The Mighty Mars Rovers: The Incredible Adventures of Spirit and Opportunity

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The Mighty Mars Rovers: The Incredible Adventures of Spirit and Opportunity

4.23 of 5 stars 4.23 · rating details · 79 ratings · 37 reviews

On June 10, 2003, a little rover named Spirit blasted off on a rocket headed for Mars. On July 7, 2003, a twin rover named Opportunity soared through the solar system with the same mission: to find out if Mars ever had water that could have supported life.A thrilling addition to the acclaimed Scientists in the Field series, The Mighty Mars Rovers tells the greatest space r...more

Hardcover, 80 pages

Published June 19th 2012 by Houghton Mifflin Books for Children (first published June 18th 2012)

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May 21, 2013 Barb Middleton rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: nonfiction, nonfiction-narrative

My husband talked me into taking a geology class while attending University. I lasted two weeks. I say this because I really liked the first part of this book and the focus on robotics, but I lost interest when it shifted toward the study of rocks on Mars. I'm a tech geek. I love the guts of metal contraptions moreso than silica and pyllosilicates. See why I dropped my class? Rock names like that can lull or tangle a brain in minutes. While I thought this book was well researched and well-writte...more My husband talked me into taking a geology class while attending University. I lasted two weeks. I say this because I really liked the first part of this book and the focus on robotics, but I lost interest when it shifted toward the study of rocks on Mars. I'm a tech geek. I love the guts of metal contraptions moreso than silica and pyllosilicates. See why I dropped my class? Rock names like that can lull or tangle a brain in minutes. While I thought this book was well researched and well-written, I needed more variety with the alternating narratives of the rovers when they were exploring Mars. The narrative pattern of something mechanical breaking on the rovers, the scientists waiting anxiously as they tried to fix it followed by the rovers recovering got a bit repetitive. Overall, the story is engaging and full of interesting facts and data.

Steve Squyres dreamed of sending a geologist to Mars, but when he approached NASA they were not interested. The climate was too harsh. It was too far away. A person needed too much equipment. And on and on. Squyres was determined and instead came up with the idea of sending rovers to Mars. He drew up a proposal and sent it to NASA who said, "Nada" again, but like a squirrel foraging for acorns, Squyres didn't give up. He spent eight years trying to convince NASA that his idea was valid and worth exploring. NASA decided to give it a go when Mars orbited to a spot that made it closer to Earth than it had been in 60,000 years. The program to build two exploration rovers, Opportunity and Spirit, to go to Mars was launched in the year 2000 with the objective of studying rocks and soils to see if they hold clues to past water activity on Mars. Opportunity and Spirit took three years to build and were launched in 2003. Scientists were hoping they would last three months, but they have exceeded expectations and Opportunity is still tooling around Mars today while Spirit is resting in peace in a sand trap, its communication ceasing in 2011 with scientists.

The informational text is a narrative with subtexts explaining information. While the narrative is engaging and the subtexts are visually attractive, some subtexts didn't fit smoothly in with the narrative text - at least for my random reading habits. Oftentimes, I read the subtext before the narrative and it would give away a point. Once I realized this, I made sure I read the narrative first and then the subtext. I thought the photos were beautiful and the layout attractive.

I would have liked Steve developed more as a person. I think that if his personality had been rounded out more I might have had a greater emotional investment in the tension of whether or not the rovers would survive the challenges faced on Mars. It might have countered my lack of interest in rocks too. As portrayed I didn't really care after the third malfunction or obstacle that needed to be resolved and found myself skimming. Others who like geology should not feel this way. No author can expect everyone to like his or her book and there is an element of personal taste or aesthetics that makes an individual like or dislike a book; hence, I don't particularly like the subject but I do recognize that this is an excellent expository text.

The ending talks about sending Curiosity to Mars, a new and better robot. That perked my antennae and made me go searching NASA's website to see what this new rover was up to. I also went on Wikipedia and looked up the guts of the machine. As I'm reading about the computerized mother boards on the rovers I'm thinking that someone could easily argue with me, "computer processing units and million instructions per second are not more interesting than silica and pyllosilicates." So now that I've worked myself into a hole and am basically saying that calling a book "boring" is not a good argument, I feel I should rewrite my review and get rid of my interfering personal taste comments. But I'm not going to. I'll leave it as a reminder to not take "boring-route-review" highway. A good nonfiction book for your library. I can't argue the craftmanship. (less)

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Apr 20, 2013 Jim Erekson rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: informational

Because the mission was so heavy on photographs, it was interesting to look at all the images in one place. I've seen the odd image with a news story, but haven't looked at all of this visual information in one place. It was exciting to see the tracks where they accidentally discovered silica.

