Space Research

The goal of this series is to help students comprehend the work that goes into scientific research and how this work leads to new applications and even future scientific advances. These books are about “Research,” not just the scientific concepts. Beginning with a timeline of the important events in each area of research, these books use clear and visual narratives to educate the readers about the cutting edge research. Well-chosen anecdotes illuminate the ethical and political issues in pursuing deeper scientific study and medical trials. Embedded key word definitions allow the student to easily identify the main issues. These books show what we learned about each issue, and more importantly, how we learned it. Though written by various authors, there is a high level of continuity between titles. Each book includes full-color photos and illustrations, related organizations, source notes, and further resources. This series would be a good addition to any library. Glossary. Table of Contents. Index.

With titles like Stem Cell Research and Climate Change Research (both 2010), the Inside Science series actively courts controversial subjects. As the books’ introduction states, the series “provides students with a sense of the painstaking work that goes into scientific research,” thereby giving nascent naysayers pause. And it’s a goal well accomplished: Parks piles on the research, digging deep into interstellar study, programs that reach into space, and what it all means to the common person, never shying away from detail and onerous proper nouns (see: “Lyman-Alpha space blobs”). A time line of important events kicks it all off, followed by modern-leaning chapters on research (space weather, asteroids), probes (from the Mars Rover to the comet-puncturing Deep Impact), the collaborative efforts of space stations, telescopes, and future directions in the field. As is always the case with the publisher, the color layout features plenty of photos, boxes, and charts, while Parks delivers a surprisingly spry text. Slim but packed, this is ideal for middle or high school reports.

This series offers the necessary information for stellar reports. Politics, debates, and ethical concerns are briefly and fairly mentioned, but the books concentrate on consistent, documented, and well-balanced scientific coverage. The human stories sprinkled throughout will help kids identify with both scientists and patients. Renewable Energy Research includes the story of a British student who invented solar-powered refrigerators, which will drive home to readers the point that the future is in their hands.

Gr 6 to 9–This series offers the necessary information for stellar reports. Politics, debates, and ethical concerns are briefly and fairly mentioned, but the books concentrate on consistent, documented, and well-balanced scientific coverage. The human stories sprinkled throughout will help kids identify with both scientists and patients. Renewable Energy Research includes the story of a British student who invented solar-powered refrigerators, which will drive home to readers the point that the future is in their hands.