astro-fiction for 7-year old

Hi,

My 7-year-old is a reading fiend--and just got her first scope (6" Dob)
for Christmas. Now to combine the two.

Is there such a thing as good fiction (Hardy Boys reading level or
higher) that would relate to the stars that she is observing in an
interesting way--sort of star-gazing fiction? Or stories about
exploring those stars? Or...?

(I've been stargazing for a year and so have all the usual begining
books--"Turn Left," etc. So I'm just after fiction here...)

This question was promoted when I found an old paperback copy of
"Contact." I flipped through it to see if the "sex" scenes from the
film were in the book--didn't find the sex scenes but did see a lot
about the Cold War, of course. Didn't seem to be the right thing to
give her...

Thanks,

--Darin

wrote in message Is there such a thing as good
fiction (Hardy Boys reading level or
higher) that would relate to the stars that she is observing in an
interesting way--sort of star-gazing fiction? Or stories about
exploring those stars? Or...?

Hal Clement, "Mission of Gravity", about Jupiter. Great book, even for you.

Dennis

Dennis Woos wrote:
wrote in message Is there such a thing as good
fiction (Hardy Boys reading level or

higher) that would relate to the stars that she is observing in an
interesting way--sort of star-gazing fiction? Or stories about
exploring those stars? Or...?


Hal Clement, "Mission of Gravity", about Jupiter.

Not Jupiter.

Great book, even for you.

Indeed, it is a great book; but maybe a bit adult for a 7 year old.

For her age maybe Asimov's Lucky Starr juvenile series, each set on a
different Solar System planet, would work better. Particularly if she's
learning planetary science as well as observational technique - she'll
catch all the obsolete science superceeded by current theory and data
from probes etc, providing you plenty of meat for conversation.

(If she was 2-3 years older Heinlein's juveniles would be appropriate.)


Dennis

lal_truckee wrote:

Hal Clement, "Mission of Gravity", about Jupiter.


Not Jupiter.

Mesklin ?
Steve

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle. Science fiction for kids. Great
book. I loved it when I was a kid, my son loved it when he read it a
few years ago.

Here's some titles I found on the WorldCat Library Catalog Database. I
didn't confirm age level--most are probably a bit advanced for a seven year
old--but I've read childrens books on astronomer Maria Mitchell and enjoyed
them. Ask the reference librarian or childrens librarian at your local
public library this same question. They'll be happy to help!

Steve


Database: WorldCat
Query: kw: astronom* and kw: fiction


1 Carry on, Mr. Bowditch;
Author: Latham, Jean Lee.; Cosgrave, John
O'Hara,Publication: Boston, Houghton Mifflin, 1955 Document:
English
: Book : Fiction : Juvenile audience Libraries Worldwide:
2520
(WorldCat)
2 Mason & Dixon /
Author: Pynchon, Thomas.Publication: New York :
Henry Holt, 1997 Document: English : Book : Fiction
Libraries
Worldwide: 2125 (WorldCat)
3 The star-gazer;
Author: Harsányi, Zsolt, 1887-1943.; Tabori,
Paul,Publication: New York, G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1939 Document:
English : Book : Fiction Libraries Worldwide: 1070
(WorldCat)
4 Commander Toad and the big black hole /
Author: Yolen, Jane.; Degen, Bruce,Publication: New
York : Coward-McCann, 1983 Document: English : Book :
Fiction :
Juvenile audience Libraries Worldwide: 924 (WorldCat)
5 Total eclipse /
Author: Rigbey, Liz.Publication: New York : Pocket
Books, 1995 Document: English : Book : Fiction Libraries
Worldwide: 916 (WorldCat)
6 Carry on, Mr. Bowditch;
Author: Latham, Jean Lee.; Cosgrave, John
O'Hara,Publication: Boston, Houghton Mifflin, 1955 Document:
English
: Book : Fiction : Juvenile audience Libraries Worldwide:
2520
(WorldCat)
7 Commander Toad and the big black hole /
Author: Yolen, Jane.; Degen, Bruce,Publication: New
York : Coward-McCann, 1983 Document: English : Book :
Fiction :
Juvenile audience Libraries Worldwide: 924 (WorldCat)
8 Sondok, princess of the moon and stars /
Author: Holman, Sheri.Publication: New York :
Scholastic, 2002 Document: English : Book : Fiction :
Elementary
and junior high school Libraries Worldwide: 885 (WorldCat)
9 Galileo and the magic numbers.
Author: Rosen, Sidney.; Stein, Harvé,Publication:
Boston, Little, Brown 1958 Document: English : Book :
Fiction :
Juvenile audience Libraries Worldwide: 862 (WorldCat)
10 The outer space mystery /
Author: Warner, Gertrude Chandler, 1890-; Tang,
Charles,Publication: Morton Grove, Ill. : A. Whitman, 1997
Document:
English : Book : Fiction : Elementary and junior high school
Libraries Worldwide: 808 (WorldCat)
11 In the middle of the night /
Author: Henderson, Kathy, 1949-; Eachus,
Jennifer,Publication: New York : Macmillan : Maxwell Macmillan
International, 1992 Document: English : Book : Fiction :
Juvenile
audience Libraries Worldwide: 656 (WorldCat)
12 Maria's comet /
Author: Hopkinson, Deborah.; Lanino,
Deborah,Publication: New York : Atheneum Books for Young
Readers, 1999
Document: English : Book : Fiction : Primary school
Libraries
Worldwide: 506 (WorldCat)
13 Five secrets in a box /
Author: Brighton, Catherine.Publication: New York :
Dutton, 1987 Document: English : Book : Fiction : Juvenile
audience
Libraries Worldwide: 430 (WorldCat)
14 The secret in the stars /
Author: Keene, Carolyn.Publication: New York :
Pocket Books, 2000 Document: English : Book : Fiction :
Elementary
and junior high school Libraries Worldwide: 398 (WorldCat)
15 Bright star /
Author: Crew, Gary, 1947-; Spudvilas,
Anne,Publication: Brooklyn, N.Y. : Kane/Miller Book Publishers,
1997,
1996 Document: English : Book : Fiction : Primary school
Libraries Worldwide: 317 (WorldCat)
16 Maria Mitchell, girl astronomer.
Author: Melin, Grace Hathaway.Publication:
Indianapolis, Bobbs-Merrill 1954 Document: English : Book :
Fiction
: Juvenile audience Libraries Worldwide: 179 (WorldCat)
17 Adventures in the solar system :
Planetron and me /
Author: Williams, Geoffrey T.; Regan, Dennis F.;
Svensson, Borje,Publication: Los Angeles : Price/Stern/Sloan,
1986
Document: English : Book : Fiction : Juvenile audience
Libraries
Worldwide: 126 (WorldCat)
18 Circles /
Author: Sachs, Marilyn.Publication: New York, N.Y.,
U.S.A. : Puffin Books, 1992, 1991 Document: English : Book
:
Fiction : Juvenile audience Libraries Worldwide: 97
(WorldCat)
19 The universe is my home :
a children's adventure story /
Author: Fletcher, Bill.; Fletcher,
Sally.Publication: Malibu, CA : Science & Art Pub., 1992
Document:
English : Book : Fiction : Juvenile audience Libraries
Worldwide:
57 (WorldCat)
20 The outer space mystery /
Author: Warner, Gertrude Chandler, 1890-; Tang,
Charles.Publication: New York : Scholastic, 1997 Document:
English :
Book : Fiction : Juvenile audience Libraries Worldwide: 47
(WorldCat)
21 My angel named Herman /
Author: Towns, Elmer L.; Maughan,
William,Publication: Nashville : T. Nelson, 1998 Document:
English :
Book : Fiction : Elementary and junior high school
Libraries
Worldwide: 41 (WorldCat)
22 Comet over Nantucket :
Maria Mitchell and her island : the story of America's
first woman astronomer /
Author: Torjesen, Elizabeth Fraser,
1907-Publication: Richmond, Ind. : Friends United Press, 1984
Document:
English : Book : Fiction : Juvenile audience Libraries
Worldwide: 20 (WorldCat)

