“The Mystery of Mars,” written in part by the first woman astronaut, has been updated with information from the Mars rovers. First published in 1996, the book is targeted at a young audience. My hat is off to Sally Ride for her commendable push to interest kids in science!
Written for readers ages 9 and older, “The Mystery of Mars” draws on data from rovers and other spacecraft to paint a vivid portrait of a planet “that is starkly beautiful, but cold, dry and desolate,” Ride and O’Shaughnessy write.
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It’s an excellent, introductory primer on the fourth planet from the sun — a richly detailed look at Mars that is both engaging and scientifically accurate.
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The 48-page book traces the evolution of Earth and Mars in a side-by-side sort of way, laying out in logical fashion how microscopic life might have formed on the seemingly inhospitable red planet.
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Also worth a look is the six-book Sally Ride Science series Totally Amazing Careers in Science.
The softcover books each feature stories on a dozen real men and women who have remarkably cool jobs in aerospace, Earth sciences, engineering, environmental sciences, health sciences and space sciences.
Written to encourage young readers to consider careers in math, science and engineering, the books feature local talent.
Among those in the spotlight: Raymond Wheeler, a plant physiologist at Kennedy Space Center; Marcia Dunn, an aerospace reporter with The Associated Press at Cape Canaveral; and Brig. Gen. Susan Helms, a former astronaut and aerospace engineer now serving as commander of the Air Force’s 45 Space Wing.
