Graphic · ages 8–12

Space Chasers

Name: Space Chasers
Author: Leland Melvin
ISBN: 9781250782779

Written by Leland Melvin · Illustrated by Joe Caramagna

Book 1 in Space ChasersView the full series

A misfit girl aces a secret NASA test, joins a crew of kid astronauts and ends up fighting to save a space station with only half her team and no adults. Created by real astronaut Leland Melvin.

Best for8–12
FormatGraphic
Length240 pp
Read aloud~1 hr55 min

Where to buyPaperback

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The vibe

What it’s like.

Style

Conversational

Tone

Exciting
Adventurous
Inspirational

Themes

On the pagespace, astronauts, nasa, space station, teamwork, stem

Experience meters

Energy4/ 5

Humour3/ 5

Scariness2/ 5

Peril4/ 5

Wonder4/ 5

Cosiness1/ 5

Emotional intensity3/ 5

Conceptual intensity2/ 5

What’s it about?

The story.

Tia Valor never fits in at school, and she has been skipping class to work at her brother's auto shop, so she is stunned when she passes the test for an exclusive NASA program that trains middle-schoolers to crew an advanced orbiting space station. Suddenly she is part of a team of brilliant kid astronauts, launching for real. But space is unpredictable, and when disaster strikes Tia is left with only half her crew and no grown-ups to fall back on, forced to trust her own instincts and the quick thinking of her fellow young astronauts to save the station and everyone on it. Written by real-life NASA astronaut Leland Melvin with Joe Caramagna and illustrated by Alison Acton, this is a thrilling, authentic space adventure that wears its STEM smarts lightly.

Fit check

Right for your child?

Where it lands by age

A space-adventure graphic novel best for 8 to 12s, whether reading alone or sharing. The jeopardy is exciting rather than gory, so most children love it, though nervous readers should note the survival stakes. It opens a series, so expect to want book two.

Best fit · 8–12
Read aloud · 8–11
Independent · 8–12

Prose load

Light

Visual support

Very high

Reluctant-reader friendly

Very

Read-aloud quality

Patchy

Works well for

Reluctant readers

Low sensitivityNo content warnings

Nothing in the book is likely to concern most parents. Safe to recommend without preview.

Bedtime suitability

1 / 5 · Wide awake

Sensitive-child

3 / 5 · Mostly fine

Graphic intensity

2 / 5 · Mild

Best for

Space fans
Stem readers
Graphic novel lovers
Reluctant readers

Avoid if

Wants calm bedtime
Wants standalone

Why it lands

Why they love it.

Why kids love it

Tia gets to actually launch into space as part of a crew of kids her age, then everything goes wrong and it is up to them, no adults, to save the station. It is fast, tense and packed with genuine astronaut detail from someone who has really been up there.

Adventure and freedom
Proving yourself
Surviving danger

Why parents love it

Leland Melvin actually flew on the Space Shuttle, and it shows: the science feels real and the message about grit and teamwork lands without preaching. A gripping, easy-to-devour graphic novel that quietly makes space careers feel possible.

Educational for adult too
Conversation starter

In the series

Space Chasers.

2 books · open the series →

You are here

Space Chasers2025 · Book 1

Space Chasers: To the Moon2026 · Book 2

About the creators

About the creators.

Leland Melvin

Writer · United States · b. 1964

Leland Melvin (born 1964) is a former NASA astronaut and the real-life inspiration behind his children's fiction. A one-time NFL wide receiver whose sporting career was cut short by injury, he flew two Space Shuttle missions aboard Atlantis and logged more than 565 hours in orbit, later writing the memoir Chasing Space and its young readers' edition. His middle-grade graphic-novel series Space Chasers, created with writer Joe Caramagna and illustrator Alison Acton, channels that first-hand experience into fast, authentic adventure: a crew of kid astronauts train for a real orbiting station, then must save it, and later a Moon mission, with only each other to rely on. Melvin wears his STEM smarts lightly, making these warm, exciting stories about teamwork and belonging for readers 8 to 12.

Joe Caramagna

Illustrator · United States

Joe Caramagna is an American comics writer and prolific letterer, a graduate of the Joe Kubert School whose lettering has touched much of the Marvel Universe. In children's books he co-writes the Space Chasers graphic-novel series (2025-) with real-life NASA astronaut Leland Melvin, illustrated by Alison Acton: thrilling, authentic space adventures in which a crew of middle-school astronauts must save an orbiting station, and later reach the Moon, with no grown-ups to fall back on. His storytelling wears its STEM smarts lightly, blending white-knuckle peril with warmth about teamwork, recovery and being underestimated. A reliable graphic-novel writer for ages 8-12.

Alison Acton

Illustrator · Canada

Alison Acton is a Canadian illustrator with a background in comics and traditional animation, having worked for studios and publishers on both sides of the industry. For young readers she is the artist behind Space Chasers, the graphic-novel series created by real NASA astronaut Leland Melvin with writer Joe Caramagna. Across Space Chasers and its sequel, To the Moon, Acton draws a crew of middle-school astronauts training for real missions and then fighting to save a space station, and later a lunar landing, with only half their team and no adults to fall back on. Her bright, characterful artwork keeps the STEM smarts light and the action thrilling, carrying stories of teamwork, courage and belonging that quietly encourage children to picture themselves in space. Authentic, energetic adventure for eight- to twelve-year-olds.