Horn Book (Tue Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2006)

Readers able to slog through dense scientific exposition will be rewarded with a detailed history of radio telescopes (primarily the Very Large Array telescope in New Mexico) and the discoveries they have precipitated. Well-designed pages with plenty of white space are broken up with diagrams and photos. Glos., ind.

Voice of Youth Advocates

Taschek presents a straightforward look at radio astronomy, featuring the Very Large Array (VLA) as the star performer (no pun intended). She begins by explaining the VLA's history and the scientific principles upon which it operates, while subsequent chapters cover some of what the VLA has discovered about the planets in the solar system, planetary nebulas, neutron stars, pulsars, galaxies, and black holes. Multi-page spreads offer tangential discussions, including one about other "famous" telescopes such as Hubble and the Chandra X-Ray Observatory, and another that touches briefly on the Big Bang theory. Color photos and illustrations are sprinkled liberally throughout the book, and a simple but useful glossary and index will help readers locate specific information quickly. Because of the large print and informal language, this book might be best suited to the younger end of the teen spectrum. One can easily envision it, for instance, as a source for sixth- and seventh-grade science reports. Even the most technical passages remain readable while conveying essential information. Several pages about the sun, for example, introduce terminology such as photons, photosphere, chromosphere, solar flares, corona, nuclear fission, and nuclear fusion, but because the words are explained in "normal" language, young readers should not be too intimidated. The only thing missing is a list of further reading, but this book is still a worthy addition for any middle school, junior high, or public library.-Amy Sisson.

School Library Journal

Gr 9 Up-The Very Large Array (VLA) radio telescope, located on the Plains of San Agustin, NM, is made up of 27 giant dish antennas. This book describes the array itself; the planets Mercury, Jupiter, and Uranus; the life and death of stars like the sun; death stars and black holes; different types of galaxies; and the future of radio astronomy. In addition to the color photographs and charts that are of good quality, extensive sidebars discuss other famous telescopes and the Big Bang theory. The current, authoritative, and interesting text contains considerable astronomical data that would be useful in research and gives a good sense of how these telescopes are changing our view of the universe.-Linda Wadleigh, Haymon-Morris Middle School, Winder, GA Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

ALA Booklist (Mon May 01 00:00:00 CDT 2006)

This book's cover design, a Star Wars inspired typeface hovering above rows of enormous satellite dishes, may prime some readers to expect a narrative about researching extraterrestrial life. No sentient murmurs from deep space are addressed here, but as Taschek's discussion of New Mexico's Very Large Array (VLA) radio telescope makes clear, electromagnetic messages e hiss and spew of radiation ve led to discoveries no less mind-boggling. In her nonfiction debut, Taschek writes in lean, lively prose that suits the powerful phenomena under discussion: The force of gravity is so strong on a neutron star, a marshmallow dropped on one would explode with the energy of an atomic bomb. Illustrated with frequent, luminous images from the VLA and other telescopes, the book offers a visually rich overview of the problems currently preoccupying astronomers, packed with evocative terminology (from the titular oddities to galactic cannibalism) that may entice motivated readers through the book's most challengingly technical passages. End matter is limited to a thorough glossary.