June 30 – Meteor Watch Day

It’s Meteor Watch Day!

There are millions of meteors or ‘shooting stars’ that occur in Earth’s atmosphere every day. The majority of them are smaller than a pebble, but if you’re lucky you might spot one tonight.

How to Catch a Star written and illustrated by Oliver Jeffers (2006)

There once was a boy who wanted a star of his own. He waited all day for one to appear in the sky, but he realized he couldn’t reach it. Then he saw the reflection of a star in the water. It just rippled at his touch, and he saw a shooting star in the sky. On his way home, he saw it… a star washed up on the sand. Finally, he had a star of his own.

Shooting Star Summer written by Candice Ransom and illustrated by Karen Milone (1992)

When her cousin, Shannon, comes to visit for two weeks in the summer the main character knows she’s going to hate it. Shannon only wears dresses and won a baby contest for having the best dimples. But after a few days of being bored, the cousins begin doing things together. They made clover chains, catch fireflies, start a bird-watching club, and catch crawdads in the creek. The night before Shannon has to go back home, the girls see a shooting star fall out of the sky. It dropped in the backyard. When Shannon’s mother comes to pick her up, the girls forget about looking for the fallen star. They say goodbye and the main character is lonely without Shannon. She dreams about what next summer will be like, when she gets to see her cousin Shannon again.

Comets, Meteors, and Asteroids written and illustrated by Seymour Simon (1998)

Another beautifully written and illustrated non-fiction by Seymour Simon. Learn more about the these objects and our universe.