Ryan Crawford on Cosmic Cadets and the Universal Uni-korn and sci-fi books for kids

We’re thrilled to sit down with Ryan Crawford, the author behind Cosmic Cadets and the Universal Uni-korn, a dazzling new space adventure for newly independent readers aged 5 and up. This month, our Parakeet subscribers have been giggling and gasping their way through Gloria’s out-of-this-world escapades—a laugh-out-loud, fast-paced sci-fi journey bursting with imagination, heart, and hilarious mishaps. With a fearless heroine who doesn’t quite fit the mould, the rule-loving Razz, and Rochelle Falconer’s vibrant full-colour illustrations, this book is perfect for children who adore humour, friendship, and bold adventures beyond the stars. Read on as we chat to Ryan about the inspiration, research, and unforgettable lessons behind Cosmic Cadets and which other sci-fi books for younger readers he recommends you read next.

What inspired you to write Cosmic Cadets?

I love science fiction! But I often feel like really rich and fun sci-fi stories for kids are few and far between. I have plenty of classics I'd give my kids to read when they're older, but there aren't that many starter sci-fi books for them to chew on. 

And a lot of the ones we do have follow the formula of either having a super-genius kid or a kid who gets whisked away on a zany adventure. 

I wanted a kid who not only WANTS to be there, but is also completely out of their depth, like most of us often find ourselves. 

What research did you do for the book and did you learn anything that surprised you?

Honestly, I read and watch so much sci-fi that I've practically spent a lifetime doing research already. Ironically, a lot of Cosmic Cadets is about throwing away the conventional laws of science. So usually I would end up researching how long it might take to travel between Earth and a neighbouring galaxy, then inventing some new technology to speed it up!

The thing I've researched the most is wormholes! They feature in this book and are even more important in a future book in the series!

What lessons would you say Gloria learns?

In Gloria's case - all of them? Gloria is a smart girl, but she also won't admit what she doesn't know. That means she has to find out most things the hard way. Like reading the manual to her cosmic ring before she uses it would have saved her a lot of pain. 

A harsh lesson she learns is that Humans are quite a bit more old-school than the rest of the galaxy, so even things like the way we eat food are weird to other aliens. 

But the biggest lesson of all is about friendship. Seeing how her own weaknesses can be filled by someone else's strengths. And that our friends don't have to be exactly like us. In fact, it's better if they're not!

Which of the planets described in the book would you most like to visit and why?

That would definitely be the Cosmic Academy home world. There is an entire lake there filled with chocolate. I don't drink tea or coffee (which everyone tells me is weird). I just drink hot chocolate ALL the time, so it's the perfect place for me. 

Can you tell us anything about what the future holds for Gloria?

Sure, there are plenty more lessons to be learned by Gloria, and she'll be tested in even more ways. She'll go head-to-head with her own robotic nemesis and encounter an all-powerful space-witch. And along the way, she'll wrestle with her own vanity and reflect on whether she treats other people the way she'd like to be treated herself!

Why did you choose to write books for this age group?

As mentioned, I think there's a sci-fi-shaped gap in the market. But more importantly, I like that I get more room to play around with than in a picture book to tell a really strong, multi-layered story. But I still get to work with a great illustrator like Rochelle to bring the book and characters to life, and give the series its own identity. The fact that we get full-colour illustrations makes this book so unique. 

Lastly, I like trying to give books a theme for kids to take home, without beating them over the head with it. I like to think it's obvious at times, but also subtly getting kids to reflect on things they might do or think themselves. 

I also get to fit an unreasonable amount of jokes into each book, and nobody ever tells me it's too much. 

Do you have a favourite place to write?

My favourite place is probably my desk, as I get a really nice view out over our little town in Purley. But believe it or not, my next favourite place is the train. I am a stickler for productivity. I don't like to waste a single minute of time. So there's something about sitting on an hour-long train, putting my noise-cancelling headphones on, and smashing out a chapter as the world wizzes by. 

In fact, when I first got back into writing, I still had a daily commute to the office, and that was actually the only time I had to write. So there's probably still a bit of me that gets a kick out of that. 

Which other sci-fi books for younger readers would you recommend our subscribers read next?

 Ooh. Well, definitely The Wild Robot series (and the movie is great too!). 

Space Detectives is another really fun book that is a kindred spirit for Cosmic Cadets. 

If you like choose-your-own-adventure books, Traitors in Space is excellent. I love trying to find your way to all the secret endings. 

And this is more of a fantasy, but I'm going to sneak it anyway. Read the Lightfall books. They're just all around great. The cosiest of stories and fantastic illustrations. 

Copies of our Cosmic Cadets and the Universal Uni-korn pack, including a copy of the book and loads of fun activities to go with it, are now available for individual purchase. Grab a copy while stocks last!

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