71 books like Cosmic

By Frank Cottrell Boyce,

Here are 71 books that Cosmic fans have personally recommended if you like Cosmic. Shepherd is a community of 11,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of Danger Is Everywhere

Emily Snape Author Of Fergus the Furball

From my list on reluctant readers aged 7-11.

Why am I passionate about this?

My sons were both reluctant readers and that made me want to write books that they wouldn’t be able to resist reading! Reading should be a pleasure and this list is packed with books that are impossible to put down. They are perfect for young, reluctant readers, as they are not trying to be too serious or worthy or overwhelming with too much text. They pull you in and hook you from the start and you can’t help being moved by the characters as they grow and develop, fostering a love of books and fiction. I love comedy in books, but funny books also have to have heart, believable characters, and a great plot that keeps you reading till the very end.

Emily's book list on reluctant readers aged 7-11

Emily Snape Why did Emily love this book?

This book is totally hilarious! It’s really pacy, utterly wacky, and laugh-out-loud silly. The pages are packed with lots of funny illustrations so none of the text seems overwhelming or goes on too long. It’s a handbook on how to avoid danger, written by Dr. Noel Zone, the greatest (and only) "dangerologist" in the world, and covers sneaky snakes posing as toothbrushes, sharks hiding in toilets, to robots disguised as kindly grandmas. My son, a reluctant reader first listened to the audiobook- which is narrated fantastically (we were in fits of giggles listening to it in the car), and then he happily and quickly read the second two books in the series. I think audiobooks are a fantastic way to get kids hooked on new characters and discover new authors.

By David O'Doherty, Chris Judge (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Danger Is Everywhere as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 8, 9, 10, and 11.

What is this book about?

Diary of a Wimpy Kid meets The Dangerous Book for Boys, DANGER IS EVERYWHERE is a brilliantly funny handbook for avoiding danger of all kinds that will have everyone from reluctant readers to bookworms laughing out loud (very safely) from start to finish.

DOES IT WARN YOU ABOUT WHAT TO DO IF A SHARK COMES UP OUT OF THE LOO WHILE YOU ARE SITTING ON IT?
Yes it does.

AND HOW TO FIND OUT IF YOUR GRANNY IS A ROBOT?
That too.

AND WHAT TO DO IF A VOLCANO ERUPTS UNDERNEATH YOUR HOUSE?
After you've made sure it's not a…


Book cover of Head Kid

Emily Snape Author Of Fergus the Furball

From my list on reluctant readers aged 7-11.

Why am I passionate about this?

My sons were both reluctant readers and that made me want to write books that they wouldn’t be able to resist reading! Reading should be a pleasure and this list is packed with books that are impossible to put down. They are perfect for young, reluctant readers, as they are not trying to be too serious or worthy or overwhelming with too much text. They pull you in and hook you from the start and you can’t help being moved by the characters as they grow and develop, fostering a love of books and fiction. I love comedy in books, but funny books also have to have heart, believable characters, and a great plot that keeps you reading till the very end.

Emily's book list on reluctant readers aged 7-11

Emily Snape Why did Emily love this book?

This book made me first want to write for 7 to 11-year-olds! It is really easy to get into and the characters are fun, believable, and have heart. Baddiel’s books are all set in the real world of school and normal life but with a fantastical twist. In this story, the naughtiest boy in school accidentally swaps bodies with the very strict headteacher, and they both learn a lot about themselves while having chaotic, madcap adventures along the way.

By David Baddiel, Steven Lenton (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Head Kid as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

From the million-copy bestselling author of THE PARENT AGENCY and BIRTHDAY BOY comes a wildly entertaining wish-fulfilment adventure that asks the question: what would happen if the strictest head teacher swapped bodies with the naughtiest kid in school?

Strictest head naughtiest boy = chaos.

Bracket Wood is about to be visited by the school inspectors. But there's one big problem: Ryan Ward.

The maestro of practical jokes, Ryan has played so many tricks that in the end the Head Teacher just walks out. And then the new Head Teacher, Mr Carter, arrives. A man so strict even the teachers are…


Book cover of The Accidental Billionaire

Emily Snape Author Of Fergus the Furball

From my list on reluctant readers aged 7-11.

Why am I passionate about this?

My sons were both reluctant readers and that made me want to write books that they wouldn’t be able to resist reading! Reading should be a pleasure and this list is packed with books that are impossible to put down. They are perfect for young, reluctant readers, as they are not trying to be too serious or worthy or overwhelming with too much text. They pull you in and hook you from the start and you can’t help being moved by the characters as they grow and develop, fostering a love of books and fiction. I love comedy in books, but funny books also have to have heart, believable characters, and a great plot that keeps you reading till the very end.

