Books For World Space Week

Children's Books About Space

Disclosure: The FTC Disclosure Provision is a law that requires influencers to disclose when they are being paid to promote a product or service. So please know that if I'm not making money through affiliate links/sponsored content on the post you're currently reading, it's an oversight on my part and will be corrected soon. Read the full disclosure about all the legal stuff here.

Books For Kids Who Love Space Themes

As it's World Space Week I thought I'd shine the spotlight on children's books about space. In this post you'll find books for kids who love space themes or want to learn more about space, stars & the Solar System.

What is World Space Week?

World Space Week is an international celebration of science and technology, and their contribution to the betterment of the human condition. The United Nations General Assembly declared in 1999 that World Space Week will be held each year from October 4-10. These dates commemorate two events:

• October 4, 1957: Launch of the first human-made Earth satellite, Sputnik 1, thus opening the way for space exploration
• October 10, 1967: The signing of the Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies.

Space Books For Kids: Space, Stars & The Solar System for Children

Books for kids who want to learn more about space and for those who enjoy stories set in space

Fascinating Universe Facts for Kids: Learn about Space, the Solar System, Galaxies, Planets, Black Holes and More! by Samuel John

Amazon - Goodreads 

Your Space Academy Adventure Starts Here!

Constantly gazing at the stars? Dreaming of floating in zero gravity? "The Young Astronaut's Handbook - Part One" is THE ticket to an out-of-this-world adventure!

Transform your young explorer into a real space cadet at the mysterious S7 Space Academy!

In this interactive cosmic journey, you will:

• Design and craft your very own spacesuit (DIY colander helmet, anyone?)
• Giggle through zero-gravity fitness challenges (warning: may cause uncontrollable floating)
• Create the perfect astronaut meal (spoiler: it's not pizza)
• Build and launch your own model rocket (living room, prepare for liftoff!)
• Uncover mind-blowing secrets hidden within the academy
• Dance and sing along to an awesome original 13 track spaced-out soundtrack.

But wait, there's more! You'll face a choice that could change everything. Will you tell the truth or keep the biggest secret in the universe?

What's inside this stellar handbook?

• 111 pages of full-color, premium-quality cosmic fun
• Interactive activities that bring space science to life
• Mind-bending puzzles that would challenge even the smartest aliens
• Laugh-out-loud moments that will have the whole family in stitches
• A dash of mystery to keep those little neurons firing
• Access to online resources for extended learning and play

Perfect for:

• Aspiring astronauts aged 6-12
• Parents who want to combine reading with play and physical activity
• Families looking for screen-free entertainment that's actually educational
• Anyone who's ever wondered what happens when you sneeze in a spacesuit

Warning: Side effects may include spontaneous rocket noises, increased interest in science, and an irresistible urge to build pillow forts shaped like Mars colonies!

Amazon - Goodreads

For MG - Phoenix by SF Said

Orion Lost by Alastair Chisholm

Ghosts of Mars by Stuart White

Recommended by @Book_Craic

Reek and The Consequence Girl by Alistair Chisholm, The Others by Sarah Merrett, Scrap by Guy Bass and Tapper Watson and the Quest for the Nemo Machine by Claire Fayers - all MG books.

Recommended by @KaraleeCupcake

Rocket Says Look Up! by Nathan Byron

Recommended by @TStrawberryPost

Curiosity the Story of a Mars Rover by Markus Motum is a lovely non fic, another is Exploring Space: From Galileo to the Mars Rover and Beyond and there's also Snakes in Space though it's not really educational just a bit silly.

Recommended by @sggresearch

How about 'The Martian for Tots'? It's out of this world! Seriously, check out Chris Hadfield's books; astronaut stories with real experience are unbeatable.

Recommended by @Mehsi_Hime

Can You Get Jellyfish in Space by Sheila Kanani, Why Don't Astronauts Burp by Anne Rooney, Wow in Space by Mindy Thomas + Guy Raz, A Day in the Life of an Astronaut, Mars, and the Distant Stars by Mike Barfield, Everything Awesome About Space by Mike Lowery.

Recommended by @NatalieKelda

Best seller picture books/MG non-fiction from my job: Look Inside Space (board book but it's very good) Race to Space (Flying Eye books) Solar System (barefoot books) Astrocat (series) Space Kids (little gestalten) Adventures in Space The Big Beyond

Recommended by @ReadingLadiesBC

A Rover’s Story by Jasmine Warga! So good! 

