Tag: astronomy

The New Astronomy Book: A Moms of Master Books Review

Grace-Filled Writer


My monthly review for Master Books (A division of New Leaf Publishing) is really awesome this month! I mean, they’re always awesome, but we’re really excited about this one because my girls are all about astronomy. I feel so very blessed to have these resources. I know I say this a lot, but seriously I love re-learning science with my daughters.

The New Astronomy Book by Danny R. Faulkner is just stunning. We had the original Astronomy book, which we loved, but this new, updated version has really upped its game! The pictures are even more vivid and detailed than the original. Even if you have the original, getting this updated version is not merely a replacement. It is just adding more to your science and astronomy library.

Like with all the other Wonders of Creation titles (which I highly recommend!) you can trust this book will point you both to scientifically accurate information as well as biblical accuracy. Every time I open up one of these books I am once again grateful for the opportunity to study science with the foundation of biblical truth.

One of the new features I really like of this book is the inclusion of technology. Kids these days are so consumed with technology that they may be hesitant to open a book before searching the internet. In this culture books need to be dynamic and engaging. Each chapter contains not only stunning photographs but also fun technology graphics that don’t feel cheesy. My oldest daughter especially really likes this feature and has enjoyed perusing the book, cover-to-cover. She hasn’t read the entire thing, but it has once again ignited her interest in the heavens above.

We enjoyed viewing the stars last winter when it started to get dark earlier and my girls have been asking about when we get to do this again. My middle girl has become quite fascinated with the moon as well and takes great pleasure in telling us if we’re viewing a waning or waxing crescent. What fun to have high-quality resources at their finger tips to fuel their curiosities!

I personally enjoy reading the books in this series so I know how to answer their numerous questions. The detail and clearly written information make this user-friendly for science lovers of any age. You won’t be disappointed in adding this title to your library.

Disclaimer: I received The New Astronomy Book as part of the Moms of Master Books Team. I was not required to give a positive review. I was not compensated in any other way. 

The Universe: Moms of Master Books Review

Grace-Filled Writer

Another title for you from the Moms of Master Books! This month we’re reviewing the newest title in the series Investigate the Possibilities from Master Books (and imprint of New Leaf Publishing Group). This is a wonderful series. For all you PBS fans you’ll find this has the feeling of Sid the Science Kid. Lots of investigation and exploration for the child and opportunity to record their findings in their own journal. What I’ve seen of this series makes me want to see more!

My girls are infatuated with all things space-related, especially Rose. She has so many questions…How far away are the stars? Why can we only see the moon at night? Can we see the planets? This Universe: From Comets to Constellations will go a long way in answering her many, many inquiries! The 20 investigations cover all areas of the universe from a biblical perspective which merges observation science with the truth of Scripture. Just like every other title from Master Books I know I can trust both the scientific evidence and biblical perspective to point us to truth and understanding of the world around us.

It saddens me to hear to volatile hatred expressed towards anyone who believes in an inerrant Word of God. The anger and disdain shown towards anyone who dares to express the view that there is a divine Creator rather than random chance does not make sense to me. Why can there not be respectful disagreement and discussion in this area? It seems that the current tone of discussion will allow neither, yet I want my girls to be very aware of the views which oppose biblical creation. My reasoning is so they can not only choose for themselves what they will believe, but also be fully equipped with knowledge of why they can stand on the truth of the Word of God. This is just one more tool in my library of resources to not only answer their questions, but fuel their curiosities!

Okay, so enough about why I’m loving this book! Let me get down to the details. Each investigation has an introductory story followed by a simple experiment which uses around the house kinds of items to help better understand properties and concepts about astronomy. Following this is a deeper explanation of the history and observational science used to piece together our understanding of the universe. Included in this area are full explanations of opposing viewpoints on evolution and why they are believed by those who do not follow Scripture, but also why we can trust God’s Word as true. Finally is explanation of how the experiments and activities connect for a full appreciation of the ideas presented. The final portion gives both comprehension and discussion questions as well as opportunity to further explore more deeply into the subject.

