Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 10/01/2023 Crisp, large photos of Mars and space are a big draw in this installment in the Destination Mars series (6 titles). The author clearly explains why scientists are searching for water on our sometimes-closest neighbor planet as well as some of the compelling evidence they’ve found thanks to orbiters and surface rovers—e.g., geological features that resemble river beds and elements in the Martian soil that suggest the presence of water. All of this information culminates in an exploration of challenges human settlers on Mars would face trying to use that water and how essential that water would be to the success of a colony. While a touch dry, the focused topic, eye-catching images, and helpful back matter will be appreciated by students interested in how much intensive preparation and research a trip to Mars entails. - Copyright 2023 Booklist.

School Library Journal - 11/01/2023 Gr 3–6—Human exploration of Mars is a high interest topic, and each title in this series covers a different aspect of efforts toward this goal. Large images appear on every page; photos of Mars rovers, concept art of astronaut shelters, diagrams of equipment and other details support the text. Readers will learn about the Mars Sample Return mission, how the Artemis project can create a departure point for Mars, and why planetary orbits are so important to the timing of space flight. Captions supply even more details about the images. Sidebars provide an in-depth look at China's Zhurong rover, what ISS crews have learned about living in space, and experiments with the MOXIE device to convert carbon dioxide into oxygen. Back matter includes a glossary, list of books and websites for further reading, and photo credits. VERDICT Recommended to expand and update collections with the latest projects in space exploration. - Copyright 2023 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.