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Max Goes to the Space Station: A Science Adventure with Max the Dog
The long-awaited prequel to the other books in the Science Adventures with Max the Dog series, this installment follows Max on his trip to the International Space Station where he shares in the adventures of astronaut life and helps save everyone from a potential disaster along the way. The book teaches children to see themselves and the planet in a new light and encourages readers to discover how they can help make the world a better place. Accompanying the story of how Max saves the day are numerous “Big Kid Box” sidebars that offer science facts and other pieces of fascinating information. Grown-ups and kids learn about science together with this fun and educational picture book.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2013
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207 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
May 23, 2020
This book came from Golden Duck Award website. It won the Picture Book award in 2015. This award is sometimes given to a picture book with non-fictional science content with a story "wrapper" (which is this case) as well as traditional Science Fiction themes.
This book is indicated for 4th graders and up because of the science content and vocabulary. Great illustrations, great vocabulary definitions, but definitely for those students who are into "space". I read it on epic.
This book is indicated for 4th graders and up because of the science content and vocabulary. Great illustrations, great vocabulary definitions, but definitely for those students who are into "space". I read it on epic.
November 3, 2020
Max Goes to the Space Station: A Science Adventure with Max the Dog by Jeffrey O. Bennett won the Golden Duck Award in 2015 and is an excellent science fiction story. It is about a dog named Max who joins Commander Grant and his crew for a week in the International Space Station. The readers get a better idea of what astronauts do in space and what life is like living in the International Space Station. Readers also see the types of problems that can occur in space. Max even gets to save the day at the end of the book!
Although this book is based on a fictional story, it is intertwined with nonfiction science content. The illustrations and the text itself revolve around Max and his journey in space, but every page also has a section relating to real life. For example, although Max's story is fictional, on the side of one of the first pages it explains that animals really do travel to space. On this page they list the first person, first American, first animal, first woman, first Hispanic, and first African American in space. Every page has very interesting facts about space, the space station, astronauts, and how students can get involved in space.
I read this book on Epic. I flipped my iPad horizontally so that I could look at two pages at a time. This allowed me to better see the double page spreads of illustrations. The only critique I have is that sometimes the words were blurry so I had to squint to read it. There was just so much fine print on each page that when I zoomed in it was hard to read each word (And I have 20/20 vision!).
I highly recommend this book for all teachers! The story itself is entertaining while the side notes on each page are very informative. The illustrations are also very well done. They are realistic and very colorful. At the end of the book, the author lists curriculum ideas or activities for different age ranges. I love his idea for 3-8th graders to create their own Space Station. This would be a great way to bring STEM into the curriculum. Although he lists ideas for all age ranges, I think with the more difficult vocabulary in the story (Cupola, radiators, weightless) it would be best for students 2-6th. Also, the very beginning starts with a note from the author, which is very motivating. His inspirational message will get all students (and adults) reaching for the stars!
Although this book is based on a fictional story, it is intertwined with nonfiction science content. The illustrations and the text itself revolve around Max and his journey in space, but every page also has a section relating to real life. For example, although Max's story is fictional, on the side of one of the first pages it explains that animals really do travel to space. On this page they list the first person, first American, first animal, first woman, first Hispanic, and first African American in space. Every page has very interesting facts about space, the space station, astronauts, and how students can get involved in space.
I read this book on Epic. I flipped my iPad horizontally so that I could look at two pages at a time. This allowed me to better see the double page spreads of illustrations. The only critique I have is that sometimes the words were blurry so I had to squint to read it. There was just so much fine print on each page that when I zoomed in it was hard to read each word (And I have 20/20 vision!).
I highly recommend this book for all teachers! The story itself is entertaining while the side notes on each page are very informative. The illustrations are also very well done. They are realistic and very colorful. At the end of the book, the author lists curriculum ideas or activities for different age ranges. I love his idea for 3-8th graders to create their own Space Station. This would be a great way to bring STEM into the curriculum. Although he lists ideas for all age ranges, I think with the more difficult vocabulary in the story (Cupola, radiators, weightless) it would be best for students 2-6th. Also, the very beginning starts with a note from the author, which is very motivating. His inspirational message will get all students (and adults) reaching for the stars!
