Space Topic (KS2)

This is a wonderfully compelling sci-fi story about a boy called Jamie whose father is an astronaut. While his father is completing important work aboard the International Space Station, Jamie is left figuring out life at home and one day he stumbles across clues to alien lifeforms for himself. This story is packed with real space science in a way that is accessible to children and set in the familiar world of the modern child.

SF Said has created a remarkable and unforgettable novel, which will stay on your mind for days after reading. He has the ability to create epic tension and spectacular euphoria, which makes for a story that is extremely difficult to put down. Science Fiction fans are in for a treat!

The story begins with a dream, where the main character, Lucky, finds himself listening to the stars. They are trying to tell him something, and that something draws Lucky in, enabling him to fly and soar through space. Once the dream ends, he finds himself in burnt sheets, surrounded by ash and smoke. This discovery alarms his mother, which results in a huge turn of events, uncovering hundreds of unanswered questions about Lucky’s identity and existence. From that moment on, Lucky finds himself desperate to escape the world he once knew and enter a new world, where he seeks clarity about his heritage and the growing power rising within him.

To survive, he must trust a troop of aliens, with hooves and flaming eyes, who help him travel through space to escape his home. With the galaxy surrounding him at war, this action-packed story moves from scene to scene with epic fighting scenes of good vs evil, along with many timely escapes.

Phoenix builds up to one of the most spectacular endings I have ever read; this is well worth the commitment of reading for readers aged 10-14.

Danny’s grandad has a curious knack for finding list things. Nothing too unusual perhaps, until Danny discovers that Grandad has a very important, top-secret job working in the Interdimensional Lost Property Office (IDLPO). When Grandad falls ill, Danny is given the task of looking after the IDLPO. Entering the Office via a locker, Danny and his side-kick Modge are transported to new worlds and thrown into adventures beyond their imagination.

This is a book full of gags and mildly disgusting humour which children will love. As the boys race through the universe in their quest to return a fascinating array of alien creatures, they realise that they have the enthusiasm, determination and desire to do their best but that they lack the necessary knowledge of the ‘technical bits’. The boys have to resort to asking Danny’s bookish cousin, Inaaya, to join the mission. The trio discover a secret plot designed to bring down the whole universe. Woven into the narrative are engaging characters – Mrs Arbuckle, the lost property office supervisor who also happens to be a purple squid, brother and sister Kaspar and Kaylar and the veterinarian, Dr Triffle Piffle- each with a vivid appearance and quirky cosmic character. The action in the book moves at a fast pace and although there is excitement and peril it is humorous and really engaging.

Lorraine Gregory never fails to please. Children who love narrative-driven action will enjoy this book and will be turning the pages to discover if Danny, Modge and Inaaya can successfully return the lost things to their rightful galactic homes. Readers will, I am sure, await the next book in the series.

A popular and humorous choice from the award-winning author Frank Cottrell Boyce.

This novel tells the story of Liam, an incredibly tall twelve-year-old who attempts to pass as an adult in order to accompany his friend Florida on a trip to space that she won in a competition.

It has been likened to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory in a space setting, and contains discussion questions and bonus material for use in class.

What 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, you 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?!

Matilda is a brilliant role model for women in STEM – intelligent, sparky and ambitious. Her narrative voice is strong and entertaining.

The mix of science and the history of the Apollo missions makes this book absolutely fascinating, 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.

This laugh-out-loud adventure from award-winning children’s author Neil Gaiman is a popular choice with lower KS2. When Dad is left in charge of the very important job of remembering to get milk, he forgets and ends up on a fantastic adventure involving space ships, aliens, time-travelling dinosaurs and saving the universe as he attempts to fetch some milk and get it home on time.

A humorous adventure suitable for lower KS2, this story is full of eccentric characters, absurd plot twists and evil human-eating cakes. A great story to read out loud.

The story of gadget-loving Suzie Wen, who finds herself on a laugh-out-loud adventure exploring space and who is ultimately tasked with saving the universe.

Full of illustrations and reader-friendly, short chapters, this book would be a great addition to a lower key stage 2 classroom as part of a class library. Easy to read and set in space, it is bound to be a popular book with children.

It is lovely to see the representation of a friendship that is not formed quickly or easily, with the characters overcoming jealousy and insecurity to work together. It provides great opportunities for discussion around this topic and the challenges friendships can pose or face.

It is also great to see the inclusion of scientific enquiry approaches – something that isn’t found very often in books for this age level. The book could support discussions in the classroom about fair testing and how to complete a scientific enquiry.

