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Cars on Mars: Roving the Red Planet
Readers can follow the course of NASAs Mars Exploration Rover (MER) mission as twin rovers, Spirit and Opportunity explore the Red Planet. Learn how scientists determined that there was once water on Mars and how the Earthbound NASA team resolved problems with the rovers from afar in order to prolong the mission, which continues today. The author provides insight into scientists quest to discover whether life may have or still might exist on Mars. Back matter includes glossary, source notes, and resources.
64 pages, Hardcover
First published July 1, 2009
About the author
Alexandra Siy
26 books2 followersAlexandra Siy is a science writer for kids, merging STEM and art to make STEAM! Many of her titles use primary source scientific imagery to reveal both outer space and the microscopic, inviting young readers to enter worlds that can only be visited using science and technology. Worlds where spiders are superheroes, insects are much more than bugly, a simple sneeze is a micro-second adventure through the body, and the interstellar age is now. Alexandra is also a photographer and the creator of instastem.com, a STEM inspired photography workshop that gets kids reading writing, and creating their own science-as-art photographs. As a visiting author, she travels to schools and libraries nationwide, sharing her passion for science, books, and photography. She's also worked as a teacher in diverse communities, including Alaska and Colorado. Alexandra lives in New York State on her 73-acre sustainable family forest with her teenage son and their cat.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
June 21, 2009
Sometimes I think that adult authors of children's non-fiction subjects get so wrapped up in their material that they forget (or, more likely, never knew how) to make the thing they are talking about palatable to kids. Here's a pretty good litmus test for any work of non-fiction: If you, the grown-up, fall asleep mid-sentence, then there's a pretty good chance a kid will do the same. Then they'll vow never to read non-fiction ever again. And I admit, I don't always notice this. I read a lot of children's literature, and it's easy to forget how boring a kid would find one type of writing or another. The nice thing is that when I read something really readable and child-centric, I notice. I noticed with Cars on Mars, as it happens. Picture this: robots with extraordinary life spans exploring a planet 303,000,000 miles away. It's not science fiction, it's fact. And so kids can learn about two exploration rovers who beat the odds and withstood storms, freezing winters, and even sandpits in their efforts to explore a planet none of us have ever been to. Woot! Go, team, go!
In the summer of 2003 two little Mars Exploration Rovers named Spirit and Opportunity were launched from earth towards our distant neighbor. Both rovers landed safely and spent their time exploring their new home. Running on sunshine, the rovers were expected to last around three months. As of this book, they've covered almost six years and taken more than 217,000 photographs. They've survived several near death experiences, and yet they keep on plugging along. This is their story of what they found, with tons of photographs taken along the way. The book contains a Glossary of terms, a Bibliography, Source Notes, Photo Credits, Index, and a remarkable list of websites, including one that offers "the most up-to-date reports on the rovers." As of this review, they still appear to be functioning and moving along.
I have two theories about the scientists who worked on the Mars project and why this book is so kid-friendly. It could just be that they all have childlike sensibilities leading to incredibly fun information for children. One area of Mars is labeled Home Plate, and when a rover accidentally digs a ditch and exposes a bright patch of dirt there, the path is "Named Gertrude Weise, in honor of the 1944 star left-handed first baseman in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League." Huh! They have a way with names, these scientists. A patch of rubble accidentally crushed is dubbed Innocent Bystander. And then between the RAT (Rock Abrasion Tool) holes and the blueberries (little circular balls of hematite), the names keep you fascinated.
My second theory is that Siy is the one making it interesting. What she chooses to include makes all the difference. Sometimes it's a case of including photographs of people like the kid who won the Name the Rovers Contest. Other times it's how she chooses to describe things. For example, when it comes to the rovers, "Cruising speed is ten times slower than that of a wood turtle - averaging less than two feet per minute." The rover stumbles on a "Berry Bowl" and it's described as "A bunch of blueberries clustered closely together, like berries in the bottom of a cereal bowl." Layers of rock are compared to cakes, and referred to as a good thing when it comes to scientists studying the chemical composition of the layers. So therefore, when coming across bedrock Siy will sometimes mention, "There were no yummy rock layers here." It's that kind of writing that keeps kids from nodding off while reading. There's always some way of describing a situation or a scene that's going to keep the reader going. You just have to look for it.