Emily's book list on reluctant readers aged 7-11

Emily Snape Why did Emily love this book?

I read this book with my son and we were in fits of giggles by the end of the first page. It is a very silly book, with ridiculous characters and talking cats, but the characters are somehow believable and loveable and learn so much through their crazy adventure. The hero of the story is Jasper Spam who accidentally manages to invent something that will change the world forever...One crazy experiment involving a shed, a mallet, and a poorly aimed laser beam results in Jasper's cat Rover, becoming the world's first talking cat and Jasper very quickly becomes a billionaire. This is of course a dream many kids fantasize about. But of course, being a billionaire isn’t all isn’t cracked up to be…and neither are talking cats!

By Tom McLaughlin,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Accidental Billionaire as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A new, hilarious book from author Tom McLaughlin, creator of the highly-acclaimed The Accidental Prime Minister. Funny by Name. Funny by Nature.
Jasper Spam is mad about science, the problem is that all of his experiments tend to end in a BANG, until one day quite accidentally Jasper manages to invent something that will change the world forever . . .
One crazy experiment involving a shed, a mallet, and a poorly aimed laser beam results in Jasper's cat Rover, becoming the world's first talking cat. Finally an invention that works - the Cat Chat 2000! Soon people are handing…


Book cover of Stinkbomb and Ketchup-Face and the Badness of Badgers

Emily Snape Author Of Fergus the Furball

From my list on reluctant readers aged 7-11.

Why am I passionate about this?

My sons were both reluctant readers and that made me want to write books that they wouldn’t be able to resist reading! Reading should be a pleasure and this list is packed with books that are impossible to put down. They are perfect for young, reluctant readers, as they are not trying to be too serious or worthy or overwhelming with too much text. They pull you in and hook you from the start and you can’t help being moved by the characters as they grow and develop, fostering a love of books and fiction. I love comedy in books, but funny books also have to have heart, believable characters, and a great plot that keeps you reading till the very end.

Emily's book list on reluctant readers aged 7-11

Emily Snape Why did Emily love this book?

This hilarious series is totally bonkers but full of sibling love and loyalty. The writing is witty and surprising, and a great fantastical read. The intrepid heroes are brother and sister, Stinkbomb and Ketchup-Face and we follow them as they set off on a nail-biting but very silly adventure. I love books about sibling relationships as children seem to spend SO much time bickering with their brothers and sisters and I think books can be a great way to remind them how awesome their sibling really is and how lucky they are to have a brother or sister to love them!

By John R. Dougherty, Sam Ricks (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Stinkbomb and Ketchup-Face and the Badness of Badgers as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 8, 9, 10, and 11.

What is this book about?

Winner of the Great Kerfuffle
Best Book of Last Tuesday

Hey you! No, not you - the person behind you. No, not him either. Left a bit, left a bit more . . . You! Oh for goodness sake . . . never mind . . .

Dear Everyone (including you!)!

Welcome to the world of Great Kerfuffle!

It's really great. And there's usually a kerfuffle (the clue's in the name really).

Come and join our intrepid heroes Stinkbomb and Ketchup-Face as they set off on a highly dangerous and nail-biting adventure (or it may just be very silly and…


Book cover of First Landing

Sylvia Engdahl Author Of Journey Between Worlds

From my list on colonizing Mars of interest to young adults.

Why am I passionate about this?

As a long-term advocate of space colonization I’ve always been drawn to Mars, not by adventure stories but by the idea that ordinary people may someday live there. So this was the theme of my first novel. I wrote it before we had gone to the moon, though it wasn't published until 1970, after my better-known book Enchantress from the Stars. When in 2006 I revised it for republication, little about Mars needed changing; mainly I removed outdated sexist assumptions and wording. Yet the book still hasn’t reached its intended audience because though meant for girls who aren’t already space enthusiasts, its publishers persisted in labeling it science fiction rather than Young Adult romance.

Sylvia's book list on colonizing Mars of interest to young adults

Sylvia Engdahl Why did Sylvia love this book?

I'm not supposed to list two books by the same author, but they are very different since one is nonfiction and the other fiction, and given the dearth of realistic stories about colonizing Mars I think this one should be included. As Zubrin is an expert on the scientific and technological aspects of travel to Mars, they are described as accurately as our present knowledge permits, though of course the situation on Earth and the details of the envisioned expedition are wholly fictional. What sets it apart from similar novels is its presentation of the idea that merely exploring Mars is not enough—for the sake of humanity's future families must live there, and some people, despite differing and seemingly - irrational grounds for their conviction, will instinctively know this.

