The Planets in Our Solar System (Let's Read-And-Find-Out Science

Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science, Stage 2

by Franklyn Mansfield Branley, Don Madden (Illustrator)

Introduces the solar system and its nine planets. Includes directions for making two models, one showing relative sizes of the planets and the other their relative distances from the sun.

Genres: Science, Space, Picture Books, Nonfiction, Astronomy, Childrens, 1st Grade

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1981

Reviews

[Michael Fitzgerald · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not specifically on the planets - maybe only half of the book. There are a couple of pages on the moon, a couple of pages on asteroids and comets. Eight pages are devoted to instructions for making two different models of the planets.

Nice to have some photographs (nine) alongside the goofy illustrations by Don Madden.

[Emily Cappiello · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The Planets in Our Solar System” by Franklyn M. Branley; published by HarperCollins Publishers Inc.; New York; copyright 1981.
1. Awards the book has received: This book has not received any awards.

2. Appropriate grade level(s): This book is appropriate for children from 1st – 2nd grade or older.

3. Summary: This book talks about all aspects of the solar system. It talks about the 9 planets, their size and temperature, and how close it is to Earth. It also talks about the sun and its size and location. The book also goes into detail about other parts of our solar system such as stars, asteroids, comets, and meteorites.

4. Review: This book is a little wordy and may be confusing for younger children. The pictures are illustrations, not real images. Overall it is a great information text and gives a great deal of detail about different parts of our solar system.


5. Uses in the classroom:
• Students can create a solar system mobile as directed in the back of the book.
• Students can also complete the distance activity as instructed in the back of the book to get a better idea of how far each planet is from one another.
• Students can write creatively about what they would bring to another planet if they got the chance to visit.

[Mummy Cat Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoy the Stage 2 books because they are always filled with great information in an easy to understand presentation.

We studied space for homeschool with our space science unit. I added this book as a read a loud and it complemented the science unit.

We enjoyed this book because in the back there is directions on making your own Solar system mobile. There is also instructions on making a planetary distance activity. And of course, we can't forget the more information page. There are ideas about a full moon, moon cycle, and websites to visit.

I would recommend this book to those who want to learn more about space. The book is direct and to the point but the illustrations are interesting. This book isn't "fun" but it isn't dry and that's why I continue to like these types of books for my kids.

[Morgan Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very engaging informational story book about the solar system. The book covers many differnt topics about the solar system but follows a smooth plot line without just “throwing” information at the reader. There are three main charecters that walk through the story, narrating and engaging the reader. The illustrations are very good and give good information as well as being bright and intersting.

I gave this book 5 stars because it cover so many topics without being overwhelming. Some of the topics are the origin of the world solar, asteroids, the nine differnt planets, the sun, and many more. The illustrations are subtle but informative. The reader can expect to learn a lot from this book.

[Elizabeth Lancaster · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book starts out by explaining that Earth is one of the nine planets found in our solar system. It then goes on to identify the other masses that can be found in space. The author then explains some of the characteristics of the other planets.

This book was really interesting. I enjoyed the illustrations and the information that was presented. The author did a great job of presenting a lot of information without letting it be overwhelming.

I could definitely use this book to introduce or review the solar system with my class. I could also use the activity in the back of the book with my students.

[Karen Kessler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awards: None
Grade Levels: first grade- fourth grade
Summary: Each of the 9 planets of the solar system is described by their physical features, temperatures, and more. Other parts of the solar system are also mentioned.
Review: This is a great informational text to introduce the children to "space." This book has some outdated information that Pluto is no longer a planet, but otherwise I enjoyed this text.
Activities: Have the children make their own solar system mobile, the instructions can be fond in the back of the book.

[Hamza Mostafa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the book very much. I never ever knew that years change on every planet. one time I saw a glowing star when I read the book, I learned that it was not a star it was a planet. and the solar system is very important.

[Melissa Namba · Rating 3 out of 5]

I give it three stars not because it's only meh, but because it doesn't meet the standards that I have come to expect from Branley. It does teach about the Solar System and give good information, but it lacks the depth that I love about Branley's books.

[Set · Rating 2 out of 5]

Full of information with actual photos but such boring pictures of a teacher and her students which serve no purpose other than to hold placards. It would have been better if the scientific subjects were illustrated instead. I don't know, it's boring.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty advanced for a book about the solar system - very text-heavy and the illustrations are advanced.

[Stacy Renee (LazyDayLit) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice little book about the solar system, including a size comparison chart (in inches) that we used to chart distances on our living room floor with washi-tape planets!

[Kelly Chester · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great educational book

[Ava and Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is out of date. Pluto is a dwarf planet now there’s only eight planets now.

[Avery Maxeiner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book for elementary students to find out about the solar system and space. I would include this book in my classroom library and I think that students would find it interesting.

[Crystal Mangum · Rating 3 out of 5]

Have fun learning about the Solar System.
This book shared interesting facts about stars, planets, and the sun.
It included directions for making your own solar system mobile.
This book could be used for a science class to share information about the solar system.

[Kiersten Knapp · Rating 5 out of 5]

1. This book has not won any awards.
2. Is ideal for grades Kindergarten through 4th.
3. This book begins with broad information about our solar system, then goes into more detail about it. The reader is given information about each planet in our universe and the different objects in it, such as comets and meteorites. The book ends with directions of how to make a solar system diagram.
4. I loved this book for many reasons including the illustrations and making the information easily understandable for young children. Another reason why I really like this book is because it tells the reader how to look for different planets in the sky without a telescope. The last reason why I like this book is because of the directions on how to create a solar system mobile and how to create a solar system with the relative distance from one planet to another in the classroom.
5. One way that this book could be used in the classroom is when learning about the solar system during science. The class could also use the directions in the back of the book to create their own solar system mobile as a project.