The girls really liked looking at the beautiful color pictures in each investigation. I appreciated the inclusion of history as well as observation of science. Our cat was enjoying our time checking this new book out as well.  Zoe loves it any time we hang out on the floor and let her snuggle on our books. This book is going to be a lot of fun to explore this summer!

The investigation we looked at first was observing the movement of the universe in space. Since that isn’t something we can actually do in our homeschool, we did a smaller version of it using a balloon and a sharpie. Cool! We blew balloons up just a little and dotted them with a marker. Then we deflated them to see how closely the “stars” were to each other and blew it up again to watch it expand! I didn’t tell them what to expect, but did tell them what the dots represented. The amazed smiles on their faces as we watched the “stars” expand! It was a great way to visually show them this principle. 
Also included in this series are investigation journals and teacher’s guides for each book. These are really nice additions to the set. You can feel very confident in using this for your curriculum as there are more than enough resources to guide you through. 
Disclaimer: I received The Universe as well as the teacher’s guide and students journal as part of the Moms of Master Books Team. I was not required to give a positive review. I was not compensated in any other way. 

The Stargazers Guide to the Night Sky from Master Books: Review

Grace-Filled Writer
I never liked science very much in school. I did when I was younger, but by the time I reached middle school and high school not so much. I’ve been wondering why recently and think it may have to do with the effort I felt it was taking to sort out what was factual and what was being based on evolutionary theory. I couldn’t tell whether what I was taught was actually based on observation because of how things were worded in my science books. The only teacher I knew I could trust was my AP Biology teacher my senior year because she told us from day one she was a Christian and did not believe evolutionary theory. Now, I’m working to remedy my apathy for all things science mostly because of my science-loving daughter!

While there are several groups who publish materials which are Creation based my favorite thus far is Master Books, a division of New Leaf Publishing. Not only are their books educationally and scientifically sound, they take time to make sure they are beautifully published and engaging to read. I now find science interesting where I once was turned off by it. The most recent book I had the opportunity to review was the The Stargazers Guide to the Night Sky. Wow! This book is jam packed with information and beautiful pictures.

I appreciate there is information for beginners as well as those more experienced. I’m certainly a beginner, but for those who already know a bit about the heavenly bodies will learn as well. The best part is that the purpose is reflected in the title. Lots of information is given, but everything relates back to observing the night sky. We know the stars are a revelation of the wonder of our Creator and understanding which is honoring to Him.

The moon one night while we were camping this summer

No matter what you are hoping to learn about astronomy, this is an excellent starting point. The moon is an excellent place for beginners to start and is fascinating for students of all ages. My girls love looking for the moon each night and have begun to realize it isn’t always in the same location. The chapter on the moon and sun explain a lot about the moon’s position and movement.

My favorite chapter so far is about the basics of using a telescope. I purchased a telescope for our homeschool over the summer and it wasn’t as easy to use as I’d anticipated! Although it was not a complicated telescope, I had no experience using one and needed some guidance. Thankfully we were all able to enjoy a beautiful view of the moon one evening when it finally stopped raining! We were also blessed that evening with an unobstructed view of the moon.

The hardest part about using a telescope is keeping it focused for all three girls! They really enjoyed looking at the moon, but I’m definitely going to be taking more time to read this chapter of the book so I can understand how to use it even better. I know there are many more ways to use this telescope and I’ve only just begun to learn! 


The pictures in this book are breathtaking…simply stunning. Even if you aren’t able to see the night sky because of bad weather, this book can give you an up-close view. In case you’re interested in photographing the evening sky there is also a wonderful chapter on this. I doubt I’ll ever be to that point, but my girls might be one day. One of their favorite past times is photography. They each have their own digital cameras. While their current cameras are nowhere near high powered enough for night-time photography, I can certainly see them studying photography more in depth as they get older. I’m sure this book will be one of the first places they’ll start.

Master Books has become a trusted source for our family and they definitely don’t disappoint with A Stargazers Guides to the Night Sky.

Disclaimer: I received The Stargazers Guide to the Night Sky from Master Books in exchange for my honest opinion and review. I was not required