By Robert Zubrin,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked First Landing as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

When the first human exploratory mission to Mars is left stranded on the planet, five scientists must rely on their own ingenuity and skill to rescue themselves, in a debut novel by the scientist-author of The Case for Mars. Reprint.


Book cover of Dead Silence

Amy Goldsmith Author Of Those We Drown

From my list on spooky ships.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve always lived by the coast and have a healthy respect for the sea and a mortal fear of everything within it. It’s truly terrifying to me that around 80% of the ocean is unexplored – what is down there? This fear partly inspired me to write Those We Drown, my YA horror debut set aboard a cruise ship and featuring a splash of oceanic horror.

Amy's book list on spooky ships

Amy Goldsmith Why did Amy love this book?

Here we have a haunted ship -- in space!

Claire is days away from losing her job on a salvage ship when she receives a distress call from long-missing space-liner, The Aurora – likened to the Titanic in space. Having nothing to lose, she convinces the crew to investigate, reasoning that they will make a fortune from the wreckage. Once they board the ship, things take a swiftly sinister turn.

This book is so much fun and incredibly cinematic. Space horror deserves to be a much more popular genre. If you like the movie Event Horizon, you will love this book. 

By S.A. Barnes,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Dead Silence as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Claire Kovalik is days away from being unemployed - made obsolete - when her beacon repair crew picks up a strange distress signal. With nothing to lose and no desire to return to Earth, Claire and her team decide to investigate.

What they find is shocking: the Aurora, a famous luxury spaceliner that vanished on its maiden tour of the solar system more than twenty years ago. A salvage claim like this could set Claire and her crew up for life. But a quick search of the ship reveals something isn't right.

Whispers in the dark. Flickers of movement. Messages…


Book cover of The Starflight Handbook: A Pioneer's Guide to Interstellar Travel

Fernando J. Ballesteros Author Of E.T. Talk: How Will We Communicate with Intelligent Life on Other Worlds?

From my list on humanistic answers from the skies.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am an astronomer and astrobiologist, and my field of work leads me to wonder about the origin of life in the universe and how scientific discoveries (and especially those related to space) affect culture, people's lives, or even civilization itself. All of the books listed here focus precisely on answering some of these concerns, which is why I find them extremely interesting.

Fernando's book list on humanistic answers from the skies

Fernando J. Ballesteros Why did Fernando love this book?

One of my favorite topics is space exploration and the future of humanity on other stars. Will we ever be able to travel to Proxima Centauri (the closest star) and settle there? Is this type of interstellar travel feasible? The book is a dose of reality on this matter, exploring the possibilities and challenges of interstellar travel.

The book delves into propulsion methods, spacecraft designs, and the potential for human exploration beyond our solar system. The result is, in my point of view, an optimistic book that allows us to dream of a future among the stars.

By Eugene F. Mallove, Gregory L. Matloff,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Starflight Handbook as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The Starflight Handbook A Pioneer's Guide to Interstellar Travel"The Starflight Handbook is an indispensable compendium of the manyand varied methods for traversing the vast interstellar gulf--don'tleave the Solar System without it!" --Robert Forward "Verysensible, very complete and useful. Its good use of references andtechnical 'sidebars' adds to the book and allows the nontechnicaltext to be used by ordinary readers in an easy fashion. I certainlywould recommend this book to anyone doing any thinking at all aboutinterstellar flight or the notion of possibilities of contactsbetween hypothetical civilizations in different stat systems."--Louis Friedman Executive Director, The Planetary Society TheStarflight Handbook is the…


Book cover of Highways Into Space

Manfred “Dutch” von Ehrenfried Author Of Apollo Mission Control: The Making of a National Historic Landmark

From my list on manned spaceflight operations.

Why am I passionate about this?

I was fortunate to be one of the first NASA Flight Controllers. I supported Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo. I joined the NASA Space Task Group at the Langley Research Center in 1961. My first supervisor was Gene Kranz, a Former F-86 pilot who got there a year before me. He was 28, and I was 25. Gene trained me to take his place as the Operations and Procedures Officer. I later moved up to the Assistant Flight Director position in Gemini and was the Guidance Officer on Apollo 1, which ended in a disastrous fire.  

Manfred's book list on manned spaceflight operations

Manfred “Dutch” von Ehrenfried Why did Manfred love this book?

