Space Station Science: Life in Free Fall [Hardcover]

Marianne Dyson (Author), Dave Klug (Illustrator), Buzz Aldrin (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1999 | Age Level: 9 and up

Delving into life on a space station, this fascinating book includes the nitty gritty of getting into space and staying up there. What's it like to live without day and night? What happens to your muscles when there's no gravity? And what happens when a meteor hits the space station? Includes over 40 photographs, glossary, index, plus additional resources, including web sites.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Grade 5-8-"In space, a gallon of water costs as much as a house, you can't get any TV stations, and opening a window will kill you." Gathering information from astronauts and other scientists, Dyson takes readers through crew training and launch; covers physical necessities and hazards, including a detailed look at space toilets; describes the kinds of tasks and research that can be performed on a space station; then brings astronauts back to Earth for a study of the effects of an extended stay off-planet. Artfully mixing big questions ("If people stayed in space, would they end up as blobs?") with well-chosen scientific and personal details, Dyson at once excites and informs young readers. Clever, low-tech demonstrations and experiments elucidate physical principles. The illustrations include lucid cartoons and color photos, and a concluding list of Web sites will expedite further inquiry. Though the author only focuses on the U.S. and Russia and is weak on historical background, with the upcoming construction of the International Space Station, this consciousness raiser couldn't be better timed. A lively, up-to-date replacement for Don Berliner's Living in Space (Lerner, 1993) and Larry Kettelkamp's Living in Space (Morrow, 1993).
John Peters, New York Public Library
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Scientific American

Your kids may not be able to live and work in space (at least not yet), but they can learn what it is like for the astronauts who do. For example, most people know that astronauts experience weightlessness in orbit, but how many people know that a lack of gravity means more than dealing with simple inconveniences such as having to learn how to get dressed while floating? Many astronauts suffer from space sickness (which is similar to feeling nauseated after a carnival ride) until their bodies adjust to the new environment, a process that can take several days. No more sleeping curled up on the edge of the bed, either: in space all astronauts sleep in a floating posture, with their arms drifting in front of them. And at mealtimes they can't even sprinkle salt on their food, because the salt grains would float all around the cabin (they squirt on a liquid salt solution instead).

Weightlessness is only one of the subjects in Space Station Science. The book is divided into five sections: Getting There, Space Basics, Living in Space, Working in Space and Coming Home. Each is filled with wonderful descriptions, comments from astronauts, and amusing factoids. (Did you know that astronauts don't burp while in space?) Share some "Oh, wow" moments with your child as you read about the challenges of surviving in space, the solutions NASA is using to overcome these difficulties and why it's worthwhile going into space in the first place. The book also includes about a dozen hands-on activities, as well as suggestions on where to turn for more information.

Joan Silberlicht Epstein

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Hardcover: 128 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic (October 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0590058894
• ISBN-13: 978-0590058896
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 8.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #714,481 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Marianne Dyson has a degree in physics and was one of the first ten women flight controllers for NASA. She has won the Golden Kite Award for nonfiction, and the American Institute of Physics Science Writing Award. She enjoys sharing her passion for space at schools and museums. For more info, visit her Web site, http://www.mdyson.com, or join her on Facebook.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent overview of space science., October 28, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Space Station Science: Life in Free Fall (Hardcover)

Dyson's treatment of the phenomena in microgravity is particularly good. She provides a variety of entertaining experiments to demonstrate technology used in space. Though this book is clear enough for older children, it certainly would furnish an interested adult with plenty of new information in a readable, interesting style. This is a good gift book for that curious kid on your gift list -- but you should also get a copy for your coffee table.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 1999 Golden Kite Award Winner, August 13, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Space Station Science: Life in Free Fall (Hardcover)

Space Station Science was selected by the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators to receive the Golden Kite Award for best nonfiction children's book of 1999. Booklist named it a Top Ten Youth Science Book, and the National Science Teachers Association and Children's Book Council named it an Outstanding Trade Book for 2000.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Fun Introduction to the new Space Station, October 29, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Space Station Science: Life in Free Fall (Hardcover)

Marianne Dyson has produced a wonderful, thoughtful book that answers many of children's questions about living in space. How do you go to the bathroom? How do you eat? How do you breathe? She provides clear explanations and wonderful, first-hand quotes from astronauts that bring the experience to the reader in a fresh manner. The little science experiements and "try this at home" examples are a delight and really set this book apart. I read this book to my 10-year old as a bed-time story and we both loved it! As the International Space Station becomes operational next year, this volume will be indespensable for explaining to curious youngsters just what is going on.