As the rover approached landing, my son and I settled in to watch NASA’s livestream. We listened with bated breath to ground control’s updates about the little rover’s progress. For once, my toddler didn’t protest over watching something other than Trash Truck or Tangled. When Perseverance made a successful landing and NASA’s mission control cried out, “Tango Delta (i.e. Touchdown)!” we joined the world in ecstatic applause. I didn’t realize how much I’d needed uplifting news until I felt myself begin to tear up. I could feel history in the making. Awe, pride, and — most wonderfully — hope in humanity swelled inside of me like an expanding star. Even now, I think back on the wonder of that moment and those feelings flutter once more. To celebrate Perseverance’s landing, I’ve put together a list of books about Mars for the whole family to enjoy. These include children’s, middle grade, young adult, and adult books about Mars. The list spans both fiction and nonfiction, comprised mainly of titles published in more recent years. I hope one of these will spark your curiosity about the red planet!
Children’s Books About Mars
Middle Grade Books About Mars
Young Adult Books About Mars
Adult Books About Mars
Interested in keeping up with the adventures of the Perseverance rover on Mars? NASA’s got you covered. For more books about Mars, check out the following:
The Re(a)d Planet: 10 Short Stories about Mars Mars in Fiction: A Timeline YA Set on Mars: Books For Young Adults Set On The Red Planet Mars Mania: A Reading List How Western Science Fiction Didn’t Predict Our Attachment to Opportunity
