Did you know that the Ancient Romans associated the month of March with the planet Mars? According to NASA, the red planet was named for Mars, the Roman god of war. Until recent centuries, the month of March began the new year because it was a time of renewal, and of the cold months changing into the spring season. With these warmer temperatures and melting snow, Roman armies could resume their battles and territory-conquering. Therefore, both the month and the planet are named for Mars.
The planet Mars has been a beloved part of our pop-culture for a long time, in movies, science fiction, aspirational day dreams, and childhood songs.
In honor of this month and of this planet, check out some middle-grade books that explore Earth’s closest neighbor. We have science fiction, fantasy, mystery, and non-fiction, all to do with active child protagonists exploring the planet Mars.
Fiction
The Lion Of Mars by Jennifer Holm
Bell has spent his whole life--all eleven years of it--on Mars. But he's still just a regular kid-he loves cats, any kind of cake, and is curious about the secrets the adults in the US colony are keeping. Like, why don't have contact with anyone on the other Mars colonies? Why are they so isolated? When a virus breaks out and the grown-ups all fall ill, Bell and the other children are the only ones who can help. It's up to Bell--a regular kid in a very different world--to uncover the truth and save his family...and possibly unite an entire planet. Mars may be a world far, far away, but in the hands of Jennifer L. Holm, beloved and bestselling author of The Fourteenth Goldfish, it can't help but feel like home.
A Rover's Story by Jasmine Warga
Built to explore Mars, Resilience begins to develop human-like feelings as he learns from the NASA scientists who assembled him, and as he blasts off and explores Mars, Resilience must overcome different obstacles as he explores the red planet.
Last Day On Mars by Kevin Emerson
Part of the Chronicle of the Dark Star series. While waiting to leave Mars before it burns up just like the Earth before it, Liam and his friend Phoebe discover some facts about time and space and realize that the human race is just one of the races trying to survive in space.
In The Red by Christopher Swiedler
Michael Prasad knows he shouldn’t go out on the Mars surface alone. It’s dangerous. His parents have forbidden it. And the anxiety he feels almost every time he puts on a spacesuit makes it nearly impossible for him to leave the safety of the colony. But when his best friend, Lilith, suggests they sneak out one night, he can’t resist the chance to prove everyone—including himself—wrong. As the two ride along the Mars surface in a stolen rover, miles from the colony, a massive solar flare hits the planet, knocking out power, communication, and navigation systems, and the magnetic field that protects the planet from the sun’s deadly radiation. Stranded hours from home with an already limited supply of food, water, and air, Michael and Lilith must risk everything if they’re to get back to the colony alive.
Mars Evacuees by Sophia McDougall
Twelve-year-old Alice Dare is one of 300 seven- to sixteen-year-olds evacuated to Mars to attend school and train as soldiers, safe from the war with Earth's invading aliens, the Morrors, but when all of the adults and robots mysteriously disappear, the youths must survive on their own. The story continues in its sequel, Space Hostages.
Non-Fiction
Packing Mars For Kids by Mary Roach
What is it like to float weightlessly in the air? What happens if you vomit in your helmet during a spacewalk? How do astronauts go to the bathroom? Is it true that they don't shower? Can farts really be deadly in space? Best-selling Mary Roach has the answers. In this whip-smart, funny, and informative young readers adaptation of her best-selling Packing for Mars, Roach guides us through the irresistibly strange, frequently gross, and awe-inspiring realm of space travel and life without gravity. From flying on NASA's Weightless Wonder to eating space food, Packing for Mars for Kids is chock-full of first-hand experiences and thorough research. Roach has crafted an authoritative and accessible book that is perfectly pitched to inquiring middle grade readers.
Vivid photos and up-to-date information teach readers about Mars, including details on climate and geography, how scientists have explored the planet, and what they hope to find out about Mars in the future. The author has also written factual books on the other planets.
Mars by Shauna Edson
Has there ever been life on Mars? Will we be living there soon? HOW?! Discover the past, present, and future of the mysterious red planet in this beautiful non-fiction book for kids. Presents a history of the exploration of Mars, exploring the evidence for past life there, discussing how to identify the red planet in the night sky, and describing how living on Mars might look in the future.
For so long, our neighbor in the solar system has been shrouded in mystery. Was there ever life on Mars? How can we enable astronauts to land on that planet—and return safely? Mars rovers, including the latest: Perseverance, may just provide the answers! They might even tell us if humans can live on Mars one day! Share in the joy of exploration and discovery with Mars Rovers.
You Are The First Kid On Mars by Patrick O'Brien
As we look back to the beginnings of the space race, 2009 is also the year for looking forward to humankind's next step toward the stars. In the spirit of books that once imagined colonies on the moon, Patrick O'Brien has created a unique look at your first trip to Mars. Using the most up-to-date designs and theories of what it will take to establish a base on Mars, you are off on an incredible journey, over 35 million miles to the red planet. Filled with details, and vividly brought to life, this is an adventure that you are never going to forget.