Totality!

Tens of millions of people came out to view the 2017 total solar eclipse, the first in the US in nearly four decades. Now we are approaching an even more exciting, back-to-back pair of US eclipses: an annular eclipse on Oct. 14, 2023 and a total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024. You won’t want to miss them, and there’s no better way to prepare than to use the free app “Totality by Big Kid Science” (expected to be downloaded and used by millions) and this new book written by the creator of that app.

Totality! features a unique combination of rhyme and science that makes it suitable for a wide range of ages. The rhyme has been pedagogically constructed to serve as a mnemonic device for the underlying science explained with illustration and “Big Kid Box” sidebars.

The book concludes with a glossary, suggested activities, and a one-page eclipse science summary — features that will add particular value for parents and teachers learning along with their students or kids. Note: Printed books come with two pairs of eclipse glasses (placed in an envelope inside the front cover), and instructions on their use, that will allow readers to view the eclipse safely.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Astrophysicist/author Jeffrey Bennett, a recipient of the American Institute of Physics Science Communication Award, has long specialized in math and science education. TOTALITY! is his seventh book for children, and it will join his six previous children’s books as a selection for the Story Time From Space program, in which astronauts aboard the International Space Station read books to the children of Earth, with videos posted at storytimefromspace.com. Dr. Bennett is also the author of critically acclaimed books for the general public on topics including global warming, the search for extraterrestrial life, Einstein’s theory of relativity, and math and science teaching, and the lead author of college textbooks in astronomy, astrobiology, mathematics, and statistics (combined sales >2 million copies). Other career highlights include having served as a Visiting Senior Scientist at NASA Headquarters, proposing and co-leading development of the Voyage Scale Model Solar System on the National Mall in Washington, DC, founding Big Kid Science, creating the free app Totality by Big Kid Science, and creating a free online textbook/curriculum for middle school Earth and Space Science (grade8science.com). Learn more at his web sites, jeffreybennett.com and bigkidscience.com.

OTHER BOOKS BY JEFFREY BENNETT

For children:
Max Goes to the Moon
Max Goes to Jupiter
Max Goes to Mars
Max Goes to the Space Station
The Wizard Who Saved the World
I, Humanity


For grownups:
Beyond UFOs
Math for Life: Crucial Ideas You Didn’t Learn in School
What Is Relativity? An Intuitive Introduction to Einstein’s Ideas, and Why They Matter
On Teaching Science: Principles and Strategies That Every Educator Should Know
A Global Warming Primer: Answering Your Questions About The Science, The Consequences, and The Solutions

Textbooks:
The Cosmic Perspective
The Essential Cosmic Perspective
The Cosmic Perspective Fundamentals
Life in the Universe
Using and Understanding Mathematics
Statistical Reasoning for Everyday Life