This list is for YA and middle grade science fiction published in the 20th century.

No fantasy! Science fiction only, encompassing futuristic, dystopian, post-apocalyptic, and space themed stories. Books on this list must be published for the YA and middle grade market.
1

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3.97 avg rating — 1,287,112 ratings
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2

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4.12 avg rating — 2,813,173 ratings
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3

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4.31 avg rating — 1,475,170 ratings
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4

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4.17 avg rating — 185,403 ratings
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5

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3.95 avg rating — 4,204 ratings
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6

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4.20 avg rating — 3,056 ratings
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7

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3.98 avg rating — 132,397 ratings
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8

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4.30 avg rating — 705 ratings
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9

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4.33 avg rating — 5,492 ratings
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10

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3.79 avg rating — 5,472 ratings
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11

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3.82 avg rating — 209,567 ratings
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12

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3.91 avg rating — 3,651 ratings
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13

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3.95 avg rating — 639 ratings
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14

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4.07 avg rating — 111,733 ratings
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15

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3.95 avg rating — 14,739 ratings
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16

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4.76 avg rating — 38 ratings
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17

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3.85 avg rating — 1,798 ratings
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18

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3.67 avg rating — 9,547 ratings
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19

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3.86 avg rating — 5,471 ratings
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19

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3.91 avg rating — 10,252 ratings
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21

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3.93 avg rating — 107,190 ratings
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22

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really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 2,239 ratings
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23

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3.89 avg rating — 7,829 ratings
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24

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4.11 avg rating — 2,798 ratings
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25

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4.04 avg rating — 4,232 ratings
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26

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3.96 avg rating — 1,537 ratings
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27

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3.93 avg rating — 31,326 ratings
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28

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3.82 avg rating — 988 ratings
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29

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3.93 avg rating — 16,123 ratings
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30

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4.02 avg rating — 10,848 ratings
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31

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3.99 avg rating — 131,392 ratings
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32

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3.66 avg rating — 181 ratings
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33

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3.81 avg rating — 4,852 ratings
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33

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3.88 avg rating — 1,403 ratings
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35

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3.68 avg rating — 17,862 ratings
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36

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3.86 avg rating — 12,810 ratings
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37

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4.03 avg rating — 2,611 ratings
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38

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4.09 avg rating — 9,095 ratings
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39

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3.54 avg rating — 24 ratings
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40

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3.81 avg rating — 3,764 ratings
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41

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3.83 avg rating — 6 ratings
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41

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3.81 avg rating — 60,561 ratings
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43

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4.05 avg rating — 9,973 ratings
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44

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3.68 avg rating — 1,784 ratings
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45

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4.01 avg rating — 514 ratings
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46

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4.08 avg rating — 205 ratings
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46

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4.31 avg rating — 272,241 ratings
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48

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4.22 avg rating — 4,575 ratings
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49

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3.75 avg rating — 820 ratings
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50

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4.32 avg rating — 2,702 ratings
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51

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3.78 avg rating — 23,889 ratings
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52

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4.22 avg rating — 54 ratings
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53

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4.14 avg rating — 458 ratings
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53

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4.17 avg rating — 276 ratings
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55

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3.01 avg rating — 74 ratings
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56

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3.27 avg rating — 49 ratings
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57

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4.46 avg rating — 39 ratings
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58

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3.98 avg rating — 569 ratings
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59

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4.18 avg rating — 100 ratings
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60

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4.35 avg rating — 1,058 ratings
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61

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3.93 avg rating — 1,123 ratings
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61

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3.43 avg rating — 2,267 ratings
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63

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3.97 avg rating — 916 ratings
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64

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3.82 avg rating — 897 ratings
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64

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3.87 avg rating — 16,378 ratings
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66

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3.97 avg rating — 38 ratings
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66

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3.91 avg rating — 1,718 ratings
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68

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4.03 avg rating — 210 ratings
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69

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3.69 avg rating — 324 ratings
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70

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3.31 avg rating — 103 ratings
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70

by
4.12 avg rating — 101 ratings
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72

by
3.97 avg rating — 225 ratings
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72

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3.82 avg rating — 783 ratings
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74

by
3.33 avg rating — 3 ratings
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75

by
3.79 avg rating — 613 ratings
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76

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really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 11 ratings
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77

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3.85 avg rating — 2,268 ratings
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78

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3.79 avg rating — 5,681 ratings
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79

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4.02 avg rating — 2,633 ratings
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80

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really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 10 ratings
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81

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3.83 avg rating — 103 ratings
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82

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3.76 avg rating — 34 ratings
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83

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3.71 avg rating — 3,760 ratings
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84

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really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 14 ratings
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85

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4.20 avg rating — 101 ratings
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86

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3.84 avg rating — 636 ratings
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86

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3.67 avg rating — 2,374 ratings
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88

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3.67 avg rating — 2,000 ratings
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88

by
4.06 avg rating — 67 ratings
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88

by
3.67 avg rating — 1,991 ratings
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91

by
3.66 avg rating — 169 ratings
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92

by
3.93 avg rating — 14 ratings
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93

by
3.73 avg rating — 1,758 ratings
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93

by
3.72 avg rating — 1,658 ratings
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95

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4.16 avg rating — 45 ratings
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96

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4.24 avg rating — 25 ratings
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97

by
4.16 avg rating — 2,217 ratings
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98

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3.96 avg rating — 12,508 ratings
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99

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4.04 avg rating — 60,635 ratings
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100

by
4.12 avg rating — 153 ratings
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12 likes · 
Lists are re-scored approximately every 5 minutes.


