,

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 — 1,270,978 ratings
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2

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4.12 avg rating — 2,763,535 ratings
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3

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4.31 avg rating — 1,460,462 ratings
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4

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4.17 avg rating — 184,454 ratings
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5

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4.20 avg rating — 3,026 ratings
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6

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3.95 avg rating — 4,165 ratings
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7

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3.99 avg rating — 131,464 ratings
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8

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4.29 avg rating — 703 ratings
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9

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4.34 avg rating — 5,280 ratings
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10

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3.79 avg rating — 5,438 ratings
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11

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3.82 avg rating — 206,725 ratings
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12

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3.91 avg rating — 3,640 ratings
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13

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3.94 avg rating — 637 ratings
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14

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4.07 avg rating — 111,185 ratings
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15

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3.95 avg rating — 14,582 ratings
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16

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4.74 avg rating — 38 ratings
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17

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3.85 avg rating — 1,790 ratings
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18

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3.67 avg rating — 9,470 ratings
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19

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3.86 avg rating — 5,426 ratings
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19

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3.91 avg rating — 10,183 ratings
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21

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3.93 avg rating — 105,048 ratings
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22

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really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 2,215 ratings
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23

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3.89 avg rating — 7,743 ratings
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24

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4.11 avg rating — 2,784 ratings
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25

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4.04 avg rating — 4,198 ratings
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26

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3.96 avg rating — 1,516 ratings
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27

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3.93 avg rating — 31,169 ratings
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28

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3.83 avg rating — 979 ratings
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29

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3.93 avg rating — 15,965 ratings
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30

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4.02 avg rating — 10,793 ratings
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31

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3.99 avg rating — 130,446 ratings
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32

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3.66 avg rating — 180 ratings
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33

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3.81 avg rating — 4,816 ratings
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33

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3.87 avg rating — 1,399 ratings
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35

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3.68 avg rating — 17,601 ratings
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36

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3.87 avg rating — 12,551 ratings
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37

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4.03 avg rating — 2,594 ratings
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38

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4.08 avg rating — 8,981 ratings
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39

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3.52 avg rating — 23 ratings
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40

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3.82 avg rating — 3,743 ratings
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41

by
3.80 avg rating — 5 ratings
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41

by
3.81 avg rating — 60,075 ratings
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43

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4.05 avg rating — 9,889 ratings
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44

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3.69 avg rating — 1,751 ratings
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45

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4.02 avg rating — 506 ratings
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46

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4.08 avg rating — 204 ratings
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46

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4.31 avg rating — 264,439 ratings
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48

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4.22 avg rating — 4,551 ratings
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49

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3.75 avg rating — 816 ratings
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50

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4.31 avg rating — 2,684 ratings
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51

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3.78 avg rating — 23,681 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 — 456 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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3.05 avg rating — 75 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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4.45 avg rating — 38 ratings
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58

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3.98 avg rating — 558 ratings
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59

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4.17 avg rating — 98 ratings
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60

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4.35 avg rating — 1,047 ratings
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61

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3.93 avg rating — 1,097 ratings
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61

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3.43 avg rating — 2,252 ratings
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63

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3.96 avg rating — 913 ratings
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64

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3.82 avg rating — 895 ratings
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64

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3.87 avg rating — 16,338 ratings
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66

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really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 36 ratings
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66

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3.91 avg rating — 1,709 ratings
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68

by
4.03 avg rating — 208 ratings
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69

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3.69 avg rating — 321 ratings
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70

by
3.31 avg rating — 103 ratings
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70

by
4.12 avg rating — 100 ratings
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72

by
3.97 avg rating — 225 ratings
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72

by
3.82 avg rating — 776 ratings
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74

by
3.33 avg rating — 3 ratings
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75

by
3.79 avg rating — 611 ratings
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76

by
really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 11 ratings
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77

by
3.85 avg rating — 2,260 ratings
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78

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3.79 avg rating — 5,666 ratings
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79

by
4.02 avg rating — 2,621 ratings
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80

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4.11 avg rating — 9 ratings
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81

by
3.85 avg rating — 102 ratings
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82

by
3.76 avg rating — 34 ratings
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83

by
3.71 avg rating — 3,731 ratings
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84

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really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 14 ratings
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85

by
4.21 avg rating — 102 ratings
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86

by
3.83 avg rating — 628 ratings
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86

by
3.67 avg rating — 2,357 ratings
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88

by
3.67 avg rating — 1,988 ratings
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88

by
4.06 avg rating — 67 ratings
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88

by
3.67 avg rating — 1,981 ratings
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91

by
3.67 avg rating — 168 ratings
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92

by
3.93 avg rating — 14 ratings
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93

by
3.72 avg rating — 1,741 ratings
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93

by
3.72 avg rating — 1,640 ratings
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95

by
4.16 avg rating — 45 ratings
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96

by
4.26 avg rating — 23 ratings
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97

by
4.15 avg rating — 2,191 ratings
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98

by
3.96 avg rating — 12,463 ratings
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99

by
4.04 avg rating — 60,020 ratings
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100

by
4.14 avg rating — 151 ratings
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11 likes · 
Lists are re-scored approximately every 5 minutes.


Rainbowheart 2036 books
155 friends
Jennifer 3498 books
993 friends
Jacob 1547 books
27 friends
Jan 5087 books
128 friends
SamSpayedPI 2060 books
30 friends
Elizabeth 5328 books
85 friends
Jill 2521 books
911 friends
Adele 2910 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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