Space Chasers
Part of the collectionSpace Chasers→Kid astronauts, real space science and genuine peril from an actual NASA astronaut; best for readers who want thrills and STEM in equal measure.
- Books2
- Arcs1
- Span2025–2026
- StatusOngoing
The series
At a glance.
Created by real NASA astronaut Leland Melvin with Joe Caramagna and illustrated by Alison Acton, Space Chasers follows Tia Valor and a crew of middle-schoolers trained to operate an advanced orbiting space station. The books build a continuing mission: in book one a disaster strands the young crew with no grown-ups to rely on; in book two they journey to the Moon while crewmate Steven, back from a serious injury, chafes at being handled with kid gloves as moonquakes threaten the team. The series wears its authentic space science lightly, pairing fast, tense survival set-pieces with warm, honest attention to teamwork, recovery and what it feels like to be underestimated. Ideal for readers who want real STEM and real stakes together.
Kid astronauts, real space science and genuine peril from an actual NASA astronaut; best for readers who want thrills and STEM in equal measure.
Primary themes
Overall tone
- Exciting
- Adventurous
- Inspirational
Read in publication order. The crew, their relationships and Steven's recovery arc carry forward from the first mission to the second.
One arc
The shape of the series.
- INarrative arcLow sensitivity
The kid astronaut missions
Tia Valor's crew of kid astronauts survive a space-station disaster, then a dangerous first mission to the Moon.
The Space Chasers run reads as one continuing mission. Book one launches Tia Valor and her fellow middle-school astronauts into a real crewing role aboard an advanced space station, then strips away the adults so the kids must save the station and themselves. Book two sends the crew to the Moon, where recovered-but-restless Steven fights to be treated as a full teammate while relentless moonquakes threaten to shake the mission apart. Across both books the science stays authentic and lightly worn, the peril is real but never gratuitous, and the emotional throughline, learning to trust and lean on one another, deepens with each mission.
Fit check
Right for your reader?
Where the series lands by age
- 1
- 3
- 5
- 7
- 9
- 11
- 13
- 15
- 17
- 19
- Best fit · 8–12
- Read aloud · 8–11
- Independent · 8–12
Reluctant-reader friendliness
Very high
Read-aloud quality
Patchy
Adult crossover
Low
Grows with the reader
Not especially
Sensitivity envelope
Low overall, and consistent.
Where it sits
In conversation with other series.
About the author