The story uses the narrative thread of how the team's estimates of the rovers' performance were always outshone. They spoke of the rovers anthropomorphically, but it was obvious that this was a way of cele...more

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Feb 26, 2013 Jennifer rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013, non-fiction

The Mighty Mars Rovers describes the six year mission of Spirit and Opportunity. Steven Squyres's tough rovers were meant to last just three months, but they were able to battle though treacherous terrain, mechanical errors and long sandstorms to send back valuable data proving the existence of water on Mars. As Rusch states, the rovers "did the work of geologists, meteorologists, chemists, photographers, mountain climbers, and crater trekkers." What The Mighty Mars Rovers does well is show that...more

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Nov 23, 2012 Mae rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: children-s-lit-642

Summary: This is an information text about the 2 Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity and their extraordinary journey to and work on the red planet.

Critique: Photographs. Set up like a textbook, this books has excellent photos of Mars, the rovers, and the creators. The "inside look" provided by this book is amazing.

For example: There are even pictures of the "clean room" where the rovers were built and the fake Mars landscapes that the engineers used to work Spirit and Opportunity out of snags....more

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Jun 28, 2012 Ms. Yockey marked it as to-read

Shelves: nonfiction

HMH
June 2012
Ask Ellen

Booklist starred (June 1, 2012 (Vol. 108, No. 19))
Grades 5-8. After briefly discussing the search for life on Mars, Rusch introduces Steven Squyres as a 13-year-old boy watching the Apollo 11 moon landing. Later, while studying geology at Cornell, he came across Viking mission photos that inspired his career as a planetary scientist and astronomy professor. This handsome volume from the Scientists in the Field series spotlights Squyres’ work at NASA as “principal science inv...more HMH
June 2012
Ask Ellen

Booklist starred (June 1, 2012 (Vol. 108, No. 19))
Grades 5-8. After briefly discussing the search for life on Mars, Rusch introduces Steven Squyres as a 13-year-old boy watching the Apollo 11 moon landing. Later, while studying geology at Cornell, he came across Viking mission photos that inspired his career as a planetary scientist and astronomy professor. This handsome volume from the Scientists in the Field series spotlights Squyres’ work at NASA as “principal science investigator” for the Mars Exploration Rover Mission. Simultaneously, the text tells the story of landing the rovers Spirit and Opportunity on Mars and using them to gather information and images, some of which suggest the past existence of water on the planet. Wildly successful, the mission has lasted years longer than expected, and one of the rovers is still active. This well-designed volume offers insights into the scientist’s work as well as a very informative account of the mission. Quotes are used very effectively, both in the text and as dramatic headlines superimposed on photos. Sidebars fill in details on topics such as the communication with the rovers and names of physical features on Mars. Well documented and fully illustrated with many colorful photos and digital images, this is a book that space technology fans won’t want to miss.

Kirkus Reviews starred (May 15, 2012)
What's it like to explore Mars? Did life ever exist on Earth's red neighbor? To find out, readers need only soar along with this enthralling account of the adventures of two rovers designed to seek evidence on Mars of water that could have once supported life. Expected to last three months, the indefatigable Spirit and Opportunity incredibly carried out their missions for more than six years. In the process, lead scientist Steve Squyres and his team learned more about and probed more terrain on Mars than anyone before. Readers are carried aloft by Rusch's exciting, clear prose and the rovers'exceptionalphotos sent Earthside. Along with the team, young people celebrate everythrilling moment of success--yes, there once was water on Mars!--and accept failures and disappointments. This is edge-of-your-seat reading as the author explains how setbacks were handled. Readers are not only drawn in by the dedication, hard work and emotions of the people involved, but they will also, like the scientists themselves, feel proprietary toward the rovers--and, fortunately, there's an update about them. One quibble: the ample backmatter has little specifically for children. Another stellar outing in the consistently excellent Scientists in the Field series. Howextraordinary to visit Mars in Spirit; readers will be very glad of the Opportunity. (sources, chapter notes, glossary, index) (Nonfiction. 10-14)
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Apr 20, 2012 Barbara rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: science, ncbla2013

