Adventures in the Solar System: Planetron and Me

by Geoffrey T. Williams, Dennis Regan

Will's mom and dad promise him a surprise for getting good grades in school. When his dad brings home a toy transformer robot named Planetron, Will is pleased, but not very excited. Until he discovers Planetron really transforms, from a toy into a huge, faster-than-light spaceship. And when Planetron asks Will if he wants to travel to the sun and the planets, the real adventure begins. Follow Will and Planetron as they escape dust storms on Mars, dodge hurtling asteroids, dive into Jupiter's great red spot, and ride a comet back to Earth.

Genres: Childrens, Science, Nonfiction

64 pages, Hardcover

First published February 28, 1986

Reviews

[Lily · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my favorite books of all time! When I was little I had the book and the book on tape, and after my dad & I read it together for the first time we began a tradition wherein he would begin all of his bedtime stories to me: "Once upon a time on a planet far far away, Lily and planetron..." and later, I would pick up from there and tell my own stories to him.

It's a great book for kids who dig science, science fiction, space, and also for those who are otherwise reluctant to learn about such things. It (along with Star Trek: Next Gen, Star Wars, Harrison Bergeron and stories by Issac Asimov also enjoyed by me frequently with my dad) was my gateway drug to Sci-fi as a genre that I continue to enjoy 20 years later.

[Melody Stauffer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so so thrilled and happy to have found this book again after many years of searching! It was probably my favorite childhood book but I read it from the library so couldn’t remember the name. I was so obsessed and would listen to it over and over and check it out from the library the max number of times! I feel like I went to all those planets and had all of those adventures! I am very grateful to the author, Geoffrey T. Williams, who gave me such an incredible, magical and life changing childhood experience!!

[Djhonz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the book that first got me interested in the science of planets and our solar system.

I can’t believe I actually found it again.

I felt the same sense of whimsy, adventure, and awe reading it again.

[Sonyia Roy · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my childhood favorites!

[Emily Holter · Rating 4 out of 5]

This science fiction book is a great read for older students in a 4th or 5th grade classroom. I don't believe it to be suitable for younger students, as for the book is quite long and the vocabulary isn't age appropriate for them. However, younger students may enjoy some aspects of the book, such as; the illustrations of outer space.

The book starts out with a young boy named, Will, earning a reward for a good report card. His dad ends up getting him a robot toy named, Planetron. Planetron came with a lot of extra transforming tools, such as; wheels, satalites, antennas, and cables. After Will started playing with his new robot, it started to come to life, using his little electronic, robot voice. All of a sudden, Planetron is having Will follow him into a spaceship, and while Will's mom was yelling it was time for dinner, the spaceship took off.

This book is really descriptive. As Will is inside Planetron's spaceship, it shows him going to all of the planets. A lot of facts are given about each planet, which allows for students to gain knowledge. The illustrations are right on par with the planets, too. It showed the sun, larger and brighter than ever, oozing, sun juices out left and right. It also showed how close each planet was to one another and to the sun. Even I, as a teacher, found the information and illustrations about these planets interesting, so surely students will, too.

If I were to use this book in my classroom, I would use it for a week long study on planets. I would probably read a little of this book each day, as we studied each planet. Students could also use this book as a tool, if they were to do a project on space.