Luna: The science and stories of our moon by David Aguilar

I have never really been all that interested in space. There, I said it. Even though I don't bother much with themes, I did try to keep up a little with the summer's "Universe of Stories" theme though, and that meant reading more space books than I really wanted to! However, David Aguilar is always a good read, even for someone who's not into the subject.

His latest book is about the moon, and there's a lot more to this satellite than you might think. Aguilar opens with the familiar facts and stories associated with the moon and the moon landing, but then goes far back in time to the origin of the moon. Chunks of text are set against artist's conceptions and photographs of space as Aguilar leads readers through the evolution of the moon, both in myth and fact.

The book goes on to compare earth and the moon, compare earth's moon to other moons in the galaxy, talk about the early history of moon exploration, and how earth is affected by the moon. These facts are interspersed with legends, from werewolves to hoaxes of moon people. In addition to explaining eclipses and tides, Aguilar also offers suggestions for using a telescope to explore the moon, identifying various features and specific topography. The last section of the book is devoted to the first moon landing and continued exploration of the moon, as well as a prediction of the future of the moon (hint - it's explosive).

Back matter includes several experiments of varying complexity, an index, additional resources, credits, and a final illustration showing Jules Verne's 1865 imagined space voyage.

Verdict: I consider Aguilar's work to be a good basic foundation for space books. This newest offering on the moon is no exception and will be an excellent resource for kids writing reports or just interested in learning more about space.

ISBN: 9781426333224; Published June 2019 by National Geographic; Review copy provided by publisher; Donated to the library