There's also the fact that the story is so much fun. I mean, when you break it all down this is basically a tale about exploring. And, as with any explorer, things do not always go according to plan. Everything's just going fine and dandy until THWWPT! Spirit shuts down and the scientists have to figure out how to fix it. The problem? It crashed. The computer crashed. Even with all our smarts and our technology, computers still crash on Mars. I mean, the scientists manage to fix it from earth (no mean feat) but it's still one of those stories that gets you thinking. One of many.
So here's the thing about the pictures. It's not as if the two rovers have ever run into one another. So basically, if you see a picture in this book of a rover sitting on Mars, it's a fake shot. A computer generated simulation of what the scientists think it would look like. I guess it's as close as you can get to factual information, but it's still odd to pair photographs with CGI suppositions. Not that the book doesn't distinguish between the two each and every time. If there's a fake shot to be had, Siy is going to tell you. Just the same, it's hard to know what to think when you come across the third kind of photograph: the false color image. What does that mean? Dunno. No explanation is given, so kids will just have assume that if it says "false color" then the shades and hues seen there are fake.
I keep thinking back to an old Simpsons episode where NASA is trying to figure out how to get the general public interested in space exploration again. Sometimes I feel like NASA struggles with that same question in real life. How do you get people excited about space when they feel so jaded? How do we recapture our obsession with it? Maybe the answer is the get the children while they're young. Kids have a natural aptitude for dreaming about the sky. Tap into that and what you have is a whole new generation of potential scientists and explorers. Lots of children's books discuss the original moon landings or what it means to be an astronaut. Until now, I feel like Mars has gotten short shrift. No longer. Cars on Mars grips the kids with its title, then hauls them into a great story laden with facts that are consistently interesting. Throw in a heaping handful of photographs and images and brother, you've got yourself a potential fan.
Near the end of the book Siy mentions that "When this book went to press in late 2008, the rovers had been on Mars for almost five years." You gotta appreciate the fact that the woman places this book within the context of its times. For all she knew, the rovers would discover skeletons of ancient space bats the month after she turned in these pages. So many children's books about exploration set their stories in the distant past. How different it is to read about exploration that's happening NOW? You know those kids fascinated with exploration? Tell them about this book. Make it clear to them that explorers still exist, and that sometimes they're both 303,000,000 and sitting in a lab on Earth at the same time. The world has changed a lot since the days of De Soto. Maybe Siy's book is exactly what kids need to transfer their exploring instinct from outward to upward.
Ages 9-14.
In the summer of 2003 two little Mars Exploration Rovers named Spirit and Opportunity were launched from earth towards our distant neighbor. Both rovers landed safely and spent their time exploring their new home. Running on sunshine, the rovers were expected to last around three months. As of this book, they've covered almost six years and taken more than 217,000 photographs. They've survived several near death experiences, and yet they keep on plugging along. This is their story of what they found, with tons of photographs taken along the way. The book contains a Glossary of terms, a Bibliography, Source Notes, Photo Credits, Index, and a remarkable list of websites, including one that offers "the most up-to-date reports on the rovers." As of this review, they still appear to be functioning and moving along.
I have two theories about the scientists who worked on the Mars project and why this book is so kid-friendly. It could just be that they all have childlike sensibilities leading to incredibly fun information for children. One area of Mars is labeled Home Plate, and when a rover accidentally digs a ditch and exposes a bright patch of dirt there, the path is "Named Gertrude Weise, in honor of the 1944 star left-handed first baseman in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League." Huh! They have a way with names, these scientists. A patch of rubble accidentally crushed is dubbed Innocent Bystander. And then between the RAT (Rock Abrasion Tool) holes and the blueberries (little circular balls of hematite), the names keep you fascinated.
My second theory is that Siy is the one making it interesting. What she chooses to include makes all the difference. Sometimes it's a case of including photographs of people like the kid who won the Name the Rovers Contest. Other times it's how she chooses to describe things. For example, when it comes to the rovers, "Cruising speed is ten times slower than that of a wood turtle - averaging less than two feet per minute." The rover stumbles on a "Berry Bowl" and it's described as "A bunch of blueberries clustered closely together, like berries in the bottom of a cereal bowl." Layers of rock are compared to cakes, and referred to as a good thing when it comes to scientists studying the chemical composition of the layers. So therefore, when coming across bedrock Siy will sometimes mention, "There were no yummy rock layers here." It's that kind of writing that keeps kids from nodding off while reading. There's always some way of describing a situation or a scene that's going to keep the reader going. You just have to look for it.
