This Is Rocket Science: True Stories of... (Young Adult Space Non-fiction)

If you're ready to get your science geek on, this National Geographic offering might be of interest: This Is Rocket Science: True Stories of the Risk-taking Scientists who Figure Out Ways to Explore Beyond.

Note: this ebook is for younger readers (grades 6-9), so it may be too simple for you if you're already a space pro.

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.


This Is Rocket Science

Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void

"To the rocket scientist, you are a problem. You are the most irritating piece of machinery he or she will ever have to deal with."

If you're not quite buying the Star Trek version of space travel, and you've wondered what it's really like floating around "Out There," then you can try Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void by Mary Roach.

Roach (Stiff) once again proves herself the ideal guide to a parallel universe. Despite all the high-tech science that has resulted in space shuttles and moonwalks, the most crippling hurdles of cosmic travel are our most primordial human qualities: eating, going to the bathroom, having sex and bathing, and not dying in reentry. Readers learn that throwing up in a space helmet could be life-threatening, that Japanese astronaut candidates must fold a thousand origami paper cranes to test perseverance and attention to detail, and that cadavers are gaining popularity over crash dummies when studying landings. Roach's humor and determined curiosity keep the journey lively, and her profiles of former astronauts are especially telling. However, larger questions about the "worth" or potential benefits of space travel remain ostensibly unasked, effectively rendering these wild and well-researched facts to the status of trivia. Previously, Roach engaged in topics everyone could relate to. Unlike having sex or being dead, though, space travel pertains only to a few, leaving the rest of us unsure what it all amounts to. Still, the chance to float in zero gravity, even if only vicariously, can be surprising in what it reveals about us.

While reviews are largely positive, it does sound like the author's quirky sense of humor isn't for everyone. Download a sample before buying!

Packing for Mars