An astronaut will read a story to more than a million kids from the International Space Station this morning as part of National Simultaneous Storytime.

The event aims to get more children reading by gathering students to read a book simultaneously in libraries, schools and other venues around the country.

Chief executive of Library and Information Australia Sue McKerracher told Gareth Parker they had a book written for this year’s rare event.

“We put a book on a space rocket last October, it got shot into space, it went to the International Space Station, and Dr Shannon Walker and astronauts on the space station will read it for us.”

1.85 million children from 25,000 locations across the country and around the world are expected to tune in.

“It is a beautiful story about a little girl called Una who grows up and she wants to be an astronaut.”

Ms McKerracher said it was no easy task to get the book into space.

“It took us two years to get that book in to space.

“You have to print a book that is actually going to survive in zero gravity.”

The event kicks off at 9am Perth time to register visit the National Simultaneous Storytime website.

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