Ten Books About Space

A special group of kids are recruited to a man a space station. Tensions rise when they begin to lose altitude. Can quick thinking save them? This fast-paced adventure in graphic format is written by a real-life astronaut.

A fascinating examination of manned spaceflight and the power of image — the astonishing photograph taken during the Apollo 8 mission. Sure to inform and generate talk between adults and young people.

Human error led to creative solutions as the Webb Space Telescope was designed and tested — leading to amazing “eyes in the skies.” More than 20,000 people contributed to its success and are introduced through photographs and illuminating text. The author is an engineer who once worked at NASA.

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.

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.

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.

Resilience, or Res, is a small rover created to explore Mars. By listening, Res comes to know humans, friendship, and emotions. Inspired by the actual Mars rovers, the author has “use[d] fiction to take something true and bring it to life in a unique and exciting way.” This unforgettable book, narrated by Res, is wholly plausible and emotionally powerful.

Losing her sight while in college in her Puerto Rican home did not stop Wanda’s passion for the stars nor for learning. In accessible narrative and lush illustration, Wanda’s life and work come into focus. Also available in Spanish: Wanda oye las estrellas.

Starting small and familiar, children look into a telescope and the amazing comparisons begin. After glimpsing the cosmos, readers are brought back on earth with children viewing their place in the universe. Limited text and stunning illustrations progress to present enormous ideas of cosmic proportion in this memorable look at one’s place in the universe.

Just in time for the 50^th anniversary of the Apollo Moon landing, the author/illustrator’s spectacular, dramatic but readable look at the mission has been updated and expanded. Additional art has been added to the new portions including a look at the people who worked behind the scenes to make it happen. Additional information about Apollo’s return is also here.