An illuminating journey through the moons of our solar system, presenting goals for future space exploration.
Just as our moon became more than a rock once humans landed on it, other moons have emerged as worlds of their own in data from probes like Voyager.
Full-color illustrations, photographs, and helpful diagrams tell their stories and emphasize their importance. Europa, Enceladus, and Titan—moons of Jupiter and Saturn—might even host life. Readers need a solid understanding of how gravity works, especially beyond Earth. Though the book’s purpose is (rightfully) not to teach orbital mechanics, it does an impressive job of offering plain-language explanations of scientific concepts, particularly Newton’s laws and methods for finding exomoons. Comparisons to the size of the moon in the Earth’s sky make it easy to picture what other moons must look like from other planets. Galileo and Newton receive top billing, and most other scientists mentioned are male and either European or American; one European and two American female scientists appear. Historical discussions of astronomy mention ancient Greeks and Romans but omit ancient Islamic or other non-Western astronomers, instead describing ancient Asian and Indigenous peoples in the context of sun and moon deities and folklore. References to past and future missions like Cassini-Huygens and the Enceladus Explorer connect facts to the scientific methods used to discover them and present exciting goals for future space exploration.
An illuminating journey through the moons of our solar system, presenting goals for future space exploration. (glossary, source notes, selected bibliography, further information, index) (Nonfiction. 12-18)Pub Date: April 6, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-72841-943-5
Page Count: 104
Publisher: Twenty-First Century/Lerner
Review Posted Online: Jan. 25, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Small but mighty necessary reading.
A miniature manifesto for radical queer acceptance that weaves together the personal and political.
Eli, a cis gay white Jewish man, uses his own identities and experiences to frame and acknowledge his perspective. In the prologue, Eli compares the global Jewish community to the global queer community, noting, “We don’t always get it right, but the importance of showing up for other Jews has been carved into the DNA of what it means to be Jewish. It is my dream that queer people develop the same ideology—what I like to call a Global Queer Conscience.” He details his own isolating experiences as a queer adolescent in an Orthodox Jewish community and reflects on how he and so many others would have benefitted from a robust and supportive queer community. The rest of the book outlines 10 principles based on the belief that an expectation of mutual care and concern across various other dimensions of identity can be integrated into queer community values. Eli’s prose is clear, straightforward, and powerful. While he makes some choices that may be divisive—for example, using the initialism LGBTQIAA+ which includes “ally”—he always makes clear those are his personal choices and that the language is ever evolving.
Small but mighty necessary reading. (resources) (Nonfiction. 14-18)Pub Date: June 2, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-09368-9
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2020
Brief yet inspirational, this story will galvanize youth to use their voices for change.
Testa’s connection to and respect for nature compelled her to begin championing animal causes at the age of 10, and this desire to have an impact later propelled her to dedicate her life to fighting plastic pollution. Starting with the history of plastic and how it’s produced, Testa acknowledges the benefits of plastics for humanity but also the many ways it harms our planet. Instead of relying on recycling—which is both insufficient and ineffective—she urges readers to follow two additional R’s: “refuse” and “raise awareness.” Readers are encouraged to do their part, starting with small things like refusing to use plastic straws and water bottles and eventually working up to using their voices to influence business and policy change. In the process, she highlights other youth advocates working toward the same cause. Short chapters include personal examples, such as observations of plastic pollution in Mauritius, her maternal grandparents’ birthplace. Testa makes her case not only against plastic pollution, but also for the work she’s done, resulting in something of a college-admissions–essay tone. Nevertheless, the first-person accounts paired with science will have an impact on readers. Unfortunately, no sources are cited and the lack of backmatter is a missed opportunity.
Brief yet inspirational, this story will galvanize youth to use their voices for change. (Nonfiction. 12-18)Pub Date: Oct. 13, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-22333-8
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2020
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