A Black Hole Is Not a Hole [Hardcover]

Carolyn Cinami DeCristofano (Author), Michael Carroll (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 2012

If a black hole is not a hole, then what is it? Find out what black holes are, what causes them, and how scientists first discovered them. Learn how astronomers find black holes, get to know our nearest black-hole neighbor, and take a journey that will literally s-t-r-e-t-c-h the mind.

Editorial Reviews

Review

This introduction to black holes takes readers from simple to complex by dropping definitions and information slowly and clearly into the lively narrative. Dramatic and amazing illustrations help to impart the sense of the vast distances in space, of how atomic nuclei meld in the intense interaction called fusion, and how the areas of a black hole--the event boundary, the extreme gravity zone, and the singularity--are defined. The appended time line begins with Newton's work on gravity in 1687 and ends with the theoretical shining of a flashlight toward our galaxy's black hole (Sagittarius A*, with a mass four million times that of our Sun) in 2012, which would take about 3600 years to reach its goal. The author's list of print resources credits classic science titles. Her website list cautions that the sites may not stay current, and she recommends using a search engine to get at the most up-to-date data. A four-page glossary provides succinct definitions and some pronunciation guides. The one-page index leads readers back to the text for many of the terms found in the glossary, e.g., "spaghettification," as well as for many of the scientists mentioned throughout. Informative, fun, and so beautiful that even general readers will be drawn into it. --School Library Journal, starred review

Writing with rare verve ("A black hole is nothing to look at. Literally."), DeCristofano condenses recent astronomical discoveries into a high energy account of what we know or guess about one of the universe's deepest and most unobservable secrets. Covering the life cycle of stars; the formation of black holes and weird optical and physical effects associated with them; more recent revelations of super-sized black holes at the centers of galaxies; and the general effects of mass on space, light, and matter, she presents a clear, well-rounded picture of the strange structure and stranger physics of black holes. After leading a wild ride over a black hole's event horizon ("Right away, you would need a new nickname--something like Stretch . . . .") and explaining theories about gravity from Newton's notions to "Einstein's Spacey Ideas," DeCristofano leaves readers to ponder the truth of her claim that a black hole isn't a hole--but "NOT exactly NOT a hole either." Enhanced by a time line and a generous set of further resources--and illustrated with plenty of cogent diagrams, space photographs, and Carroll's dramatic images of stellar whirlpools and mammoth jets of gas around cores of impenetrable blackness--this book will snatch readers from their orbits and fling them into a lasting fascination with nature's most attractive phenomena. Literally. --Booklist, starred review

Oh, my stars! As the cover proclaims, a black hole may not be an actual hole, but readers will be glad they fell into this book.

The volume guides readers on a (literally) out-of-this-world tour, dealing with topics and concepts that, in the hands of a less-gifted writer, might have remained obscure and unclear. DeCristofano handles the material with wit, style and singularly admirable clarity, frequently employing easy-to-understand and, yes, down-to-earth ideas and scenarios to help make complex principles comprehensible to readers of all ages. Carroll's illustrations, diagrams and charts, along with superb telescopic photographs (many courtesy of NASA) are splendid and filled with the drama and excitement of the limitless vastness of space. The handsome design and visuals greatly enhance the text and add much to readers' grasp of the subject. Stargazers will be entranced, and even those not especially attuned to matters celestial will come away feeling smarter, awestruck and with a sense of finally understanding this fascinating, other-worldly phenomenon. An excellent resource.

Hole-y astronomy! --Kirkus Reviews, starred review

Writing with rare verve ("A black hole is nothing to look at. Literally."), DeCristofano condenses recent astronomical discoveries into a high energy account of what we know or guess about one of the universe's deepest and most unobservable secrets. Covering the life cycle of stars; the formation of black holes and weird optical and physical effects associated with them; more recent revelations of super-sized black holes at the centers of galaxies; and the general effects of mass on space, light, and matter, she presents a clear, well-rounded picture of the strange structure and stranger physics of black holes. After leading a wild ride over a black hole's event horizon ("Right away, you would need a new nickname--something like Stretch . . . .") and explaining theories about gravity from Newton's notions to "Einstein's Spacey Ideas," DeCristofano leaves readers to ponder the truth of her claim that a black hole isn't a hole--but "NOT exactly NOT a hole either." Enhanced by a time line and a generous set of further resources--and illustrated with plenty of cogent diagrams, space photographs, and Carroll's dramatic images of stellar whirlpools and mammoth jets of gas around cores of impenetrable blackness--this book will snatch readers from their orbits and fling them into a lasting fascination with nature's most attractive phenomena. Literally. --Booklist, starred review

Oh, my stars! As the cover proclaims, a black hole may not be an actual hole, but readers will be glad they fell into this book.

The volume guides readers on a (literally) out-of-this-world tour, dealing with topics and concepts that, in the hands of a less-gifted writer, might have remained obscure and unclear. DeCristofano handles the material with wit, style and singularly admirable clarity, frequently employing easy-to-understand and, yes, down-to-earth ideas and scenarios to help make complex principles comprehensible to readers of all ages. Carroll's illustrations, diagrams and charts, along with superb telescopic photographs (many courtesy of NASA) are splendid and filled with the drama and excitement of the limitless vastness of space. The handsome design and visuals greatly enhance the text and add much to readers' grasp of the subject. Stargazers will be entranced, and even those not especially attuned to matters celestial will come away feeling smarter, awestruck and with a sense of finally understanding this fascinating, other-worldly phenomenon. An excellent resource.

