Reviewed by Terry Whisenant
Teacher of Gifted and Talented
Imagine a world where the air is always dusty and red, the temperature is colder than a deep freeze both day and night, and the atmospheric pressure is so low your blood would boil! Welcome to the planet Mars! In Seymour Simon's revised and updated Destination: Mars, the latest photographs, discoveries, and inferences about Mars are presented. This book is readable, understandable, informational, factual, and fascinating. It will capture the full attention of any third, fourth, or fifth grader even though the reading is technical and falls into the eighth grade range. The large type and full color photographs add impact and help when the reading level becomes too steep.
There are many things to see, learn, and wonder about in this book. Simon begins by discussing the characteristics of this unique planet. For example, both the largest known volcano in the Solar System and a valley four times deeper than the Grand Canyon can be found on Mars. (It’s easy to imagine an elementary student quoting such facts.) Mars is then compared to Earth in terms of distance from the Sun, size, time and length of orbit, and length of days and years. The history of the discovery of Mars is reviewed, as is the origin of the myths and beliefs about Martians and life on Mars.
The text is a good one for an active, inquisitive reader, and the photographs are spectacular! In typical Seymour Simon fashion, photographs tell as much as the words. The Pathfinder has sent back to Earth more than 16 000 photographs of Mars, and some of the most interesting of these are included in this book. One cannot help but first explore the photographs and then read the text. Students can compare time-lapse photographs to discover seasonal changes in the polar ice caps. A 3-D map constructed from laser pulses is shown. The robot rover, Sojourner, will inspire many a student to make his/her own model to collect rocks, dust and other specimens from the next unexplored planet.
Teachers will appreciate how the relationships between collecting data, publishing facts, drawing conclusions, and making inferences about the planet Mars are made clear to young readers. The most recent discoveries and the incredible machines involved in uncovering the mysteries of Mars are explained, along with a timeline for future explorations. Of course, the question of life on Mars still lingers today, but the author devotes only a paragraph to a debate that most children would appreciate.
This book is a must-have for any student who needs information on the planets or is just plain interested in space. All elementary school media centers need to include this book in the nonfiction section. It is an excellent resource for teachers and students alike.
Review posted on 8/3/2000
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