A space-themed book list for middle-grade readers curated by The Children’s Book Review.
From near-future NASA missions to intergalactic portals, these middle grade reads take young readers on journeys beyond Earth. Whether your reader dreams of becoming an astronaut, loves a good sci-fi adventure, or prefers their space travel with a side of dragons (or even dinosaurs), there’s a story here to spark their imagination.
A note for teachers and parents: These titles work beautifully as a themed classroom unit or family reading challenge. Pair with a viewing of a SpaceX launch or a night of backyard stargazing to bring the stories to life.
8 Space-Themed Books for Curious Middle-Grade Explorers:
Star Life Keepers
Written by Rick Williams and Brady Williams
Ages: 10-14 | 410 Pages
Publisher: Legacy KidLit Press (2024) | ISBN: 979-8987420027
Cousins Jason, Amanda, and Elisa discover a cosmic portal hidden in Orion’s Belt and are launched into the war-torn realm of Belacamber, where they join an alliance of elves and shapeshifting dragons as they battle prehistoric predators. This genre-bending series opener blends space, time travel, and epic fantasy—perfect for readers who want their stargazing paired with starfire-forged swords and flying T. rexes. Bonus: protagonist Jason navigates the adventure while managing his hearing aids, a thoughtful touch of representation woven into the high-stakes plot. And book two, Orion Fire Storm, is ready and waiting to be read next.
Buy the Book
Borrow the Book
See You in the Cosmos
Written by Jack Cheng
Ages: 10-12 | 318 Pages
Publisher: Dial Books (2017) | ISBN: 978-0399186394
Eleven-year-old Alex Petroski loves space so much he named his dog Carl Sagan. Inspired by the Voyager Golden Record, he sets out to launch his own iPod into space to show any listening extraterrestrials what life on Earth is really like. A tender, funny road-trip novel that captures the wonder of space exploration while telling a deeply human story about family.
Buy the Book
Borrow the Book
We Dream of Space
Written by Erin Entrada Kelly
Ages: 10-12 | 389 Pages
Publisher: Greenwillow Books (2020) | ISBN: 978-0062747327
This Newbery Honor Book from the bestselling author transports readers to 1986, where siblings Cash, Fitch, and Bird Nelson Thomas await the launch of the space shuttle Challenger. A pitch-perfect exploration of family, science, and the way a single moment in history can shape a generation of dreamers.
Buy the Book
Borrow the Book
Space Case
Written by Stuart Gibbs
Ages: 9-12 | 352 Pages
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (2014) | ISBN: 978-1442494862
Twelve-year-old Dashiell Gibson is one of the first kids to live on Moon Base Alpha—and now he has a murder mystery on his hands. The first in the Moon Base Alpha series, this fast-paced whodunit is packed with real-science details about what life in space might actually look like.
Buy the Book
Borrow the Book
The Countdown Conspiracy
Written by Katie Slivensky
Ages: 8-12 | 352 Pages
Publisher: HarperCollins (2018) | ISBN: 978-0062462602
Miranda Regent is one of six kids selected to train for the first-ever mission to Mars—but anonymous threats suggest someone wants her off the team, permanently. A high-stakes thriller perfect for fans of action-forward middle grade adventures.
Buy the Book
Borrow the Book
Mission Multiverse
Written by Rebecca Caprara
Ages: 8-12 | 404 Pages
Publisher: Amulet Books (2021) | ISBN: 978-1647000240
When five middle schoolers on a NASA field trip are accidentally flung into an alternate universe, they find themselves before the Multiverse Allied Council—and learn Earth’s destruction is imminent. A fun, inventive adventure that mixes space, multiverse mechanics, and environmental themes.
Buy the Book
Borrow the Book
Last Day on Mars
Written by Kevin Emerson
Ages: 9-13 | 336 Pages
Publisher: Walden Pond Press (2017) | ISBN: 978-0062306715
In the year 2213, Earth has long been ashes—destroyed when the sun mysteriously began going supernova. Humanity has fled to Mars, but now Mars is being evacuated too, as everyone prepares for a 150-year journey to the distant planet Aaru-5. Thirteen-year-old Liam Saunders-Chang and his best friend Phoebe are supposed to be on the final starliner, but their scientist parents are racing to finish vital research—and before the day is out, Liam and Phoebe will uncover truths about time, space, and alien forces that humanity never suspected. A gripping series opener (Chronicle of the Dark Star) that doesn’t shy away from big questions.
Buy the Book
Borrow the Book
The Lion of Mars
Written by Jennifer L. Holm
Ages: 9-11 | 272 Pages
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers (2021) | ISBN: 978-0593121818
Eleven-year-old Bell has lived his whole life in a small, underground US settlement on Mars, alongside a handful of other kids and the adults who care for them. There are plenty of rules—including no contact with the other nations’ settlements, ever. But when a mysterious virus leaves all the grown-ups gravely ill, Bell and the other children must break the rules, cross forbidden territory, and discover that what they’ve been told about their neighbors may not be true. A warm, thoughtful New York Times bestseller about curiosity, community, and the power of connection.
