The Secret Galaxy (Tilbury House Nature Book) Hardcover – October 17, 2014

The Secret Galaxy is a winner! This is a great astronomy book for kids that works on different levels. Fran Hodgkins' text is laid out to make it easily read aloud to younger kids, with additional details and information for the older ones that are hungry to learn more details about astronomy and the universe. The book is lavishly illustrated and includes many real photos of beautiful night sky scenes by photographer Mike Taylor featuring our Milky Way Galaxy. We done & recommended for the kids in your life.

Thought it would be good for our grandson, but it's a basic information book with nothing to spark curiosity in our youngster. Maybe he's too young (4). He lives in Chicago, much light pollution, and we wanted to give him a start. Wrong book.

Do you know what a galaxy is? And do you know what galaxy our solar system is in? A galaxy is a very large system of stars. Earth, the sun, and the other planets of our solar system are on one arm of the Milky Way galaxy, a huge disk-shaped spiral. Other stars in the Milky Way galaxy make up such constellations as Orion and the Big Bear. Do you know why it is called the Milky Way? Author Fran Hodgkins writes as if the Milky Way galaxy itself were telling its own story. In addition, each opening has sidebars filled with amazing facts and insights about our galaxy, including its stars, planets, nebulae, super novae, black holes, dark matter, and dark energy. There is a lot about the Milky Way that we know, but there are also many secrets. What happens inside a black hole? What exactly are dark matter and dark energy? And what will happen in our galaxy next? As a youngster, I was always fascinated by the stars, and I suspect that this is also true of most children. The book does talk about things that are said to have happened millions and billions of years ago, but, of course, there are many scientists who think in those terms. However, Mike Taylor's magnificent night sky photography and the breathtaking NASA images of the births and deaths of stars and galaxies help to make outer space come alive for readers. The Secret Galaxy, a Junior Library Guild selection, will be of interest to all students, but it will be especially useful for the budding stargazer or astronomer.

A must have book! A great addition to your science collection!