This book is an action-packed sci-fi survival story where a young reader can step into the shoes of the central character, aptly named Luna.

When events take a turn for the worse, she 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. Despite her age, Lunar 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.

This recommendable narrative non-fiction book 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.

A fantastic biography that celebrates mathematics, space, women in STEM and following dreams.

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. It centres around a determined little mouse 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. 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 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. 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 has appeal on so many levels: it’s a gorgeous picturebook 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.

This colourful, cartoon-style reference book brings facts to life with humour and fun illustrations. Following on from the enormous success of its award-winning predecessors, this latest book in the ‘Day in the Life Of..’ series is packed full of information and facts about space, presented in an entertaining comic style that is a joy to read.

Readers will enjoy the variety of scientific information, which felt like a balanced view of different areas, including science, technology, astronomy and the history of space travel. This would be a great book for children who love a highly visual element to what they read. Readers could dip in and out of the various topics individually, or teachers could choose sections to share as a class when exploring related topics. When added to a classroom library, this series is sure to be in high demand during independent reading time. 

Looking Up from Flying Eye Books is a highly visual non-fiction book exploring the history and science of telescopes. Unique among the myriad of non-fiction titles covering the topic of space, this book has a real STEM focus as it explores the ins and outs of how telescopes have enabled people to learn to magnify objects from a great distance and given insights into human understanding of the universe.

Spanning back through history, Looking Up zooms in on significant people who have contributed to the evolution of telescopes as we know them. Galileo developed ‘a tube with lenses’ that enabled viewers to see the craters of our Moon and the moons of other planets. From there, a series of thinkers and innovators have taken up the baton to develop the technology in incredible ways. International collaboration in scientific discovery is emphasised in the book, as an array of prominent telescopes around the world are celebrated – including the Keck Observatory in Hawaii, the VISTA telescope in Chile, and the James Webb Space Telescope (a collaboration developed by NASA, the European Space Agency and the Canadian Space Agency).

With a vivid and bold design style, this book is perfect for curious minds, science-lovers and those with an emerging interest in all things STEM.

This is an incredibly enjoyable science-themed information book.

Packed with scientific facts and fun little experiments, all accompanied by gorgeous illustrations, it’s sure to appeal to readers of all ages. The investigations can be done with household items and are easy for everyone to do, and the scientific facts and funny asides make it a book children will enjoy dipping in and out of.

This book would be a great asset to homes and classrooms.

Professor Astro Cat is much loved in schools for non-fiction guides relating to space, atoms, human bodies and deep-sea voyages. Frontiers of Space was first published in 2013 as the starting book in the series and is now back with a new edition featuring eight new spreads and updated details about how rockets work, recent missions to Mars, space junk, black holes, and many more new insights into the ever-developing science of space and the outer reaches of the universe. There’s something new to learn about on every page.

Fictional guide Professor Astro Cat walks his readers through some of the key questions that children might have about the universe, and many more that they’ve probably never even thought about before. Where does our sun go at night? What are stars made of? If the Earth was a cherry tomato, what size would the other planets be (hint: Mars would be a pea and Jupiter a watermelon).

This is a beautifully designed non-fiction book with illustrations by an artist whose use of bold shapes and retro colours draws readers right in to enjoy soaking up the information. Each page has plenty of varied and interesting information to read and – coupled with the quality, durable feel of the book – the purchase of this text is a good investment as readers are likely to get a lot out of each sitting and still be left with plenty to come back and discover.

If you have yet to fall in love with the Astro Cat series, this is a great place to start.

Space Maps is a super-sized visual treat. It will appeal to those already interested in the topic of space and will attract those who are new to the subject. The reader is invited to take a tour of all things space in the company of a diverse crew of space guides. During our space tour, a wealth of facts are covered -each double page focuses on a different aspect and so information is given in speedy, bite-sized fact boxes making this an ideal book for dipping into.

There is a good balance of facts and exciting nuggets from history, science and folklore. The legends behind the science add charm and warmth. Large and detailed illustrations guide the reader through their journey, each page devoted to a thorough, labelled map or diagram. For readers who struggle to visualise the images behind the arrangements of the constellations, this book certainly helps! I was able to ‘see’ Orion in the night sky having studied the beautiful constellation map.

This full-sized feast for the eyes would happily sit amongst a collection of Space books and interesting non-fiction books for readers who love to dive into the detail of a topic.