This list is (only) a selection of English books for children and young adults. It includes recommendations from Michael Ciancone, Marc Cohen, John Harlow, Scott Howe, Gilles Schneider, Kevin Scholtes, Douglas Millard, Radu Rugescu and me.
| Author | Title, Publisher, Year | Age | Topic |
| Anderson Clayton | Letters From Space, Sleeping Bear Press, 2020 | 6-8 | Space History |
| Barker Sarah | 50 Things to See in the Sky, Pavilion Books, 2019 | / | Astronomy |
| Becklage Susan | 100 facts Astronomy, Miles Kelly Publishing, 2015 | 5-8 | Astronomy |
| Becklage Susan | 100 facts Space – Solar Systems, Planets, Galaxies, Educational Projects, Fun Action, Miles Kelly Publishing, 2019 | 8-10 | Astronomy |
| Becklage Susan | Space Detectives Handbook, Miles Kelly Publishing, 2009 | 6+ | Astronomy |
| Becklage Susan | Space – 100 facts you should know, Gareth Stevens Publishing, 2010 | 8-11 | Astronomy |
| Bennett Jeffrey | Max Goes to Mars: A Science Adventure with Max the Dog, Big Kid Science, 2015 | 7-9 | Mars |
| Betts Bruce | My First Book of Planets, Rockridge Press, 2020 | 3-5 | Space History |
| Betts Bruce | Super Cool Space Facts, Brilliance Corporation, 2020 | 5-6 | Space History |
| David Macaulay | The NEW way things work, HMH Books for Young Readers, 1998 | 12 | Space Architecture |
| David Hitt | Homesteading Space: The Skylab Story, University of Nebraska Press, 2008 | 12 | Space Architecture |
| Gerard O’Neill | The High Frontier: Human Colonies in Space, 2019 | 12 | Space Architecture |
| Joels Kerry Mark | Mars One Crew Manual, 1985 | 12 | Space Architecture |
| Häuplik-Meusburger Sandra | Architecture for Astronauts, Springer, 2011 | 12- | Space Architecture |
| Kelly Erin Entrada | We Dream of Space, Greenwillow Books, 2020 | 8-12 | Space History |
| Kerry M. Joels | The Space Shuttle Operator’s Manual, Ballantine Books, 19998 | 12 | Space Architecture |
| Kim Stanley Robinson | Mars Trilogy, Heyne Verlag, 2003 | 12 | Mars |
| Krull Kathleen | Fly High, John Glenn: The Story of an American Hero, HarperCollins, 2020 | 4-8 | Space History |
| Michael Johnstone | History News In Space, Gareth Stevens Pub, 1999 | 9-12 | Space History |
| Misa Anu | Ella Says: I’m Going to be an Astronaut!, Anna di Misa, 2020 | 4-9 | Space History |
| Mitton Tony | Roaring Rockets, Kingfisher, 2020 | 2-6 | Space History |
| Moscow Design Museum | Soviet Space Graphics: Cosmic Visions from the USSR, Phaidon, 2020 | / | Spacearchitecture |
| NASA | Saturn V Flight Manual, NASA, 2012 | 12 | Space Architecture |
| Neece Michael | Tony Jenzano, Astronaut Trainer: The Man Who Made the Stars Shine, Morehead Planetarium and Science Center, 2020 | 5-6 | Space History |
| Nigel Hawkes | The fantastic cutaway book of Spacecraft, 1985 | 7-9 | Space Architecture |
| Ottaviani Jim | Astronauts: Women on the Final Frontier, First Second, 2020 | 9-13 | Space History |
| Rabe Tish | There’s no place like space: all about our solar system (Cat in the Hat’s learning library), Random House Books for Young Readers, 1999 | 5-8 | Astronomy |
| Rader Andrew | Rocket Science: A Beginner’s Guide to the Fundamentals of Spaceflight, Candlewick, 2020 | 10-14 | Space History |
| Randell Munroe | What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions, John Murray, 2014 | / | Space Physics |
| Read John | 50 Space Missions that Changed the World, Stellar Publishing, 2020 | 6-10 | Space History |
| Rocco John | How We Got to the Moon: The People, Technology, and Daring Feats of Science Behind Humanity’s Greatest Adventure, Crown Books for Young Readers, 2020 | 10-17 | Space History |
| Thomson Sarah | The Story of Neil Armstrong: A Biography Book for New Readers, Rockridge Press, 2020 | 6-8 | Space History |
| Trechter Holly | Galileo! Galileo!, Sky Candle Press, 2020 | 9-12 | Space History |
| Whitcomb Kate | NASA Mars Mission for Kids: A Space Book of Facts, Activities, and Fun for Ages 7-12, Wendybird Press, 2020 | 7-12 | Space History |
| Wilgus Alison | The Mars Challenge: The Past, Present, and Future of Human, First Second, 2020 | 13-18 | Space History |
The list was developed by the American Astronautical Society (AAS) History Committee. Similar lists from previous years are posted to the History Committee website.
