RECIPIENT of a Kirkus Starred Review

WINNER ? 2026 Purple Dragonfly Book Award (1st Place), STEM

RECIPIENT of the Mom's Choice Award® Gold ? Honoring Excellence

NAMED 2026 Book of the Year by Creative Child Magazine

FINALIST ? 2026 Literary Global Children's Book Awards (Educational)

WINNER ? 2026 PenCraft Seasonal Book Award, Best Book for Children (Grades 4?6)

From the So You Want To Be A... Series ? 2026 Purple Dragonfly Book Awards, Grand Prize Winner

What does it really take to become an astronaut ? not in a movie, but in the actual universe where rockets shake your bones and silence stretches forever outside the hull? So You Want To Be An Astronaut is the honest, illustrated guide that curious kids have been waiting for. It takes young readers ages 10 to 14 deep inside the science, the training, and the daily reality of one of the most extraordinary careers a person can pursue. No sugarcoating. No skipping the hard parts. Just the real story of what happens between the dream and the launch. You will follow the full path: years of preparation before a single mission, from underwater spacewalk simulations to wilderness survival training. You will learn the science of space exploration ? orbital mechanics, life-support systems, and what happens to a human body living in microgravity far from Earth. You will discover how a small crew depends on each other across distances no rescue team can cross, and what happens when the mission does not go exactly as planned. The book is rich with space facts that go far beyond the basics. It explores our solar system and the science careers that make every mission possible ? engineers, flight surgeons, mission controllers, and the astronauts themselves. It covers the history of space exploration and the pioneering figures who proved that human beings could survive and work in outer space. And it asks the question young readers care about most: what can I start doing right now? Every page is designed to pull you in. Colorful images and short, focused sections make even complex science accessible and fun to explore. Glossaries break down key terms without slowing the pace. This is nonfiction built like a reference and an adventure at once - the kind of illustrated companion a child first loves for its photographs at eight, then returns to at twelve or fourteen discovering new depth every time. Younger readers thrive with a parent or teacher alongside them, turning pages into rich conversations about science, ambition, and what is possible. Independent readers in the middle grades will dive in headfirst, absorbing details and beginning to picture themselves in the role. Older readers and adults will find surprising layers ? fascinating history, memorable insights, and a voice that never talks down to anyone. For every young person who looks up at the night sky and feels something stir, this book is the real answer they deserve.