Best Friends In Space Books in Order

Best Friends In Space is a short, kid-friendly corner of Debora Geary’s universe, co-created with Shae Geary and aimed at younger readers who like the idea of rockets more than grim space battles. It currently consists of a single book, Cat Moves to Outer Space, which functions as a stand-alone adventure.

The story follows Cat, a young girl whose family relocates from Earth to a space habitat. She arrives with a suitcase full of expectations and very little idea what life in orbit will actually be like. The food tastes funny, the rules are stricter than she is used to, and some of the other kids, like the aptly named Weed, are not particularly welcoming.

Cat’s new environment runs on squished-bean meals, careful recycling and constant reminders to keep her room tidy so that nothing important goes floating away. Homesickness and frustration are very real problems, even with the excitement of low gravity and observation windows looking out over the stars.

Things begin to shift when she meets Arkali, a boy who has grown up in space. He has never eaten a real apple or met a unicorn, but he knows every corner of the station and understands how fragile and remarkable their home is. Through their friendship, both kids get a larger view of their worlds: Cat starts to see the station as more than a set of rules, and Arkali begins to understand why someone might miss grass and sky.

The tone of Best Friends In Space is light and hopeful. Challenges revolve around bullies, chores, misunderstandings and the ache of leaving familiar things behind. There are no villains in the traditional sense, just people who are tired, scared or stuck in their own habits. The solutions involve creativity, empathy and small acts of bravery rather than heroics with laser guns.

For families who have enjoyed Geary’s Modern Witch books and want something accessible for middle-grade readers, Cat Moves to Outer Space is a good entry point. It can be read entirely on its own, and it showcases the same interest in community, kindness and ordinary kids doing their best under unusual circumstances, only this time with a view of the stars.