Thoroughly annotated entries are arranged by subject and indexed by author. Most titles are generally available in public or college libraries; the many NASA publications may be obtained from government depository libraries. Intended as a research guide for high school and college students. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

For hundreds of years scientists have sought and studied new worlds beyond Earth. Author Ron Miller describes the long, hard trek from the first tentative attempts to fly rocket-powered vehicles, to the first humans to brave traveling beyond Earth’s atmosphere, to the explorers who left their footprints in the soil of the Moon. This history of space exploration will compel you to consider the future of our journey.

This third entry in the Jumpstarts series focuses on Science topics for upper elementary and middle school students. Maintaining the 99 Jumpstarts format of the two previous books, 99 Jumpstarts for Kids Science Research is divided into ten broad topical sections. Each topic is arranged in alphabetical order under its section. Topics include Body Parts, Energy, Animals, Heavens, Weather, Matter, Medicine, Technology, Environment, and Geology. This pathfinder approach aides students in the research process, helping them define important terms, offer beginning questions to help narrow their topic, furnish source ideas and some fun activities to explore each topic. Grades 4-8.

Over three million copies and 25 years later, Children's Illustrated Encyclopedia is revised and updated with the latest facts, figures, and technologies. Covering more than 380 topics from dinosaurs to digital technology, this highly visual guide engages young readers with photographic spreads and illustrations annotated with amazing trivia. Featuring full-color photographs, maps, cutaway diagrams, charts, and more, Children's Illustrated Encyclopedia is written in a clear and child-friendly style with updates that include recent space missions, scientific breakthroughs, and the latest significant events. Children's Illustrated Encyclopedia is perfect for reports, homework, and independent research. A great addition to any bookshelf, Children's Illustrated Encyclopedia is the essential book for curious young readers who want to know about everything.

A Princeton astrophysicist explores whether journeying to the past or future is scientifically possible in this “intriguing” volume (Neil deGrasse Tyson). It was H. G. Wells who coined the term “time machine”—but the concept of time travel, both forward and backward, has always provoked fascination and yearning. It has mostly been dismissed as an impossibility in the world of physics; yet theories posited by Einstein, and advanced by scientists including Stephen Hawking and Kip Thorne, suggest that the phenomenon could actually occur. Building on these ideas, J. Richard Gott, a professor who has written on the subject for Scientific American, Time, and other publications, describes how travel to the future is not only possible but has already happened—and contemplates whether travel to the past is also conceivable. This look at the surprising facts behind the science fiction of time travel “deserves the attention of anyone wanting wider intellectual horizons” (Booklist). “Impressively clear language. Practical tips for chrononauts on their options for travel and the contingencies to prepare for make everything sound bizarrely plausible. Gott clearly enjoys his subject and his excitement and humor are contagious; this book is a delight to read.” —Publishers Weekly

On April 12 1961, Yuri Gagarin became the first human to leave the Earth's atmosphere and venture into space. An icon of the 20th century, he also became a danger to himself and a threat to the Soviet state. At the age of 34, he was killed in a plane crash. Based on KGB files, restricted documents from Russian space authorities, and interviews with his friends and colleagues, this biography of the Russian cosmonaut reveals a man in turmoil: torn apart by powerful political pressures, fighting a losing battle against alcoholism and rebelling against the cruelties of a corrupt totalitarian regime. 2011 marks the fiftieth anniversary of Gagarin's flight. This new edition of Starman includes a new afterword that celebrates the importance of that momentous expedition and reflects on Gagarin's legacy.

This book covers the development of space technology in the late 1950s and 1960s from the launch of Sputnik 1 in October 1957 to the landing of men on the moon in 1969. The text begins by looking at the challenge of getting into space and the development of the launch of the space launch vehicle, and moves on to discussion of unmanned satellites and spaceprobes, and the first capsules deployed in Earth orbit and the Apollo missions to the moon.

This five-volume set presents some 1,000 comprehensive and fully illustrated histories of the most famous sites in the world. Entries include location, description, and site details, and a 3,000- to 4,000-word essay that provides a full history of the site and its condition today. An annotated further reading list of books and articles about the site completes each entry. The geographically organized volumes include: * Volume 1: The Americas * [1-884964-00-1] * Volume 2: Northern Europe * [1-884964-01-X] * Volume 3: Southern Europe * [1-884964-02-8] * Volume 4: Middle East & Africa * [1-884964-03-6] * Volume 5: Asia & Oceania * [1-884964-04-4]