11 Planets: A New View of the Solar System | 
| Author: David A. Aguilar
Publisher: National Geographic Children's Books
Category: Book
List Price: $16.95
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Avg. Customer Rating:  3 reviews
Sales Rank: 139459
Media: Hardcover
Reading Level: Ages 9-12
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 48
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 9.2 x 9 x 0.5
ISBN: 1426302363
Dewey Decimal Number: 523.4
EAN: 9781426302367
ASIN: 1426302363
Publication Date: March 11, 2008
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Product Description
National Geographic proudly presents the essential reference book for what is now officially a NEW AGE in space.
In August 2006, the International Astronomical Union redefined the word "planet" and relegated Pluto to the status of a dwarf planet, along with Ceres and Eris. Naturally, National Geographic is there to map out this new view of our solar system. In 11 Planets, David Aguilar, an expert who works on the leading edge of this astounding shift, explains and explores our new galactic knowledge.
Using spectacular computer artwork, exclusive to National Geographic, and simple engaging text, this colorful book profiles all 11 planets in our newly categorized solar system: terrestrial Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars; gas giants Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune; and dwarf planets Pluto, Ceres, and Eris. The author of the hugely popular Planets, Stars, and Galaxies now leads young minds through into this exciting new view of space, giving readers a vivid "you are there" sensation through his photorealistic artwork.
David Aguilar’s 11 Planets is a simple yet compelling introduction to the solar system as it is now classified. This beautiful volume also includes informative spreads on: The Sun Earth’s moon Mars’ moons, Phobos and Diemos Ceres, one of the new dwarf planets The Asteroid Belt Pluto and its moon, Charon Sedna and Eggland, two large Kuiper Belt objects Saturn's rings and moons Comets and the Oort Cloud Other new worlds now being discovered
This engaging volume also includes fun activities for young readers. Aguilar’s text presents the latest discoveries in space to young imaginations in a compelling and scientifically accurate way, encouraging understanding of mankind’s new view of our solar system. This is the volume that every library needs; and the book that every child should have access to as the ultimate reference for the new age in space.
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| Customer Reviews:
Beautiful illustrations, easy to read June 12, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I bought this book for my daughter a few months ago when she turned 5, and she loves it. It has beautiful illustrations and only one page with info per planet (and sometimes another page for the planet's moons), so it's easy to read. The language is simple enough for a little kid to understand. It also talks about comets, Oort clouds and other solar systems. I like it so much that I've bought a few more for birthday presents.
A simple yet fascinating look at the scientific wonders beyond Earth May 8, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Recently, modern astronomers came to a new consensus on how to view the solar system: the relatively tiny celestial body Pluto no longer qualifies as a planet, but is rather a "dwarf planet", and at least two more celestial bodies in our solar system (Ceres and Eris) deserve to be called "dwarf planets" as well. 11 Planets: A New View of the Solar System is an up-to-date look at the planets for inquisitive young minds, filled with fun facts about the eight planets, Pluto the dwarf planet, various planetary moons, Ceres and the asteroid belt, the Kuiper belt and Eris, and more. Illustrated with space photography as well as breathtaking artwork, 11 Planets is a simple yet fascinating look at the scientific wonders beyond Earth, highly recommended for children's library collections.
Nice Little Book March 20, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
If a third-grader were to ask you how many planets there are in our solar system, how would you answer? Back before August of 2006, it would be pretty simple -- nine: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto. Ceres, which is found between Mars and Jupiter, was once considered a planet, but in 1850 was reclassified as an asteroid.
Growing up in the 1970s and 80s, I looked forward with excitement to the possibility that they would, some day, discover a tenth planet, way out there in the icy wastes beyond Pluto. In 2005, they announced just that -- the discovery of the body now known as Eris, just a tad bigger than Pluto, but three times farther away from the Sun.
And then, after lots of arguing back and forth, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in August of 2006 decided to lump Ceres, Pluto and Eris into a special new category of their own, the "dwarf planet". So now, you'd tell that third-grader that there are eight planets -- unless you include the dwarfs.
Basically, the scientists are still arguing about exactly what they mean by a "dwarf planet". Meanwhile, author David A. Aguilar, along with his publisher, National Geographic, made his own decision -- as shown in the newly released book "11 Planets: A New View of the Solar System". I first learned about it when National Geographic announced that a girl named Maryn Smith, of Montana, came up with a nifty new mnemonic for learning the 11 planets: "My Very Exciting Magic Carpet Just Sailed Under Nine Palace Elephants". This appears at the very start of the new book.
Now, I'm a bit older than the target age group of ages 9 to 12, but enjoyed flipping through the pages. The book does an excellent job of giving the basic solar system layout in easily understood terms. First, there's the four terrestrial planets, then Ceres and the asteroid belt, then the four gas giants, and finally Pluto, Eris and the Kuiper Belt. And a little bit about the Oort Cloud, meteors, comets and planets around other suns. And our own Sun, of course.
Each section has a little discussion of the god, or goddess, the planet was named after (such as Ceres, the goddess of agriculture), along with nice drawings of the planet and its moons, if any. Included are some interesting facts, such as Jupiter's Giant Red Spot having existed for hundreds of years, or that Uranus is on its side, not more or less upright like the other planets. There are separate sections for Earth's moon, as well as the moons of Jupiter and Saturn. In back is a handy glossary and a table showing how much children of various sizes would weigh on various planets -- at least, those with a solid surface.
To give your budding astronomer some idea of the relative sizes of the planets, there's a fun list of ingredients you can buy from the store (a grapefruit, an orange, peas, a cherry tomato, a grape, some sugar, baking soda and salt) and how you can lay them out -- if you don't mind walking 1000+ yards to get to where Eris would be on that scale.
The one thing that might prove controversial is the author's decision to actually number the dwarf planets in among the bigger ones. Thus, Ceres is the fifth planet, Pluto the tenth and Eris the eleventh. Aguilar skips the more technical aspects of the IAU's decision, such as the fact the dwarf planets "fail to clear their neighborhood". He prefers to simply classify the planets by their size: small, medium and large. Given the book's target audience, that's just as well. Personally, I like his approach.
As more dwarf planets are added to the list, as is very likely, it may become increasingly unwieldy. I doubt anyone but the most die-hard future astronomer would want to memorize fifteen or twenty planets, never mind several dozen. But eleven is a nice number, and will do for now.
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