May 24, 2020
http://www.goldenduckawards.org/
This book is the Golden Duck Award for a picture book.
I found it read aloud on https://storytimefromspace.com/storie...
An actual astronaut reads it in space and you can see cool space pictures.
It would be an excellent introduction to a lesson for older grades learning about space, astronauts, or careers. It provides references to the International space station.
This book is the Golden Duck Award for a picture book.
I found it read aloud on https://storytimefromspace.com/storie...
An actual astronaut reads it in space and you can see cool space pictures.
It would be an excellent introduction to a lesson for older grades learning about space, astronauts, or careers. It provides references to the International space station.
May 26, 2020
I found Max Goes to the Space Station: A Science Adventure with Max the Dog by Jeffrey O. Bennett and Michael Carroll on the Goodreads website. The website had a list of the Golden Duck Award Winners throughout the years. This book won the award in 2015. This book is part of the Max Science Adventures series which includes several other books about the moon and various planets. I listened to this book on the Story Time From Space website. Astronaut Mike Hopkins read the book from the cupola in the International Space Station. I think this would be a really fun way to engage students in this book because it brings the story to life! It was a little difficult to see the pages so I would be sure to have the book in the classroom to follow along to. I chose to go on Epic to get a better look at the illustrations. It appears that the illustrator, Michael Carroll, has painted the illustrations. They are realistic and seem to accurately depict the International Space Station.
In this story, a dog named Max is chosen to go on the International Space Station. While there, Max detects a big problem and saves the other astronauts from getting hurt. Throughout the book, Max’s owner, Tori, asks lots of questions related to space that Commander Grant answers. There are also sidebars that give information about the International Space Station, space, astronauts etc. At the end of the book, there are suggested activities that are divided into primary grades and middle school. As a teacher, I would use this book with grades 3-5 as part of a space unit. The book has lots of information and that is why I think it would be conducive to a whole class read aloud. I also think it would be beneficial to break the book up into several days in order for students to digest and comprehend all of the information. This book could even be a jumping off point for a Research Workshop project about space, the International Space Station, or the job of astronauts. Students could select one topic to research further and create a project on.
In this story, a dog named Max is chosen to go on the International Space Station. While there, Max detects a big problem and saves the other astronauts from getting hurt. Throughout the book, Max’s owner, Tori, asks lots of questions related to space that Commander Grant answers. There are also sidebars that give information about the International Space Station, space, astronauts etc. At the end of the book, there are suggested activities that are divided into primary grades and middle school. As a teacher, I would use this book with grades 3-5 as part of a space unit. The book has lots of information and that is why I think it would be conducive to a whole class read aloud. I also think it would be beneficial to break the book up into several days in order for students to digest and comprehend all of the information. This book could even be a jumping off point for a Research Workshop project about space, the International Space Station, or the job of astronauts. Students could select one topic to research further and create a project on.
May 23, 2017
I found this book on the Golden Duck Awards which is a website that was encouraged for us to look at by my instructor. This book has won many awards such as the Golden Duck Award in 2016, Colorado Book Award for Best Children’s Book, and Parents’ Choice Recommended Award. I found this book in the library at my school here in Peoria. This book is great for grades Kindergarten through Third. It is a short picture book that is about 15 pages long, but the ideas and story behind it are amazing and will promote thoughtful imagination with your students. The themes include adventure, cooperation, and space exploration. This story engages young kids with the idea of sending a pup named Max with a young girl named Tori to space to visit the moon. Throughout the book children are introduced to science facts such as phases of the moon as well as get humor from the book with ideas like what it would be like to play fetch with your pup on the moon. I think this would be a great book to introduce your students to the topic of space. Your students could go on to do a research project on space or certain planets or they could write a response as to what they would do if they traveled to the moon with a pet. This is a wonderful story because it engages students with humor, but carries with it facts about space.
Thanks,
Jordan
Thanks,
Jordan
May 23, 2020
I read Max Goes to the Space Station: A Science Adventure with Max the Dog by Jevvery Bennett on the digital reading platform Epic. I found this book on the GoodReads Golden Duck Awards page. While reading on Epic, I was able to flip the pages on this and read the book and examine the illustrations on my own. The text was very small on the page and there was a lot of it, so I had to zoom into the book quite a bit to actually read the text. This made it hard to enjoy the book as a whole. This book won the Golden Duck Award in 2015.