Rainbowheart 2033 books
155 friends
Jennifer 3517 books
991 friends
Jacob 1542 books
27 friends
Jan 5140 books
132 friends
SamSpayedPI 1806 books
30 friends
Elizabeth 4129 books
85 friends
Jill 2535 books
914 friends
Adele 2973 books
67 friends

More voters…


Comments Showing 1-27 of 27 (27 new)

dateUp arrow    newest »

message 1: by SamSpayedPI (new)

SamSpayedPI How'd you miss A Wrinkle in Time, Rainbowheart?


message 2: by Rainbowheart (new)

Rainbowheart That was a pretty big oversight!

The list is looking good, but I'm sure there are lots more to add. I deleted Messenger and Son by Lois Lowry because they are 21st century, not 20th.


message 3: by Rosa (last edited Dec 16, 2021 07:23PM) (new)

Rosa SamSpayedPI wrote: "How'd you miss A Wrinkle in Time, Rainbowheart?"

That book seems like a fusion to me.

So we're counting 2000 as part of the twentieth century? Technically it is, but…


message 4: by Rainbowheart (new)

Rainbowheart I'm a little iffy on that, personally. I consider 1999 the end, but Google says otherwise? I'd say leave 2000 in, but 2001 and later should obviously be cut.


message 5: by Bargle (last edited Jan 06, 2022 03:30AM) (new)

Bargle Rainbowheart wrote: "I'd say leave 2000 in, but 2001 and later should obviously be cut."

Agreed.


message 6: by Capn (new)

Capn Hey Rainbowheart,
I think this is a re-issue of stories from the 90s or earlier: Death of a Dinosaur. Not sure...


message 7: by Rainbowheart (new)

Rainbowheart I do believe you are right! Worldcat says it was first published as Death of a Lizard in 1990. I updated the GR page to reflect that.


message 8: by Capn (last edited Jul 24, 2022 02:45PM) (new)

Capn Urgh, I've cannibalized all the votes I can. Here's another for someone else to add. :)

The Space People

And:
The Mask
The Robot People
The Mirror Planet
Strange Things Happen in the Woods
The Robot Birthday
Wanna Buy an Alien?
The Cloverdale Switch
The Followers
(I'm going through Eve Bunting's lesser known sci-fi books, so there will be more to come..)


message 9: by Rainbowheart (new)

Rainbowheart Thanks! We need to recruit more voters, lol. I've invited everyone I have on my friend list. ;)


message 10: by Capn (last edited Jul 30, 2022 05:59AM) (new)


message 11: by Capn (last edited Sep 19, 2022 02:04AM) (new)

Capn Found another classic that ought to be here, from 1965:
Alice: The Girl From Earth
translated from the prolific Russian author, the late Kir Bulychev


and also The Legend Of Lost Earth, 1977, Hope Campbell.


message 12: by Amy (Other Amy) (new)

Amy (Other Amy) I added those.


message 13: by Rainbowheart (new)

Rainbowheart Thank you, Amy, for all the additions!


message 14: by Rainbowheart (new)

Rainbowheart I removed The Owls Have Come to Take Us Away, which is from 2019.


message 15: by Rainbowheart (new)

Rainbowheart I'm out of votes, so if anyone has room to add these, it would be appreciated!

Starluck
The Exchange Student
Nick and the Glimmung


message 16: by Amy (Other Amy) (new)

Amy (Other Amy) I added them :-)


message 17: by Capn (new)

Capn Thank you!


message 18: by Rainbowheart (new)

Rainbowheart Awesome, thanks, Amy!


message 19: by Jessica (new)

Jessica Mr. Wuffles is a wordless picture book.

What about Sweetwater by Laurence Yep? Takes place on a colony on another planet.


message 20: by Rainbowheart (new)

Rainbowheart Thanks for the heads up! I removed Mr. Wuffles.

Sweetwater, yep, definitely can be added in!


message 21: by Capn (new)

Capn Mr. Wuffles! fits in well on a list such as "Children's Picture Books with Aliens!": https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/7...
(just FYI, if someone's looking for a similar list, but for a younger audience). ;)

Similarly, there's "Great Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Monster Picture Books": https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/7...


message 22: by Rainbowheart (new)

Rainbowheart Few more to add, if anyone has room!

Collidescope
Stinker from Space
Escape from Splatterbang


message 23: by Amy (Other Amy) (new)

Amy (Other Amy) I had room. Added :)


message 24: by Rainbowheart (new)

Rainbowheart Thank you, Amy!


message 26: by Capn (last edited Apr 05, 2023 08:54AM) (new)

Capn and Alien Game :)

and From the Thorenson Dykes - that's a crashed UFO on the cover, isn't it?! (Written by the same dude who brought you "Guess How Much I Love You?", of all things!)


message 27: by Cheryl (new)

Cheryl I just have to say, my favorite back in the day was The Forgotten Door. Even though it's short & relatively simple, and even though I was a good reader, I did read this over & over.


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