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How Do You Burp in Space?: And Other Tips Every Space Tourist Needs to Know
Last updated Saturday, April 4, 2026
Author: Susan E. Goodman
Illustrator: Michael Slack
Date of Publication: 2013
ISBN: 1599900688
Grade Level: 3rd (GLCs: Click here for grade level guidelines.)
Date(s) Used: Apr. 2026
Synopsis:
Want to blast into orbit? Walk on the moon? Snag a glimpse of the Big Blue Marble (aka planet Earth) from afar? Well, your time is coming! And when it does, you're going to need How Do You Burp in Space?
Discover all of the information you'll need to plan a stellar vacation:
-what to pack (hint: no bubble bath or juggling balls)
-what to expect from your accommodations (a sleeping bag attached to the wall)
-and what to do for fun (leapfrog on the moon!).
Grounded in the facts of space travel and the imminent future of space tourism, this guide book will answer any curious kid's questions about life in space, and inspire young adventurers to reach for the stars.
| Note to readers: |
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This book has discrete sections that you can drop into and out of and skip around if need be. If the kids really need to know how you burp in space, for example, the answer to that is on page 39 (chapter 4 which starts on page 29). Space toilets are also a "hot topic," and they are on page 32 in the same chapter. So if your kids are particularly antsy, you might want to start on page 29 and then when you're done with chapter 4, go back to the beginnning.
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| Discussion topics for before reading: |
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Right now, most space trips are conducted by professional astronauts, with a very few billionaires buying rides into space. But space tourism is coming for sure. How do you feel about going into space yourself? As an astronaut? As a space tourist?
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What activities would you like to try out in space or on the Moon? Basketball? Run a marathon? Do science experiments?
Vocabulary:
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This book has a Glossary on pages 58-59 and a "Space Speak for Travelers" on page 8.
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| Discussion topics for during/after reading: |
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page 7 says, "who wouldn't want a moon rock" as a souvenir? What would that do to your 2-pound weight allowance? Would that be like taking a irreplaceable item from an international park?
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page 10 talks about health issues. A NASA astronaut lost the ability to speak while aboard the International Space Station on January 7, 2026, an episode that triggered the first medical evacuation in the station’s history. His condition still has no confirmed diagnosis, raising pointed questions about how well current space medicine can protect astronauts hundreds of miles above Earth. What does that mean to us in the future?
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page 10 - teardrops in space: fans are noisy and run 24-7 (24 hours a day, 7 days a week). Fans move air so you don’t always breathe the same air - so you would be able to push the tears away. Lost items tend to end up in the fan inlets anyway.
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page 19 - The sun rises and sets 16 times per day when you're in orbit, but the astronauts pretty much live on Greenwich Mean Time (the time zone going through Greenwich, England, which is the base for all other time zones on Earth.
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page 23 - Weightlessness - how would you deal with it? Right now they use a lot of Velcro!
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Chapter 5 - Dining (page 35 ff.) - there are selections from the ISS menu on page 38, and there's a sheet of menu selections from the April 2026 Artemis mission on your handout. What would you like to make sure is on the menu?
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| Special activities: |
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Watch a 2 ½ minute NASA video showing the recent Artemis II rocket launch, introducing the astronauts, and
discussing the mission to circle the moon and the future: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eeZQw9PBc0
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Watch a 25-second video of the astronauts weightless in space: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/3HCYf71jICo Look for other Youtube videos at the end of the mission.
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Make a simple paper airplane or a straw-launched paper rocket and try to "fly" your rocket/plane to land on the
Moon Base (a spot on the carpet or into a trash can). Be careful about eye safety. https://www.youtube.com/shorts/EJR-z5I0hpw
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*Note: These craft ideas are just suggestions.
You can use them, but you don't have to use them.
You can expand upon them, or add your own twist.
Remember, though, that the focus of your time should
not be on the development and execution of a craft;
the focus should be on the read-aloud and the
enjoyment of the book!
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