This story tells the tale of Max, the first dog to go to the International Space Station. Along with the somewhat fictional tale of Max on almost every page it also includes sidebars with information about the astronauts and the International Space Station. This information not only gives facts about the International Space Station, astronaut training, and Max the dog; it also talks about the different science projects and ways that the reader can get involved with events that happen in the book.
This is a science fiction informational book, which would make it a good book for a 3-5 read aloud book in Science to begin talking about a unit on space discovery. It provides a fun story with Max going to space, but so much information is presented in the book in the sidebars of each page that it would provide a student with a lot of information. I think some of the terminology would be too difficult for an independent read. Even Max’s owner continues to ask questions about how the astronauts live throughout the book, which is one of the first steps in the Scientific Method.
This story tells the tale of Max, the first dog to go to the International Space Station. Along with the somewhat fictional tale of Max on almost every page it also includes sidebars with information about the astronauts and the International Space Station. This information not only gives facts about the International Space Station, astronaut training, and Max the dog; it also talks about the different science projects and ways that the reader can get involved with events that happen in the book.
This is a science fiction informational book, which would make it a good book for a 3-5 read aloud book in Science to begin talking about a unit on space discovery. It provides a fun story with Max going to space, but so much information is presented in the book in the sidebars of each page that it would provide a student with a lot of information. I think some of the terminology would be too difficult for an independent read. Even Max’s owner continues to ask questions about how the astronauts live throughout the book, which is one of the first steps in the Scientific Method.
May 23, 2017
Max the dog gets the opportunity to go to space. After some concern, his owner lets him go. While there he learns much and does much. He ends up saving the crew after noticing an equipment malfunction. The plot is pretty basic, but might lead students to create "what if" scenarios or "lets learn more" opportunities. To me what I liked the most was the interesting facts that were scattered along the way in the book. I thought this was an excellent way to lead into an extended learning opportunity. Additionally, I think establishing the connection between fiction and non fiction is interesting.
May 21, 2017
Max Goes to the Space Station is a prequel to the other books with Max the Dog as the character. This book was the Golden Duck Award Winner for picture books in 2015. Golden Duck Award is given to excellent science fiction literature for children. This book is great as a read aloud for younger children and is also appropriate for older students because the main story is science fiction but on each page, there are side facts that are informational and can be educational for students of all ages, even adults. This is one reason why I like the book.
The fictional story in the text is about a dog named Max who got the opportunity to go on a trip to the International Space Station. During his stay, he experienced the life and adventures of astronauts. While he was there, Max saved everyone by alerting the Commander of a leak from the cooling system, which can cause poisonous ammonia gas from seeping into the air that people breathed at the International Space Station. Max became the hero since he indirectly saved the people’s lives.
The facts present on each page of the text were very interesting. They are written in a children friendly way so the information can be easily understood. Throughout the text, the informational sections of the text encourage the young readers to explore the topics of space and science in general. It also explains opportunities such as the “Student Space Flight Experiments.” Students who read this book can learn of this opportunity and participate in it, turning information they learn into reality. At the end of the book, there are two pages filled with suggested activities for grades 1-8. This information is very helpful for teachers.
The fictional story in the text is about a dog named Max who got the opportunity to go on a trip to the International Space Station. During his stay, he experienced the life and adventures of astronauts. While he was there, Max saved everyone by alerting the Commander of a leak from the cooling system, which can cause poisonous ammonia gas from seeping into the air that people breathed at the International Space Station. Max became the hero since he indirectly saved the people’s lives.
The facts present on each page of the text were very interesting. They are written in a children friendly way so the information can be easily understood. Throughout the text, the informational sections of the text encourage the young readers to explore the topics of space and science in general. It also explains opportunities such as the “Student Space Flight Experiments.” Students who read this book can learn of this opportunity and participate in it, turning information they learn into reality. At the end of the book, there are two pages filled with suggested activities for grades 1-8. This information is very helpful for teachers.
