Astronaut Sally Ride Included in New Enslow Collective Bio Series

The late Dr. Sally Ride always stood out from the crowd. Her high academic achievements, in scientific fields  where women were not always warmly welcomed, were consistent with her strong character and brilliant mind. She had the "right stuff" to become an astronaut and thrive in that profoundly macho world. In later life, Ride became a university professor and established her own educational enterprise.

Sally Ride's fascinating life story is included in Enslow's new Daredevil American Heroes of Exploration and Flight. Author Anne Schraff's 112-page book offers a collection of well-written, concise biographies of these courageous people. The work, part of Enslow's "Inspiring Collective Biographies" series, is among Enslow's Fall 2013 season's new offerings.

The book is available from Enslow in a library-bound edition for $23.95; that price represents a 25% school/library discount from Enslow's list price.A paperback edition is also available for $9.95.

You may also purchase these books from your preferred vendor, Barnes and Noble, and Amazon.

Once-Per-Century Transit of Venus Occurs Tonight

The transit of Venus, an astronomical phenomenon in which the Sun, Earth, and Venus are parallel with one another, typically occurs once per century. According to a NASA expert, there have been only 53 such transits since 2000 B.C. We are fortunate that this rare alignment will occur in today's early evening's sky. (One warning: do not look directly into the Sun!)

Highly unusual celestial events are a wonderful way to stimulate young readers' natural curiosity about astronomy. One book pertinent to the buzz about Venus can be found in Enslow Publishers' "Far-Out Guide to the Solar System" series. Author Mary Kay Carson's Far-Out Guide to Venus delivers a scientifically strong, age-appropriate text about this second planet from the Sun. The 48-page, Guided Reading Level "N" book includes excellent color photographs, stories of discovery in each chapter, and a profile of a scientist.

The paperback edition of Far-Out Guide to Venus, including a free, brief teacher's guide, is available from Enslow Publishers for $7.95. A library-bound edition is also available to schools and public libraries for $17.95: that represents a 25% discount from Enslow's list price for its library-bound edition!