ALA Booklist (Fri Sep 01 00:00:00 CDT 2000)

Children curious about the International Space Station will learn quite a lot from this informative addition to the Lets-Read-and-Find-Out Science series. With construction in space begun in 1998, the long-awaited project will continue for several years, until the million-pound, 350-foot-long station is completed. Branley includes discussion of the parts making up the station, how its systems are powered, how astronauts put together the modules in space and live on board, and what the station will be used for upon completion. Clear writing and excellent diagrams combine to make the basics of this complex program understandable to fairly young children. The presentation of technological material to an interested but unsophisticated audience can be difficult, but Branley and Kelley have shown a good grasp of what to include and what to leave out. Kelleys artwork, evidently ink and watercolor, maintains a fine balance of beauty, clarity, and child appeal. The final page gives instructions for growing crystals, an experiment carried out on the station, and a Web site address for locating the International Space Station in the night sky or just finding further information. A good introduction to what Branley calls the great adventure of the twenty-first century.

Horn Book

Branley provides detailed descriptions of the space station and the activities of its inhabitants, with many pages devoted to the station's architecture and construction. The text is straightforward yet consistently skillful at presenting scientific materials in terms that resonate with a child's fascination with space. Friendly cartoon illustrations and densely labeled diagrams accompany the text.

Kirkus Reviews

This spectacular introduction to the International Space Station, by a talented and prolific science writer, is a welcome addition to the Let's-Read-And-Find-Out-Science series. Fully meeting the publisher's intent to provide books that "explore challenging concepts for children in primary grades," the text is filled with careful explanations and precise detail that will delight younger science students and surprise many adults. The author explains why space suits are necessary in outer space, how astronauts eat, exercise, shower, and use a screwdriver in zero gravity. A seven-country endeavor, the Space Station, which is a stepping-stone to planetary exploration, will be built in sections well into the 21st century. Eventually "the station will be more than 350 feet long—as long as a 30-story building is tall. It will weigh a million pounds." Elsewhere the author describes the special escape boat in case of disaster, solar panels to produce electricity, and what astronauts will do inside. Full-color paintings capture the detail and drama of the station inside and out, while various elements are carefully labeled. Most dramatic are those in which white type is set against the inky black background of space. The author promises: "Someday you may be a crew member aboard the International Space Station." For young readers as well as those too old to travel, this is the stuff of dreams. A brief experiment and a NASA Web site for more information conclude a fascinating and accessible book for young readers. Bravo! (introduction) (Nonfiction. 6-9)

School Library Journal

K-Gr 2-Branley writes with authority about the present and the future of the International Space Station. The book begins with an introduction by Scott Carpenter, Mercury astronaut. The facts, including a history and background of the station and descriptions of life in space, are presented in a clear, easy-to-read manner. Even though there is no index, information is easily gleaned from the sparsely worded text, and readers will come away with an understanding of the project's promise and possibilities. Kelley's clearly labeled drawings and configurations reinforce the concepts presented, and the watercolor illustrations add dimension to the presentation. Another winning entry to science collections and a great addition for younger readers.-Kay Bowes, Concord Pike Library, Wilmington, DE Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.