Beyond the Stars: 5 Books for World Space Week

September 26, 2024

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To help you blast into World Space Week this October, we’ve put together a list of five recommended children’s books to get young readers excited about the space. These carefully chosen space-themed titles cover topics of STEM, space exploration, rocket-building, moon missions and more, as well as drawing out qualities of resilience and determination and celebrating inspirational figures in space history.

Beyond the Stars: Recommended Books for World Space Week!

World Space Week, celebrated annually from 4th to 10th October, is a global event dedicated to inspiring the next generation of explorers and scientists. It’s a wonderful opportunity for schools to engage with the wonders of the universe and encourage excitement for STEM.

Our review panel has carefully selected two lists of recommended books for supporting primary Space topics, one with Space books for Key Stage 1 and one with Space books for Key Stage 2. Each space-themed booklists feature a curated selection of titles to engage primary school children and encourage curiosity about space exploration. From thrilling intergalactic adventures to informative guides on planets and stars, these books offer a diverse range of perspectives and experiences. Whether you’re looking for storytime recommendations, information texts, classroom resources or independent reading material, our book recommendations will help you explore the cosmos with your pupils.

In this blog, we have picked out 5 space-tacular books to recommend to you specifically for this year’s World Space Week. All of the books feature on our space topic booklists and we have also linked downloadable resources or suggested activities where appropriate.

Join us as we embark on a cosmic journey through these stellar books, discovering the mysteries of space and the incredible people who have explored it!

Counting on Katherine by Helaine Becker & Dow Phumiruk

This recommendable non-fiction picturebook celebrates the life of Katherine Johnson, a mathematician who played a crucial role in the smooth running of the Apollo 11 mission to land on the moon.

The story emphasises Katherine’s lifelong passion for mathematics – how she loved to count as a child and how she overcame barriers of inequality and prejudice to reach her dream of using her mathematical talents while working for NASA.

This picturebook from our KS1 Space Booklist was voted a Teachers’ Favourite by the BooksForTopics community and is a fantastic biography that celebrates mathematics, space, women in STEM and following dreams.

Classes could develop their space knowledge by researching more about the Apollo 11 space mission or finding out more about Katherine Johnson’s life, while recording their discoveries through diaries or drama. Pupils could also design and build model rockets, thinking about how they could apply their mathematical knowledge to their designs as Katherine did.

The story could also inspire discussions or artwork about ‘reaching for the stars’ and overcoming prejudice or inequality to strive for our dreams.

This book features on several of our booklists, including our Year 2 Recommended Reading List, our Fantastic Females book list and our list of children’s books celebrating Black History.

For more stories about women and girls instrumental in the development of space exploration, you might also like The Spacesuit, Mae Jemison (Little People, Big Dreams), A Galaxy of Her Own or Hidden Figures.

Purchase Counting on Katherine from Amazon or BookShop.

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Lunar by Chris Bradford & Charlotte Grange

If you want a short chapter book that you could read and finish with KS2 in one week, Lunar is the World Space Week read for you.

Despite being just 72 pages long, this short book from our Year 5 Recommended Read List is an action-packed sci-fi survival story where a young reader can step into the shoes of the central character who lives on the moon and is aptly named Luna.

When events take a turn for the worse, Luna is the only person left stranded on the moon’s surface. Tension builds as she faces challenges in harsh conditions and with dwindling supplies, it is a race against time to somehow escape before night draws in. The story is told through Luna’s eyes which immediately hooks the reader in; making them feel part of the action as it unfolds. Despite her age, she has many responsibilities while living on the moon with her father (a Moon Miner). She has undertaken intensive training – which comes in handy later in the book! A meteorite warning threatens the safety of the team and in a rush to evacuate, Luna is separated from everyone. In a mission to reach the far side of the moon, she must use her scientific knowledge to solve a range of problems in the hope that she will be reunited with her father.

The gripping moments and dilemmas, including the risk of running out of oxygen, keep the reader on the edge of their seat as they take the journey with her. The quick-witted comments from Luna are a fun aspect and many children, including reluctant Upper KS2 readers, will enjoy this humorous aspect of the book; particularly the mention of nappies and exploding eyeballs! Sci-fi enthusiasts and those interested in Earth and Space will enjoy the scientific details mentioned throughout.

A pack of teaching resources is available to download from the publisher and this will offer activity ideas suitable for World Space Week and beyond. We were also excited to find out that the next book in the series, Stellar, is publishing during this year’s World Space Week too.

Publishing by Barrington Stoke, this short, dyslexia-friendly chapter book with tinted pages, spaced text and comic book-style illustrations is ideal to engage children who may need a little encouragement and support to build fluency. It is also a highly gripping class read, making this recommended space book for KS2 certainly a story that teachers and pupils will be over the moon with.