FirstSearch(r) Copyright (c) 1992-2005 OCLC as to electronic
presentation and platform. All Rights Reserved

Thanks to all who relied--I will be keepoing my eyes open at the used
book store--many of thes sound interesting buit out of print (but
there's always abebooks.com).

However, i already have "Wrinkle in Time"--haven't looked at it and
didn't realize that it was science fiction. Sounds like a good start.
Thanks again,

--Darin

I've written some short storys, I could e-mail you one if you like.


--


SIAR
www.starlords.org
Telescope Buyers FAQ
http://home.inreach.com/starlord


wrote in message
oups.com...
Hi,

My 7-year-old is a reading fiend--and just got her first scope (6" Dob)
for Christmas. Now to combine the two.

Is there such a thing as good fiction (Hardy Boys reading level or
higher) that would relate to the stars that she is observing in an
interesting way--sort of star-gazing fiction? Or stories about
exploring those stars? Or...?

(I've been stargazing for a year and so have all the usual begining
books--"Turn Left," etc. So I'm just after fiction here...)

This question was promoted when I found an old paperback copy of
"Contact." I flipped through it to see if the "sex" scenes from the
film were in the book--didn't find the sex scenes but did see a lot
about the Cold War, of course. Didn't seem to be the right thing to
give her...

Thanks,

--Darin

It's not exactly fiction, but may I suggest "The Friendly Stars" by
Martha Evans Martin? It's very old, first published around the turn of
last century. Mrs. Martin writes about the stars in the constellations,
gives the lore of the stories in the sky, and gives some nice, though
now dated, scientific info. Great book for a kid, if memory serves.

Best - Chris

wrote:

Hi,

My 7-year-old is a reading fiend--and just got her first scope (6" Dob)
for Christmas. Now to combine the two.

Is there such a thing as good fiction (Hardy Boys reading level or
higher) that would relate to the stars that she is observing in an
interesting way--sort of star-gazing fiction? Or stories about
exploring those stars? Or...?

(I've been stargazing for a year and so have all the usual begining
books--"Turn Left," etc. So I'm just after fiction here...)

This question was promoted when I found an old paperback copy of
"Contact." I flipped through it to see if the "sex" scenes from the
film were in the book--didn't find the sex scenes but did see a lot
about the Cold War, of course. Didn't seem to be the right thing to
give her...

Thanks,

--Darin

wrote in
oups.com:

Hi,

My 7-year-old is a reading fiend--and just got her first scope (6" Dob)
for Christmas. Now to combine the two.

Is there such a thing as good fiction (Hardy Boys reading level or
higher) that would relate to the stars that she is observing in an
interesting way--sort of star-gazing fiction? Or stories about
exploring those stars? Or...?


When I was a young-un, I read a bunch of books by Hugh Walters:
http://www.wessex.clara.net/walters/index.html

I particularly remember "Journey To Jupiter" in which the gravitational
pull of Jupiter was grossly miscalculated, leading our heroes to make
a forced landing on Io, where they stripped the ship of all unneccesary
weight in order to make it home.