A Universe of Early Readers
This recommended reading list provides a broad list of books related to this summer’s theme of space. This list includes audio, braille, and large print titles and is recommended for those reading at a preschool through 2nd grade reading level up to a kindergarten through 3rd grade reading level.
To order any of these titles, contact the library by email, mail or phone. You may also request these titles online through WolfPAC. Identification numbers for braille books begin with BR, large print books begin with LP, and audiobooks begin with DB or DBC. All audiobooks are linked to the Braille and Audio Reading Download site (BARD) for downloading.
Preschool to Grade 2
The Babysitter from another Planet by Stephen Savage
LP003531
Left with an alien babysitter while their parents go out for the evening, two children embark on a remarkable night that is reminiscent of classic science-fiction stories.
The Darkest Dark by Chris Hadfield
DBC08737
Read by Wendy Devilbiss. Reading time: 7 minutes.
Young Chris loves pretending he's a brave astronaut exploring the universe. Only one problem--at night, he's afraid of the dark. Only when he watches the moon landing on TV does he realize how exciting the unknown can be. Inspired by the childhood of real-life astronaut Chris Hadfield.
Don't Let the Pigeon Stay up Late! by Mo Willems
DBC00482
Read by Rachel Glass. Reading time: 7 minutes.
It's getting dark out, but one stubborn Pigeon is NOT going to bed! Toddlers and parents will love this interactive bedtime romp which puts readers back in the driver's seat, deflecting Pigeon's sly trickery as he tries to escape his inevitable bedtime. Will you let him stay up late?
Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
BR 13012; 1 volume of print/braille
DB 24603
Read by Kay Bergen. Reading time: 2 minutes.
LP002291
LP050084
As a little bunny settles into bed, he bids good night to familiar objects in his room and even some outside.
Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site by Sherri Duskey Rinker
BR 20020; 1 volume of print/braille
DB 74274
Read by Erik Sandvold. Reading time: 9 minutes.
Tough trucks work all day long puffing smoke, lifting big metal beams, and moving dirt at a construction site until they get tuckered out and go to sleep for the night.
Gravity by Jason Chin
BR 21071; 1 volume of print/braille
Explains the invisible force that keeps objects from floating away.
The House in the Night by Susan Marie Swanson.
BR 18041; 1 volume of print/braille
A soothing story about a child who reads a book before being tucked in for the night in a house full of moonlight. Caldecott Medal.
I Took the Moon for a Walk by Carolyn Curtis
DBC06581
Read by Wendy Devilbiss. Reading time: 4 minutes.
A boy and the moon share a walk through his neighborhood.
If You were the Moon by Laura Purdie Salas
DBC08752
Read by Wendy Devilbiss. Reading time: 6 minutes.
What would you do if you were the moon? Do you think you would rest quietly in the night sky? Oh, no. The moon does so more than you might imagine! The moon spins like a twilight ballerina, it plays tug-of-war with the ocean, and it lights a pathway for baby sea turtles. Discover the many other roles the moon plays in this lyrical picture book.
Kitten's First Full Moon by Kevin Henkes
BR 16023; 1 volume of print/braille
When Kitten sees her first full moon, she thinks it is a bowl of milk in the sky. She ends up tired, wet, and hungry from trying to reach it and finally goes home, where a pleasant surprise awaits her. Caldecott Medal.
Life on Mars by Jon Agee.
BR 22019; 1 volume of print/braille in UEB
A young astronaut travels to Mars in search of life and brings with him a gift of chocolate cupcakes. What he finds on the red planet is completely unexpected.
The Man in the Moon by William Joyce.
DBC06574
Read by Wendy Devilbiss. Reading time: 14 minutes.
When a newly orphaned baby in the moon makes friends with the children of Earth, he seeks a way to ward off their fears and nightmares.
Moon Rope a Peruvian Folktale = Un lazo a la luna : una leyenda peruana by Lois Ehlert
DB 40759 (Spanish Language)
Read by María Pino. Reading time: 15 minutes.
Fox asks Mole to climb to the moon with him on a grass rope. But half way up, Mole lets go and falls back to earth. To hide his embarrassment from all the other animals, Mole hides in a deep tunnel and now comes out only at night. A Peruvian folktale in Spanish and in English.
The Napping House by Audrey Wood
BR 06117; 1 volume of print/braille
LP001181
A snoring granny, a dreaming child, a dozing dog, a snoozing cat, and a slumbering mouse in the napping house are disturbed by a wakeful flea. A cumulative tale.
Night Animals by Gianna Marino
DBC06469
Read by Lesley LePage. Reading time: 4 minutes.
Possum is hiding from the sounds in the night, and his fear sets off a chain reaction in the other night animals.
