"Max Goes to the Moon" by Jeffrey Bennett

Max Goes to the Moon is a fun book about a dog that gets sent to the moon, but it provides so much more. Each page also has a section dedicated to some bit of science involving space or space exploration. Not only will kids learn what it would take to send a dog to the moon, they can also learn about things such as the phases of the moon. This book is a work of fiction (sadly, I kind of doubt there are any plans to send the real Max to the moon any time soon), but it does really open one's eyes to the power of the voice of children. The children in this story become so inspired by Max's story that they begin a project that leads to the colonization of the moon. This inspires other children to work their hardest so that they may one day get to attend college on the moon. What a great way to inspire real children to develop an interest and lover for science!

The more I think about this book, the more I love it. Jeffrey Bennett captured my imagination so I know this book will appeal to kids too. I'm sure more than one that has read this book is trying to figure out how they can send their own dog (and probably themselves) to the moon. I look forward to reading the rest of the books in this series and finding out more about the other places Max visits.

Happy Reading!

-Melly

"Space (Magic Tree House Fact Tracker #6)" by Will Osborne & Mary Pope Osborne, Illustrated by Sal Murdocca

I have always liked non-fiction books. I remember being frustrated as an early elementary student because we had to stick to the picture book section, but I always found myself wanting to go look at the "big kid books" many of which were in the non-fiction section. Reading Space as an adult really makes me wish that I could have read some of these books as a kid.

The problem with some non-fiction books for kids is how dry the material can be. I learned at a young age how to skim these books for the information I needed for research and then was done with the book. The thing I like about the Magic Tree House Fact Tracker books is that the information presented has a lot of facts, but is still enjoyable to read. I know that had these books been out when I was in the second or third grade, I would have read them like crazy and would have learned a thing or two while doing so (and much of the information covered in Space was information that I remember learning about both in middle and high school so that would have been an advantage as well). I think it is so awesome that these books go along with titles in the regular Magic Tree House series (for instance, Space specifically ties in to Midnight on the Moon) and will encourage kids that learn more about the places they visit in the books. While working at the library, I have noticed that I tend to get more requests for reading recommendations for boys and I can honestly say that now that I know more about this series, I will certainly be adding it to my list of books to suggest!

Happy Reading!
-Melly