Astronomy Site
	Mona Evans BellaOnline's Astronomy Editor

Astronomy Books as Gifts
What about some astronomy-related books for presents? I´ve made a dozen recommendations, mostly for readers (8-14), but there are some for adults too. Maybe one would suit somebody on your list.

Bang! - The Universe Verse - book review
What would it take to explain the Big Bang Theory? James Lu Dunbar´s "Bang!" might do it - and amuse you and your children at the same time. It´s a splendid little book which tells the story of the universe in verse and appealing graphics.

Cosmic - book review
Cosmic isn´t an astronomy text. It´s a delightful novel for young people which includes space travel and an cast of great characters, including Liam who´s too tall for his age. It´s Willy Wonka meets Apollo 13, as the taikonauts get chosen in an unusual draw and end up stranded in space.

Exploring Stars and Planets - book review
Looking for an astronomy book for readers 8-14? Philip's has a brand new edition of Ian Ridpath's best seller. Clearly written and illustrated with up-to-date images, it's the story of the Solar System. But there are also glimpses into galaxies, exploding stars and the history of the Universe.

George´s Cosmic Treasure Hunt - book review
George is sad. The family next door are moving away and things will be so dull without them. Or maybe not! Why is the new Martian rover acting so strangely? Has the search for life met an alien threat to Earth? Lucy and Stephen Hawking take George and the reader on a cosmic adventure.

George´s Secret Key to the Universe - book review
In Lucy & Stephen Hawking´s book, the hero George used to have a quiet life, but now he´s trying to rescue his next door neighbor from a black hole. Here´s a lively illustrated story, beautiful color images of the universe, and from the man who knows, a great explanation of what a black hole is.

Icarus at the Edge of Time - book review
Icarus flew too close to the Sun with wings of wood and wax. The wax melted and he fell to his death. Brian Greene´s Icarus of the future flies too close to a black hole and finds that he should have paid more attention to Einstein.

It's Alive! - book review
The Universe Verse is back. Book 1 was the Big Bang Theory in verse and drawings. Now stars and planets have formed, but something new is happening: Life. Book 2 is about evolution by natural selection. In its cheerful verse and lovely color drawings, it's also a love poem to our beautiful Earth.