This Is Rocket Science: True Stories of the Risk-taking Scientists who Figure Out Ways to Explore Beyond Earth

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About This Is Rocket Science: True Stories Of The

Product Description ..three, two, one... we have liftoff! From the award-winning author of Are We Alone? comes a title to propel young imaginations far into space. This Is Rocket Science explores the past, present, and future of space travel. The compelling text—vetted by NASA scientists—is a combination of history, science, human drama, and future challenges. Readers learn how fireworks in ancient China developed into the fire arrows used by Genghis Khan; we meet Sir Isaac Newton, Jules Verne, H.G. Wells, and learn how their imaginations shaped rocketry. We revisit the era of Sputnik, the satellite that launched a superpower space race, ending with moonwalks and a rendezvous in space. Finally we look forward to the future challenges of Mars and beyond. We also get a sneak peek at new technologies like space elevators, solar sails, ion propulsion, and more. From School Library Journal Grade 5–7—Though possibly of interest as a sketchy update for the likes of Ron Miller's Rockets (Lerner, 2007), Steve Otfinoski's Rockets (Marshall Cavendish, 2006), or older surveys, this overview of the history of rocketry largely covers well-scouted territory. Tucking a few uncommon details into, particularly, the early chapters, Skurzynski begins with the development of gunpowder bombs and rockets in China, goes on to explain the ideas of pioneers like Konstantin Tsiolkovksy and Robert Goddard, then recaps the Space Race and highlights of the Space Shuttle Program. After a quick look at the commercial rockets under development by Elon Musk's SpaceX Corporation (but none of his several private competitors), she closes with a highly selective list of alternatives to chemical rockets: the space elevator, solar sails, ion engines, and magneto-plasma propulsion. Further marred by a hard-to-read main text printed in low-contrast gray against a patterned background, and also an incorrect claim that the solar wind is composed of photons, this book may draw some readers with its attractive photos and packaging, but doesn't make a significant contribution to space exploration's history or ongoing initiatives.—John Peters, New York Public Library (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. From Booklist Beginning 2,000 years ago when Chinese scientists developed gunpowder and fireworks, this concise title outlines the history of rocket technology, all the way up to twentieth-century marvels, such as the R-7 rocket that launched Sputnik into orbit, and today’s latest research. Throughout, Skurzynski lucidly explains challenging concepts, such as Newton’s laws of motion, and she shows the intricate connections between historical events and scientific breakthroughs, particularly in passages about World Wars I and II and their aftermath: “However unpleasant it might sound, the Cold War stimulated the development of space and satellite technology,” reads one quote from a Russian space engineer. Sci-fi’s important role in shaping modern rocket science will intrigue kids, who will also enjoy reading about young people’s cutting-edge contributions, including a magneto-plasma rocket MIT students made from a Coke can and a plastic water bottle: “They built it for fun, but . . . it worked! This is how exciting future technologies are born.” Amply illustrated with a mix of captivating photos and archival art, this will inspire interest in a wide audience. Grades 6-9. --Gillian Engberg Review Gloria Skurzynski does something unique here by writing about the early development of rocket science itself, and includes the work of scientists from a variety of countries including Russia and Germany. She starts with the history of rocketry, going back to China’s development of gunpowder and Italy’s embrace of fireworks (more valuable trivia: the word rocket is based on the Italian word rocce, which means “long thin tube”), and then moves forward into the interesting coincidence that many earl