December 14, 2013
Although this is a fictional story, there are many non-fiction elements. It is a longer story that would be good for any child who is interested in dogs or in space. Better for older elementary readers. The illustrations are very lifelike, and there are segments on each page that explain the concepts that are presented in the story.
January 15, 2014
Ozzie loves space, so this book was a no brainer to check out. That said, it was probably a bit too wordy for a 5-yr-old. We either pick the story or we read one of the side bars about the space station and what life is like up there.
It's a fiction book, but the author goes out of his way to show what it's like for actual astronauts at the ISS.
It's a fiction book, but the author goes out of his way to show what it's like for actual astronauts at the ISS.
May 18, 2018
Winner of the Golden Duck Award for a Picture Book in 2015, this science fiction book by Jeffrey Bennett tells the story of Max the dog.
The prequel to other books in Bennett's series about Max and his adventures, Max Goes to the Space Station is about a dog and his owner and an exciting ascent into space. After Max's howls at reporters are mistaken for howling at the moon, everyone seems to be cheering Max on and supporting his upcoming journey to the moon!
I engaged with this story in a digital format, watching a YouTube video of Jeffrey Bennett reading his story and talking about some little known facts about the text (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8bJ6...).
Experiencing the text in this way was enjoyable and informative, and I learned a great deal more about the story than I would have reading it in print. Bennett showed pictures of Max--his own dog that inspired the fictional character in the story--as well as discussing the format and creation of the story and providing information about the Max books and Storytime from Space (watch an astronaut read this story here: http://storytimefromspace.com/stories...).
Detailed, realistic paintings strengthen the setting of this science fiction story. One painting shows Max with the astronauts-in-training at the actual water tank in Houston, while others depict our moon vividly and imaginatively. Additionally, sidebars on each page (Bennett calls them "Big Kid Boxes") contain informational text that enhance the educational component of the story. The combined story and sidebars make this story most appropriate for older readers, though younger readers would definitely engage with the fictional dog and his journey to the moon.
Finally, this story challenges readers to see the world we live in differently, imagining what life might be like one day and encouraging students to engage with adventures that excite them.
The prequel to other books in Bennett's series about Max and his adventures, Max Goes to the Space Station is about a dog and his owner and an exciting ascent into space. After Max's howls at reporters are mistaken for howling at the moon, everyone seems to be cheering Max on and supporting his upcoming journey to the moon!
I engaged with this story in a digital format, watching a YouTube video of Jeffrey Bennett reading his story and talking about some little known facts about the text (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8bJ6...).
Experiencing the text in this way was enjoyable and informative, and I learned a great deal more about the story than I would have reading it in print. Bennett showed pictures of Max--his own dog that inspired the fictional character in the story--as well as discussing the format and creation of the story and providing information about the Max books and Storytime from Space (watch an astronaut read this story here: http://storytimefromspace.com/stories...).
Detailed, realistic paintings strengthen the setting of this science fiction story. One painting shows Max with the astronauts-in-training at the actual water tank in Houston, while others depict our moon vividly and imaginatively. Additionally, sidebars on each page (Bennett calls them "Big Kid Boxes") contain informational text that enhance the educational component of the story. The combined story and sidebars make this story most appropriate for older readers, though younger readers would definitely engage with the fictional dog and his journey to the moon.
Finally, this story challenges readers to see the world we live in differently, imagining what life might be like one day and encouraging students to engage with adventures that excite them.
May 18, 2017
Interested in science fiction? This picture book is a Golden Duck Award winner. The Golden Duck award is given annually to science fiction books that encourage this kind literature for children. In Max Goes to the Space Station Jeffrey O. Bennett does a good job engaging students in the science fiction world. In the book Max is a dog that is pretty amazing. He is able to do many tricks that other dogs cannot. His owner Tori loves him very much and worries about him. When at the park a woman from the International Space Station sees him and wants to discuss some options with Tori's dad. When Tori's dad speaks to the woman from the park he finds out that she wants Max to go to space as a tribute to the first animal in space. Tori, of course, is worried about this. When launch day comes the media is crazy! Everyone can't wait to see Max take off.
Bennett includes snippets of information on each page with explanation of vocabulary. For example, on page 7 he explains the International Space Station. This is a good resource for students. Even though they are reading a science fiction book they are able to engage with the informational side of it as well. I would use this in my classroom to connect to science. Students could take different sections of the book and discuss the different information given and then present it to the class, like a jigsaw. I would recommend this book for grades 2-4.
