Lucky’s Star

Hardback - June 2025 - AU $26.99

eBook - June 2025 - eRetailers

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Follow Lucky as she discovers a very precious rock that fell from space.

On a quiet spring morning, something strange falls from the sky and lands on a small country town. Lucky watches as 'stars' rain down on the fields and farms, but just what are these unusual objects? And what will Lucky do with her own special find? + Full description

Lucky’s Star explores the fascinating true story of the Murchison meteorite. The pieces of space rock that were discovered in Murchison, Victoria, provided clues about the origins of life on Earth. Fragments from the meteorite contain the oldest material ever found – stardust!

Reading level varies from child to child, but we recommend this book for ages 5 to 9.

- Short description

Reviews

"Lucky's Star will surely delight primary-aged students with its clever combination of storytelling and facts."
Merril Darling, Books + Publishing, 8 April 2025

"This is another outstanding publication from CSIRO Publishing that not only answers those initial questions about things that capture our younger readers’ imaginations but because the topics are diverse and often unusual, adults don’t always have the answers so it becomes an opportunity to do an investigation together, as well as some nighttime sky-gazing"
Barbara Braxton, The Bottom Shelf, June 2025

"The storytelling is combined with informative non-fiction facts. It will appeal to young children and give them an opportunity to be curious and start exploring astronomy."
picturebookbc (Instagram), June 2025

"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."
Kathryn Beilby, ReadPlus, July 2025

"Blending gentle storytelling with awe-inspiring science, this beautifully illustrated book invites young readers to wonder, question and explore."
abbys_fabulous_library (Instagram), July 2025

"While Lucky is a fictional character, the Murchison meteorite is entirely real, making Lucky’s Star a relatable introduction to science, space, and the origins of the universe for young readers and a great fit for supporting study within the National Curriculum."
Little Darlings (Facebook), 15 August 2025

"This fictionalised account of a real event is an excellent way to introduce science topics to young children. Mark Greenwood has created an engaging character in Lucky and Lucia Masciullo’s expressive illustrations bring the 1969 town of Murchison to life. "
Mia Macrossan, StoryLinks, 24 August 2025

Details

Hardback | June 2025 | $ 26.99
ISBN: 9781486318070 | 32 pages | 250 x 250 mm
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Colour illustrations

ePDF | June 2025
ISBN: 9781486318087
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Available from eRetailers

ePUB | June 2025
ISBN: 9781486318094
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Available from eRetailers

Features

  • Creatively shares the story of an internationally significant, Australian scientific event.
  • Introduces the 1969 Murchison meteorite, which contained clues to the formation of stars, our solar system, our planet and the origins of life on Earth.
  • Features detailed fact pages to inspire deeper learning and understanding.

Contents

Main story
The Murchison meteorite: More to explore
Meteorite mysteries
Glossary

Authors

Mark Greenwood is a history hunter. His award-winning books examining history and multicultural themes have been published and honoured internationally.

Lucia Masciullo is an award-winning illustrator who loves to create whimsical characters using traditional techniques. Born and raised in Italy, she studied biology before moving to Australia where she pursued her passion for art.

For Teachers

We have created these Teacher Notes as a free PDF download to support the use of this book in the classroom.

Teacher Notes (1.26 MB)