A Kid’s Guide to the Night Sky by John A. Read

A Kid’s Guide to the Night Sky provides young stargazers with a handy and accessible primer.

A Kid’s Guide to the Night Sky: Simple Ways to Explore the Universe by John A. Read, with constellation art by Ford Rasmussen. Sourcebooks, 2024, 104 pages.

Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 8-10

Recommended for: ages 8-15

Stargazing is as old as recorded history, ever since archaeoastronomers (that’s a word I learned from this book) studied the heavens for signs and portents. This Night Sky guide begins with simple curiosity and the ability to sit still and look: no special equipment needed except a comfortable chair, a pencil and notebook for recording observations. Also a red light, so you can take the book with you to inform your observations without disturbing your night vision.

Topics are clearly laid out in the Table of Contents, beginning with how we perceive the movement of the sky from earth. Four seasons plus the northern and southern circumpolar regions comprise the “six skies”—the central focus of this book. Easy diagrams for locating the “circumpolar asterisms” (guide stars surrounding the North Star) help to orient the observers for each of the following seasons. Each “sky” thereafter includes a double-page spread of the seasonal star formations, followed by pages detailing the figures the constellations represent (Big and Little Bear, Orion, the Twins, etc.) Satellites, asteroids, meteor showers, planets, and lunar events follow. The book ends with practical tips on how to use binoculars and telescopes. Take this book with you on your first stargazing adventure; it might even be worth purchasing.

Bottom Line: A practical, easy-to-follow guide for beginning astronomers.

Also at Redeemed Reader:

• Reviews: Two novels about stargazing: Jepp, Who Defied the Stars (historical fiction for young adults) and What Happens Next (middle grade contemporary fiction)
• Review: The picture book Your Place in the Universe hints at the vastness of space without making readers feel small.

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