It comprises English-language books published (original appearance or new edition) on various aspects of spaceflight in a variety of disciplines and ranging from juvenile and pop literature to texts intended for academia or practicing scientists and engineers. In addition to obvious topics of human spaceflight and unmanned interplanetary explorations, this list also includes the occasional non-astronautics title that has a space “flavor.”
| Last Name | First Name | Title | Publisher |
| Anderson | Clayton | Letters from Space | Sleeping Bear Press |
| Ayrey | Bill | Lunar Outfitters: Making the Apollo Space Suit | University Press of Florida |
| Betts | Bruce | Space Exploration for Kids: A Junior Scientist’s Guide to Astronauts, Rockets, and Life in Zero Gravity | Rockridge Press |
| Bizony | Piers | The Art of NASA: The Illustrations That Sold the Missions | Motorbooks |
| Carrier | W. David | Apollo Memories | Collector’s Guide Publishing |
| Ciancone | Michael (Ed.) | Proceedings of the 51st History Symposium of the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) | Univelt; Volume 50 of the AAS History Series History of Rocketry and Astronautics |
| Cristoferetti | Samantha | Diary of an Apprentice Astronaut | Allen Lane |
| Druyan | Ann | Cosmos: Possible Worlds | National Geographic |
| Dye | Paul | Shuttle, Houston: My Life in the Center Seat of Mission Control | Hachette Books |
| Edberg | Don | Design of Rockets and Space Launch Vehicles | AIAA |
| Ganse | Bergita | The Spacefarer’s Handbook: Science and Life Beyond Earth | Springer Praxis |
| George | Alice | John Glenn: The Last American Hero | Chicago Review Press |
| Gerardi | Kellie | Not Necessarily Rocket Science: A Beginner’s Guide to Life in the Space Age | Mango |
| Gorman | Alice | Interior Space: A Visual Exploration of the International Space Station: Photographs by Paolo Nespoli & Roland Miller | Damiani |
| Greene | Kate | Once Upon a Time I Lived on Mars: Space, Exploration, and Life on Earth | St. Martin’s Press |
| Hansen | James | A Reluctant Icon: Letters to Neil Armstrong | Purdue University Press |
| Harrison | Tanya | For All Humankind: The Untold Stories of How the Moon Landing Inspired the World | Mango |
| Howell | Elizabeth | Canadarm and Collaboration: How Canada’s Astronauts and Space Robots Explore New Worlds | ECW Press |
| Howell | Elizabeth | The Search for Life on Mars: The Greatest Scientific Detective Story of All Time | Arcade |
| Johnson | Julie Swarstad | Beyond Earth’s Edge: The Poetry of Spaceflight | University of Arizona Press |
| Jonk | Baikonur: Vestiges of the Soviet Space Program | Jonglez Publishing | |
| Kelly | Erin Entrada | We Dream of Space | Greenwillow Books |
| Lardas | Mark | Images of Aviation: Ellington Field | Arcadia Publishing |
| Launius | Roger | Unofficial History of NASA Mission Patches | Thunder Bay Press |
| Levasseur | Jennifer | Through Astronaut Eyes: Photographing Early Human Spaceflight | Purdue University Press |
| Misa | Anu | Ella Says: I’m Going to be an Astronaut! | Anna di Misa |
| Mitton | Tony | Roaring Rockets | Kingfisher; Amazing Machines |
| Moore | Kimberly | Star Crossed: The Story of Astronaut Lisa Nowak | University Press of Florida |
| Morgan | George | Rocket Age: The Race to the Moon and What It Took to Get There | Prometheus |
| Muir-Harmony | Teasel | Operation Moonglow: A Political History of Project Apollo | Basic Books |
| Mullane | Patrick | The Father, Son, and Holy Shuttle: Growing Up an Astronaut’s Kid in the Glorious 80s | Independently published |
| Neece | Michael | Tony Jenzano, Astronaut Trainer: The Man Who Made the Stars Shine | Morehead Planetarium and Science Center |
| O’Sullivan | John | European Missions to the International Space Station: 2013 to 2019 | Springer Praxis |
| Ottaviani | Jim | Astronauts: Women on the Final Frontier | First Second |
| Peake | Tim | Limitless: The Autobiography | Century |
| Petty | Chris | Beyond Blue Skies: The Rocket Plane Programs That Led to the Space Age | University of Nebraska Press |
| Price | Luke | Space Mission Art: The Mission Patches & Insignias of America’s Human Spaceflights | Ammonite Press |
| Rader | Andrew | Rocket Science: A Beginner’s Guide to the Fundamentals of Spaceflight | Candlewick |
| Read | John | 50 Space Missions that Changed the World | Stellar Publishing |
| Rocco | John | How We Got to the Moon: The People, Technology, and Daring Feats of Science Behind Humanity’s Greatest Adventure | Crown Books for Young Readers |
| Sacknoff | Scott | Remembering the Space Race with Walter Cronkite: Rockets, Reporters, and the Rise of Television | Spacehistory101.com |
| Sankova | Alexandra | Soviet Space Graphics: Cosmic Visions from the USSR | Phaidon Press |
| Shayler | David | NASA’s First Space Shuttle Astronaut Selection: Redefining the Right Stuff | Springer Praxis |
| Siddiqi | Asif | Soyuz 1: The Death of Vladimir Komarov | Spacehistory101.com |
| Teitel | Amy Shirra | Fighting for Space: Two Pilots and Their Historic Battle for Female Spaceflight | Grand Central Publishing |
| Toivonen | Annette | Sustainable Space Tourism: An Introduction | Channel View Publications |
| Trechter | Holly | Galileo! Galileo! | Sky Candle Press |
| Virts | Terry | How to Astronaut: An Insider’s Guide to Leaving Planet Earth | Workman Publishing Company |
| von Ehrenfried | Manfred „Dutch“ | The Artemis Lunar Program: Returning People to the Moon | Springer Praxis |
| Wanjek | Christopher | Spacefarers: How Humans Will Settle the Moon, Mars, and Beyond | Harvard University Press |
| Weichert | Brandon | Winning Space: How America Remains a Superpower | Republic Book Publishers |
| Whitcomb | Kate | NASA Mars Mission for Kids: A Space Book of Facts, Activities, and Fun for Ages 7-12 | Wendybird Press; Woo! Jr. Kids Activities Books |