Kings of Space

Here's one exhumed from 1954. Group Captain Tiger Clinton and his son stumble from the Scottish mist into the castle where (dismissing rockets) Professor Brane and his trusty butler have secretly built a cosmic-ray-powered 'flying basin'. The Spacemaster enables them to see the remnants of lunar fauna, 'prehistoric' swamps on Venus, and Mars where mosquitoes have almost destroyed civilisation. Three subsequent novels see Brane and co. rejuvenating Mars, and, with alien friends, having transitory scrapes on weird, wonderful planetoids. There's much pseudoscientific technicality before Adventure begins and it's less straightforward stylistically than many modern books. Might suit earnest, clever juniors of scientific bent who'd enjoy comparing it with contemporary sci-fi. Good cover.