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Let's Investigate with Nate #2: The Solar System

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Bill Nye the Science Guy meets The Magic School Bus! This is the second book in a new STEM-based picture book series from the Emmy Award-winning host of PBS’s Design Squad and Design Squad Nation , Nate Ball. With a lively cast of characters and vibrant illustrations by Wes Hargis, it's an adventure in learning!  This nonfiction picture book is an excellent choice to share during homeschooling, in particular for children ages 4 to 6. It’s a fun way to learn to read and as a supplement for activity books for children. Ever look up at the sky and wonder how many planets there are? Or want to know how many Earths could fit within the Sun? Take a ride 3.6 billion miles away to answer these questions and more while exploring the solar system with Nate and his team of adventurous scientists! Walk on the moon, fly with a satellite, gaze at comets, and discover why Pluto isn’t a planet anymore.

40 pages, Paperback

Published August 1, 2017

3 people are currently reading
23 people want to read

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Nate Ball

15 books12 followers

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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
Profile Image for Micha O'Connor.
102 reviews7 followers
November 7, 2017
PBS host Nate Ball delves into the mysterious world of children’s books in his new informational series. This second iteration has Nate and his friends, Braden, Felix, Rosa, and Wendy investigating outer space. In the style of The Magic School Bus (though must easier to read), the group blasts off out of the Earth’s atmosphere to explore the stars, asteroids, and most importantly, planets. Considerable time is spent discussing the changed definition of planets, and Pluto’s de-classification of such. Aligned with common core standards, and including an experiment, this books, as well as the rest of the series, would be a great addition to an elementary science classroom or library. Recommended.
Profile Image for Bethany.
Author 22 books98 followers
October 5, 2017
Felix, Rosa, Braden, and Wendy are investigating with Nate again and this time it's all about the solar system. They're investigating whether or not Pluto is a planet. The definition of a planet has changed, even though Pluto hasn't.

On this adventure, Nate teaches about planets, gravity, satellites, moons, and asteroids. They discover these things while on the way to Pluto, since Pluto is so far away. It also teaches about galaxies and stars.

I loved that Nate Ball makes learning fun and seem like an adventure. I read his first one which is about the Water Cycle and this one reads the same. In the back of the book, there's a glossary and even an experiment for you to do at home. It's "Make Your Own Gravity Slingshot".


Final Verdict: I loved this book as much as this first one. I would recommend this to children who like space and museums. It also clears up why Pluto is no longer considered a planet.
Profile Image for Jillian.
2,525 reviews32 followers
August 13, 2018
Interesting and informative. Somewhat different from other "Solar System" books as this one asks a specific question (Is Pluto a planet?) and works on answering it even as other things are brought up and discussed.

I really like the note at the back about "definitions" versus "facts." The definition of Pluto may have changed, but it's still Pluto.
Profile Image for Cindy Mitchell *Kiss the Book*.
6,002 reviews221 followers
November 5, 2017
Ball, Nate. Let’s Investigate with Nate: The Solar System, illustrated by Wes Hargis. Harper, 2017. $17.99. Content: G. PICTURE BOOK.
Nate and the kids go the Science Museum early Saturday morning and go on an amazing adventure around the solar system. On their adventures, they learn about: gravity, planets, the sun, and earth. They also learn why Pluto isn’t considered a planet anymore, poor Pluto. Nate and the kids orbit the earth like satellites and then take their rocket ship to visit all of the planets and the asteroids. When they get back to the museum they set the record straight that Pluto isn’t a planet.

The book includes a glossary with all of the technical terms used. It also includes instructions for a Gravity Slingshot experiment. The story is definitely chock full of facts and explanations, but has enough of an overarching story to keep kids interested. The illustrations are fanciful and fun and look enough like the real planets to be educational.
EL-ADVISABLE. Samantha Hastings, MA, MLS.
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2017...
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews

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