Countdown to Space Books in Order
28 books by Michael D. Cole. Reading level: Grades 5.4–8.3. Middle Grades (Ages 9–12).
Series books grow with readers — but that's also the trap. Most series start at one reading level and one content intensity and drift upward over the course of the run. Countdown to Space (28 books by Michael D. Cole) lands at reading level Grades 5.4–8.3, with average content intensity 1.5/5.
The reading-order table below lists every book with per-volume reading level and intensity badges so you can spot any escalation before it catches your reader off guard. For a deeper dive into how we score text difficulty vs. emotional weight separately — and why series readers especially benefit from that split — see our methodology page.
Content Intensity Across the Series
VariesContent intensity ranges from Gentle to Intense across the series.
Countdown to Space Reading Order
| # | Title | Reading Level | Content |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Apollo 11 Michael D. Cole | Level 5-6 | Gentle |
| 2 | Apollo 13 Michael D. Cole | Level 5-6 | Intense |
| 3 | Apollo Moonwalks Gregory Vogt | Level 7-8 | Gentle |
| 4 | Astronauts Michael D. Cole | Level 7-8 | Gentle |
| 5 | Challenger Michael D. Cole | Level 6-7 | Moderate |
| 6 | Columbia Michael D. Cole | Level 5-6 | Gentle |
| 7 | Earth Michael D. Cole | Level 7-8 | Gentle |
| 8 | Friendship 7 Michael D. Cole | Level 5-6 | Mild |
| 9 | Galileo spacecraft Michael D. Cole | Level 7-8 | Gentle |
| 10 | Hubble Space Telescope Michael D. Cole | Level 7-8 | Gentle |
| 11 | International space station Michael D. Cole | Level 7-8 | Gentle |
| 12 | Jupiter Michael D. Cole | Level 7-8 | Gentle |
| 13 | Living on Mars Michael D. Cole | Level 7-8 | Gentle |
| 14 | Mars Michael D. Cole | Level 7-8 | Gentle |
| 15 | Mercury Michael D. Cole | Level 8-9 | Gentle |
| 16 | Moon base Michael D. Cole | Level 7-8 | Gentle |
| 17 | Nasa Space Vehicles Michael D. Cole | Level 7-8 | Gentle |
| 18 | Neptune Michael D. Cole | Level 7-8 | Gentle |
| 19 | Saturn Michael D. Cole | Level 7-8 | Gentle |
| 20 | Space Emergency Michael D. Cole | Level 6-7 | Mild |
| 21 | Space Launch Disaster Michael D. Cole | Level 7-8 | Moderate |
| 22 | Spacewalks Gregory Vogt | Level 6-7 | Gentle |
| 23 | The Columbia space shuttle disaster Michael D. Cole | Level 6-7 | Moderate |
| 24 | The Moon-Earth's Companion in Space Michael D. Cole | Level 7-8 | Gentle |
| 25 | The sun Michael D. Cole | Level 7-8 | Gentle |
| 26 | Uranus-The Seventh Planet (Countdown to Space) Michael D. Cole | Level 7-8 | Gentle |
| 27 | Venus Michael D. Cole | Level 7-8 | Intense |
| 28 | Vostok 1 Michael D. Cole | Level 5-6 | Gentle |
All Countdown to Space Books
Apollo 11
Michael D. Cole
Apollo 11
Michael D. Cole
Apollo 13
Michael D. Cole
Apollo 13
Michael D. Cole
Apollo Moonwalks
Gregory Vogt
Apollo Moonwalks
Gregory Vogt
Astronauts
Michael D. Cole
Astronauts
Michael D. Cole
Challenger
Michael D. Cole
Challenger
Michael D. Cole
Columbia
Michael D. Cole
Columbia
Michael D. Cole
Earth
Michael D. Cole
Earth
Michael D. Cole
Friendship 7
Michael D. Cole
Friendship 7
Michael D. Cole
Galileo spacecraft
Michael D. Cole
Galileo spacecraft
Michael D. Cole
Hubble Space Telescope
Michael D. Cole
Hubble Space Telescope
Michael D. Cole
International space station
Michael D. Cole
International space station
Michael D. Cole
Jupiter
Michael D. Cole
Jupiter
Michael D. Cole
Living on Mars
Michael D. Cole
Living on Mars
Michael D. Cole
Mars
Michael D. Cole
Mars
Michael D. Cole
Mercury
Michael D. Cole
Mercury
Michael D. Cole
Moon base
Michael D. Cole
Moon base
Michael D. Cole
Nasa Space Vehicles
Michael D. Cole
Nasa Space Vehicles
Michael D. Cole
Neptune
Michael D. Cole
Neptune
Michael D. Cole
Saturn
Michael D. Cole
Saturn
Michael D. Cole
Space Emergency
Michael D. Cole
Space Emergency
Michael D. Cole
Space Launch Disaster
Michael D. Cole
Space Launch Disaster
Michael D. Cole
Spacewalks
Gregory Vogt
Spacewalks
Gregory Vogt
The Columbia space shuttle disaster
Michael D. Cole
The Columbia space shuttle disaster
Michael D. Cole
The Moon-Earth's Companion in Space
Michael D. Cole
The Moon-Earth's Companion in Space
Michael D. Cole
The sun
Michael D. Cole
The sun
Michael D. Cole
Uranus-The Seventh Planet (Countdown to Space)
Michael D. Cole
Uranus-The Seventh Planet (Countdown to Space)
Michael D. Cole
Venus
Michael D. Cole
Venus
Michael D. Cole
Vostok 1
Michael D. Cole
Vostok 1
Michael D. Cole
Questions about the Countdown to Space series
- What reading level is the Countdown to Space series?
- The Countdown to Space series by Michael D. Cole is at a Grades 5.4–8.3 reading level (average Grade 7). Intended for Middle Grades (Ages 9–12). There are 28 books in the series.
- What order should I read the Countdown to Space books?
- The reading-order table above lists all 28 books with per-volume reading level and intensity ratings. Start with book 1 and read in publication order unless the table indicates a different recommended order for newer readers.
- What age is the Countdown to Space series appropriate for?
- The Countdown to Space series is recommended for Middle Grades (Ages 9–12). The average content intensity is 1.5/5. Check the intensity trajectory above to see whether content gets heavier across the series — if it does, sensitive readers may want to stop earlier in the run.