Children's Books discussion

Science Fiction & Fantasy from back in the day. I have a stack of them I've been collecting to fill in the gap caused by the fact that my town library was so tiny it had none of these.

Sure, we had fairy tales, Nesbit and Eager etc., but that's not what I'm looking for. We even had Phantom Tollbooth which could possibly count for this month (and is terrific).

I'd love to know what older Speculative Fiction for children that you find!

These are the ones I have. I'll list them in approximate order or priority & likelihood I'll get to them:

The Forgotten Door
Support Your Local Wizard
Soonie and the Dragon
What If...? Amazing Stories
Children of the Star
The Glass Slipper
The 13 Clocks and The Wonderful O
The Lost Star
Orvis
Witch Hat Atelier, Vol. 1
A Barrel of Laughs, a Vale of Tears
The Dragonslayers
The Witch's Buttons
The Wednesday Witch
King Beetle-Tamer and Other Lighthearted Wonder Tales
Star Girl
The Fool & the Dancing Bear
Into the Painted Bear Lair
Highfire
Another Day
Worzel Gummidge
Elsewhere: Tales of Fantasy
Dragons on the Town
Black and Blue Magic
The Magic Three of Solatia
The Delikon
Far Sector

(Turns out some that I own are actually more recent. I'll read them anyway, but I really would like to focus on older books. Thank you for your understanding.)

My personal favorites are 19th century girls as spies or using magical abilities to thwart an enemy. I also read a bunch of books on the "What to read while you're waiting for the next Harry Potter book" lists.

I'm trying to get my nieces to read Tamora Pierce. Wild Magic is my favorite. I love Daine the most because of her affinity with animals. Anything Tammy writes is fantastic though.

Sorcery & Cecelia: or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot was a gateway to 19th century romantic fantasy. This one is Pride and Prejudice with magic. I saw it listed as Jane Austen X Harry Potter and was sold just on that description. I don't like the sequels as much but this one I've read several times.

Crown Duel also Pride and Prejudice medieval fantasy style. I just loved this adventure tale and romance. Some of the battle stuff is a little hard to read but it's not too bad.

Different, for me but VERY interesting, especially now, NOT to be missed is Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials series. I haven't read the Book of the Dust series yet but I know I probably should.

The Enchanted Forest Chronicles: Dealing with Dragons / Searching for Dragons / Calling on Dragons / Talking to Dragons were among the earliest fantasy books I read in my exploration of things to read while waiting for the next Harry Potter. They're fun and silly.

More recently I read the old school classic Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander. Also fun and good escapism.

I have 150 books on my YA fantasy shelf!
https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

I heard a lot about Earthsea Trilogy (The Wizard of Earthsea, Tombs of Atuan, The Farthest Shore but never read them. My oldest niece did and she liked them.

I also heard a lot about The Dragon Riders of Pern (4 book box set) but never read them. I got into fantasy right around the year 2000 and older for me is anything from the 80s and 90s that was a continuing series when I started reading it.

Yeah, I couldn't get into Earthsea, or much of anything by LeGuin. And I've never been interested in Pern, though I have enjoyed other stories about dragons.

My favorite dragon story is The Reluctant Dragon. And I love The Book of Dragons.

There's another that I could've sworn was by Tolkien but I can't find it now... Found it! Farmer Giles of Ham. But my review says that I didn't love it.

These are some SF that I read many years ago. I read these long before Goodreads was created, so I don't have reviews for any of them except one, nor do I remember much about them now. But I did like all of the Hoover and Heinlein books, otherwise I would not have continued reading that author's output. I read many more books by Heinlein, but I think they would have been considered adult books, not children's books. I put in parenthesis the year I read the book; not the year of publication.

by Robert A. Heinlein
Have Spacesuit Will Travel (1966; I discovered this book in my eighth grade library. It was the first SF book I ever read and my introduction to that genre. So, I became hooked on SF books!)
Podkayne of Mars (1970)
For a book written in 1963 (more than 60 years ago now), it seems a bit dated in some respects, but quite forward-looking in others. Podkayne, Clark, her brother, and her Uncle Tom are all interesting characters. Plot-wise, it moves pretty quickly and smoothly. The story is written as Poddy's journal entries. Uncle Tom volunteers to take Poddy and Clark on a trip to Earth (their first ever, as they grew up in Marsopolis), but along the way, political rivalries and intrigue almost do the trio in.

by H. M. Hoover
Children of Morrow (1995)
Only Child (2015)
Orvis (1987)
The Delikon (1995)
Away Is a Strange Place to Be (1990)
The Lost Star (2002)

These are some more SF books that were published before 2000 that I read years ago, with the year I read them in parenthesis. I particularly liked William Sleator's SF novels; I found them unique and page-turners.