Bennett includes snippets of information on each page with explanation of vocabulary. For example, on page 7 he explains the International Space Station. This is a good resource for students. Even though they are reading a science fiction book they are able to engage with the informational side of it as well. I would use this in my classroom to connect to science. Students could take different sections of the book and discuss the different information given and then present it to the class, like a jigsaw. I would recommend this book for grades 2-4.
November 9, 2020
I read Max Goes to the Space Station: A Science Adventure with Max the Dog written by Jeffrey Bennett. I accessed this book on Epic!. This is a wonderful science-fiction text written for 2nd grade or above students.
Max, the dog, and his family go to the park one day. Max’s agility and speed is recognized by a lady at the park and asks his owners to call NASA the next day. NASA explains that they are looking for an animal to go into space. They so kindly agree and Max is sent into training with the astronauts. His owner, Tori seems to be very interested in space and continues to ask the Commander different questions about what it’s like in space. Soon, Max and the rest of the astronauts go into space. There is a possible horrific event that happens when they are all at the Space Station. Thankfully Max is there! Read the story to find out what happens!
This story would be a great addition to any space-related curriculum. I labeled this a science fiction text because it takes known science-related topics, such as space, and brings the story to life while still using the science-related topics.
Max, the dog, and his family go to the park one day. Max’s agility and speed is recognized by a lady at the park and asks his owners to call NASA the next day. NASA explains that they are looking for an animal to go into space. They so kindly agree and Max is sent into training with the astronauts. His owner, Tori seems to be very interested in space and continues to ask the Commander different questions about what it’s like in space. Soon, Max and the rest of the astronauts go into space. There is a possible horrific event that happens when they are all at the Space Station. Thankfully Max is there! Read the story to find out what happens!
This story would be a great addition to any space-related curriculum. I labeled this a science fiction text because it takes known science-related topics, such as space, and brings the story to life while still using the science-related topics.
June 14, 2017
Max Goes to the Space Station, by Jeffrey O. Bennett is the 2015 Golden Duck Award Winner. In this book, a dog named Max, goes to the International Space Station, where he learns about space travel. He even helps rescue the crew during an emergency while in flight. This book is very unique. Not only does it follow the fictional journey of Max in space, but each page includes a sidebar with factual information about space. The sidebars are very informative, but wordy. Due to this, I would recommend this book for upper elementary students grades 4-6. It would be a good read aloud for younger students, grades 1-3, but students would need scaffolding in order to read it on their own. Either way, this book will inspire students to learn more about space.
March 17, 2018
This book frustrates me. Is it nonfiction or fiction? Is it a gazing book? A narrative? Informational? I think it would be really hard for a student to tease out the facts while reading this book. It's too cumbersome to read as a read aloud to a group in one sitting. As soon as I found out that Max never went to space I felt betrayed and lost interest. I checked the website for the hidden pictures as instructed at the start and could not find half of the hidden images. But I gave it three stars because I know that some kids would not be bothered by my cynical critique and they would enjoy gazing at the images.
May 20, 2018
Tori and her family went to the park when Max was scouted by a woman who works for the International Space Station. Max, the dog, immediately went into training to get ready to go into space! This is a great story that not only tells a fictional one in the middle but is surrounded by informational tidbits! It answers questions such as “Where does space begin?” Or “Why are astronauts weightless?” When Max returned home, he was a puppy hero! I loved the activities at the end of the story as well! Great read!
August 6, 2019
This is Max's origin story and his first visit to space to visit the space station. There is a typical picture book set up and story that can be read to younger readers and then information boxes on each page that add some extra information that will be more interesting as the children get older. I wasn't sure while reading what I thought about putting a dog on the space station. And I think the author chickening out on telling us how Max is supposed to go to the bathroom in space is terrible! :)
May 20, 2018
This book was not one of my favorites, but it was a great book for informational text. We have a fictional story with non-fictional sidebars. For my students that are interesting in space, I would recommend this book. I really enjoy stories about dogs, but I found it to be boring. The sidebars were very interesting. They were a great informational source. I found the pictures to be beautifully painted.