There's also the fact that the story is so much fun. I mean, when you break it all down this is basically a tale about exploring. And, as with any explorer, things do not always go according to plan. Everything's just going fine and dandy until THWWPT! Spirit shuts down and the scientists have to figure out how to fix it. The problem? It crashed. The computer crashed. Even with all our smarts and our technology, computers still crash on Mars. I mean, the scientists manage to fix it from earth (no mean feat) but it's still one of those stories that gets you thinking. One of many.
So here's the thing about the pictures. It's not as if the two rovers have ever run into one another. So basically, if you see a picture in this book of a rover sitting on Mars, it's a fake shot. A computer generated simulation of what the scientists think it would look like. I guess it's as close as you can get to factual information, but it's still odd to pair photographs with CGI suppositions. Not that the book doesn't distinguish between the two each and every time. If there's a fake shot to be had, Siy is going to tell you. Just the same, it's hard to know what to think when you come across the third kind of photograph: the false color image. What does that mean? Dunno. No explanation is given, so kids will just have assume that if it says "false color" then the shades and hues seen there are fake.
I keep thinking back to an old Simpsons episode where NASA is trying to figure out how to get the general public interested in space exploration again. Sometimes I feel like NASA struggles with that same question in real life. How do you get people excited about space when they feel so jaded? How do we recapture our obsession with it? Maybe the answer is the get the children while they're young. Kids have a natural aptitude for dreaming about the sky. Tap into that and what you have is a whole new generation of potential scientists and explorers. Lots of children's books discuss the original moon landings or what it means to be an astronaut. Until now, I feel like Mars has gotten short shrift. No longer. Cars on Mars grips the kids with its title, then hauls them into a great story laden with facts that are consistently interesting. Throw in a heaping handful of photographs and images and brother, you've got yourself a potential fan.
Near the end of the book Siy mentions that "When this book went to press in late 2008, the rovers had been on Mars for almost five years." You gotta appreciate the fact that the woman places this book within the context of its times. For all she knew, the rovers would discover skeletons of ancient space bats the month after she turned in these pages. So many children's books about exploration set their stories in the distant past. How different it is to read about exploration that's happening NOW? You know those kids fascinated with exploration? Tell them about this book. Make it clear to them that explorers still exist, and that sometimes they're both 303,000,000 and sitting in a lab on Earth at the same time. The world has changed a lot since the days of De Soto. Maybe Siy's book is exactly what kids need to transfer their exploring instinct from outward to upward.
Ages 9-14.
February 8, 2012
A quick but informative look at the Mars Exploration Program. Perfect for kids or adults who just want to know a little something. Also includes a glossary, bibliography, photo credits, and an index. The "Much more about Mars and the rovers" section will lead curious to further reading.
March 15, 2018
O-M-G, Spirit and Opportunity are the cutest, most loyal, hardworking robots ever!
Mars may currently be a planet ruled and run by robots, as the joke says, but hey, they're doing a better job with their planet than we're currently doing with ours!
Mars may currently be a planet ruled and run by robots, as the joke says, but hey, they're doing a better job with their planet than we're currently doing with ours!
February 19, 2010
Author: Alexandra Siy
Title: Cars on Mars; Roving the Red Planet
Publisher: Charlesbridge
Edition: Hardcover
ISBN: 978-1-57091-462-1
Price: $18.95
Number of pages: 57
Includes: Table of Contents, photographs, drawings, maps, glossary, index, For more information on Mars, and bibliography.
***** 5 stars
I am an astronomy nut. Anything and everything that has to do with astronomy fascinates me, and Alexandra Siy’s book on the Mars rovers Cars on Mars: Roving the Red Planet does not disappoint. In fact it is one of the most fascinating books on the Mars rover projects that I have read in a long time.
The journey begins with the table of contents “Get Directions” “Start Address: Cape Canaveral, Florida, USA, North America, Earth” “End Address: Gusev Crater and Meridiani Planum, Southern Hemisphere, Mars”. Sound familiar? Almost every child can relate to getting directions from Google. All of the chapter headings are in the same vein, to continue the analogy.
