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Ten Books About Space

Here are ten recommended books about space that children ages 0-9 will enjoy. Whether you're reading stories about aliens or learning facts about the planets, your young astronauts will be transported to another world!

Aliens For Breakfast

Aliens For Breakfast

By: Jonathan Etra, Stephanie Spinner
Illustrated by: Steve Bjorkman
Genre: Fiction, Science Fiction
Age Level: 3-6
Reading Level: Beginning Reader

Richard knows he's not in for an ordinary day when a tiny, wisecracking alien freedom fighter climbs out of his cereal bowl. The alien enlists Richard's help to foil a deadly enemy who is cleverly disguised as the new kid in homeroom.

Astronauts Today

Astronauts Today

By: Rosanna Hansen
Genre: Nonfiction
Age Level: 3-6
Reading Level: Beginning Reader

3...2...1...lift off! Take a journey into space exploration. With fun facts like what astronauts eat and how they sleep, kids will learn about today's space adventures and how people from all over the world work to continue space exploration.

Big Silver Space Shuttle

Big Silver Space Shuttle

By: Ken Wilson-Max
Genre: Nonfiction
Age Level: 0-3
Reading Level: Pre-Reader

A brightly colored and intricately detailed space shuttle prepares for liftoff, then shoots into space, leaving Earth's atmosphere and going into orbit.

Floating in Space

Floating in Space

By: Franklyn Branley
Illustrated by: True Kelley
Genre: Nonfiction
Age Level: 6-9
Reading Level: Independent Reader

Have you ever dreamed of being an astronaut? Wondered what it might be like to see the sun set sixteen times in one day? Open this book and be transported on an information-packed voyage aboard the space shuttle.

Flying Birthday Cake? (Marvin Redpost #6)

Flying Birthday Cake? (Marvin Redpost #6)

By: Louis Sachar, Amy Wummer
Illustrated by: Adam Record
Genre: Fiction
Age Level: 6-9
Reading Level: Independent Reader

Marvin thinks he sees a UFO while sleeping in his friend Nick's backyard, but both boys have forgotten all about it when the next week a new kid shows up at school. His name? Joe Normal. His behavior? Far from normal.

Hello, Is Anybody There?

Hello, Is Anybody There?

By: Jostein Gaarder
Genre: Fiction, Science Fiction
Age Level: 6-9
Reading Level: Independent Reader

Eight-year old Joe is about to become a big brother when he meets Mika from planet Eljo, where children hatch out of eggs and life in general is quite different from what Joe knows. The importance of questioning everything, from what's a pancake to religious beliefs, makes this gentle story fun to read as well as eye-opening.

The Best Book of Spaceships

The Best Book of Spaceships

By: Ian Graham
Genre: Nonfiction
Age Level: 3-6
Reading Level: Beginning Reader

Join the crew and find out how rockets, probes, telescopes, and space shuttles work! Illustrations and text introduces young readers to the amazing variety of spaceships past, present, and ready to blast off into the future.

The Magic School Bus: Lost in the Solar System

The Magic School Bus: Lost in the Solar System

By: Joanna Cole
Illustrated by: Bruce Degen
Genre: Nonfiction
Age Level: 6-9
Reading Level: Independent Reader

The planetarium is closed for repairs, so the Magic School Bus blasts off on a real tour of the solar system. After their previous field trips, the children in Ms. Frizzle's class are rather blasé about landing on the Moon, Venus, and Mars. A first-class introduction to the planets, fine for pleasure or purpose reading.

The Sky Is Full of Stars

The Sky Is Full of Stars

By: Franklyn Branley
Illustrated by: Felicia Bond
Genre: Nonfiction
Age Level: 6-9
Reading Level: Independent Reader

Young stargazers learn about different star colors and brightness, how to locate major constellations, and how to make mini-planetariums by using coffee cans and flashlights.

To Space and Back

To Space and Back

By: Sally Ride, Susan Okie
Genre: Nonfiction
Age Level: 6-9
Reading Level: Independent Reader

Much has been written about the vast scientific importance of space exploration, but very little about the human side of being a member of an astronaut crew. In this book, with the help of journalist Susan Okie, Sally Ride shares the personal experience of traveling into space. America's first woman astronaut answers questions most frequently asked about a journey through space.

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