See the Stars: Your First Guide to the Night Sky

by Ken Crosswell and Ken Croswell

What's the best way to find the stars and constellations? Astronomers tell us to go out on a clear night with two things: a pair of binoculars and an expert as your guide. With Ken Croswell's See the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1563977575
• ISBN13: 9781563977572
• Release Date: September 2000
• Publisher: Boyds Mills Press
• Length: 32 Pages
• Weight: 1.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 9.3" x 12.3"
• Age Range: 8 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 3 to 7

Customer Reviews

What The Observatory said

Anyone who regularly buys books will know that the blurb on a book's cover isn't always an accurate guide to what lies within. The information on the inside flaps, for example, is usually written by some PR whizz completely unknown to the author. Publishing houses employ staff to work solely on book covers and some even discourage staff from actually contacting authors. They are experts in packaging a book for sale but oblivious to the wildness of their claims and the factual clangers they drop in their efforts.See the Stars by Ken Croswell, however, is exactly what its cover, flaps, and publicity material claim it to be, and then some more. It is a "how-to" book aimed at readers over eight which really does get them outside, looking up, and finding the constellations described.Twelve double-page spreads feature a constellation for each month of the year. On the right page is a "where and when to look" box, a line drawing, and a description of the star pattern; opposite is a large and stunning celestial photo of the constellation in question. Extra information worked into the text means that by the end of the book you've not only learnt twelve constellations in detail but also about stellar temperatures and colours, double stars, the zodiac, the Milky Way, and the planets.The choice of constellations is no surprise: Croswell has picked the best and brightest star patterns in the sky. All twelve are ideal for readers between latitudes 30 and 50 degrees north. The beauty of the book is that Croswell has restricted himself to just the twelve, giving the reader a feeling of real achievement on seeing these constellations.A whole year would have been needed to test and review this book thoroughly but two months was the maximum allowed by the Editors. So, with only a Cub Scout Astronomy Badge between them, my 10 and 12 year olds tested it out. They found their way around the book and then the sky with ease. Yet they weren't the first to do this. As Croswell wrote the book, his instructions were field-tested by his non-astronomical editor, then the editor's colleagues, friends, and various offspring. This thorough and rare testing of the text and its subsequent tweaking before publication has really paid off.Croswell has a friendly, easy style which is already familiar to American readerships. He has introduced children to astronomy through articles and radio scripts written just for them, has authored three books for adults, and is a regular contributor to magazines and newspapers. See the Stars has a "no frills" approach to its subject and provides simple, straightforward help. The book looks a touch old-fashioned next to the UK design-led factual books produced for children in the past ten years. But for a book that really works, choose this one.