BOOKS

Max Goes to Mars

by Jeffrey Bennett, illustrated by Alan Okamoto

Book 2 of the Max Science Adventure Series

Picking up where Max Goes to the Moon left off, this book takes Max and his friends on the first human mission to Mars, where Max helps makes one of the most important discoveries of all time. After returning home, Max and Tori reflect on the beauty and fragility of our own planet Earth. As with all the books in the Max Science Adventure series, Max Goes to Mars includes "Big Kid Box" sidebars that explain the science that lies behind the scenes of the picture book story; topics covered include "How Far is Mars?," "Water on Mars," and "Is There Really Life on Mars?"

WINNER — Learning Magazine Teachers' Choice Award 2010
WINNER — Young Voices Foundation Gold Award, Children's Picture Book (Legacy) 2009
WINNER — Creative Child Magazine Preferred Choice Award, Educational Book 2009
National Science Teachers Association Recommends List, Grades K-8

About the Author and Illustrator

"Secrets of the paintings" and other page-by-page notes

A rousing success... Its brisk plot is enhanced both by Alan Okamoto's colorful illustrations and by clearly explained scientific information.
-- National Science Teachers Association "Recommends"

Max is a great book for elementary school-age kids, [and] might be even better suited to adults... Parents and teachers ... are provided the answers to the most commonly asked questions about Mars.
-- Sky and Telescope

A book that can easily grow with the child...provides a very nice (and scientifically accurate) introduction to an interesting topic and conveys the excitement associated with scientific discovery.
-- Astronomy Education Review

Fuels young readers' interest in space travel, while explaining difficult scientific concepts in an easy-to-understand manner.
-- Mercury Magazine

Max Goes to Mars begins where Max Goes to the Moon left off, with Max getting ready to go on the first human mission to Mars. This time, the trip is too long for his human friend Tori to go along, but she helps him prepare. On Mars, Max makes one of the most important discoveries of all time. After returning home, Max and Tori reflect on the beauty and fragility of our own planet Earth.

The book is fictional but scientifically accurate throughout. Even the illustrations are based on the best current science.
Each page of the story stands on its own but also has "behind the scenes" science lessons that are explained in more detail in "Big Kid Boxes" along the sides of the pages.
Even very young children will love the story, while the science elements make it appeal to older kids well.
Teachers and parents will also learn from the Big Kid Boxes, which can help them answer the questions that young children are likely to ask and make the book ideal for parent/child interaction.
The book includes ideas for activities that can be done at home or in the classroom.
The book also focuses on the emotional side of pet ownership, as the trip takes Max away from home for more than 2 years and helps Tori realize how she should appreciate their time together.
The book is designed to inspire all children - for example, the main characters besides Max are a young girl, named Tori, and the African American commander of the Mars mission, named Commander Grant.