Space has been the inspiration and setting for many fictional stages. Authors like Orson Scott Card, H. G. Wells, George Lucas, and Jason Fry have dazzled us with their out of this world narratives of aliens and space adventure. Each fictional world creates its own idea of the strange and interesting things that might be going on in our universe. However, sometimes the facts can be stranger than fiction!
Reading nonfiction with your child can be just as fun as reading fiction, and it’s a good way to introduce young minds to the world around them. It’s never too early to share nonfiction books with young readers! You can get started with some great nonfiction based on this year’s Summer’s Reading program “A Universe of Stories.” Below is just a suggested list. If the text seems too complex, read what you’d like from it and just talk about the pictures with your child. In this way, nonfiction books for all ages can be shared as a family.
Books for babies and toddlers
- “8 Little Planets” by Chris Ferrie
- “Baby Loves Aerospace Engineering” by Ruth Spiro
- “Earthrise: Apollo 8 and the Photo that Changed the World” by James Gladstone
- “Rocket Science for Babies” by Chris Ferrie
Books for preschoolers
- “Starry Skies” by Samantha Chagollan
- “Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race” by Margot Lee Shetterly
- “We Both Read: About Space” by Jana Carson
- “Curious George Discovers Space” by Monica Perez
Book for older kids
Nonfiction isn’t just read, it’s lived. Provide real experiences for your child to learn new vocabulary. The NASA website has a fun calendar of sky events for anyone interested in experiencing space! Some of the events include:
- July 16th: Partial Lunar Eclipse
- August 13th: Perseid Meteor Shower
