offers a step-by-step account of how the event became a reality. Part of DK's Discoveries series, Moonlanding includes chapters on the early attempts; testing and building rockets; missions beyond the first moon landing; disasters; and future possibilities. Wonderful photographs, diagrams, and fold-out pages give children a scientific account of space travel, yet the language is clear and dotted with anecdotal relevancy.


Leave it to Reader's Digest Children's Books to create an exciting format for teaching children about the planet they inhabit. Not exactly a book about moon landings or space travel, Journey to the Center of the Earth travels inwardly from Earth's atmosphere to its inner core. Journey uses fold-out and cut-out pages to show a cross-section of Earth's amazing layers and features. Oceans, continental drift, clouds, photosynthesis, jewels, volcanoes, among other topics, are explored and demystified. For example, did you know that the pressure is so great at the inner core, liquid iron turns solid, even at a temperature of 13,500 degrees Fahrenheit? These interesting and amazing facts about our planet remind children that while space discovery is exciting, there is plenty to discover here at home.


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