Darkest Dark, The

As a child, astronaut Chris Hadfield was afraid of the dark and couldn’t fall asleep at night as he feared aliens were hiding in the darkness of his bedroom. His parents offered him strategies to conquer this fear but it wasn’t until the first astronauts landed on the Moon that he realized the dark was not scary but something fascinating and mysterious, which sparked his desire to become an astronaut. This engaging picture book can be used as a read-aloud or independent or small group novel to support themes on space, spark discussion of common fears and provide helpful strategies for overcoming fears, and encourage children to follow their dreams.