Game Day Reading

Our bibliography lists some great books about space. Here are some more books that are fun to read. If you have a special book you would like to see in Game Day Reading, go to our feedback section and tell us the book title, author, and why you like it. We will try to add it to our list.

My Place in Space by Robin and Sally Hirst. Orchard Books, 1988.

Henry and his sister need to give their home address to the bus driver. Henry really knows his address all the way down to the Earth’s position in the Universe. This is a fun book that makes you realize your address is a lot longer than you think.

Astronauts are Sleeping by Natalie Standiford. Alfred A. Knopf, 1996.

What do the astronauts dream? They dream about space and they dream about their life on Earth. It is interesting to think about what you would dream about if you were an astronaut sleeping in space.

Alistair in Outer Space by Marilyn Sadler. Simon & Schuster, 1984.

On his way to the library, Alistair is kidnapped by aliens. When the aliens can’t find their home planet, Alistair pilots the ship back to Earth. This book is fun to read. It is part of a series of Alistair adventures.

Moonhorse by Mary Pope Osborne. Alfred A. Knopf, 1991.

While her father sleeps, a girl and a winged horse travel the sky. They pull the new Moon and see the constellations. This is a good bedtime story.

UFO Diary by Satoshi Kitamura. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1989.

A UFO makes a quick visit to Earth and meets a young boy. This book is short and nice.

On a Starry Night by Natalie Kinsey-Warnock. Orchard Books, 1994.

A girl and her mother go out at night to watch the stars. The girl pretends she can be in the sky with the constellations. She rides Pegasus and Cygnus. The illustrations are dark and dreamy looking.

Stargazing Sky by Deborah Kogan Ray. Crown Publishers, Inc., 1991.

A mother and her daughter go to the meadow to see shooting stars. After waiting a long time, they see the shooting stars light up the sky. You feel like you are outside with them watching the sky.

I Want to be an Astronaut by Michaela Muntean. Western Publishing, 1991.

Elmo’s sister, Daisy, learns about astronaut training and life on the space shuttle. This book is perfect for young children who like Sesame Street.

Space Case by Edward Marshall. Dial Press, 1980.

This book is about an alien that lands on Earth! He learns about life on Earth and becomes friends with an earthling. This is a silly book that young kids will like.

Fat Men From Space by Daniel Pinkwater. Dell Publishing, 1977.

William’s radio tooth picks up a station broadcasting a secret invasion plan. The fat men invade Earth and eat all the junk food. This is a funny book. It doesn’t have real scientific facts about space. It just makes you laugh.

Guys from Space by Daniel Pinkwater. Aladdin Books, 1992.

In his backyard, a boy meets spacemen from a planet far away. He travels with them to a place where he gets root beer and ice cream treats. Then, the spacemen return him to Earth. It was a fun story. Where would you like the spacemen to take you for a treat?

The Wonderful Flight to the Mushroom Planet by Eleanor Cameron. Little, Brown and Company, 1954.

Two boys build a spaceship to go to a mysterious planet and help the planet's inhabitants with a serious problem. This book was written before Sputnik was launched. It is a good story but not one with space facts.

Commander Toad in Space by Jane Yolen. Coward, McCann & Geoghegan, Inc., 1980.

Commander Toad, captain of the Star Warts, and his crew discover a new planet. The planet’s monster wants to have them for lunch. After an escape, the crew heads off for new adventures. This book has silly riddles and Star Wars references. There is a series of these fun books.

Non-Fiction Books

Full Moon by Michael Light. Alfred A. Knopf, 1999.

This book is about the Moon. Most of the book is photographs that show the Moon’s surface and Moon missions. These photographs are really great! If you like the Moon, this book is for you.

NASA & the Exploration of Space by Roger D. Launius and Bertram Ulrich. Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 1998.

The history of U.S. space exploration is presented in this book. All the illustrations are from the NASA Art Program. These paintings and sketches are cool! There are so many great illustrations, it is impossible to pick a favorite.

Mission: Earth Voyage to the Home Planet by Thomas D. Jones and June A. English.  Scholastic Press, 1996.

NASA astronaut, Thomas Jones, and his scientist friend, June English, record their thoughts about the Space Shuttle missions, STS-59 and STS-68. These missions involved Space Radar Lab 1 and 2 and studied the Earth. This book lets you know that NASA does more than study outer space. The Earth is being investigated too!

First on the Moon by Barbara Henner. Hyperion, 1999.

This book has excellent pictures and facts about Apollo 11, the first Moon landing. It makes you feel like you are there on the Moon too.

Non-Fiction Books - Fables and Legends

Legend of the Milky Way retold by Jeanne M. Lee. Henry Holt and Company, 1982

This is a Chinese legend about a man and a heavenly princess who get married but are turned into stars and separated by the Milky Way. The text is easy to read. The pictures are simple drawings that illustrate the story well. This book was included on public television’s Reading Rainbow show.

Why the Sun and the Moon Live in the Sky by Elphinstone Dayrell. Houghton Mifflin Company, 1968.

This is an African folktale. The Sun and the Moon invite water and his companions to their home. The house overflows. The Sun and the Moon go into the sky. This book makes you think of the sky in a different way.

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