Top 50 Sci-Fi Novels for Kids & Young Adults

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By Donna Reish

Considering the fertility of most kids' and young adults' imaginations, the science-fiction and fantasy genres seem a natural fit for many readers. Parents and teachers hoping to encourage them to pick up a book and expand their minds may want to skim over this list — compiled from recommendations by public libraries and ardent fans of sci-fi — for something appealing. Be sure to click on the links for more information about appropriate age ranges, especially for some of the more mature classics.

Classics

  1. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L'Engle: This whip-smart novel introduced many children to the concepts behind tesseracts, time travel and many other real scientific concepts applied to a purely speculative setting.

  2. Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell: Perfect for high school students curious about the tenets of dystopian literature, with more emphasis on philosophy than technology.

  3. The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury: Several interlocking stories spanning a wide time frame question what life might be like if human colonized Mars.

  4. The Ender's Game Series by Orson Scott Card: The brilliant eponymous character must lead humanity into battle against alien assaults in this multiple award-winning classic sci-fi series.

  5. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Series by Douglas Adams: More appropriate for high school readers, the incomparable Hitchhiker's Guide books soar through the universe with some truly unique characters and gut-busting humor.

  6. The Foundation Series by Isaac Asimov: Like Ray Bradbury, pretty much all of Isaac Asimov's sci-fi writings would appeal to young adults (kids probably not so much), but the Foundation novels remain some of his most influential.

  7. The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson: Teenage girls who enjoy strong female protagonists, dystopias and the tenets of cyberpunk seriously need to pick up one of the most essential Neal Stephenson novels.

  8. 2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clark: Yet another writer whose entire oeuvre probably deserves inclusion here, the story of mysterious monoliths, the eerie HAL 9000 and the humans they impact for good or for ill.

  9. The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells: The Time Machine and The Island of Dr. Moreau could easily work on this list as well, but H.G. Wells' infamous tale of an alien invasion is probably one of his most recognized and adapted works — making it a nice place to start when diving into his works.

  10. The Giver by Lois Lowry: A classic dystopian novel, The Giver is an excellent read for kids who feel a bit out of step with their surroundings.

  11. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne: Many of Jules Verne's beloved writings traipse the line between science fiction and fantasy, but this imaginative classic tips mostly towards the former.

  12. Player Piano by Kurt Vonnegut: The debut novel by one of America's most beloved authors makes for a very nice introduction to dystopian science-fiction. As one can probably imagine, it's mainly suited for older high school students.

  13. Solaris by Stanislaw Lem: Older young adults hoping to see technological wonders peppered with plenty of provocative philosophy would do well to explore Stanislaw Lem's masterpiece.

  14. Neuromancer by William Gibson: If cyberpunk seems appealing, readers can do no better than to pick up one of the defining novels of the science-fiction subgenre.

  15. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley: Abject horror and abused science converge in one of the most beloved English-language novels ever committed to print.

  16. The Dune Chronicles by Frank Herbert: One exceptional spice sits at the center of an interstellar conflict wrought with intrigue and adventure, granting great esteem and power to all who consume it.

  17. Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton: High school students can wax nostalgic over the "dinosaur phase" that nearly every child experiences by exploring a wondrous, dangerous destination from the safety of a book.

  18. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick: Follow a day in the life of bounty hunter Rick Deckard as he tracks and shuts down some ridiculously human robots.

  19. The Ringworld Series by Larry Niven: Aliens, insanely advanced technologies and imaginative adventures launched the Ringworld books to international acclaim and solidifying its place amongst the best science fiction literature.

  20. Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes: This tear-jerker began life as a short story before expanding upon the tale of a mentally handicapped man undergoing a revolutionary procedure to improve his intelligence.

  21. The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin: Explore some fantastic new worlds through a philosophical lens, courtesy of Ursula K. Le Guin's heavily influential novel.

  22. A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs: One of the most masterful English-language adventure writers places protagonist John Carter in a daring, life-threatening quest to save the eponymous royal woman.

  23. Flatland by Edwin Abbot: Especially appropriate for high school students with a particular fondness for math and literary criticism, Flatland ruthlessly satirizes Victorian society using a very unique cast of characters.

  24. Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein: Raised by Martians, the human Valentine Michael Smith experiences culture shock when interacting with Earth culture — which ends up sealing his eventual fate.

  25. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley: Another quintessential dystopia, depicting a severely numb, sterile world without any real emotions, sensations or individuality.