Noisy Night by Mac Barnett
BR 22017; 1 volume of print/braille in UEB
A glimpse into what a multilevel apartment building's occupants and their many nighttime noises are like.
Our Stars by Anne F. Rockwell
LP000876
A simple introduction to the stars, planets, and outer space. A simple introduction to the stars, planets, and outer space. 1999.
Owl Moon by Jane Yolen
BR 07903; 1 volume of print/braille
DB 42932
Read by Mary Kane. Reading time: 8 minutes.
LP050092
On a cold winter's night, under a bright full moon, a young girl and her pa trek into the woods to see the Great Horned Owl. Caldecott Medal.
Reach for the Moon, Little Lion by Hildegard Muller
LP003533
A little lion is teased by animals who tell him that real lions are so big that they can touch the moon with their paws, a claim that saddens the little lion until a wise raven helps him fool his tormentors. Translated by Grace Maccarone. 2017.
Stars by Mary Lyn Ray
DB 74511
Reading by Guy Williams. Reading time: 6 minutes.
Explores the wonder of stars both near and far, whether they are in the nighttime sky, on a wand making wishes come true, or in your pocket for those days when you don't feel shiny.
Kindergarten to Grade 3
Black Holes by Amanda Davis
LP000602
Briefly describes the formation and composition of black holes and the forces connected with them. 1997.
Caroline's Comets: A True Story by Emily Arnold McCully
LP003530
Caroline Herschel was the first woman to discover a comet and the first woman to be paid as a scientist. 2017.
Commander Toad and the Planet of the Grapes by Jane Yolen
DB 32119
Read by Barbara Caruso. Reading time: 13 minutes.
Commander Toad, brave and bright, and his top-notch crew land their spaceship, "Star Warts," on a new planet that seems the perfect place for a picnic. Commander Toad and Lt. Lily go out first to look around, only to be swallowed up by giant grapes. Will Doc Peeper, the ship's medical officer, be able to help them escape from the planet of grapes?
Counting on Katherine by Helaine Becker
BR 22340; 1 volume of print/braille in UEB.
DB 91759
Read by Gabriella Cavallero. Reading time: 19 minutes.
Introduces the boundary-breaking mathematician Katherine Johnson, whose passion for numbers at a young age led to a position at NASA, where she calculated moon landings and helped save the Apollo 13 mission. Highlights the challenges she faced as an African American and as a woman. 2018.
Extraterrestrials: Is There Life in Outer Space? by Amanda Davis
LP000604
Briefly discusses the possibility of finding life on other planets. 1997.
Galaxy Zack series by Ray O’Ryan
Galaxy Zack. Books 1-4: Hello, Nebulon! ; Journey to Juno; the Prehistoric Planet; Monsters in Space! By Ray O'Ryan
DB 85357
Read by David Deboy. Reading time: 2 hours, 49 minutes.
LP003105; 115 p. (Book 1)
LP003106; 121 p. (Book 2)
LP003107; 116 p. (Book 3)
LP003108; 118 p. (Book 4)
Moving from Earth to the futuristic planet Nebulon in 2120, eight-year-old Zack is nervous about starting school and meeting people and aliens in Hello, Nebulon!. Compilation also includes Journey to Juno, The Prehistoric Planet, and Monsters in Space! Galaxy Zack series, books 1-4.
Galaxy Zack. Books 5-8 by Ray O'Ryan
DB 86671
Read by David Deboy. Reading time: 2 hours, 42 minutes.
LP003109; 120 p. (Book 5)
LP003110; 121 p. (Book 6)
LP003111; 120 p. (Book 7)
LP003112; 119 p. (Book 8)
Books five through eight, written between 2013 and 2014, featuring a boy's adventures on planet Nebulon. In Three's a Crowd, Zack's best friend from Earth, Bert Jones, visits him for the weekend on Nebulon. Includes A Green Christmas!, A Galactic Easter!, and Drake Makes a Splash! Galaxy Zack series, books 5-8.
Galaxy Zack. Books 9-12 by Ray O'Ryan
DB 87538
Read by Joe Peck. Reading time: 2 hours, 28 minutes.
LP003113; 121 p. (Book 9)
LP003114; 119 p. (Book 10)
LP003115; 119 p. (Book 11)
LP003116; 119 p. (Book 12)
Books nine through twelve, written between 2014 and 2015, featuring Zack's adventures on planet Nebulon. In The Annoying Crush, Zack tests an android, and she develops a crush on him. Also includes Return to Earth!, A Haunted Halloween, and Operation Twin Trouble. Galaxy Zack series, books 9-12.
