In this fascinating nonfiction book that separates fact from fantasy, young children will read many stories of alien encounters and abductions. They'll see how aliens have played into popular culture, and discover some of the scientific and historic explanations for UFO and alien sightings. Have aliens visited our planet? Turn the pages to find out. Full-color photographs, vivid drawings, spine-tingling narratives, and historic documentation will thrill and inform every child.
Jim Pipe studied Ancient & Modern History at Oxford University, then spent ten years in publishing before becoming a full-time writer. He has written numerous non-fiction books for children, many on historical subjects. He lives in Dublin, Ireland, with his lovely wife Melissa and his twin sons.
Very exciting stroll through the world of UFOs: is anybody out there, kinds of encounters, types of aliens, alien abduction, attacks, the Roswell crash, hot spots, aliens in history, alien books, movies, do they exist? Many outstanding illustrations and pictures inside. This is exactly the kind of book I'd also have liked as a youth. Really recommended!
Twin Text: Aliens in Disguise by Clete Barrett Smith, 2013
Rationale: These two books are grouped together because they are both about aliens. Aliens in Disguise is a comedic story about David and Amy, who are middle schoolers, running a hotel for aliens while Grandma is away to accept an award. Of course, things to do not go well at Intergalactic Bed & Breakfast. The Twilight Realm: Aliens covers a variety of alien related topics, such as UFOs, abductions, and the men in black.
Text Structure: The Twilight Realm: Aliens features description and question and answer. Each spread has two or three very short articles that discuss the topic given in the section title. These topics present questions about alien life and alien activities that the book tries to answer. The back of the book has a fun quiz, a long glossary, books and websites to check out, and an index.
Strategy Application: I would use the Directed Reading-Thinking Activity (DR-TA) with these books. The titles of the mini articles in The Twilight Realm: Aliens can lead to thinking questions before the articles are read, such as “What do you think this section will be about ? Why do you think so?” They can then read and see if their predictions were correct. This could also be done with the novel Aliens in Disguise. Students can predict what will happen next and then read to see if they were right.
So much mystery surrounds sightings of Aliens and this book in The Twilight Realm series is full of historical sightings and other interesting facts. A quick read for those kids that are interested in alien or UFO activity.