Kolbe was curious about space and rockets last week so we built some rockets out of old paper towel tubes, I pulled up the launch of STS-135 on YouTube and we watched it and then requested some space-themed books from the library. I love impromptu lessons like this, they seem to go better than the ones I meticulously plan out. ;-) I wanted to share some of the titles we got from the library and my quick reviews for anyone else who might be interested.
The first one was a Scholastic Blast-off Reader, Exploring Space: Space Shuttles. It was a very informative look at space shuttles, although obviously written before they were retired. It put things in simple terms for the kids to understand without dumbing them down.
Then we got The Big Dipper, which is a book about stars and constellations, namely Ursa Major and Ursa Minor and the North Star. We had this book during "S" week but Gemma didn't get to read/hear it then so I requested it specifically for her. Both kids are looking forward to going outside after dark when the days get a little shorter to check out the Big and Little Dippers.
I was excited to find Me and my Place in Space, which has the same authors/format as Me on the Map (which we own and love). It is a story that details the planets, solar system, galaxy, universe, etc. respectively. It also addressed the possibility of intelligent life elsewhere in the universe in a very appropriate way I thought.
My favorite by far was If you Decide to Go to the Moon. While fiction, everything it talked about in regards to gravity, the moon's landscape, life in space, etc. was factual in terms of correctness. The kids really learned a lot from this one, and while it wasn't a religious book by any means I appreciated the author's subtle references to a Higher Power in the universe. The illustrations were pleasant and interesting as well.
