Books like The Astronaut's Guide to Leaving the Planet
If you liked The Astronaut's Guide to Leaving the Planet, read Maid for It, Now Is Your Time, or Weirdo — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared award lists and reading level.
Closest match: Maid for It by Jamie Sumner
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Looking for books like The Astronaut's Guide to Leaving the Planet by Terry Virts (Juvenile Nonfiction · grades 6–8)? The 10 titles below are the closest matches in the ReadingList database — each scored on shared themes, shared award lists, genre, and reading level, and each linked to the curricula, states, and grades where it’s assigned, with primary sources.
These are reading-level matches, not just topical ones — so the picks stay grade-appropriate for a grades 6–8 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.
10 books similar to The Astronaut's Guide to Leaving the Planet
Maid for ItJamie Sumner
Now Is Your TimeWalter Dean Myers
WeirdoTony Weaver, Jr.
Wish I Was a BallerAmar Shah
Lincoln: A PhotobiographyRussell Freedman
The Story of MankindHendrik Willem van Loon
102 Days of Lying About LaurenMaura Jortner
ClementineAnn Hood
Eb & FlowKelly J. Baptist
Half Moon SummerElaine Vickers
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Why each is a match
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- Maid for Itgrades 6–8
- Both on the South Carolina Junior Book Award list, same genre (Juvenile Nonfiction), and overlapping grades (6–8). Amazon → books like this →
- Now Is Your Timegrades 4–8
- Same genre (Juvenile Nonfiction) and overlapping grades (4–8). Amazon → books like this →
- Weirdogrades 6–8
- Same genre (Juvenile Nonfiction) and overlapping grades (6–8). Amazon → books like this →
- Wish I Was a Ballergrades 6–8
- Same genre (Juvenile Nonfiction) and overlapping grades (6–8). Amazon → books like this →
- Lincoln: A Photobiographygrades 3–7
- Same genre (Juvenile Nonfiction) and overlapping grades (3–7). Amazon → books like this →
- The Story of Mankindgrades 3–7
- Same genre (Juvenile Nonfiction) and overlapping grades (3–7). Amazon → books like this →
- 102 Days of Lying About Laurengrades 6–8
- Both on the South Carolina Junior Book Award list and overlapping grades (6–8). Amazon → books like this →
- Clementinegrades 6–8
- Both on the South Carolina Junior Book Award list and overlapping grades (6–8). Amazon → books like this →
- Eb & Flowgrades 6–8
- Both on the South Carolina Junior Book Award list and overlapping grades (6–8). Amazon → books like this →
- Half Moon Summergrades 6–8
- Both on the South Carolina Junior Book Award list and overlapping grades (6–8). Amazon → books like this →
Books like The Astronaut's Guide to Leaving the Planet for younger readers (K–2)
Closest matches whose grade range overlaps K–2— same scoring, different audience.
- Baboushka and the Three Kings by Ruth Robbins · grades K–3 — Same genre (Juvenile Nonfiction).
- Cactus Queen: Minerva Hoyt Establishes Joshua Tree National Park by Lori Alexander · grades 2–3 — Same genre (Juvenile Nonfiction).
- Forests by Nell Cross Beckerman · grades 2–3 — Same genre (Juvenile Nonfiction).
- Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom by Carole Boston Weatherford · grades K–3 — Same genre (Juvenile Nonfiction).
- Out of Wonder by Kwame Alexander · grades K–3 — Same genre (Juvenile Nonfiction).
Books like The Astronaut's Guide to Leaving the Planet for elementary readers (grades 3–5)
Closest matches whose grade range overlaps 3–5— same scoring, different audience.
- Baboushka and the Three Kings by Ruth Robbins · grades K–3 — Same genre (Juvenile Nonfiction).
- Cactus Queen: Minerva Hoyt Establishes Joshua Tree National Park by Lori Alexander · grades 2–3 — Same genre (Juvenile Nonfiction).
- Dear Dad: Growing Up With a Parent in Prison - And How We Stayed Connected by Jay Jay Patton · grades 4–5 — Same genre (Juvenile Nonfiction).
- Forests by Nell Cross Beckerman · grades 2–3 — Same genre (Juvenile Nonfiction).
- Is It Real?: The Loch Ness Monster by Candace Fleming · grades 4–5 — Same genre (Juvenile Nonfiction).
Common questions
- What books are similar to The Astronaut's Guide to Leaving the Planet?
- The 10 closest matches to The Astronaut's Guide to Leaving the Planet by Terry Virts on ReadingList include Maid for It, Now Is Your Time, Weirdo, Wish I Was a Baller, and Lincoln: A Photobiography. Each is scored on shared themes, shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 6–8), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.
- Are books like The Astronaut's Guide to Leaving the Planet reading-level appropriate?
- Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 6–8), so the picks stay grade-appropriate. See how ReadingList judges text difficulty on the /standard methodology page.
- How does ReadingList choose similar books?
- Matches are ranked by shared themes, shared award and reading-program lists (two books picked for the same state award were chosen by the same committees for the same readers), same genre, comparable Lexile and grade band, and publication decade — computed from cited public curriculum data, not editorial opinion or AI-generated summaries.
Book data last updated 2026-09-05. Matches are computed from each book’s cited attributes — see the methodology.
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