Star Seeker: A Journey to Outer Space (2006) by Theresa Heine and illustrated by Victor Tavares is a delightful, most imaginative romp through the solar system that I have ever read. Written by German Heine, this poetic journey through the solar system touches on myths and legends behind the planets names, as well as facts about each of the planets.

Heine dedicates a single quatrain to each feature (whether constellation or planet) that rhymes the second and fourth line. Her fresh, clean style makes Star Seeker an incredibly fun read, though it includes facts about each feature as well. The poem is written in first person narrative, with the author telling us what she'd do to that planet or constellation.

The illustrator deserves kudos as well. All of the illustrations from cover to cover grab the readers imagination as much as the text does. One of my favorite images is that of a young boy using a giant spoon to stir Venus' volcanoes until they start to boil. He portrays Mercury as a planet being hurtled through space by the Greek god of the same name. None of the pictures are framed, which is fast becoming one of my favorite types of illustrating style. Some easily stretch from the edge of one page to the edge of the other!

What makes this book even better is the information at the end of the story. The author explains a little history of astronomy and includes a solar system picture glossary. Then the author tells you the planets in order from the closest to the sun to the furthest, giving a brief explanation of each one.

Instead of using this text for a lesson, I would actually use it to launch a week long unit on outer space. The information in the back of Star Seeker makes a great reference for the students to refer back to as we make our own play dough planets, marshmallow constellations and moon phase moonpies.

If you don't have Star Seeker: A Journey to Outer Space, I strongly suggest you get it. In fact, get more than one! You'll want one in your classroom, one in your personal library, one for your own kids and...

Wonder

Every once and again, you read something that simply casts a spell over you, enchants you and leaves Wonder (2012) by R.J. Palacio did just that. Told from different perspectives throughout the story, Wonder is a tale of ugliness and beauty, as well as hatred and kindness all woven into a compelling thread that has you hanging on until the end.

Wonder is the story of a special young boy who is not only going into middle school, but going into public school for the first time after being home schooled for four years. August, the special young boy, suffers from a rare, genetic disorder that has grossly misshapen his facial features. As Wonder chronicles August's fifth grade year, it does so from a myriad of perspectives. Each perspective is told from a narrative point of view, and hence shows each character's personal eccentricities. Justin, Via's boyfriend, utilizes very few uppercase letters in his narrative. He always uses "i" when referring to himself.

Though unsuitable for younger students, Wonder would be an ideal text for older students in fourth through sixth grades. This would be a great book to use to try to get students "hooked" on reading. One way a book can take hold is through the reader making personal connections with the text.
Wonder covers numerous issues that face students daily. And it covers these issues from both a male and female perspective!

While Wonder could easily be used for a timeline project, I would much rather do a character study with the book. I would break my students up into groups and each group would be looking at each character. They would tell me everything they know about that character judging from how that character tells his side of the story, as well as what other characters say about him or her. Characters could easily be compared and contrasted using Venn diagrams.

No matter what you plan to do with this book, Wonder should be a permanent fixture in any classroom library. I'll be getting mine soon!