Read a Book with an Astronaut on the International Space Station

What would be more exciting than reading a story along with an astronaut who is on the International Space Station? The Story Time From Space website offers a video library of astronauts reading space-related children’s books. Right now there are only a few available, but more are being added regularly.

One of the videos that is currently available features Max Goes to the Space Station: A Science Adventure with Max the Dog (Science Adventures with Max the Dog series) by Jeffrey Bennett and illustrated by Michael Carroll.

Max is a big dog who travels to the International Space Station. To prepare, he goes to train for the trip in Houston. Readers learn a lot about the space station and space while going on the adventure, including how astronauts are weightless due to the fact they are in free fall. You can see the rest in the video of astronaut Mike Hopkins reading this book.

Age Range: 7 – 9 years
Publisher: Big Kid Science (November 1, 2013)
ISBN-10: 1937548287
ISBN-13: 978-1937548285

Here in Arizona, we have our own celebrity astronaut author, Mark Kelly. He wrote Mousetronaut: Based on a (Partially) True Story (Paula Wiseman Books) illustrated by C. F. Payne, which is on the list of books selected for this project. It is based on Mark Kelly’s observations of a real mouse that was part of an experiment on the space shuttle Endeavour. The little mouse didn’t cling to the side of his cage like the other mice while in space, but free floated instead.

In the fiction picture book, Meteor the mouse goes on a trip on the space shuttle. When the astronauts let him out of the cage, Meteor has a chance to save the day. Can he do it?

Age Range: 4 – 8 years
Publisher: Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books; First Edition edition (October 9, 2012)
ISBN-10: 1442458240
ISBN-13: 978-1442458246

In a follow up book, Mousetronaut Goes to Mars (Paula Wiseman Books) by Mark Kelly and illustrated by C. F. Payne, Meteor goes to Mars. What will he do there?

These are sweet books that give a taste for space, but don’t get bogged down in a lot of detail. For those interested in learning more, there is an extensive Afterword section in the back matter.

Age Range: 4 – 8 years
Publisher: Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books (October 1, 2013)
ISBN-10: 1442484268
ISBN-13: 978-1442484269

Disclosures: These books were provided by our local library. I am an affiliate with Amazon so I can provide you with cover images and links to more information about books and products. As you probably are aware, if you click through the highlighted title link and purchase a product, I will receive a very small commission, at not extra cost to you. Any proceeds help defray the costs of hosting and maintaining this website.

Come visit the STEM Friday blog each week to find more great Science, Technology, Engineering and Math books.