A Black Hole Is Not a Hole

Starred review from January 1, 2012
Oh, my stars! As the cover proclaims, a black hole may not be an actual hole, but readers will be glad they fell into this book. The volume guides readers on a (literally) out-of-this-world tour, dealing with topics and concepts that, in the hands of a less-gifted writer, might have remained obscure and unclear. DeCristofano handles the material with wit, style and singularly admirable clarity, frequently employing easy-to-understand and, yes, down-to-earth ideas and scenarios to help make complex principles comprehensible to readers of all ages. Carroll's illustrations, diagrams and charts, along with superb telescopic photographs (many courtesy of NASA) are splendid and filled with the drama and excitement of the limitless vastness of space. The handsome design and visuals greatly enhance the text and add much to readers' grasp of the subject. Stargazers will be entranced, and even those not especially attuned to matters celestial will come away feeling smarter, awestruck and with a sense of finally understanding this fascinating, other-worldly phenomenon. An excellent resource. Hole-y astronomy! (timeline, glossary, author's note, bibliography, image credits, index) (Nonfiction. 10-14)

(COPYRIGHT (2012) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

Starred review from February 1, 2012
Grades 4-6 *Starred Review* Writing with rare verve (A black hole is nothing to look at. Literally.), DeCristofano condenses recent astronomical discoveries into a high-energy account of what we know or guess about one of the universe's deepest and most unobservable secrets. Covering the life cycles of stars; the formation of black holes and weird optical and physical effects associated with them; more recent revelations of super-sized black holes at the centers of galaxies; and the general effects of mass on space, light, and matter, she presents a clear, well-rounded picture of the strange structure and stranger physics of black holes. After leading a wild ride over a black hole's event horizon (Right away, you would need a new nicknamesomething like Stretch . . . .) and explaining theories about gravity from Newton's notions to Einstein's Spacey Ideas, DeCristofano leaves readers to ponder the truth of her claim that a black hole isn't a holebut NOT exactly NOT a hole either. Enhanced by a time line and a generous set of further resourcesand illustrated with plenty of cogent diagrams, space photographs, and Carroll's dramatic images of stellar whirlpools and mammoth jets of gas around cores of impenetrable blacknessthis book will snatch readers from their orbits and fling them into a lasting fascination with nature's most attractive phenomena. Literally.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)

Starred review from May 1, 2012
Black holes -- the remnants of former massive stars -- may provide fascinating play for the imagination (especially for science fiction fans), but the physics behind them can be equally captivating, particularly when presented with the explanatory skills exhibited in this book. Complicated abstract ideas, such as gravity, electromagnetism, and relativity, are logically ordered and clarified in an inviting conversational style and with inspired uses of reasoning and analogies that are perfectly attuned to the comprehension levels of the target audience. DeCristofano starts with the intriguing title statement, then goes on to discuss the main feature of black holes (their immense gravitational "pull"); the conditions of their formation; the ways in which they capture light (the "black" in black hole); and the evidence and detection techniques used by scientists to determine where they exist. The well-designed layouts include illustrations of stars, black holes, and other space phenomena; historical images of astronomers; helpful diagrams; and humorous text bubbles that add levity while underscoring major concepts. Appended are a timeline, a glossary, an author's note, book and website resources, and an index. danielle j. ford

(Copyright 2012 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

July 1, 2012
In this captivating book on black holes, complicated abstract ideas are logically ordered and clarified in an inviting conversational style and with inspired uses of reasoning and analogies perfectly attuned to the target audience. Well-designed layouts include illustrations, historical images, helpful diagrams, and humorous text bubbles that add levity while underscoring major concepts. Timeline. Bib., glos., ind.

(Copyright 2012 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

Starred review from April 1, 2012

Gr 5-7-This introduction to black holes takes readers from simple to complex by dropping definitions and information slowly and clearly into the lively narrative. Dramatic and amazing illustrations help to impart the sense of the vast distances in space, of how atomic nuclei meld in the intense interaction called fusion, and how the areas of a black hole-the event boundary, the extreme gravity zone, and the singularity-are defined. The appended time line begins with Newton's work on gravity in 1687 and ends with the theoretical shining of a flashlight toward our galaxy's black hole (Sagittarius A*, with a mass four million times that of our Sun) in 2012, which would take about 3600 years to reach its goal. The author's list of print resources credits classic science titles. Her website list cautions that the sites may not stay current, and she recommends using a search engine to get at the most up-to-date data. A four-page glossary provides succinct definitions and some pronunciation guides. The one-page index leads readers back to the text for many of the terms found in the glossary, e.g., "spaghettification," as well as for many of the scientists mentioned throughout. Informative, fun, and so beautiful that even general readers will be drawn into it.-Frances E. Millhouser, formerly at Chantilly Regional Library, Fairfax County, VA

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.