Siy begins at the very beginning of the rover project, with the naming of the two rovers, Spirit and Destiny. A nine year old girl won the naming contest, how cool is that? Through drawings and photographs, and computer renderings Siy takes the reader through the entire project. She explains in clear, distinct language the scientific principles behind what could be very complex thoughts.
Cars on Mars is a perfect compliment to a third or fourth grade space curriculum. The photographs are stunning, the text compliments the photographs, and there is a glossary for the more unusual words. Did you know a Martian day is called a sol, and that it is 24 hours, 39 minutes, and 35 seconds long? And that the Hazcam is a camera that is located on the bottom of the rovers to reveal hazards and other obstacles?
Cars on Mars has won the following awards and I believe this book is worthy of all of them NSTA/CBC Outstanding Science Trade Book New York Public Library 100 Titles for Reading & Sharing, Top 10 Science-Tech Books Booklist Online, 2010 Finalist AAAS/Subaru SB&F Prize for Excellence in Science Books, Starred Reviews: School Library Journal; Booklist.
Title: Cars on Mars; Roving the Red Planet
Publisher: Charlesbridge
Edition: Hardcover
ISBN: 978-1-57091-462-1
Price: $18.95
Number of pages: 57
Includes: Table of Contents, photographs, drawings, maps, glossary, index, For more information on Mars, and bibliography.
***** 5 stars
I am an astronomy nut. Anything and everything that has to do with astronomy fascinates me, and Alexandra Siy’s book on the Mars rovers Cars on Mars: Roving the Red Planet does not disappoint. In fact it is one of the most fascinating books on the Mars rover projects that I have read in a long time.
The journey begins with the table of contents “Get Directions” “Start Address: Cape Canaveral, Florida, USA, North America, Earth” “End Address: Gusev Crater and Meridiani Planum, Southern Hemisphere, Mars”. Sound familiar? Almost every child can relate to getting directions from Google. All of the chapter headings are in the same vein, to continue the analogy.
Siy begins at the very beginning of the rover project, with the naming of the two rovers, Spirit and Destiny. A nine year old girl won the naming contest, how cool is that? Through drawings and photographs, and computer renderings Siy takes the reader through the entire project. She explains in clear, distinct language the scientific principles behind what could be very complex thoughts.
Cars on Mars is a perfect compliment to a third or fourth grade space curriculum. The photographs are stunning, the text compliments the photographs, and there is a glossary for the more unusual words. Did you know a Martian day is called a sol, and that it is 24 hours, 39 minutes, and 35 seconds long? And that the Hazcam is a camera that is located on the bottom of the rovers to reveal hazards and other obstacles?
Cars on Mars has won the following awards and I believe this book is worthy of all of them NSTA/CBC Outstanding Science Trade Book New York Public Library 100 Titles for Reading & Sharing, Top 10 Science-Tech Books Booklist Online, 2010 Finalist AAAS/Subaru SB&F Prize for Excellence in Science Books, Starred Reviews: School Library Journal; Booklist.
February 9, 2012
Who isn't fascinated by space? We all remembering looking up at the stars and dreaming about space, traveling to distant planets, meeting aliens, etc. Of course that isn't going to happen anywhere but in the movies and in books, but it is still fun to dream. However, it has happened to a few select people and to a couple of robots named Spirit and Opportunity. They have been exploring Mars since 2003. Cars on Mars is their story and it is a good one.
It begins with the beginning of the mission. Who started it, how it was developed, how the rovers were named (an orphan girl named Sophia named them) and how they got to Mars. Then we actually get into the heart of their mission on Mars and what exactly they have been doing in all their years there.
Children's nonfiction can be great or it can be boring and dry; there is rarely any middle ground. This one is a great read for kids. It is entertaining and educational. It is very accessible and I think kids will really enjoy reading about the Mars mission. The writing style is very accessible and easy to read; there are tons of photographs; frankly this book reads more like an adventure book than a nonfiction science text. I think that is a credit not only to the author's writing style but to the people behind the Mars mission who were so creative in how they set up the Mars mission. The naming alone on Mars shows that those working this mission are kids at heart (groups of rocks are called blueberries, a rock is called Innocent Bystander). There is a lot of humor and fun in this book that I think kids of all ages will appreciate. And I think they will also cheer along with Spirit and Opportunity as they continue to explore their unknown planet. They truly are going where no man has gone before and making great strides in space exploration. It is a fascinating subject and a great read.
