Nonfiction Review: How Do You Burp in Space? by Susan Goodman

Bibliographic Information:
Goodman, Susan. How Do You Burp in Space? And Other Tips Every Space Tourist Needs to Know. New York: Bloomsbury, 2013.  Illustrated by Michael Slack.

ISBN-13: 978-1599900681

 Summary:

How do you burp in space?  Not easily!  How Do You Burp in Space? answers this and other questions you may have regarding space travel, including how you would get to space, how hard it would be to get used to living in space, the effect on your body, what you would eat, how you would use the bathroom, and what kinds of things there would be to see and do up there.  Utilizing a combination of real photos by astronauts, illustrations, and diagrams, Goodman gives readers an idea of just what going to space might entail in the not-too-distant future.

Audience:

Grades 3-6
 
Strengths:
Very colorful
Lots of interesting information
Engagingly written
An informative timeline at the end of the book gives readers some helpful context on the space program
There is also a very useful index and list of further reading, split into fiction and non-fiction choices

Weaknesses:
Some children may not understand that space travel isn't possible yet
Sometimes plays a little too loose with what is possible now versus what may be possible in the future
Could perhaps be organized better

 Uses:

This book would be a good introduction to several topics, including the solar system and outer space in general.  It could also serve as an introduction to how astronauts are trained and how space travel works.  Another use could be as a jumping off point to have readers write short stories about their adventures in space travel, using the science presented in the book as background information.

 Read-alikes:

A Trip Into Space: An Adventure to the International Space Station by Lori Haskins Houran
 Space Exploration by Carole Stott
 The Magic School Bus: Lost in the Solar System (Magic School Bus Series) by Joanna Cole

Awards:
Junior Library Guild Selection

Author's Website:
http://www.susangoodmanbooks.com/, book page includes lesson plans to use with this book.