Hole-y astronomy! --Kirkus Reviews, starred review

About the Author

Carolyn Cinami DeCristofano has been named a Creative Teaching Partner (specialty: Curriculum and Planning) by the Massachusetts Cultural Council. Carolyn is an artist who can work effectively with educators, schools, districts, etc., to help integrate the arts (in this case, writing) into the broader school curriculum. As a child, Carolyn enjoyed reading and writing. She even imagined herself as a writer. As she grew older, however, her interests changed. She decided to teach science, instead. "For the past fifteen or so years, I have been fortunate to work with teachers, museum educators, and educational researchers on fascinating projects. But I have never really stopped writing. I write poetry but don t share it often. I try to write stories, too. And I thoroughly enjoy shaping engaging science books that I hope will capture the reader s imagination on lots of different levels," she said. Carolyn is the author of Leonardo's ABC's (Museum of Science, Boston). She has developed science programs with NASA and the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. When she's not writing, she enjoys traveling, hiking, reading, and playing games. Carolyn lives in Plympton, Massachusetts, with her husband and two cats, Napi and Emilio. Internationally known artist Michael W. Carroll has been painting astronomical subjects for over 20 years. He has done commissioned work for NASA and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. His art has appeared in several hundred magazines throughout the world, including Time, Smithsonian, National Geographic, and Astronomy. His paintings have aired on NOVA, COSMOS, and various TV specials, and have embellished albums and numerous books, including works by Carl Sagan, Arthur C. Clarke, David Brin, Terence Dickenson. He has exhibited works at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, at Moscow's Institute for Space Research (IKI) and has had traveling exhibits throughout the world. One of his paintings was flown aboard Russia's MIR space station in 1995. Mike has done murals for Lockheed/Martin, the Planetary Society, the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, Longway Planetarium, Fleet Science Center, and several other science museums, schools and churches. Mike helped to found the International Association for the Astronomical Arts (IAAA) in 1984. He was one of seven North American space artists invited by the Space Research Institute of the former USSR to attend the Space Future Forum in Moscow in l987, where he consulted with Soviet scientists and artists. He is a member of the NASA Arts Program. Mike is also a science journalist, with articles appearing in Popular Science, Astronomy, Sky & Telescope, Artists, and Earth magazines. His articles and stories have also appeared outside the U.S., including Australian, Japanese, and British publications. His first book, Visions of the Revelation, was an illustrated version of the last book of the Bible. He wrote and illustrated a series of children's books, which includes Spinning Worlds (Cook), Volcanoes & Earthquakes (Cook) and more. With his wife, Caroline, he has written two daily devotionals based on science: Absolutely Awesome (Tyndale), along with Exploring Ancient Cities of the Bible (Cook), and Gold Medallion finalist Dinosaurs (Cook). Mike lives with his inspiring and wonderful co-author, business manager, and wife (all three of them have met), and fine kids Andy and Allie at the foot of the Rockies in Littleton, Colorado.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 80 pages
• Publisher: Charlesbridge Publishing (February 1, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1570917833
• ISBN-13: 978-1570917837
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 0.4 x 10 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #33,915 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #4 in Books > Teens > Education & Reference > Science & Technology > Astronomy

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Breaks Down a Difficult Subject March 4, 2012

By Abby

Format:Hardcover

A conversational and humorous tone makes this book not only educational but appealing to read. Carolyn DeCristofano breaks down an overwhelming subject into easy-to-digest pieces and explains what black holes are, how they form, and how we discovered them. Extensive back matter includes an AWESOME author's note that tells how she researched the book and emphasizes the fact that ongoing scientific research means that science facts change often.

Highly recommended for young scientists! Pair it with THE MYSTERIOUS UNIVERSE by Ellen Jackson and Nic Bishop.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars For Everyone March 22, 2012

By William C. Hagen

Format:Hardcover

There may be many ways to stimulate the curiosity of young people (of all ages) but this book does an excellent job of whetting one's appetite for things cosmological. Written for - I would guess - gifted pre-teens, it does an equally good job of crystalizing the knowledge of older readers such as I who have read bits and pieces of cosmology and have been befuddled by technical jargon and arcane physics. DeCristofano brings the subject down to our level in a manner that should also challenge her targeted readers.
In addition to the author's clear and concise text, Michael Carroll provides stunning artwork to illustrate the concepts. My preconceived idea that once you have seen one star or one Black Hole, you've seen them all was quickly refuted.
The book includes a glossary of terms, some not appearing elsewhere in the book but apt to be encountered when digging further into the subject. It also has an interesting timeline showing the evolution of our knowledge of Black Holes as well as a list of references, including web sites, for those readers who want to go further.
It is difficult to rate a book targeted for an readership with a particular level of understanding such as this because it might be too elementary for some and too deep for others but, using myself as a typical adult reader, I recommend it highly.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Ambitious and Accurate -- Astronomical Abstraction for Kids October 21, 2012

By raisa

Format:Hardcover

Okay, a black hole is not a hole (but it's NOT exactly NOT a hole, either!) This book tackles the big questions of gravitational pull, properties of light and radio waves -- all necessary to understanding what a black hole is. It also touches on more sophisticated aspects of "gravitational lensing" and relativity. It is written at a sixth-grade level with concepts I'd say are appropriate for middle schoolers or gifted elementary students. The illustrations are friendly but not overly cute, with very useful captions. It includes imaginative aspects of "travelling to" a black hole, which helps connect relativity to everyday life (what does it mean to "see a red apple?")

Importantly, for kids' science literature: This book does not present information in an absolute sense but includes how we know what we know. There are useful sections on the history of discovering black holes, the value of thought experiments and modern observations. Descriptions such as, "a black hole is like a hiding place in space, with footprints leading to it," are a good start to understanding the "what" and "why" of astronomical abstractions. The "how do you know I know?" bibliography and credentials at the end are particularly useful for encouraging critical thinking.