In the eleven chapters in this book (part of the Scientists in the Field series), readers are drawn into the world of a team of scientists responsible for sending two rovers to Mars back in 2003. Readers follow the mission from its inception through lift-off and then as the two rovers, launched a month apart, explore Martian terrain at the behest of the men and women on the ground. Spirit and Opportunity were expected to last only three months, but both explored Mars for six years in search of c...more

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Sep 07, 2012 Kirsten rated it 5 of 5 stars

”Are Martians real? As silly as it may seem, this question has driven Mars exploration for decades. People all over the world yearn to know: Is there life on Mars? If not, has there ever been life on Mars?”
As part of the “Scientists in the Field” series, Rusch follows the development of the Spirit and Opportunity Mars rovers, as well as their years of exploration on Mars.

Why I like this book: Other wonderful books about the Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity exist, notably Alexandra Siy’s CARS O...more

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Oct 17, 2012 Lady Lioness rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: genre-children-s-nonfiction, read-october-2012

I picked this off the Stars So Far list because the rover Curiosity had recently landed successfully on Mars. I admit to being teary-eyed while reading The Mighty Mars Rovers because while it does present a factual look at the creation and life of the rovers Spirit and Opportunity, it's also a testament to humanity's ingenuity and determination.

All of the illustrations are photographs, presumably publicity stills from NASA and shots taken by the rovers on Mars. The photos could almost be taken...more

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Feb 02, 2013 Josh rated it 4 of 5 stars

The mighty Mars Rovers: The Incredible adventures of Spirit and opportunity by Elizabeth Rusch

Ms Rusch puts science back in the fun corner giving the reader an adventure to root for the little guys! Both rovers opportunity and spirit take us on a tour of the planet Mars way beyond their three-month life expectancy and more.

As the little rovers chug along completing mission after mission Ms Rusch's descriptive words puts the reader in the driver's seat. Add both the beautiful images and diagram...more

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Jan 19, 2013 Becky rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: childrens-2012-2013, nonfiction-2013, middle-grades, buy, young-adult, 2012-nerdy-shortlist, 2013-ala-notables, chapter-books-2012-2013

This was a great introduction to the Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity. The book really showed the work and excitement that team had during these missions. Amazing. These rovers are truly little machines that could. I loved the pictures of the teams on Earth as well as the photos from Mars. I really appreciated the captions telling about how the picture was created - there are some pictures that are "photoshopped" to give the reader the view of being able to see the rovers on Mars. This is a pe...more

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Sep 21, 2012 Kifflie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: youth-nonfiction

Spirit, Opportunity, and their human engineers and scientists certainly deserve five stars for their extraordinary efforts and discoveries, and this book does a great job in showing just how that happened. It's told largely through the eyes of Steve Squyres, the "scientist in the field," whose vision and perseverance saw this mission through. I think this is a very effective way to tell this story.

And the science is fascinating. I'm more interested in space flight than geology, but I know enough...more

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May 22, 2012 Abby Johnson rated it 4 of 5 stars

In addition to the great research, photos, and back matter that we've come to expect from the Scientists in the Field series, Elizabeth Rusch manages to bring the two Mars rovers to life, allowing the reader to feels like she knows them just as the scientists who worked on them knew them. The reader truly gets a glimpse into what the Mars rover scientists felt like as they cared for and guided the rovers from so many miles away.

This is an excellent addition to the series and one you will NOT wa...more

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Dec 30, 2012 Deborah rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: juvenile-non-fiction

Spirit and Opportunity, the Mars Rovers, lived up to their names in both of their missions. This book gives the background how the concept for rovers developed for exploring Mars; the patience of the scientists and engineers involved in the conception, building, and facilitation of the project; and the many discoveries on Mars that point to life on Mars. Nice photographs and an upbeat prose offer an engaging look at the Mars Rovers.

Upper elementary/Middle School

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Dec 26, 2012 Judy Desetti rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: kids who enjoy space and science

Shelves: nonfiction-children, science

Best Books Of The Year 2012
Kirkus Reviews - Editor's Choice Children's Books - 2012
Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K-12 - 2013
Scientists In The Field

Good book. Accessible to kids. Readable. I was surprised to learn the reading level is 6.4. I think this is a book suitable for 4th and up. Helps kids to feel the suspense of the scientists as they explore getting their ideas into action and up on Mars.

