The Astronomy Handbook: A Field Guide to the Night Sky

How do kids - or anyone, for that matter - get hooked on astronomy? Seeing the Moon's craters through binoculars or spotting the 'W' of Cassiopeia for the first time can spark a lifelong interest.

- William Potter and Rhys Jefferys

That's the world that The Astronomy Handbook aims to open up to readers aged eight and over.

The book pledges to guide the reader through this rich landscape, promising, “once you're hooked, the night sky's the limit”. In less than 100 pages of bite-sized text and simple, clear illustrations, it runs through everything you need to know.

What I enjoyed most was its mix of the extremely practical with fascinating tales. For example, did you know that Roman soldiers could become archers only if they could see Ursa Major's Mizar and Alcor as separate stars?