Possible Future Classics

  1. Alien Secrets by Annette Curtis Klause: A young girl befriends a frightened alien frantically searching for a lost artifact in a memorable, acclaimed science-fiction mystery.

  2. Aliens Don't Wear Braces by Debbie Dadey and Marcia Thornton Jones: The Bailey School Kids suspect their eccentric new art teacher with white hair and braces may hail from another planet. In quite a literal sense.

  3. Whales on Stilts by M.T. Anderson: When sinister cetaceans plot to conquer humanity with their laser eyes and sky-high stilts, three plucky kids have to put an end to the shenanigans in this absolutely hilarious postmodern tale.

  4. The Animorphs Series by K.A. Applegate: In order to stave off a dire invasion by mind-controlling aliens, a small throng of friends have to transform into different Earth animals using some decidedly un-Earthly means.

  5. Jumper by Steven Gould: Young David Rice possesses a strange teleportation power and cannot place its origins. Unfortunately for him, its initial benefits start giving way to more nasty bits.

  6. The Uglies Series by Scott Westerfield: Arbitrary beauty memes come to their logical and tragic conclusion, forcing people into staunch conformity. At least until Tally Youngblood comes along with a few challenges of her own.

  7. The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer: Societies full of clones and humans with chips overriding their intelligence raise some intense, yet age-appropriate, questions regarding the nature of existence and free will.

  8. Singing the Dogstar Blues by Alison Goodman: Joss Aaronson's new alien roommate Mavkel takes her on a strange and beautiful journey through time and space, with plenty of adventure and humor to spare.

  9. Turnabout by Margaret Peterson Haddix: Two elderly women undergo a dangerous and controversial procedure to age themselves backwards, but the expected unintended consequences start filtering in one by one.

  10. The Norby Chronicles by Janet and Isaac Asimov: The affable, scatterbrained robot from the title has to pair up with one of his human students in order to thwart a possible universal takeover.

  11. The White Fox Chronicles by Gary Paulsen: 14-year-old prison camp escapee Cody Pierce must go back and free his peers from the machinations of the Confederation of Consolidated Republics.

  12. Enchantress from the Stars by Sylvia Engdahl: Part fantasy, part science-fiction, this novel for young adult readers places a young woman in the center of an interplanetary conflict between technology and magic.

  13. The Last Book in the Universe by Rodman Philbrick: Set in a postapocalyptic future, a throng of kids struggle to survive as society divides itself along genetic lines.

  14. Aliens for Breakfast by Jonathan Etra and Stephanie Spinner: When a tiny alien pops out of his morning cereal, a young boy finds his day entirely hijacked by stopping an impending invasion.

  15. The Supernaturalist by Eoin Colfer: The titular individuals attempt to rid the world of the invisible Parasite race, but as the narrative unfolds they begin questioning exactly what the little blue creatures do for humanity.

  16. The Commander Toad Series by Jane Yolen: Follow the courageous Commander Toad and the crew of the good space ship Star Warts on their fun, fantastic voyages across the universe.

  17. The Duplicate by William Sleator: Things go entirely awry when David discovers a machine capable of duplicating organic matter and uses it to help him appear in two places at once.

  18. My Teacher is an Alien by Bruce Coville: Substitute teacher Mr. Smith (IF THAT'S HIS REAL NAME) reall has it out for one particular sixth-grade class — and the world!

  19. Little Brother by Cory Doctorow: A whip-smart young adult novel channeling post-9/11 fear and paranoia resulting from heightened surveillance, with events taking place in a science-fiction San Francisco following a terrorist attack.

  20. Girl in Landscape by Jonathan Lethem: Masterful Jonathan Lethem bottles up the real confusion and anxiety of adolescence in an imaginative interplanetary setting perceived with some very terrestrial perspectives.

  21. Eva by Peter Dickinson: Thanks to science, a young woman mortally injured in a car crash gets a second chance at life in the body of a chimpanzee.

  22. The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson: After waking from a coma (it's really serious), the eponymous character learns the sordid truth about her recovery and the mysteriously keen intelligence that came with it.

  23. The Hunger Games Trilogy: by Suzanne Collins: Gladiatorial children compete for political and regional dominance at the behest of a collapsed United States reborn as a ruthless dystopia.

  24. An Audience for Einstein by Mark Wakely: Scientists fight over the body of Miguel Sanchez, selected to receive great knowledge and wealth as the recipient of a dying astrophysicist's memories — but forced to sacrifice his own individuality in the process.

  25. Dancing with an Alien by Mary Logue: Teenagers fond of doomed romances may want to pick up this science-fiction love story of a young lady and the invading alien who loves her.

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