Get Ready for Summer with Space Themed Books from Scholastic!

This is the last week of school.  We have a tradition of stocking up on new books for summer vacation and this year's theme is -- Outer Space!  As a Mom and an Engineer, I love books that are both entertaining and educational. In today's post, I'll share space-themed books that are fantastic for preschoolers through middle schoolers. (My children personally recommend them!)  All of the books are from Scholastic. They currently have a Memorial Day sale below, so stock up this weekend!

My preschooler's favorite books are Penguinaut!, This Little Rocket, and The Sun is Kind of a Big Deal. The Penguinaut book is perfect for preschoolers who are in the "I can do it all by myself" phase because the adorable penguin feels the same way.  This Little Rocket is a fantastic bedtime story with imaginative illustration. We read this every night before bedtime. The Sun is Kind of a Big Deal spans the interests of both my preschooler and tween.  This book is whimsical and engaging while also packing facts into the story which is a great way to give them a head start for future Science and Astronomy classes.

The next set of books are ones that we've rotated through reading in the evenings together, but are also great for them to read during summer vacation. Both of my children love the book, There Was an Old Astronaut Who Swallowed the Moon! This book is from the OLD LADY series and does not disappoint. It's humorous and engaging. As a bonus, we love the search-and-find game at the end!  The Fly Guy series is popular for preschoolers. My older son has fond memories of Fly Guy, so he was excited to read this to his little brother. They both enjoyed it and we highly recommend the space-themed book from this series - Fly Guy Presents Space. Of course, summer vacation isn't complete with The Magic School Bus.  They have a few space-themed books, but our personal favorite is, The Magic School Bus Rides Again: Satellite Space Mission. My oldest son attended a NASA Space Camp a few years ago, so he loves that space camp is mentioned in this book. I won't ruin the surprise, but this book definitely makes reading fun!

A couple of other books that we love are Lost in Outer Space and Geronimo Stilton: Mouse in Space. My oldest son was captivated by the Lost in Outer Space book and couldn't believe that it was based on a real story. This books teaches children about the Apollo Mission in 1970 with all of the twists and turns. The Geronimo Stilton: Mouse in Space book is also engaging. My son started reading books from the Geronimo Stilton series in 2nd grade.  Now that he is in 4th grade, he continues to loves this series. This book was particularly fun because the mission was full of surprises!

Space: The Definitive Visual Catalog of the Universe makes it fun to learn about space while also getting a head start on upcoming Science and Astronomy classes. If you are worried about summer slide, this is a particularly nice book because they practice reading while also learning about topics that will probably be covered in school. The information and photos in this book are fantastic. This is my tween's favorite book!

If you have an American Girl fan in your house, they will love American Girl: Girl of the Year 2018 #1: Luciana. I think that every "girl mom" in Dallas/Fort Worth has been to the American Girl store in Dallas. This book extends the fun of the American Girl brand while also encouraging STEM. Luciana goes to Space Camp. It's a lot of fun to read her story!

Finally, while these books are not necessarily space-themed, they involve planes and battles that will captivate your children. Ranger in Time #7: D-Day Battle: Battle on the Beach includes a time traveling dog and a story of survival. I Survived #18: I Survived the Battle of D-Day, 1944 shares a story from WWII, including the Normandy Landings. My oldest son actually read both of these books twice!

We hope that you enjoy our book recommendations! As I mentioned, my children read all of these books and love them. (Actually, they've read most of them multiple times because they are fun to read!)   It's fun to stock up on Space themed books for summer. Pair these book recommendations with space-themed snacks for reading sessions, including rocket pops, Moon Pies, astronaut ice cream, or Pop Rocks!

Learn More
The Scholastic sale that I mentioned above is not only limited to their space themed books.  Visit Scholastic here to learn more.