Space Books for Kids · 1,460 titles considered

The Best Space Books for Kids

By the Bookroo Editors
Updated August 7, 2026

Space books have a useful way of making children feel both very small and entirely capable of asking the next enormous question. They can turn the Moon into a best friend, a birthday party into a lesson on gravity, and the darkest dark into the beginning of an astronaut’s dream. Curiosity, fortunately, requires no spacesuit.

Drawing from Bookroo’s collection of 1,460 space books, our editors chose fifteen that balance real missions and useful science with aliens, mysteries, graphic novels, and trips far beyond Earth. Start with the shortlist, then browse sturdy first books, picture-book read-alouds, and longer adventures for independent readers.

Your Place in the Universe
Rocket Science for Babies
Series
The Darkest Dark
The Shortlist

Our 15 Favorite Space Books for Kids

Sale price
$1797
Picture Book · Ages 4–8 · 2020

Your Place in the Universe

By Jason Chin

Start with a child on a playground and zoom outward, ten times bigger each turn, until the Milky Way is a smudge.

CALA Best Book Award (Chinese American Librarians Association) (2021)
40 pages· 3,599 words· Est. 28 min read-aloud
Best for
Visual thinkers curious about scale
5.6/7 Bookroo·4.4/5 Goodreads · 1,056 ratings
$18.99Save 5%
Hardcover
Picture Book · Ages 4–10 · 2009

Moonshot

Three astronauts climb into a spacecraft about the size of a car and ride a thirty-story rocket off the planet.

48 pages· 2,025 words· Est. 16 min read-aloud
Best for
Feeling the Apollo 11 mission from launch to splashdown
5.0/7 Bookroo·4.3/5 Goodreads · 2,622 ratings
$19.99Save 5%
Hardcover
Board Book · Ages 0–3 · 2016

Rocket Science for Babies

A bright board-book lesson introduces lift and thrust, then shows how those forces send a rocket skyward.

24 pages
Best for
Big science for the smallest readers
4.8/7 Bookroo·4.1/5 Goodreads · 883 ratings
$9.99Save 4%
Board book
Picture Book · Ages 4–8 · 2019

Moon! Earth's Best Friend

By Stacy McAnulty, Stevie Lewis (Illustrator) · Book #3 in the Our Universe series

The Moon introduces herself as Earth’s best friend and explains why she always shows us the same face.

40 pages· 695 words· Est. 6 min read-aloud
Best for
A funny first astronomy lesson
5.8/7 Bookroo·4.3/5 Goodreads · 1,177 ratings
$19.99Save 5%
Hardcover
Picture Book · Ages 4–8 · 2008

The Way Back Home

A boy and a Martian crash on opposite sides of the Moon, then discover that each has the part the other needs.

32 pages· 416 words· Est. 4 min read-aloud
Best for
A quiet first space adventure about working together
5.5/7 Bookroo·4.1/5 Goodreads · 4,159 ratings
$18.99Save 5%
Hardcover
Picture Book · Ages 3–7 · 2016

The Darkest Dark

By Chris Hadfield, Eric Fan (Illustrator), Terry Fan (Illustrator)

A boy who wants to be an astronaut is frightened of the dark until Apollo 11 shows him what darkness can hold.

48 pages· 587 words· Est. 5 min read-aloud
Best for
Dreamers who are afraid of the dark
4.3/5 Goodreads · 2,733 ratings
Paperback
Picture Book · Ages 4–7 · 2019

Rocket Says Look Up!

Rocket knows a comet is coming; the hard part is persuading her phone-busy brother and the whole neighborhood to look up.

32 pages· 730 words· Est. 6 min read-aloud
Best for
Turning curiosity into community
4.3/5 Goodreads · 1,197 ratings
$18.99Save 5%
Hardcover
Picture Book · Ages 3–8 · 2019

Pluto Gets the Call

By Adam Rex, Laurie Keller (Illustrator)

Pluto gets a call saying he is no longer a planet and sets off across the solar system to find out why.