January 25, 2019
Max the dog is chosen to go the the International Space Station. His owner, Tory, gets to go along to Houston for the training and keeps in close contact with the Captain who goes with Max. The story has plenty of interest even for younger children, but the sidebars are fascinating for all. There's lots of real science to go with this story! Even more fun, you can listen to this story read by a REAL ASTRONAUT on the Space Station! See www.StoryTimeFromSpace.com !
May 26, 2020
I watched this book online read by an astronaut in the actual Space Station which I thought was pretty cool. He did an excellent job reading the book since this book includes a section of facts on each page. It was very information and it told a story at the same time. Max is a dog who has the opportunity to go on the Space Station. The book has a lot of science vocabulary which makes this appropriate for older students in 3-4th grade.
This book received the Golden Duck Awards 2015 for picture books.
This book received the Golden Duck Awards 2015 for picture books.
March 23, 2021
Max Goes to the Moon would be a great book to introduce the topic of space. Not only does it tell a fun story that children can relate to, it has some great information on space itself. Each page has a small paragraph that has important space facts that children can retain for later use.
September 14, 2019
Max the dog trains and then complets amission with real astronauts to the space station. Compelte with lots of nonfiction facts about the space station. Elementary and up
Read
May 2, 2018Read by Astronaut Mike Hopkins on the International Space Station, in a video from Story Time From Space
June 18, 2018
I listened to this story on Story Time From Space, which I found on YouTube. It was read aloud by an astronaut, and had Earth in the background. The voice was monotone, but I really liked the idea that it was read aloud by an astronaut from space. I also liked how the video showed some close up images of the book, but other times the images were hard to see. This book had some easy information for younger readers to learn about, related to science content and the moon. Some of the vocabulary could be challenging for younger readers, such as the words surface, moon blast, moon ship, etc. I think this book would be a good fit for elementary students. They would probably enjoy hearing about a dog going to the moon because it is different than a common trip to the moon. It looked like there was some good information on some of the pages, which were on the sides of each page. I would have to see a hard copy of the book to get a closer look. It might be better than three stars with an in person copy.
February 23, 2017
This picture book tells the story of a dog, Max who is chosen to go into space. The story follows Max's journey as he prepares, trains, and finally experiences what it's like to be in space. There is a problem once Max and the crew are orbiting Earth....but, alas! Max to the rescue!
This story is told in a third person point of view, but much of the story is revealed through dialogue between Tori, Max's young owner, and the space crew. I almost wish the narrator would let us inside of Max's head to see what he was thinking. Otherwise, Max is quite a flat character for being in the title.
This book does not have a "sci-fi" feel to it, since the plot and characters seems very realistic. One interesting feature of the book is that each page has a side panel with information on space travel. It is a nice complement to the fictional story.
I read this book on my kindle app, and it is readable and appealing, although the print is a little small.
This story is told in a third person point of view, but much of the story is revealed through dialogue between Tori, Max's young owner, and the space crew. I almost wish the narrator would let us inside of Max's head to see what he was thinking. Otherwise, Max is quite a flat character for being in the title.
This book does not have a "sci-fi" feel to it, since the plot and characters seems very realistic. One interesting feature of the book is that each page has a side panel with information on space travel. It is a nice complement to the fictional story.
I read this book on my kindle app, and it is readable and appealing, although the print is a little small.
January 29, 2016
Max Goes to the Space Station
THIRD BOOK IN TEXT SET
Note: The numbers in boldface in the passage below identify the correspondingly-numbered opening moves listed at the end of the passage.
(1)“Let's take a look at this cool book. What’s this back here? (points to profile of earth on the cover) And these dots all over, what are they? (points to the stars) So what do you think the setting of this book is -- where does it take place? (children respond) Right, most of it takes place in space! See this thing here? (points to picture on cover, then opens book and shows the endpapers) That’s the International Space Station, or ISS. (2)Listen (reads from box on p. 7): ‘The international Space Station is the largest and most complex structure ever assembled in space.’ (reads a bit more from p. 7, then goes back to examining the cover) So it’s not a space ship, because it doesn’t travel anywhere. It’s more like a big building in space where astronauts live and work for several months at a time. But wait – there’s a DOG in there! (points to picture of Max the Dog looking out of the window of the ISS) (3)What the heck? What’s a DOG doing in SPACE? How did he get into this situation? Is he supposed to be there? Hmmm . . . (reads title) Max Goes to the Space Station. Who do you think Max is? (children respond) Yeah, he’s the dog. What do you think will happen to Max? (children respond) I can’t wait to find out!”
