Becoming an Astronaut

Lots of pictures and inviting, informative text offer a glimpse into some of the training that aspiring astronauts need to complete before they’re permitted to travel into space in this installment in the Spaceology series (6 titles). Thoughtful, magazine-style page layouts feature photos of astronauts at work, and each photo is clearly labeled to identify equipment or an activity. This title glosses over the science necessary for space travel and instead focuses on the day-to-day realities of training to be an astronaut, with a big emphasis on the amount of preparation and practice involved, including living in an ISS simulator, learning Russian, and spending days at a time in a cave to learn how to live and work in a pitch black environment. Kids already fascinated by space travel will likely be delighted by these insider details, which shed light on multifaceted work of astronauts. A picture glossary and occasional critical thinking questions add depth to this engaging, high-interest title for the younger set.

This unique series provides a comprehensive look at space exploration, with topics ranging from the features of the solar system to the life of an astronaut to a hypothetical look at life on Mars and finding an Earth-like planet. Each title effectively conveys an immense topic in an accessible and entertaining way, relying on a controlled vocabulary and five to six simple sentences per page. Appealing page layouts, featuring full-color ­photographs, as well as labels and fun facts, are eye-catching and support comprehension. Each entry contains a relevant science experiment, such as designing a tiny spacecraft and building a Mars habitat. Text features include bold words highlighting important vocabulary (orbits, satellites), an index, and a visual glossary. VERDICT: Written at a second grade reading level, this is an excellent STEM series for early elementary students in a general collection, as well as for older ­hi-lo readers.