48 pages· 1,334 words· Est. 11 min read-aloud
Best for
A funny tour of the solar system
4.4/5 Goodreads · 1,090 ratings
$17.99Save 6%
Hardcover
Picture Book · Ages 7–10 · 2019

If You Had Your Birthday Party on the Moon

By Joyce Lapin, Simona Ceccarelli (Illustrator)

Move a birthday party to the Moon and familiar things — balloons, candles, footprints, even cake — start behaving strangely.

40 pages· 2,798 words· Est. 22 min read-aloud
Best for
Kids who ask excellent what-if questions
5.5/7 Bookroo·4.0/5 Goodreads · 182 ratings
$18.99Save 5%
Hardcover
Graphic Nov.
Sale price
$1398
Chapter Book · Ages 8–11 · 2011

Zita the Spacegirl

Pressing a mysterious red button opens a portal that swallows a best friend, so Zita jumps in after him.

186 pages· 4,260 words· Est. 48 min read
Best for
Independent readers ready for a real space adventure
4.1/5 Goodreads · 19,141 ratings
$14.99Save 7%
Paperback
Chapter Book · Ages 7–10 · 2007

George's Secret Key to the Universe

George slips through a supercomputer’s doorway into space and gets a real physics education while the plot chases him.

336 pages· 48,317 words· Est. 6.5 hour read
Best for
A first novel for a reader who wants the science to be true
4.0/5 Goodreads · 9,352 ratings
$12.99Save 4%
Paperback
Chapter Book · Ages 8–12 · 2014

Space Case

Life on Moon Base Alpha is mostly cramped and dull — until a scientist dies and twelve-year-old Dash suspects murder.

337 pages· 69,927 words· Est. 9.5 hour read
Best for
Mystery fans ready for the Moon
4.3/5 Goodreads · 15,890 ratings
$18.99Save 5%
Hardcover
Chapter Book · Ages 8–12 · 2022

A Rover's Story

A Mars rover learns from the engineers who built it, survives a perilous landing, and begins a long drive across the red planet.

320 pages· 45,248 words· Est. 6.5 hour read
Best for
Readers fascinated by Mars rovers and real missions
4.3/5 Goodreads · 10,158 ratings
$19.99Save 5%
Hardcover
Chapter Book · Ages 8–12 · 2024

Oliver's Great Big Universe

An aspiring astrophysicist explains black holes, dark matter, and middle school with jokes and hand-drawn diagrams.

256 pages· 19,393 words· Est. 3.5 hour read
Best for
Science-minded middle-grade readers
4.2/5 Goodreads · 309 ratings
$15.99Save 6%
Hardcover
Chapter Book · Ages 9–13 · 1962

A Wrinkle in Time

A stormy night, a mysterious stranger, and a quest through time and space to find a father who vanished into his work.

247 pages· 49,244 words· Est. 5.5 hour read
Best for
The classic family adventure across strange worlds
4.6/7 Bookroo·4.0/5 Goodreads · 1,309,104 ratings
$8.99Save 5%
Paperback
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Browse by age

Space Board Books for Babies & Toddlers

Sturdy introductions to rockets, planets, astronauts, and the Moon — first space books for ages 0–3.

3-2-1 Blast Off!

Ages 0–5 · 2018

Lift the flaps and explore the wonders of our solar system.

Lines

Ages 2–4 · 2017

Discover how lines form the universe's intricate tapestry.

I Took the Moon for a Walk

Ages 0–4 · 2003

A boy and the moon explore the night, uncovering its hidden wonders.

Goodnight Spaceman

Ages 1–4 · 2017

Blast off to dreamland with a bedtime journey through space.

Sale price
$595

Curious George and the Rocket

Ages 0–3 · 2001

A mischievous monkey embarks on a space adventure.

The Moon Is a Silver Pond
Sale price
$1095

The Moon Is a Silver Pond

Ages 0–3 · 2019

A child's imagination transforms the moon into everyday wonders.

Stars

Ages 0–5

Future Astronaut

Ages 0–3 · 2019

Can your baby become an astronaut? Discover the skills they already have!

Where's the Astronaut?

Ages 0–3 · 2019

Lift flaps to uncover hidden space friends and a surprise mirror.

