1. Push & Go — Why rockets fly
Why does a rocket go up? A free interactive book on Newton’s third law, why rockets carry their own oxygen, and why they drop empty stages.
Teaches: Newton's third law · Thrust · Fuel and oxidiser · Rocket staging
Rocket School
How rockets work, explained for kids
Seven free interactive books about real rockets, for children aged 7–10. Spin them in 3D, press the buttons, and hear every page read aloud.
- Free
- No sign-up
- Read aloud
- Checked against real sources
Rocket LabBuild your own rocket and launch itThe BlogAnswers to the questions kids askGlossaryMax Q, MECO, delta-v — explainedMy StickersFinish a book to earn one
What is inside the seven books
2. Meet a Rocket — Every part, named
Every part of a Falcon 9 rocket, named and explained for children aged 7–10 — nose cone, stages, nine engines, grid fins and legs, in interactive 3D.
Teaches: Rocket parts · Stages · Rocket engines · Grid fins and landing legs
3. Launch Day — Countdown to space
What happens during a rocket launch? Follow a real countdown, liftoff, Max Q, stage separation and orbit — on the published timeline of an actual flight.
Teaches: Countdown · Max Q · Stage separation · Reaching orbit
4. Coming Home — Landing on its feet
How does a rocket land itself? Re-entry heating, grid fins and the landing burn, explained for children aged 7–10 — with a landing game to try yourself.
Teaches: Re-entry heating · Grid fins · Landing burn · Reusable rockets
5. Space & Orbits — Falling forever
Why do astronauts float? Not because gravity is gone. Where space begins, what an orbit really is, and Newton’s cannonball — for children.
Teaches: Where space begins · Gravity · Orbits · Weightlessness and free fall
6. Living in Space — Home among the stars
How do astronauts live in space? The space station, sleeping and eating in orbit, what a spacesuit does, and how a crew comes home.
Teaches: Spacecraft · The space station · Life in microgravity · Spacesuits
7. Where We Go — The Moon, Mars, and beyond
How far is the Moon? Has anyone been to Mars? A free interactive book on real distances, Apollo, Artemis, and the robots exploring beyond Earth.
Teaches: Distance to the Moon · Why Mars is so far · Robot rovers and probes · Artemis and returning to the Moon
Questions parents and teachers ask
How do rockets work?
A rocket burns fuel and throws the hot gas downwards very fast. Newton’s third law does the rest: push gas one way, and the rocket goes the other. It carries its own oxygen because there is no air in space, which is why a rocket is almost entirely tank — about 4 kg of every 100 kg on the launch pad reaches orbit as cargo.
What age is this for?
The books are written for children aged 7–10. Every page has a read-aloud button, so a 5- or 6-year-old can use it with an adult, and extra detail sits behind a tap for older children who want it.
Is it free?
Yes, completely. There is nothing to buy, no premium tier and no adverts. The classroom worksheets and lesson plans are free to print and copy too.
Do children need an account?
No. There is no sign-up and no email address to give. Progress and stickers are saved in the browser on that device and are never sent anywhere.
Is the science actually accurate?
Every number — every altitude, mass, thrust figure and mission time — comes from a published source, listed on the teachers page. We also correct one thing most children’s books get wrong: there is gravity in space, about 88% of it at the space station. Astronauts float because they are falling, not because gravity has gone.
Can I use this in a classroom?
Yes. There are printable worksheets with answer keys and ready-to-teach lesson plans, free and with no signup. Nothing tracks individual children.