Opening Moves used:
(1) Draw attention to the setting.
(2) Provide important background information.
(3) Prompt hypothesizing based on the situation.
Rationale for selecting:
I selected this book to be third in my text set because I wanted to keep building students’ knowledge of space exploration (each page includes a sidebar filled with facts and explanations of physics concepts), but felt I would more effectively hold their attention if I offset the straight nonfiction of Astronauts with a realistic fiction book. Additionally, students will be able to apply the knowledge they gained from reading Astronauts to Max’s story: just like the real astronauts, Max trains and prepares before going into space; he wears a special suit and deals with weightlessness; and he faces a life-or-death situation. Finally, this book introduces students to the notion of the ISS as a stepping-stone to inter-planetary travel, which prepares them for the next book in the text set, Mousetronaut Goes to Mars.
THIRD BOOK IN TEXT SET
Note: The numbers in boldface in the passage below identify the correspondingly-numbered opening moves listed at the end of the passage.
(1)“Let's take a look at this cool book. What’s this back here? (points to profile of earth on the cover) And these dots all over, what are they? (points to the stars) So what do you think the setting of this book is -- where does it take place? (children respond) Right, most of it takes place in space! See this thing here? (points to picture on cover, then opens book and shows the endpapers) That’s the International Space Station, or ISS. (2)Listen (reads from box on p. 7): ‘The international Space Station is the largest and most complex structure ever assembled in space.’ (reads a bit more from p. 7, then goes back to examining the cover) So it’s not a space ship, because it doesn’t travel anywhere. It’s more like a big building in space where astronauts live and work for several months at a time. But wait – there’s a DOG in there! (points to picture of Max the Dog looking out of the window of the ISS) (3)What the heck? What’s a DOG doing in SPACE? How did he get into this situation? Is he supposed to be there? Hmmm . . . (reads title) Max Goes to the Space Station. Who do you think Max is? (children respond) Yeah, he’s the dog. What do you think will happen to Max? (children respond) I can’t wait to find out!”
Opening Moves used:
(1) Draw attention to the setting.
(2) Provide important background information.
(3) Prompt hypothesizing based on the situation.
Rationale for selecting:
I selected this book to be third in my text set because I wanted to keep building students’ knowledge of space exploration (each page includes a sidebar filled with facts and explanations of physics concepts), but felt I would more effectively hold their attention if I offset the straight nonfiction of Astronauts with a realistic fiction book. Additionally, students will be able to apply the knowledge they gained from reading Astronauts to Max’s story: just like the real astronauts, Max trains and prepares before going into space; he wears a special suit and deals with weightlessness; and he faces a life-or-death situation. Finally, this book introduces students to the notion of the ISS as a stepping-stone to inter-planetary travel, which prepares them for the next book in the text set, Mousetronaut Goes to Mars.
January 28, 2014
I love space. My son loves space. I don't think there is enough good information about it which is aimed at young children and they go largely uninspired until they can enjoy the beautiful Usborne books. So I was very excited about Max. The art is lovely and the information is good but there are issues. The story is long and the information crowds in on the page which can be confusing. It feels like a book for older children whilst trying to be a book for younger ones.
November 26, 2014
It is an amazing book, every educational for kids especially if they are interested in learning or knowing more about space. I flipped through it and I think I will be giving it to my cousins who are in sixth and eighth grade because I know they will really enjoy it.
March 11, 2015
Some really great information in this series
July 22, 2017
This science fiction book is the prequel to others in a series of adventures with Max the Dog. During this educational picture book Max visits the Internation Space Station while introducing the life of astronaunts to the reader. Any reader, no matter the age, will learn more about science, planets, and space. Each page is accompanied by realistic drawings and side bars allowing readers to dive even deeper into the world of science and supportive vocabulary.
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