[Karla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Informational

This book is a very easy read for young readers learning about the solar system. It is something that they could read on their own with a little assistance. Unfortunately it was written before Pluto lost its status as a planet so all of the references to the "nine planets" as well as referring to Pluto as a planet are outdated. This inaccurate information could be misleading to children and confuse them, so I would be a little wary giving this book to a child.

The illustrations found in the book are bright and slightly cartoonish which I think makes the material more interesting to young readers. The style reminded me of the magic school bus. The illustration on the page that talks about the sun is rather clever. Both the old woman and the cat in the photo are wearing sunglasses while they watch the sun rise. I think this is a great way that the illustrator added to the information presented in the text.

Overall I think the book is a good one for beginning readers, but it would be important to reinforce the idea that some of the information is no longer true.

[Shira Burns · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this book is a great way to integrate literature into a science lesson about the solar system. This text discusses a few of the many objects located in a our solar system such as stars, moons, planets, comets, and etc. Since this book was originally published one of the facts in the book (Pluto= 9th planet) has changed. However, I view this an opportunity to teach students about dwarf planets and/or how sometimes scientific information changes due to more research and new findings.

[Yusra Faridi · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book provides information about our solar system and all the planets it contains, including the planet Earth. The book provides a lot of interesting facts about our planet, such as how long it takes the Earth to make its orbit around the Sun. It also talks about the other planets; their sizes and distance from the Sun and the Earth. This book would definitely assist students who are learning about the solar system in Science. However, some of the information may be misleading or confusing to the students because it does mention Pluto as being a planet, which we know is no longer true.

[Kristen Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

This would be a great book to read when introducing the solar system to your class. You can use this book and create many lessons such as creating vinn digrahms and comparing and contrasting planets or building your own class model of the solar system. The book explains to young children the dynamics of the solar system. Children are able to visually see the illustrations of the planets as well as their shapes. I think that children will enjoy this book as well as learn of the earth’s solar system interesting and educational science book.

[Haley]

This book is all about the solar system. It explores every planet specifically and gives details regarding temperature, what they’re made of, and distance from the sun. It also talks about the planets that you can see at night and what asteroids are made of.

This one was pretty interesting, and again, I learned a few things that I didn’t know before. Something about space is really cool to me and I think my students will enjoy discovering more about it and the planets. I would use this to teach about the planets and our solar system.

[Shelby Church · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a cute nonfiction book that focuses on the teachings of the solar system. While this book was written a little while ago in the late 1980s, it is still a great book to excite students about science.
I personally love all the illustrations, which really bring this book to life. I also like how the word "you" is used in questions within the book, because it allows for the students to make connections to the book.
I would most likely use this book in lower elementary aged classrooms during a science unit about planets and the rest of our solar system.

[Trish Erhardt · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is very informative and in language children can understand. There is also a diagram comparing the sizes of the planets, the length of their orbits, and their distances from the sun. It makes learning about the solar system an adventure. However, this book does contain misleading information regarding Pluto, which is no longer considered a planet. The craft section in the back of the book could be very useful and a great reference for teachers.

[Evelyn Matias · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this book was great! I loved that it goes into details about the solar system right down to what certain parts of words mean such as sol. This book talks about each planet and how close or how far away they are in reference to earth or the sun. I would use this in a science lesson when teaching my students about the solar system. I am using this book as one of my 5E lesson plans along with a hands on group activity. It's also a good way to integrate LA/Science.

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is overloaded with information, which may be too much for some students. Although at the time this book was published the information was true, this book is outdated because it still describes Pluto as being a planet. There is tons of information in this book that would be great for a student to use as a resource for a research paper. I liked the real pictures in the book better than the cartoon pictures.

[Khadija Bensaadoun · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book, "The Planets in Our Solar System ", describes the planets in our solar system. It also includes models of sizes of plans and their distance from the sun.This book can be used to help students learn the order of the planets and be familiar with relative sizes of the planets. Appropriate for a third grade lesson on planets.

[alana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book explains the solar system including the sun, the planets, and the planets' satellites, as well as asteroids and comets. There is a photo of each planets, diagrams of their orbits, and illustrations that compare the sizes of the planets. There is also a diagram comparing the sizes of the planets, the length of their orbits, and their distances from the sun.

[Oana Cerchezan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though this book is a picture book, it is a great book to use for the 4th grade. It explains a lot about our solar system and has information that will benefit all three grades. To get the students really engaged, I would assign a fun project for them to recreate the solar system using any material they want!This would be the time to get super creative and fun!

[Hope · Rating 4 out of 5]

Again, another book on the fact card table. Children find one or two facts about the book, then prepare for citing sources as they copy the title, author, and page number of where they got their information. 3-5

This book included Pluto as a planet, but will be great for kids to see how science is always changing. 3-5

[Maddie Taylor · Rating 2 out of 5]

How neat is this book? Through these precious and creative illustrations, we learn about Earth and our solar system!
I think this book is so cute and would greatly benefit a classroom library! It is not hard read but contains so much information!
I would love to use this book in my library! You could use it during your science lesson or just as regular read!