Explore » (First Edition)

Sean Callery is an author and elementary- school teacher. He has written several nonfiction books for children including Kingfisher’s I Wonder Why There’s a Hole in the Sky.

Clive Gifford has written more than one hundred nonfiction books for children on a wide range of subjects. He is the author of Kingfisher’s Soccer Encyclopedia, Summer Olympics, Kingfisher Knowledge: Spies, and The Kingfisher Book of Living Worlds.

Dr. Mike Goldsmith studied the philosophy of time and space at Keele University in the U.K., where he received a PhD in astrophysics. Formerly the head of the U.K.’s National Physical Laboratory, he has written many nonfiction books for children, including Kingfisher’s Voyages: Space, and Kingfisher Young Knowledge: Solar System.

This amazing 320-page universe-in-a-book is the perfect reference for home, school, or anywhere there is a question to be explored. Arranged thematically into ten core subjects, the concise text is clear, accurate, and easy to access. Designed with today’s Web-savvy readers in mind, the eye-popping special effects on the cover will attract curious readers. Inside, the information on each page is enhanced by dynamic digital illustrations, the latest photography, step-by-step sequences, and plenty of interesting sidebars. No matter if the question is about the ancient past or technology that will take humankind into the future, young researchers will find the definitive answer here.

Children's Literature

From the diagram of an erupting volcano to a two-page spread of the solar system, Explore draws students into the world around them. The nine chapter divisions in this encyclopedia cover everything from science and technology to body science. Information about how people lived long ago is meshed with how people live in societal groups today. Arts and entertainment describe the development of movies and television and the use of special effects. Communication discusses the birth of computers. Sidebars present categories of information as to scientific input, earth evidence, and amazing facts. An example of scientific input would be that stars look white to us because their distance makes them dim, but stars are actually colored. Earth evidence would include a discussion about how tourists create a threat to the natural world. The cutaway diagram of a modern cruise ship on its two page spread is impressive. Resource pages include an index and an extensive glossary. All chapter topics are covered in a single two-page spread. Two pages on topics such as computers, World War II, religious ceremonies, and the Mayan civilization seem inadequate. Such is the brief nature of the discussions contained in this title. Teachers and media specialists alike have come to value the contributions of this publisher. However, the scope of this book creates a difficulty in categorizing it for a middle school media collection. It would be sad to lose this title in the reference collection, but its "coffee-table" approach makes that the most likely location. Media specialists will have to stay informed in order to direct students to this great resource. Reviewer: Joyce Rice

Section One: PLANET EARTH

Section Two: SPACE AND THE STARS

Section Three: THE LIVING WORLD

Section Four: ANIMAL LIFE

Section Five: BODY SCIENCE

Section Six: THE STORY OF THE PAST

Section Seven: PEOPLE AND SOCIETY

Section Eight: ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

Section Nine: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Section Ten: COMMUNICATION

Glossary

Index

Acknowledgments