A solar eclipse is a rare event, so you’ll want to make it as memorable as possible for your students. Reading aloud one of these solar eclipse books for older kids is a perfect way to incorporate this event into the classroom.
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1. Eclipse: How the 1919 Solar Eclipse Proved Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity
Eclipse: How the 1919 Solar Eclipse Proved Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity this nonfiction illustrated picture book explains how the push (acceleration) and pull (gravity) of space affects light. The illustrations will captivate your students while the text will educate your students on the concept of relativity. Perfect for connecting learning to the total solar eclipse.
2. The Lizard and the Sun/La Largatija y el Sol
The Lizard and the Sun/La Largatija y el Sol is a bilingual fictional book with the left pages contained the story in English and the right pages containing the story in Spanish. In the story, the sun has disappeared from the sky. The days and nights run into each other and the people are worried the sun will never come back. The animals all go looking for the sun, but they all eventually give up except for one…the lizard.
3. Sun and Moon
In Sun and Moon, the moon imagines what everything must look like during the day. It decides it wants to trade places with the sun. The sun agrees, under one condition. Sun tells moon that he must first take a careful look at his night before making his final decision. The moon takes in all the sights and observes all the animals. Will he give it up to trade places with the sun?
4. Sun and Moon Sisters
Sun and Moon Sisters is a fictional book about two sisters, the Sun and the Moon. They each become jealous of each other and wonder who is more important. To settle the debate, they decide to trade places. As the Sun begins shining all through the night, and the Moon brings night to the day, calamity ensues. The sisters learn an important lesson.
5. The Sun Played Hide-and-Seek: A Personification Story
Grasping figurative language concepts can often be difficult for students. The Sun Played Hide-and-Seek: A Personification Story takes the idea of personification and makes it understandable and accessible. The story centers around a girl who must research and present a report to her class on nonhuman things with human characteristics. She understands her topic but she’s just not sure how she will explain it to her classmates. As she walks through the park, she comes up with plenty of ways to convey her topic.