Good Night Yoga: A Pose-by-Pose Bedtime Story by Mariam Gates
BR 21058; 1 volume of print/braille
Guide to hatha yoga for kids. Simple poses follow the natural world as it comes to rest at day's end.
Hand On Science Activities by Dr. Lillian A. Rankel and Marilyn D. Winograd
BR053829; 1 volume of print/braille in UEB.
Want to make Gummi Bears, slippery slime, yummy slushies, puffy paint, bird seed gardens, musical instruments, and more? This book contains 34 step-by-step experiments for blind youngsters to do at home with family and friends. Illustrated by Janet Malone. 2018.
Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly
BR052330; 1 volume of print/braille in UEB.
Explores the previously uncelebrated but pivotal contributions of NASA's African American women mathematicians to America's space program, describing how Jim Crow laws segregated them despite their groundbreaking successes. Illustrated by Laura Freeman. Coretta Scott King Honor Book. 2018.
Jumanji by Chris Van Allsburg
BR 05317; 1 volume of print/braille
DB 50700
Read by Laura Giannarelli. Reading time: 14 minutes.
LP001796
Left on their own for an afternoon, two bored and restless children find more excitement than they bargained for in a mysterious and thrilling jungle adventure board game. Caldecott Medal. 1981.
Kid from Planet Z series by Nancy E. Krulik
Crash by Nancy E. Krulik
LP003426; 89 p.
When Zeke Zander's spaceship crashes on Earth, he and his family must pretend to be humans until they can fix the ship and return home to Planet Z. But with antennae on their heads and a talking cat named Zeus, fitting in is easier said than done! Kid from Planet Z series, book 1. Illustrated by Louis Thomas. 2017.
Don't Sneeze! by Nancy E. Krulik
LP003427; 89 p.
Second-grader Zeke Zander, an alien from Planet Z who is concealing his identity, must hide the fact that he has the zeebop flu, which is making his eyes leak green goo. Kid from Planet Z series, book 2. Illustrated by Louis Thomas. 2017.
Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11 by Brian Floca
DB 85036
Read by Patrick Downer. Reading time: 41 minutes.
Overview of the Apollo 11 mission that sent the first astronauts to land on the Moon in the summer of 1969.
The Night World by Mordicai Gerstein
BR 21062; 1 volume of print/braille
Sylvie the cat persuades her boy to explore the darkness very late at night, where they are greeted by the shadows and other animals.
Our Solar System by Amanda Davis
LP000605
Briefly describes the sun, moon and planets, as well as the force gravity that connects them. 1997.
Space Cat by Doug Cushman
BR053832; 1 volume of print/braille in UEB.
When Space Cat and Earl the robot encounter trouble with their space ship, they crash-land on an alien planet to search for more fuel. 2006.
Star Stuff: Carl Sagan and the Mysteries of the Cosmos by Stéphanie Roth Sisson
BR 21054; 1 volume of print/braille.
Biography of astronomer Dr. Carl Sagan (1934-1996) focuses on his passion for the cosmos, which he later shared with the public through television. Discusses how he helped assemble the material for Voyager Golden Records in hopes of one day communicating with extraterrestrials.
The Story of the Milky Way a Cherokee Tale by Joseph Bruchac
DB 43759
Read by Michael Kramer. Reading time: 10 minutes.
LP050185
Long ago there were not many stars in the sky. And in those days the people depended on corn for most of their food. One day an elderly couple discovers someone has stolen some cornmeal. When the villagers try to stop the thief, their actions result in many more stars to light the night.
Sun Up, Sun Down by Gail Gibbons.
DB 22321
Read by Suzanne Toren. Reading time: 8 minutes.
Simple text describes the characteristics of the sun and how it regulates life on earth.
What the Moon is Like by Franklyn Mansfield Branley
DB 60126
Read by Erin Jones. Reading time: 10 minutes.
Describes Earth's moon. Discusses the astronauts who have been to the moon's surface and what they found when they walked there. Includes learning activities. 1986.
Whoosh!: Lonnie Johnson's Super-Soaking Stream of Inventions by Chris Barton
DB 85191
Read by Ken Jackson. Reading time: 17 minutes.
Chronicles the life and achievements of Lonnie Johnson, a NASA engineer and inventor. Highlights range from his inquisitive childhood to his accidental invention of the Super Soaker water gun. 2016.
Zathura a Space Adventure by Chris Van Allsburg
DB 55280
Read by Bruce Nelson. Reading time: 18 minutes.
While their parents are out for the evening, Walter and his brother, Danny, find a second board game in the Jumanji (DB 50700) box. This one forces the boys to stop quarreling and work together to survive dangers from spaceships and alien life forms.