It begins with the beginning of the mission. Who started it, how it was developed, how the rovers were named (an orphan girl named Sophia named them) and how they got to Mars. Then we actually get into the heart of their mission on Mars and what exactly they have been doing in all their years there.
Children's nonfiction can be great or it can be boring and dry; there is rarely any middle ground. This one is a great read for kids. It is entertaining and educational. It is very accessible and I think kids will really enjoy reading about the Mars mission. The writing style is very accessible and easy to read; there are tons of photographs; frankly this book reads more like an adventure book than a nonfiction science text. I think that is a credit not only to the author's writing style but to the people behind the Mars mission who were so creative in how they set up the Mars mission. The naming alone on Mars shows that those working this mission are kids at heart (groups of rocks are called blueberries, a rock is called Innocent Bystander). There is a lot of humor and fun in this book that I think kids of all ages will appreciate. And I think they will also cheer along with Spirit and Opportunity as they continue to explore their unknown planet. They truly are going where no man has gone before and making great strides in space exploration. It is a fascinating subject and a great read.
February 5, 2013
After reading this book, I learnt a lot about what was discovered on Mars. I knew that NASA had sent rovers there but I never really thought about what they might find there. This book showed me that they made amazing discoveries like traces of water and the history of Mars in the craters left by asteroids. They also found many minerals that we could find here on Earth which I thought was interesting. Although the book contained very fascinating information, I believe this book is meant for people interested in the topic or who want to learn about it, this book will be boring to people who do not understand the topic or are uninterested in it.
June 22, 2010
This is the book report I wrote about 'Cars on Mars' by Alexandra Siy.
The Mars rovers are named Spirit and Opportunity. The rovers landed on mars in January of 2004 (Gabe's birth month). One day on Mars is called a Sol. Mars rocks are called blueberries. They were formed when Mars had water. One year on Mars is 687 Earth days. Titanium and Silica were discovered by the rovers. The rovers are still on Mars!
The Mars rovers are named Spirit and Opportunity. The rovers landed on mars in January of 2004 (Gabe's birth month). One day on Mars is called a Sol. Mars rocks are called blueberries. They were formed when Mars had water. One year on Mars is 687 Earth days. Titanium and Silica were discovered by the rovers. The rovers are still on Mars!
August 4, 2013
Pictures dominate the book. The panorama layouts are particularly striking renderings of the landscape. The text is limited but effectively presents the unintended discoveries that occur during the scientific process. The combined NASA effort to improve the technology of the rovers while send an orbiter to provide overhead shots shines through in the text.
Read
November 24, 2015This would be a great book when talking about planets. This book takes you on an adventure to mars and describes actual things that go on there. NASA provides this book with information that they've gotten by sending there robotic camera there. This would be fun in talking about planets. The students could draw Mars and all the things they think are on Mars.
April 1, 2012
Dense but accessible text, stunning photography, scientific drawings, and simulations combine with extensive back matter (index, annotated website resources, glossary, bibliography, and photo credits) in this remarkable resource for older readers. perfect for STEM studies.
July 9, 2012
For someone who is not scientific by nature, this book was a little boring to read, but I loved the fascinating photographs included of the surface of Mars.
[Read about the blueberries found on Mars by the rovers that explored the planet beginning in 2004.]
[Read about the blueberries found on Mars by the rovers that explored the planet beginning in 2004.]
December 13, 2014
This book is all about the landing of rovers on Mars. I think this would be great to include in a unit about space, and having students talk about space exploration, making predictions of what scientists may discover in the future.
January 23, 2010
It just amazes me how talented these scientists are in their work. And, I was also surprised to discover how slowly Opportunity and Spirit roved about Mars. It's pretty close to a tortoise's pace.
August 26, 2012
Excellent book. Plenty of specific detail and wonderful illustrations.
August 19, 2012
What a road trip! Loved the narrative, the fact, and the story behind this outstanding achievement of engineering and science. A recommended companion to follow Curiosity's exploration of Mars.
October 16, 2013
I myself love spaces and how things work outside of earth. Now this does have great pictures and I didn't find it too be to hard to fallow. I am going to read this book again.
December 19, 2013
A really interesting read. I was fascinated. This book is full of great information!
July 27, 2010
Long and technical book. Full of good information for research purposes. Good illustrations.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews