The Milky Way, Black Holes, and Constellations are three new books in a series called Our Solar System. While these books cover topics that extend beyond the solar system, the concepts are of interest to a young reader fascinated by astronomy. The Milky Way describes our own galaxy, its characteristic parts and behavior, and our location in it. All of the information presented is supported by astronomical observations. The author discusses types of galaxies and galactice groupings, including the Local Group, larger clusters, and superclusters. She explains the currently accepted theory of the formation and expansion of the universe. Black Holes catches the reader's attention with a description of a most mysterious celestial object. The author discusses the concepts of gravity, escape velocity, and the speed of light to illustrate properties of thius boject.

She describes the various hisotrical theories about black holes and looks at how we detect these objects today. In discussing their formation, the author makes an error, stating that stars die when their hydrogen is exhausted. Further, she fails to indicate that only supermassive stars form black holes during supernova explossions. However, these are the only points that are innacurate or overlooked and are probably the result of simplification for the reader. Constellations explores the patterns that humans have made out of the brightest stars in our night view. The author explains how the constellations came to be named, the significance of the patterns seen, and the generation of sky maps that astronomers have used for navigation. The book is rich in its discussion of the cultrues that have recognized constellations over the ages and how they have interpreted them in the light of their own mythologies. All three books are well written, with prose that is engaging.

All of the pages contain one or more visual graphics, including photographs of the celestial objects discussed, the scientists involved, and statellites that acquire modern data. There are also many illustrations, including artists' interpretations, old woodcut prints of scientists and ancient equipment, and period maps. At the end of each books is a section entitled "Did You Know?" that presents interesting information which will catch the eye of a young reader. The books are enhanced by ending sections that include a glossary, an index, a bibliography for furhter reading, a Web-site address for additional resources, and a list of places to visit, such as museums and observatories. Any one of these books would make an excellent addition to a school library or classroom collection. Best Books for Children 2005.