Added to our nonfiction section. Recommend.

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Apr 16, 2013 Beverly rated it 4 of 5 stars

Lots of stunning photos and fascinating information about Mars gathered by two robots who were only supposed to operate for about 3 months, and yet gathered info for 6 and more YEARS. Rusch talks about building and launching the roving robots Spirit and Opportunity, tidbits about the people behind the project, and lots of info on what the two rovers found on Mars. Excellent for upper elementary, middle school and older.

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Jan 15, 2013 Linda rated it 4 of 5 stars

Have you ever wondered what it takes to go to Mars? Then this book is for you. The story of the Mars rovers "Opportunity" and "Spirit" is told with awesome pictures and illustrations, even dialogue from the many scientists who worked on this more than *six* year mission. An inspiring look inside one part of NASA and the people who make space exploration possible.

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Nov 20, 2012 Sps rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013-mock-newbery, 500s

Except for the overuse of the word "audacious,"* this book is very awesome. It's got guys (the lead scientists), a girl (who named the rovers) and robots (two of 'em!). It's got outer space and human foibles and a kind of Mythbusters-like engineering challenge. Cool pics, good science, lotsa fun.

*Overuse means more than once per book. Sometimes any nonzero quantity of "audacious" is overuse, but here I'll accept once as just right.

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Sep 05, 2012 Leigh rated it 4 of 5 stars

Plenty of photographs about the exploration of Mars via Spirit and Opportunity. There is also dialogue between the engineers and scientists, here's hoping it's accurate. (Remember the Landmark biographies? They used to make up dialogue) Anyway, upper elementary and middle school nerds are going to eat this book up.

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Aug 01, 2012 Samantha rated it 4 of 5 stars

A real life adventure story! Writing is incredibly upbeat and positive and reveals just how much these rovers did for our understanding of Mars. Great photos and quotes. The BEST part for me personally were the panoramic views of Mars. Must see!

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Sep 29, 2012 Lynn rated it 5 of 5 stars

What a fabulous and inspiring adventure this book is! I think readers will get a truly clear understanding of just how difficult this achievement is while being absolutely inspired at the same time. Somehow I fell in love with Spirit and Opportunity and felt almost breathless with suspense every time one of them got stuck or another Martian winter rolled in. Terrific writing, spectacular book design and a story of such dedication to exploration and scientific curiosity that I wanted to cheer.

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Mar 29, 2013 pati rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: juvenile-non-fiction, adventure, astronomy, extraterrestrials, nature, science

In this book, Steve Squyres embodies the "never give up, never surrender" ideal from one of my all time favorite space travel movies! He is working "to infinity and beyond!"

Perfect!

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Jan 15, 2013 Edward Sullivan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: children-s-nonfiction, middle-school, science

Another outstanding book in the always reliable Scientists in the Field series. Excellent information, great storytelling, superb illustrations, and attractively designed.

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Nov 19, 2012 Kim rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fic-kids, space

Another wonderful book in the "Scientists in the Field" series. Excited to read and fabulous pictures. All science teachers need to know about this series!!

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May 13, 2013 Heather Jo rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Feb 27, 2013 Caro rated it 4 of 5 stars

Fascinating, well told and beautifully illustrated (though a bit heavy on the photos of the main scientist). RIP Spirit, now, on to Curiosity!

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Aug 29, 2012 Brenda Kahn added it

Shelves: 2012, informational, scientists, space-exploration

My love for this series is no secret and this one does not disappoint - conversational, accessible, loaded with photos and beautifully designed.

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Dec 13, 2012 Susan rated it 3 of 5 stars

Typical science book. It has its moments but most of it is as dry as the Martian landscape. I really like the pictures though.

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Sep 21, 2012 Adrienne Furness added it

Shelves: picture-book-nonfiction

"I'm stubborn, and stubbornness pays off."
-Steve Squyres

Yes it does.

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Aug 26, 2012 Linda rated it 5 of 5 stars

I learned so much - loved the writing and the photographs.

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Sep 24, 2012 PWRL marked it as to-read

Shelves: 2012-new

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About Elizabeth Rusch

Elizabeth Rusch is an award-winning author of fiction and nonfiction for children, including the picture book biography For the Love of Music: The Remarkable Story of Maria Anna Mozart. She lives in Portland, Oregon.

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For the Love of Music : the remarkable story of Maria Anna Mozart

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