I enjoyed this book because it describes one of the very first Flight Directors; one that people don’t know much about; Glynn Lunney. He was a relatively quiet person but extremely intelligent and capable. He is best known for his leadership in the control center during the Apollo XIII mission and during the Apollo Soyuz mission. He also was the Flight Dynamics Branch Chief that included all of the "Trench" Flight Controllers. 

By Glynn Lunney,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Highways Into Space as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Perfect gift for all the ages. Live the history and leadership of Manned Space Flight...... the Missions that all Countries Celebrated together in Peace and Joy,


Book cover of Voyage of the Dogs

Clare Rhoden Author Of The Pale

From my list on dystopian books with heart, soul, and dogs.

Why am I passionate about this?

The first book I read on my own was the Little Golden Book of Puppies and Kittens. I decided then, aged three, that the best books have animals in them…and I haven’t changed my mind. While fantasy novels with animals are among my all-time favorites, I’ve developed a deep love for dystopian novels which leave room for hope. I especially love the stories that show more than just humans living on Planet Earth. What better species to represent all that’s good on Earth but dogs? I can’t imagine ever writing a story without a dog in it. 

Clare's book list on dystopian books with heart, soul, and dogs

Clare Rhoden Why did Clare love this book?

Lopside the Barkonaut is sure to make you smile. Humanity needs to find a new planet to live on, and the Barkonauts go along to ensure the best qualities of both humans and dogs survive.

Voyage of the Dogs is a middle-grade book (ages 10+) but completely enjoyable for dog lovers of all ages. Disaster strikes when the human astronauts disappear – are they dead? – and the Barkonauts have to figure out stuff for themselves. 

I love that all of these space-faring dogs have flaws and a past history that they have to carry around. Lopside discovers that some of his fellow Barkonauts are nothing like what they seem. Despite all the obstacles, eventually, there is a wonderful outcome that will bring you joy for a long time after you finish reading. Read it for yourself – or even better, read it to a kid who needs strength and…

By Greg Van Eekhout,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Voyage of the Dogs as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 8, 9, 10, and 11.

What is this book about?

Dogs in space! Share this book with middle graders who enjoy stories about dogs, space adventures, or action adventure stories-or all three! Perfect for fans of Homeward Bound and Woof.

Lopside is a Barkonaut, a specially trained dog who assists human astronauts on missions in space. He and the crew aboard the spaceship Laika are en route to set up an outpost on a distant planet.

When the mission takes a disastrous turn, the Barkonauts on board suddenly find themselves completely alone on their severely damaged ship.

Survival seems impossible. But these dogs are Barkonauts-and Barkonauts always complete their mission.…


Book cover of Aurora Rising

Devri Walls Author Of Magic Unleashed

From my list on not requiring a genealogy chart to track the story.

Why am I passionate about this?

As a bullied teenager I wanted to escape and fantasy was my drug of choice. (My parents may have grounded me from the library, which by the way—not cool.) I love working within fantasy worlds and magic systems but my true passion lies in the story itself. I write character based books focusing on the inner workings of all of us. Occasionally when writing a battle scene in a gladiator arena with three levels, multiple characters with magical abilitiesm and a secondary magical system in the background, I wonder why I can’t just tell a story in freaking Chicago for goodness sake! But fantasy is where it's at for this girl! 

Devri's book list on not requiring a genealogy chart to track the story

Devri Walls Why did Devri love this book?

I’m a sucker for good dialogue and this is about as good as it gets. This book nails sarcasm, wit, and humor. You can hear every quip and see every facial expression as you spend the entire book wishing you could have a seat in that spaceship—even if they are facing certain doom. I basically wanted to be best friends with every character… and the authors. (So umm *clears throat* if anyone has Amie or Jay’s number…hook a girl up.)

By Amie Kaufman, Jay Kristoff,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked Aurora Rising as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 12, 13, 14, and 15.

What is this book about?

'Aurora Rising is to sci-fi what Stranger Things is to the cinema of the eighties - a fusion of everything you love about the genre that adds up into something completely fresh.' Samantha Shannon

From the New York Times and internationally bestselling authors of The Illuminae Files comes a new science fiction epic...

The year is 2380, and the graduating cadets of Aurora Academy are being assigned their first missions. Star pupil Tyler Jones is ready to recruit the squad of his dreams, but his own boneheaded heroism sees him stuck with the dregs nobody else in the Academy would…


5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in spaceflight, hippos, and earth?

Spaceflight 22 books
Hippos 10 books
Earth 312 books