This review was originally published in School Library Journal’s June 2017 issue.
Voyager’s Greatest Hits by Alexandra Siy
Gr 4–8—Forty years after the launch of the twin space probes, Siy’s well-researched and enthusiastic title depicts their conception, construction, major discoveries, and lasting legacy. After two introductory chapters, the narrative settles into a pattern: each chapter opens with a historical breakthrough, such as Galileo discovering four of Jupiter’s moons, and then relates some pertinent information gained from the Voyagers’ data as well as photos from specific encounters. The material is presented in a chronological order that roughly follows Voyager One’s and Voyager Two’s journeys, taking readers from launch on Earth through reaching interstellar space. The final chapter, on the Golden Records, the Voyagers’ message in a bottle from Earth to aliens who may come across it, ends the book on a hopeful note. The back matter, especially the links found in “Keeping Up with the Voyagers,” will be invaluable for those wanting more. Siy’s conversational tone makes for quick reading, and she deftly injects humor into what could have been challenging passages about eight-tracks and other 1970s era technology. Beautiful full-page photographs, most of which are from the Voyager mission, enhance the text.
VERDICT An engaging and captivating STEM title that deserves a place in most libraries.—Kacy Helwick, New Orleans Public Library [Copyright 2017 School Library Journal.]