Asteroids

Robert Kraske's 1995 Atheneum title brings real narrative energy to middle-grade space science. He covers the asteroid belt, Earth-crossing trajectories, and landmark events — Meteor Crater in Arizona, the Tunguska explosion of 1908, and the 1989 near-miss of asteroid 4581 Asclepius — and engages seriously with the theory that an asteroid impact drove the dinosaur extinction event. Booklist reviewer Julie Yates Walton praised Kraske for making 'mind-boggling' science approachable, and that praise is well earned. Atheneum, a respected Simon & Schuster children's imprint, gave the book solid distribution. The honest caveat is timing: asteroid science has advanced considerably since the mid-1990s, particularly in planetary defense, detection, and mission planning. This is a strong starting point for young readers, but current science resources should be paired with it for up-to-date coverage.