Science Books for Kids on Robots and Alien Life

Fun Books Discuss History of Robots and Astrobiology

Oct 19, 2009

From robotic toys to SETI at home, these science books for kids showcase the ever changing world of robotics and astrobiology.

When it comes to books on other planets and robots, updated nonfiction books for kids are essential. After all, before the space race between NASA and the Russian space program, certain dictionaries defined rockets as fictional modes of travel. Likewise, some of the robotic toys kids play with today may have only been seen in sci fi videos just a few years prior.

With that in mind, here are two science books for kids that go into the history of robots and search for alien life, while outlining new advances in robotics and astrobiology.

Adrienne Mason, author of many articles for National Geographic Kids magazine, covers the history of robots for kids in this nonfiction book full of robot pictures and photos.

Beginning with a robot timeline that stretches back to the late 1400s, Mason relates how inventors like Leonardo da Vinci and Nikola Tesla created early robots and remote controlled vehicles. From there, she fast-forwards to showcase modern industrial robots that help assemble cars, as well as an experimental bionic robotic arm that can be controlled by a person’s thoughts. Other sections spotlight “hazbots” that navigate danger zones for bomb squads and search-and-rescue teams.

For all their uses, however, occasionally the robots described seem over-the-top – even frivolous. One wonders, for instance, about the practicality of “Repliee,” a human-looking android that works as a “greeter” at robot expositions. And while the robotic surgeons that let doctors operate by remote control have beneficial possibilities, it’s worth asking how many people will actually benefit from them based on their expense.

Still, as Mason reminds the reader, back in the 1970s nobody dreamed that iPods or personal computers would become as commonplace or essential as they are today – making it a real possibility that the experimental robotics today may become accepted parts of society in the near future. Either way, the book provides the right balance between bizarre and real that will captivate young fans of nonfiction books.

Can living organisms survive in highly radioactive environments? Can people help search for alien life at home? And what might an old star taste like?*

If any of these questions interest you, Out of this World: The Amazing Search for an Alien Earth, will provide a fun introduction to astrobiology, or the study of the possibility of alien life on other worlds. Through photographs, paintings, and commentary from a friendly fictional alien named Xenon, author Jacob Berkowitz examines attempts to find an Alien Earth, or a planet capable of creating and supporting life as humans understand it.

While most of the book’s facts about Alien Earths are based on speculation and educated guesses, kids will still like reading how astrobiologists search for exoplanets, or planets outside our solar system – some of which may support life. And although the exoplanet photos shown are basically bright spots against dark backgrounds, readers also get to see paintings by space artist Robert Hurt of what he thinks exoplanets look like up close.

Surprisingly, for a book about other planets, Out of this World focuses a lot on Earth life, giving readers a fascinating look at their own planet. Kids will like learning about “extremophiles,” microscopic animals that thrive in extreme environments like nuclear power plants or volcanoes, that are changing ideas about habitable planets. And all kids will be thrilled to learn about SETI @ Home, an online site that uses personal computers to analyze radio waves for possible extraterrestrial messages, letting kids join the search for alien life.

More Science Books for Kids

While full of fun facts, both Robots: From Everyday to Out of this World and Out of this World: The Amazing Search for an Alien Earth offer only the broadest overview of scientific fields that could easily take several books to cover in detail. As such these science books for kids work best as entertaining introductions to further reading about astrobiology, robotics, or other sciences readers become interested in as they read more.

* According to Berkowitz, old stars probably taste like burnt toast, thanks to their carbon atoms.

Mason, Adrienne. Robots: From Everyday to Out of this World. Kids Can Press. 2008. ISBN: 978-1-55453-203-2

Berkowitz, Jacob. Out of this World: The Amazing Search for an Alien Earth. Kids Can Press. 2009. ISBN: 978-1-55453-197-4

The copyright of the article Science Books for Kids on Robots and Alien Life in Children's Non-Fiction is owned by Michael Jung. Permission to republish Science Books for Kids on Robots and Alien Life in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.