,

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 — 1,297,337 ratings
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2

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4.12 avg rating — 2,844,350 ratings
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3

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4.31 avg rating — 1,485,348 ratings
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4

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4.17 avg rating — 186,465 ratings
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5

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3.95 avg rating — 4,223 ratings
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6

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4.21 avg rating — 3,070 ratings
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7

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3.98 avg rating — 133,210 ratings
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8

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4.29 avg rating — 707 ratings
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9

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4.32 avg rating — 5,615 ratings
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10

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3.79 avg rating — 5,500 ratings
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11

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3.83 avg rating — 211,752 ratings
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12

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3.91 avg rating — 3,665 ratings
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13

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3.95 avg rating — 638 ratings
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14

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4.07 avg rating — 112,213 ratings
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15

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3.95 avg rating — 14,906 ratings
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16

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4.74 avg rating — 39 ratings
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17

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3.85 avg rating — 1,803 ratings
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18

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3.67 avg rating — 9,639 ratings
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19

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3.86 avg rating — 5,500 ratings
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19

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3.91 avg rating — 10,313 ratings
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21

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3.93 avg rating — 109,034 ratings
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22

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really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 2,266 ratings
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23

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3.89 avg rating — 7,938 ratings
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24

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4.11 avg rating — 2,818 ratings
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25

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4.04 avg rating — 4,267 ratings
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26

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3.96 avg rating — 1,565 ratings
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27

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3.93 avg rating — 31,488 ratings
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28

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3.83 avg rating — 1,004 ratings
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29

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3.93 avg rating — 16,286 ratings
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30

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4.02 avg rating — 10,882 ratings
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31

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3.99 avg rating — 132,146 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 — 4,896 ratings
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33

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3.87 avg rating — 1,410 ratings
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35

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3.68 avg rating — 18,010 ratings
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36

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3.86 avg rating — 12,955 ratings
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37

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4.02 avg rating — 2,623 ratings
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38

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4.09 avg rating — 9,227 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 — 3,798 ratings
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41

by
3.83 avg rating — 6 ratings
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41

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3.81 avg rating — 60,995 ratings
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43

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4.05 avg rating — 10,047 ratings
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44

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3.68 avg rating — 1,808 ratings
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45

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4.01 avg rating — 516 ratings
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46

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4.08 avg rating — 206 ratings
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46

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4.31 avg rating — 280,939 ratings
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48

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4.22 avg rating — 4,598 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 — 2,714 ratings
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51

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3.78 avg rating — 24,096 ratings
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52

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4.18 avg rating — 55 ratings
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53

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4.14 avg rating — 460 ratings
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53

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4.16 avg rating — 278 ratings
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55

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liked it 3.00 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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4.46 avg rating — 39 ratings
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58

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3.97 avg rating — 572 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 — 1,055 ratings
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61

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3.92 avg rating — 1,141 ratings
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61

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3.43 avg rating — 2,274 ratings
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63

by
3.97 avg rating — 921 ratings
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64

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3.83 avg rating — 901 ratings
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64

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3.87 avg rating — 16,420 ratings
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66

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3.97 avg rating — 38 ratings
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66

by
3.91 avg rating — 1,728 ratings
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68

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4.03 avg rating — 212 ratings
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69

by
3.68 avg rating — 329 ratings
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70

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3.31 avg rating — 103 ratings
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70

by
4.07 avg rating — 107 ratings
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72

by
3.96 avg rating — 226 ratings
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72

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3.82 avg rating — 782 ratings
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74

by
3.33 avg rating — 3 ratings
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75

by
3.79 avg rating — 615 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 — 2,278 ratings
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78

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3.79 avg rating — 5,695 ratings
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79

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4.02 avg rating — 2,650 ratings
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80

by
really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 10 ratings
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81

by
3.83 avg rating — 105 ratings
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82

by
3.76 avg rating — 34 ratings
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83

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3.71 avg rating — 3,778 ratings
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84

by
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

by
3.84 avg rating — 639 ratings
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86

by
3.67 avg rating — 2,385 ratings
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88

by
3.67 avg rating — 2,009 ratings
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88

by
4.06 avg rating — 67 ratings
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88

by
3.67 avg rating — 1,999 ratings
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91

by
3.67 avg rating — 171 ratings
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92

by
3.93 avg rating — 14 ratings
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93

by
3.73 avg rating — 1,771 ratings
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93

by
3.72 avg rating — 1,665 ratings
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95

by
4.16 avg rating — 45 ratings
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96

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4.19 avg rating — 26 ratings
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97

by
4.16 avg rating — 2,249 ratings
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98

by
3.96 avg rating — 12,549 ratings
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99

by
4.04 avg rating — 61,117 ratings
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100

by
4.13 avg rating — 152 ratings
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12 likes · 
Lists are re-scored approximately every 5 minutes.


Rainbowheart 2035 books
152 friends
Jennifer 3577 books
990 friends
Jacob 1558 books
27 friends
Jan 5191 books
137 friends
SamSpayedPI 1998 books
31 friends
Elizabeth 4129 books
85 friends
Jill 2555 books
914 friends
Adele 3024 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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