The Sun: Our Nearest Star

This book fosters a flow of development of processes. This book first introduces the Sun that we see in our sky day during the day. It then goes into what the Sun is, then extends it into a very spacial perspective of how big and far away the Sun is compared to Earth. The text then explains how the Earth benefits our planet and why we need it for energy.

• Author: Franklyn M. Branley
• Illustrator: Edward Miller
• Year Published: 2002
• ISBN: 978-0-545-66348-9

Science Topics

• Space Science

Minimum Suggested Grade Level

• 1st Grade

Maximum Suggested Grade Level

• 3rd Grade

Summary

This story explains some fascinating facts about the sun. Although there is no plot, the text shares information about what the Sun is, why it is important, and how far away and big it is compared to Earth.

Evaluation

• Appropriateness: Medium
• Authority: Medium
• Accuracy: High
• Liteary Artistry: High
• Appearance: High

Questions

Does the book foster development of processes?

This book fosters a flow of development of processes. This book first introduces the Sun that we see in our sky day during the day. It then goes into what the Sun is, then extends it into a very spacial perspective of how big and far away the Sun is compared to Earth. The text then explains how the Earth benefits our planet and why we need it for energy.

Does the book provide an opportunity for children to ask and answer their own questions?

This book provides a lot of information that is hard for all humans to grasp spatially. The text provides a lot of facts about our Sun, and children are allowed the opportunity to ask many questions, which are answered through the illustrations an visuals to aid in this spacial reasoning.

Does the book encourage children to think for themselves?

This book does not allow for much individual thinking. The text is presented in a way that is easy to understand, especially when aided with the visuals, but the text is not open-ended; rather, it displays information onto the reader--there is no outside thinking required in understanding this book.

Is the science topic addressed in ways that are appropriate to the lesson?

The science topic is addressed appropriately to any science lesson. Because astronomy dealing with the Sun can take more than one day to learn, this book is most appropriate as an introductory text to the unit or lesson.

Is the content based on sound scientific principles? Is it accurate?

The Sun facts presented in this book is scientifically accurate. This book does a good job on displaying size relationships between Earth and the Sun by using items that students can understand. For example, the story says that if the Earth was the size of a pea, then the Sun is the size of a beach ball. These are two items that students can use to better understand the relationship between Earth's size in comparison to the Sun.

Does the book distinguish between fact and fiction?

The book does not incorporate an element of fiction, so this book doesn't distinguish fact from fiction. However, I noticed that the illustrations focus on a young girl and her dog and mother, perhaps to give a brief  "visual story line" in aiding the factual information.

Are the illustrations clear and accurate?

The illustrations are clear and aid in the text. Most of the illustrations allow students to relate to their background knowledge of what they see in the sky (on a daily basis), whereas the other illustrations are a piece of information in and of itself--it provides numbers and labels for the reader to understand (ex. How far away Sun is from Earth).

Is the book written at the level of your students?

This book is written at the level of my students. The literacy level of this text is basic and does not include big vocabulary words; I would expect my second grade students to be able to read this. However, the ideas presented in this book include astronomical content that are hard for even adults to grasp--mainly due to humans' limit to spatially reason space.

Is there a multicultural component? Is it free from stereotyping?

This text does not have a multicultural component. However, this book includes illustrations of a middle-class, white family (mother, daughter, dog) living in a two-story house out in a beautiful farmland. They are well-dressed, have a dog, and shout out a classic "livin' the good-life" family. I noticed that there are no males depicted in the illustrations of the family.

Is the book free from gender bias?

This book does not have a plot to it, but the illustrations repeatedly show a girl as the main illustrated character. There are no males represented in this story.

Does the book show the close association between science and other disciplines?

This book presents straight-forward facts about the Sun and the Earth. There are no associations between science and other disciplines. However, this book can be an introduction or an extension read to another subject; perhaps this story can aid in understanding how solar energy was stored in ancient history--before this generation's use of storing it in coal, oil, and gasoline.

Does the book present a positive attitude toward science and technology?

This book present a positive attitude toward science and technology, because it acknowledges how our civilization's use of solar energy has transformed and advanced throughout time, and the reason it has advanced is because of the technology we have today. This ultimately allows readers to seek appreciate towards our technological advancements.