Purchase Lunar from Amazon or BookShop.
Look Up! by Nathan Bryon & Dapo Adeola

Look Up! is an entertaining and vibrant storybook from our KS1 Space Booklist about a space-loving child called Rocket. Rocket is excited about the chance to view an upcoming meteor shower, and she wants everyone she meets to be ready to look up and see it.

Frustratingly, her much older brother would rather look down at his phone. With a little sibling compromise and a never-giving-in approach from Rocket, the pair have a wonderful time together and Rocket helps everyone to see how amazing the universe can be when you just look up.

This book is great fun and always a bit hit with EYFS and KS1. Many children at this age can relate to the frustration of seeing older family members immersed in their phones, but also know the feeling of being excited by the night sky and fascinated by space. Rocket’s passion is infectious, and many young readers love to see from Rocket how their own enthusiasm could have a positive influence on their community.

The story includes plenty of space facts and references to significant historical figures like Mae Jamison, who was the first black female astronaut to travel into space. Children may wish to find out more about the famous figures or to learn about meteor showers, which could lead to meteor-based artwork (like this project) in the classroom.

A classroom inspiration pack is available to download from the publisher, including PowerPoint slides, activity ideas and storymaker challenges.

The underlying values of the importance of community and family bonds give a real warmth to this super space-themed storybook, which also features on our Light & Dark Topic Booklist, Diverse and Inclusive KS1 Book List and Year 1 Recommended Reading List.

Purchase Look Up! from Amazon or BookShop.

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Armstrong: The Adventurous Journey of a Mouse to the Moon by Torben Kuhlmann

How do you convince your friends that the moon is not made of cheese? Be the first to venture into space and prove it of course!

Armstrong is a captivating and compelling work of beauty. This is a unique and high-quality longer picture book with something really special about it. The story will appeal to a wide range of teachers and children, with enough depth and detail to be enjoyed across the whole of Key Stage 2.

The story centres around a determined little mouse called Armstrong, who is eager to discover the secrets of the universe and to become the first creature to step onto the surface of the moon.

Inspired by a mysterious invitation, Armstrong leaves boxes of pecorino behind him and arrives at the Smithsonian Museum. Here he is amazed and inspired by the heroic mice who have ventured before him in their flying machines. Later, Armstrong sneaks himself into university so that he might learn about physics and discover all that humans know. He never allows his diminutive size to hold him back and he uses courage and determination to achieve his lunar dream.

Through the character of a persevering mouse, children will learn about the obstacles and challenges of space travel, including the various stages of learning, testing and development involved in STEM projects. They will also understand the power of resilience and fortitude as Armstrong never gives up hope that he will succeed.

This is a book that features on our Explorers and Exploration Booklist as well as the KS2 Space Topic Booklist. There is also a comprehensive teaching pack to download with discussion questions, activities and design challenges.

This narrative picturebook for KS2 children has appeal on so many levels: it’s a gorgeous picture book with exquisite illustrations, perfect for sharing; it has bags of potential for linking to a unit in school about space travel and it shouts out loud the importance of aspiration, imagination, perseverance and resilience.

Purchase Armstrong The Adventurous Journey of a Mouse to the Moon from Amazon or BookShop.

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Meet Matilda Rocket Builderby Dom Conlon & Heidi Cannon

Our Review Panel highly recommended this fun-to-read chapterbook story for KS2, calling it ‘a brilliant book’.

Ten-year-old Matilda has decided to build a rocket to travel to the moon and back. This story is jam-packed with facts about what is needed for each stage. From gravity and orbits to fuel calculations, readers find out how previous space missions solved each aspect of space travel and the science behind them. And of course, all the key questions about space missions are answered, like how do you poop in space?!

As well as making its debut appearance on our Space Book List for KS2 this year, the book also features on our brand new History of Flight Booklist.

Matilda is a brilliant role model for women in STEM – intelligent, sparky and ambitious. Her narrative voice is strong and entertaining. It would be a good companion story to Suzie Saves the Universe or Ada Twist: Exploring Flight.

The mix of science and the history of the Apollo missions makes this book fascinating and is likely to be a catalyst for further research projects, and the illustrations, font styles and chatty style make it an easy read for Key Stage 2.

With brilliant links to STEM subjects, this would be a particularly good addition as a reading-for-pleasure choice alongside the Earth and Space topic in Science. It also shows ambition, resilience and the ability to research and plan before undertaking a task.

In addition, the author’s highly recommendable poetry book about space, This Rock That Rock, also appears on our KS2 Space Booklist and may be of interest for teachers to dip into during World Space Week.

Purchase Meet Matilda Rocket Builder from Amazon or BookShop.