Lucky’s Star: The story of a meteorite by Mark Greenwood. Illus. by Lucia Masciullo

Talented Australian History author Mark Greenwood has once again provided younger readers and adults with an intriguing background story about the Murchison meteorite that landed in Murchison, a rural town in Victoria Australia, in 1969.

While the main character Lucky is fictional, her story of finding and keeping a small piece of the meteor is both engaging and accessible and allows children to learn about an unusual event in Australia’s past. The fascination with space and perhaps the lack of knowledge led to all sorts of theories about the pieces of the meteor that were found strewn over the countryside. For scientists though it was a vital opportunity to partake in further research and learn more about the mysteries of outer space. The full page illustrations show great detail and the double page landscape of the meteor travelling across the farms, fields and paddocks is particularly striking.

The closing pages give the reader more insight into the Murchison meteorite and provide a great deal of facts that may lead to more research and questions from children, as well as a detailed glossary that covers a wide range of space-related words and terms.

A perfect addition to a school or public library.

Teacher notes are available.

Themes: Space, Meteorites, Facts, Murchison - rural town in Victoria.

Kathryn Beilby