Black Hole Chasers: The Amazing True Story of an Astronomical Breakthrough

This accessible account chronicles the complex work of the Event Horizon Telescope Project in 2019 to capture and publish definitive data about and photographs of black holes, which no human had ever seen. Journalist Redding (Google It) capably documents the history of black holes and the compelling story of how American astrophysicist Sheperd Doeleman and German radio astronomer Heino Falcke created a global team to investigate their existence and garner the first black hole photo using a complex network of connecting radio telescopes around the world. The narrative breaks down difficult vocabulary and concepts such as gravitational collapse, and offers relatable contextualizing examples, for instance comparing the space-time fabric to the surface of a trampoline. Some pop culture references prove distracting, including a tangent about the television series MacGyver, but short biographies of notable scientists and contributors to the project highlights its history, diversity, scope, and complexity. Dramatic b&w photographs and diagrams not only break down the anatomy of black holes but also illustrate the project's scale. The twists and turns of this scientific breakthrough should pique reader curiosity about innovation. Ages 9-12. Agent: Ammi-Joan Paquette, Erin Murphy Literary. (Oct.)

Gr 5-8--An intriguing and comprehensive look at the subject. The focus of this readable and captivating narrative is in detailing the history of black holes, following the lives of the lead scientists and how they became interested in black holes, and sharing the challenges, failures, and eventual success of the Event Horizon Telescope project. The short chapters have many asides highlighting scientists throughout history who contributed to our understanding of black holes. Lingo alerts appear throughout when a new term is introduced. The volume includes an extensive bibliography with books, articles, and websites where readers can go do further research. Redding's narrative on the lives of the scientists and their seemingly insurmountable challenge of capturing the first image of a black hole will immediately grab readers and pull them in. Her book explains complex ideas in easy-to-understand terms and sprinkles photos and interesting anecdotes throughout to flesh out the story. Kids will be enthralled by exceptional storytelling and inspired to learn more about the phenomenon, and astronomy overall. VERDICT Put in the hands of your aspiring scientists and readers with insatiable curiosity. An essential purchase.--Kristin Williamson, Metropolitan Lib. Syst., OK

More comprehensive than other books for young readers about Google's founders, with energetically written short chapters, interesting facts, graphics, and photos —Booklist on Google It, starred review