Sydney & Simon: To the Moon!

Gr 1–3—An interesting situation arises when the competitive twins decide to participate against each other in a special STEAM contest about the Earth's moon. Sydney and Simon are eager to win the first place prize: to meet astronaut Commander Kris Kornfield. The siblings usually work well together as a team, but this time they have own ideas and secretly work hard on their projects. Unfortunately, they each appear to be missing an important aspect to make the presentation complete. Simon puts a lot of effort into his research about the phases of the moon, but his plan lacks a creative piece. Meanwhile, Sydney is busy painting a model of the moon but has neglected to do any of the necessary research. The two discuss their dilemma and decide they need to use "twinergy" to put together a "twinning" project. This story is a good bridge to early chapter books. The chapters are short and will not overwhelm young readers. The pen-and-ink illustrations provide children with images to help them visualize and process the words they are reading. STEAM thinking, which incorporates imagination and creativity, is strongly promoted. The book also encourages children to collaborate and value the talents of others. Readers can learn a great deal of information about the moon and its phases. The glossary provides simple definitions and useful information.