A tip is to never buy your kid a cheap telescope or let parents buy you a cheap telescope. Reason for this is that it is far too difficult for a beginner to actually find a star looking through a cheap scope. If you manage to find one, the turning Earth will take it out of sight so quickly that you will have to start looking for it from scratch. edwin hubble telescope This will frustrate you and before the night is over the telescope will be back in its box. Luck is also on your side as almost each school, but certainly each town has a library. This is your best resource for free literature on the stars, the Universe and the Solar System.