Sale price
$995

Good Night Galaxy

Ages 0–3 · 2012

Embark on a cosmic journey through the Milky Way with your little astronaut.

Sale price
$799

Space

Ages 0–3 · 2019

Explore the solar system with vibrant photos and simple facts for young minds.

Hush, Little Alien

Ages 0–18 · 1999

An alien child receives cosmic gifts and a loving goodnight kiss.

View all space board books
Browse by age

Space Picture Books for Young Stargazers

Planets, astronauts, Moon landings, and very large questions — space read-alouds for ages 3–8.

We Dream of Space

Ages 8–12 · 2020

Three siblings face personal struggles as the Challenger launch looms, altering their lives forever.

Fancy Nancy Sees Stars

Ages 4–8 · 2008

A class goes on a field trip to a planetarium to learn about stars and planets, but their trip is disrupted by a storm.

Hello, Nebulon!

Ages 5–7 · 2013

A young boy moves to a new planet with his family and navigates a new school and friendships.

Ralph and the Rocket Ship

Ages 4–6 · 2016

Ralph dreams of a rocket ship adventure. Can he build one with imagination?

Here We Are

Ages 3–6 · 2017

A person is introduced to the planet Earth and its inhabitants.

Interstellar Cinderella

Ages 3–5 · 2015

A girl dreams of fixing rockets and must save a prince's ship in distress.

What Miss Mitchell Saw

Ages 4–8 · 2019

A young girl discovers a new comet, changing her life forever.

Even Aliens Need Snacks

Ages 4–8 · 2012

A young chef's alien snacks bring unexpected fame across the galaxy.

If You Come to Earth

Ages 5–8 · 2020

A visitor from outer space learns about life on Earth and its inhabitants.

Harry and Horsie

Ages 4–8 · 2009

A boy's late-night adventure with his friend leads to an unexpected journey.

Space Mice

Ages 4–8 · 2020

Two mice build a rocket to reach the cheese moon.

Dream Away

Ages 3–5 · 2011

A father and son explore dreams, discovering the universe's endless possibilities.

Browse by age

Space Chapter Books & Middle Grade

Moon-base mysteries, cosmic comedy, science, and adventure for independent readers ages 7–12.

The Girl Who Drank the Moon

Ages 10–14 · 2016

A witch raises a magical child, unaware of the looming threats and a young man's quest to end her life.

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon

Ages 8–12 · 2009

A girl seeks the Old Man on the Moon to change her family's fortune.

The Little Prince

Ages 9–12 · 1943

A pilot crashes in the desert and meets a mysterious boy from another world.

The Boy Who Crashed to Earth
Series
Graphic Nov.
Sale price
$1499

The Boy Who Crashed to Earth

Ages 7–10 · 2015

A boy falls from the sky and lands on Earth, where he befriends a human boy and together they try to stop an evil robot from destroying the world.

Cinder

Ages 11–15 · 2012

A cyborg mechanic must uncover her past to save Earth from a lunar threat.

Moon Shadow

Ages 9–13 · 2018

A girl's shadow comes to life, revealing her true self.

The Messenger

Ages 12–18 · 2019

A reluctant pilot discovers a mech with a dark secret, thrusting him into an ancient war threatening the galaxy.

Sale price
$2299

The Search for WondLa

Ages 10–14 · 2009

A girl flees her destroyed sanctuary, seeking others like her in a mysterious world.

See You in the Cosmos

Ages 10–14 · 2017

A boy's quest to launch his iPod into space uncovers family secrets.

Sale price
$1299

The 5th Wave

Ages 12–18 · 2013

Survive the alien invasion: trust no one, not even those who look human.

Sam Wu Is Not Afraid of Ghosts

Ages 7–12 · 2018

Sam must face his fears when a ghost haunts his home.

January Joker

Ages 6–9 · 2009

A group of kids try to figure out what is happening when their friends and pets start disappearing.

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Books about astronomyBooks about astronautsThe solar systemBooks about planetsThe MoonBooks about starsThe universeBooks about space explorationBooks about NASABooks about rocketsBooks about stargazingBooks about MarsAliensBooks about spacecraftBooks about space travelBooks about comets, asteroids and meteorsBooks about science

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