The first solar eclipse I can recall occurred when I was around 6 years old. I was terrified by the preceding news stories and snippets of adult conversations I’d overheard trumpeting the dangers of looking directly at the sun during the event. So instead of actually seeing the celestial phenomenon myself, I spent the whole day staring at the ground due to my fear that I would be blinded if I so much as glanced upward.

In defense of my misinformed younger self, fast food franchises weren’t selling eclipse safety glasses in Australia in 1976, and Internet shopping for next-day 
delivery of books filled with eclipse facts was still a long way off on the technological horizon.

If you’ve ever read John Wyndham’s 1951 sci-fi novel “The Day of the Triffids,” about mass blindness that afflicts almost the entire population of the world after a meteor shower, you’ll know I’m not the only person to ever get a little paranoid about the possible consequences of looking too closely at things in or from outer space.

In fact, there’s probably more than one support group out there for this affliction.

If I’d been better able to separate fact from fiction about solar eclipses back then, I could have avoided that particular childhood trauma and probably also learned to make a really cool pinhole camera to indirectly (and safely) view that eclipse.

If, like me, you’re eager for more information about eclipses or just want something to help pass the time while you stay home to avoid the huge influx of eclipse-chasers expected to throng to Central Oregon on Monday, why not read a good eclipse or space-themed book?

Here are some recommendations that fit the bill from the proprietors of local bookstores including Roundabout Books (900 NW Mt. Washington Drive, Suite 110, Bend), Dudley’s Bookshop Cafe (135 NW Minnesota Ave., Bend), Herringbone Books (422 SW Sixth St., Redmond), Paulina Springs Books (252 W. Hood Ave., Sisters) and Sunriver Books & Music (57100 Beaver Drive, Building 25-C, Sunriver).

“Astrophysics for People in a Hurry” 
by Neil deGrasse Tyson

This fascinating and fun little book from one of the nation’s most famous scientists fits easily into a purse, backpack or carry-on. It will help you consider mind-expanding topics such as the big-bang theory, black holes and quantum mechanics and provide a better understanding of the nature of space and time and our place in the universe.

“The Big Eclipse” 
by Nancy Coffelt

This illustrated children’s book features a cast of charming animal characters experiencing the 2017 eclipse. Young readers can learn about the causes of eclipses and some of their strange effects, while common eclipse myths are also debunked. Each book comes with a safe solar eclipse viewer and a companion activity book is also available. Recommended for ages 5 to 11.

“American Eclipse: A Nation’s Epic Race to Catch the Shadow of the Moon and Win the Glory of the World” 
by David Baron

The 1878 solar eclipse that darkened American skies from the Montana Territory to Texas prompted three determined 19th century scientists and eclipse chasers — James Craig Watson, Maria Mitchell and the young Thomas Edison — to brave the dangers of the American frontier in an attempt to document and learn from this astronomical event.

“Totality: The Great American Eclipses of 2017 and 2024” 
by Mark Littmann and Fred Espenak

Information, photographs, maps and illustrations are provided to help understand and safely enjoy all aspects of these eclipses, including how to observe a total eclipse of the sun, how to photograph and video record an eclipse, why solar eclipses happen and more. The book also includes ancient and modern stories about the experience of totality and maps of all upcoming eclipses until 2045.

“Jade Dragon Mountain” 
by Elsa Hart

In this lush portrayal of historic China, Li Du — a former librarian who was banished from the Forbidden City by the emperor — has been traveling in remote regions of China with his meager possessions in his rucksack. He arrives in Dayan unaware the emperor is expected soon as a display of his imperial divinity during an eclipse of the sun. Li is reluctantly drawn into the preparations for the emperor’s visit, and then into an investigation of the death of a Jesuit foreigner.

Additional recommendations

“The Beaver State Oregon Total Eclipse Guide,” by Aaron Linsdau

“Seven Brief Lessons on Physics,” by Carlo Rovelli

“Cosmos” and “Pale Blue Dot,” by Carl Sagan

“Hello, World!: Solar 
System,” by Jill McDonald.

“Star Talk,” by Neil 
deGrasse Tyson

“Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the 
Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race,” by Margot Lee Shetterly

“The Fabric of the Cosmos: Space, Time, and the Texture of Reality,” by Brian Greene