Amazing Solar System Projects You Can Build Yourself by Delano Lopez, 2008, Nomad Press
Do you like projects you can make at home? With a yardstick you can make your own ramp like Galileo’s Acceleration Ramp. Use a cardboard tube and two lenses to make a Galilean Telescope. Try a Newtonian Telescope made with a cardboard box, aluminum foil, a small mirror and other household items. Even make your own Sputnik Satellite, Eagle Lander, or Mars Exploration Rover. Have fun building them yourself!
Exploring the Solar System: A History with 22 Activities by Mary Kay Carson, 2006, Chicago Review Press
Imagine you are Galileo and try the “Spy the Evening Star” activity. Next, pretend to be Kepler and do “Outlining Orbits.” Then “Build a Telescope.” “Walk to Pluto” to get your exercise. “Go Satellite Watching,” “Put Together a Probe,” be creative and “Make a Mission Patch,” and much more.
Galileo for Kids: His Life and Ideas by Richard Panchyk, 2005, Chicago Review Press
Climb Galileo’s family tree to find out when and why they changed their family name from Bonajuti to Galilei. Travel along the timeline of many discoveries both before and after Galileo. Cook a Renaissance meal of meatballs and pea soup. Play ―Roll the Dice‖ and the ―Beam Strength Game.‖ Try the floating needle or the lodestone experiment. See how to make your own lunar observations. Use the map of Italy to find the important places in Galileo’s life. And be sure to read what the famous astronaut Buzz Aldrin wrote in the forward of this terrific book.
Galileo’s Journal 1609–1610 by Jeanne K. Pettenati, 2006, Charlesbridge 
Can you imagine what Galileo would write in a journal about one of the most exciting years in his life? In 1609, four hundred years ago, Galileo first looked at the night sky through his spyglass. In 1610, he published the book The Starry Messenger about what he saw. Galileo’s Journal imagines what that year was like. You might want to use facts about some other scientist or astronomer to write a journal for them. Imagine you are telling their story through your own journal entries.
Galileo’s Telescope by Gerry Bailey & Karen Foster, 2009, Crabtree
Digby and his sister, Hannah, like to go to Mr. Rummage’s Market. One Saturday they find an old telescope. From Mr. Rummage they learn all about Galileo’s first telescope, his discoveries, and how they changed the world. You, too, can learn all of this and more from Mr. Rummage. The next time you go to a garage sale, a flea market, or an antique shop look for an old telescope to buy for your own.
Are you ready to start star spotting? You’ll need binoculars or a small telescope. Binoculars with bigger lenses are better for viewing the night sky. You might even want to try taking photos of the night sky. If you do, use a tripod or three-legged stand to help keep your camera steady. Do you like to travel with your family? You might want to check out telescopes and observatories in Hawaii, Wisconsin, California, Puerto Rico, the Canary Islands, or right near where you live.
Starry Messenger by Peter Sis, 1996, Farrar, Straus, Giroux
Read Galileo’s own words used to tell part of this story about his discoveries. Look at the intricate pictures to see if you can locate Galileo hiding in them. Find out how Galileo upset the Church and was punished for his observations and writings. Then learn how three hundred years later, because his discoveries were so valuable to science, Galileo was pardoned by the Church.
The Hubble Space Telescope by Margaret W. Carruthers, 2003, Scholastic
Edwin Hubble was curious about space. Using telescopes, he discovered that the Milky Way isn’t the only galaxy in the universe. He also found that the universe is expanding. The space telescope, launched in 1990, was named for Hubble. The Hubble Space Telescope (HST) is made of 100,000 parts and is about the size of a school bus! Imagine being a telescope repair person traveling into space to make changes to the HST. Watch for the Hubble Telescope to retire soon from its space adventure.
The Telescope by Tamra Orr, 2004, Scholastic
A Dutch eyeglass maker, Hans Lippershey, is thought to be the first to make a tool to help people see farther. This tool became a spyglass and then the telescope. Galileo is the most famous astronomer for his observations of the stars, the moon, and the planets. Follow the telescope timeline from 1514 into the future. Learn more about recent famous astronomers and scientists like Hale, Hubble, and Webb.
The Incredible Story of Telescopes by Greg Roza, 2004, PowerKids Press
Since Galileo’s first experiments, there have been many kinds of telescopes. The twin Keck telescopes are two huge optical telescopes in Hawaii. The Arecibo in Puerto Rico is a radio telescope. Probably the most famous is the Hubble Space Telescope, which orbits the Earth in only 97 minutes. Now, scientists are working on a larger, more powerful replacement for the Hubble
Women Astronomers: Reaching for the Stars by Mabel Armstrong, 2008, Stone Pine Press
Long ago, many wives, sisters, and daughters of astronomers helped them with their inventions and observations. Caroline Herschel, for example, became her brother’s assistant. In 1895, women astronomers, who were called “computers,” worked at Harvard Observatory. Now, women are leading research. Margaret Burbidge headed a team that designed the Hubble Space Telescope. Nancy Roman is noted for designing telescopes that orbit the Earth. She’s sometimes called the “Mother of the HST.” Read these biographies about women astronomers such as Jill Tartner, Wendy Freedman, and Sally Ride. Maybe one day you’ll add your name to this important group.
Telescopes and Space Probes 2nd edition, 2007, World Book
Telescopes help us see far away but space probes can actually go there. Like telescopes, space probes gather data and sometimes space samples. A special kind of probe is a rover that can land on and explore planets. Did you know that a third grade girl, Sofi Collins, won a contest to name the 2003 Mars rovers? She named them Spirit and Opportunity. What would you enter in a “Name the Rovers” contest?
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