Recommended by @LoriAldenHoluta

One Giant Leap by Ben Gartner. Here's her review of it.

Recommended by @authorjencilia

Anything by @TheSpaceGal !!! You can find Emily Calandrelli books here.

What books about the universe would you recommend for young readers?

Books: First Lines Fridays

First Lines Fridays is a weekly feature for book lovers hosted by Wandering Words. What if instead of judging a book by its cover, its author or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines? 

• Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page 
• Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first 
• Finally… reveal the book!

My Pick For This Week

The first lines of the book:

And the book is...

Book synopsis for The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

For centuries, the story of Dracula has captured the imagination of readers and storytellers alike. Kostova's breathtaking first novel, ten years in the writing, is an accomplished retelling of this ancient tale. "The story that follows is one I never intended to commit to paper... As an historian, I have learned that, in fact, not everyone who reaches back into history can survive it." With these words, a nameless narrator unfolds a story that began 30 years earlier.

Late one night in 1972, as a 16-year-old girl, she discovers a mysterious book and a sheaf of letters in her father's library—a discovery that will have dreadful and far-reaching consequences, and will send her on a journey of mind-boggling danger. While seeking clues to the secrets of her father's past and her mother's puzzling disappearance, she follows a trail from London to Istanbul to Budapest and beyond, and learns that the letters in her possession provide a link to one of the world's darkest and most intoxicating figures. Generation after generation, the legend of Dracula has enticed and eluded both historians and opportunists alike. Now a young girl undertakes the same search that ended in the death and defilement of so many others—in an attempt to save her father from an unspeakable fate.
(Fall 2005 Selection)

Where to find The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova online: 

 

Amazon affiliate link

Goodreads

Travel: Baroque Fountains In Rome

Discover Baroque Rome

Disclosure: The FTC Disclosure Provision is a law that requires influencers to disclose when they are being paid to promote a product or service. So please know that if I'm not making money through affiliate links/sponsored content on the post you're currently reading, it's an oversight on my part and will be corrected soon. Read the full disclosure about all the legal stuff here.

The Baroque style started here in Rome and so, as you might expect, there is plenty to see by Bernini, Borromini and other artists from that time.

What is Baroque in simple terms?

Definitions of baroque. adjective. of or relating to or characteristic of the elaborately ornamented style of architecture, art, and music popular in Europe between 1600 and 1750. - Vocabulary.com

My eldest son recently had a homework assignment to take a photo in front of Baroque fountains in the centre of Rome (I wish I'd had homework assignments like that when I was in school) and so I decided to go with him.

Whilst there is a huge amount of Baroque artwork around the city we chose a simple itinerary to cover some of the main Baroque fountains. 

Baroque Fountains

Baroque fountain n.1

We started at Piazza Barberini.

The Fontana del Tritone in Piazza Barberini is one of the greatest works of Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598-1680). It was started and completed between the end of 1642 and the first half of 1643.

Baroque fountain n.2

Our next stop was the Trevi Fountain.

One of Rome's most iconic structures, the Trevi Fountain is the terminal part of the Vergine aqueduct, the only one of the ancient aqueducts continuously in use to this day.

The construction of the current Trevi fountain is due to Pope Clement XII who, in 1732, launched a competition in which the major artists of the time participated. Among the various projects presented, that of the architect Nicola Salvi was chosen...The construction was completed by Giuseppe Pannini who partially modified the cliff by regularizing the central basins. - Turismo Roma

You might also like: A Guide to the Trevi Fountain and the Vicus Caprarius

Baroque fountain n.3

Well, technically this stop gave us three Baroque fountains in one. 

We couldn't not go to Piazza Navona as it's considered a symbol of Baroque Rome and features three fountains: the Fountain of the Four Rivers, the Fontana del Moro and the Fountain of Neptune by Gian Lorenzo Bernini.

Through Eternity has a great post Bernini Fountain of the Four Rivers in Piazza Navona that contains loads of information about the fountains, Bernini, and what each fountain represents. 

You might also like: How To Visit Rome on a Budget

Baroque fountain n.4

Lastly we stopped by Piazza Di Spagna.

The Fontana della Barcaccia in Piazza di Spagna, was created by the father of  Gian Lorenzo Bernini, Pietro Bernini.

If you're looking for more information on this topic I suggest checking out this post about the Baroque fountains of Rome by The Artistic Adventure of Mankind.

You might also like: A Guide to the Museo di Roma, Palazzo Braschi