The moon is a wonderous thing that hangs in the sky night after night and has been for billions of years. It has raised countless questions, stories, and myths throughout time. If the internet seems a little light on depth and interesting content, then these are the Best Books About the Moon that can change that.
The 50th anniversary of the moon landing was in 2019, which has led to a deluge of quality books about the moon hitting the market in the past year.
These are the best books about the moon that are available right now.
Best Fact Book:
The Moon Book: Fascinating Facts about the Magnificent Mysterious Moon by Kim Long
Kim Long’s The Moon Book is a no-frills, very well done, simple fact book about the moon. Some books get off the beaten path into long detailed histories, myths, and other details that make for long reads, but this book is on the shorter side and is chocked full of facts and information on the moon.
Kim Long has been making lunar calendars for adoring fans for years, and his passion and fascination for the moon and how it all works jumps off of every page.
Long’s take cuts straight to the science surrounding the moon that explains its makeup, path across the sky, and phases. He makes complex concepts about astronomy and physics easily digestible, but the information is very technical. This makes a great pick up for casual lunar fans and more knowledgeable readers alike.
This is a perfect addition to any collection for anyone looking for a book filled with concise but quality information about the moon. It does a great job of answering a lot of evident and not so evident questions about our nearest neighbor.
It does not go into a lot of detail about the ancillary and cultural information surrounding the moon, but for an all-around fact book about the moon, this one does the job and does it very well.
Best Comprehensive Book:
Book of the Moon: A Guide to Our Closest Neighbor by Dr. Maggie Aderin-Pocock
If Kim Long’s factbook is a little too short and a little too brief for anyone’s taste, then Book of the Moon by Dr. Maggie Aderin-Pocock is a bit heftier. She treads a lot of the same ground as Long in covering all the best facts and science about the moon but also goes farther into the mythology, culture, and future of the moon.
Aderin-Pocock touches seamlessly about topics such as the topography of the moon as well as how moongazing and moon myths and legends have affected civilizations and their culture throughout the centuries. It is additional topics like these that flesh out the moon and makes it seem more than just a hunk of rock floating nearby. It makes for a more comprehensive read as she touches almost every aspect of the moon, both scientific and cultural.
She even takes the moon into the future and explores the current state of moon exploration and potential future missions. This book takes the reader from the beginning when the moon is formed to the future where it is potentially colonized by humanity. There are a lot of books that cover certain topics very well, but Aderin-Pocock’s Book of the Moon covers them all with great care and quality.
With its breadth, quality of writing, and useful tables, charts, and pictures, this can be a great addition to anyone’s collection. Anyone interested in the moon should not pass this book by without a hard look.
It was published in 2019 for the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing in 1969.
Best Illustrated Book:
Moon: An Illustrated History From Ancient Myths to the Colonies of Tomorrow by David Warmflash
Dr. Warmflash covers much of the same ground as other books about the moon. He is very thorough in his facts and history of the moon covering myths, culture, science, and hard facts. But this book is bolstered by dozens of amazing illustrations that accompany the one hundred greatest milestones in the moon’s history.
If illustrations and photos enhance your enjoyment of reading and science, then this book needs to be on your shelf. Each spread features a high-quality image that enhances the reader’s immersion and understanding of the moon and its history.
There are photographs of the moon and moon missions, ancient paintings, pictures of historical artifacts, and artistic renderings of moonscapes and future scenes. It is a dazzling display of images and illustrations set alongside high-quality information.
This book is laid out beautifully as it follows the history of the moon and people’s interaction with it throughout the centuries. The page layouts and navigational touches are gorgeous and suck you into the pages. It is truly a feast for the eyes.
This makes it great for kids and adults alike. Everyone will love the details and images included in this book. Whether it keeps young readers engaged with the pictures or features as an eye-catching coffee table book, this should have a place in almost every home.
Anyone who loves beefy, glossy science books that are a joy to look at and a joy to read and learn from will love this book, and it deserves a spot in your library.
Best Book About the Moon Landings:
Moon Shot: The Inside Story of America’s Apollo Moon Landings by Jay Barbree, Alan Shepard and Deke Slayton
I read this book for the first time when I was eight years old. It was a little too deep for a much younger version of me, but it still gripped me. Each chapter had a challenge and a discovery that propelled our race to the moon forward page by page.
It was riveting. I have read it multiple times since then, and I get something new from it every time.
Moon Shot is a firsthand account of the space race and the Apollo missions from the perspective of astronauts and engineers who were there at the time. It is an entirely factual account of the events that surrounded America’s race to the moon, but it reads like a fiction novel.
It covers the time from when Sputnik launches, through Kennedy’s promise until an American takes their first step on the surface of the moon. The book covers all of the triumphs, struggles, and heartbreaks of one of the greatest accomplishments in human history. It is written by Jay Barbree, who was a longtime NBC reporter in conjunction with Alan Shepard, the first man in space, and Deke Slayton.
They do a great job of covering the events as they happened as well as conveying the emotion and the tension that came with embarking into the unknown. It is a style and level of detail only eyewitnesses could give.
It is an all-star account of this amazing moment in history — a true classic for anyone interested in the moon, space, or space travel. For one comprehensive retelling of the space race, there is no better volume than Moon Shot.
Best Children’s Book:
Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
While not explicitly about the moon, Goodnight Moon is one of the most recognizable books that feature the moon. It is a timeless classic that every child should hear at least once before bed. Get snuggled up during a full moon, pull your family and blankets close and settle in for one of the greatest bedtime books ever.
The moon features prominently in the title and many of the beautiful illustrations as we progress through the story. Anyone with kids or a hankering for a dose of nostalgia should add this book to their collection.
Best Futurism:
Red Moon by Kim Stanley Robinson
Kim Stanley Robinson is a master of near and far future science fiction. His books are based on real science and plausible situations that are awaiting humanity amongst the stars. Red Moon is a continuation of his riveting style, this time revolving around the moon.
Robinson is one of my favorite authors because he stays away from the fantasy in science fiction and makes his world believable, which makes them relatable and immersive. This is a great science fiction book about a society that has colonized the moon and what happens next.
It is part of a long tradition of Robinson’s writing, which includes novels about colonizing Mars and Mercury. This is another great addition to his science fiction stable and goes into great detail about what a colonized moon would look like, the political players, and the science behind living on a dead rock.
Whether you are just looking for a book to bolster your basic knowledge about the moon or are looking for a complete guide to the moon from the beginning of time to the present, there are plenty of books about this familiar yet fascinating subject. There are a lot of great books not featured on this list, but this list covers all of the bases. These books are more than enough to fill out a library with every kind of book regarding the moon.