The Monster Garden (1989)
Star Hatchling (1997)
Collidescope (1990)
This Place Has No Atmosphere (1986)
The Secret Life of Dilly McBean (1986)
Dogsbody (1988)
Alien Secrets (1994)
Star Ka'at (1985)
Alan Mendelsohn, the Boy from Mars (1980)
Storm at the Edge of Time (1995)
Stinker from Space (1994)
I remember that this was a very amusing story--the idea of an alien having to inhabit the body of a skunk to stay alive was quite funny.
Stinker's Return (1994)
Under Alien Stars (1995)
Singularity (1985)
This is a great story and a very unique addition to the SF genre.
The Boy Who Reversed Himself (1986)
The Green Futures of Tycho (1992)
The Duplicate (1988)

I read This Place Has No Atmosphere a couple of years ago and kind of think that the story is not so much SF but more a typical teenaged angst and immigration type of tale (set on the moon) with a thin SF veneer.

A couple of Canadian writers are:

Douglas Arthur Hill (better known as just Douglas Hill)
Day of the Starwind
The Caves of Klydor
Deathwing Over Veynaa
Warriors of the Wasteland
Exiles of Colsec
and many others.

Monica Hughes
Space Trap
Beyond the Dark River
Crisis on Conshelf Ten
Earthdark
The Keeper of the Isis Light
The Guardian of Isis
The Isis Pedlar
Again many others.

If you want to go back to earlier UK kids' SF:

E.C. Eliott
Kemlo and the Crazy Planet
Kemlo and the Zones of Silence
Kemlo and the Star Men
Kemlo and the Gravity Rays
Kemlo and the Space Lanes

W.E. Johns
Kings of Space
Return to Mars
Worlds of Wonder
Quest for the Perfect Planet

Patrick Moore
Quest of the Spaceways
World of Mists
Destination Luna
The Frozen Planet
Master of the Moon

Hugh Walters
Blast Off at Woomera
Moon Base One
Destination Mars
Mission to Mercury
School on the Moon

Oh, gosh, yes, Sleator was so much fun and I wish I could find more of his. Hoover and Hughes, yes, I am working on them. I remember Stinker from Space, too!

So many more suggestions - you all are so wonderful!

Teens who like Hunger Games might also like Ender’s Game (but skip sequels) and the Earthseed trilogy. There are a ton of dystopias for teens but they're more 21st century than what I'm interested in.

An Alien Music was worth a reread imo and I gave it four stars both times. I enjoyed it on openlibrary.

We'll probably have to look for a lot of these on openlibrary, of course.

I used to like Heinlein but no longer, no way.

Some of the books we've read in the Newbery Club fit the theme, too. Especially this month's Winner, The First State of Being.

Tistou mit den grünen Daumen


Loved the German translation when I read this rather message heavy (but necessarily so) fantasy in the early 1970s, have not read either the French original or the English translation but would probably like them just as much.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Die unendliche Geschichte


Not always a fan of fantasy, but Michael Ende's Die unendliche Geschichte (which I have not read in English only in German) is one of my favourite books, period (first read in 1979 and reread more than a few times).

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

The Brothers Lionheart


Did not read this as a child (unlike other Astrid Lindgren novels which I all read in German). Like the story and the sense of fantasy but find the "pro death" attitude a little bit uncomfortable.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

The Ghosts


One of the first English language novels I read on my own (in 1977), I love the ghost and time travel element (both as a child and still now) but I do understand why some readers find the story problematic with regard to believability (even as a fantasy).

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

What If...? Amazing Stories

Good collection of thought-provoking speculative fiction (SF, fantasy, and a bit of light horror) very short stories. Better for the target audience of young teens, though. I found none that are sticking with me, and I've not discovered any new authors. Three stars.

A five star read! The Forgotten Door by Alexander Key.

Loved this when I was a kid. Still smart, still thrilling, and, yes, I still want to go to Jon's world. Or at least be related to Miss Josie. A tiny bit melodramatic maybe, and maybe not for the more sophisticated reader... probably just about right for fans of The Iron Giant.

A quote that reveals how smart this book is for a young reader. The father explains:

"Actually, there are some pretty nice people in the world--only there aren't enough of them. It's the troublemaking kind that keeps all the rest of us on the jump, and makes things the way they are. Maybe nature intended it that way--to keep prodding us so we'll learn faster."

I wonder if one of the reasons that I liked it so much was that there were almost as many females as males, and all had a variety of strengths and talents to contribute... and that was not common for books back then....

In the sense that it's juvenile social commentary it reminds me of another old favorite of mine, not SF, The Pushcart War.

The Shepherd Moon
I wasn't quite sure what to make of this novel. I agree with one reviewer who thought it was somewhat dystopian, before dystopian novels became so popular. I didn't think that the superhuman Mikel was very well-developed. And the ending did not read like an ending, more like there was another chapter, or an epilog, or something. And although the reader was told what the Shepher Moon was, it didn't really figure all that much in the story, only a couple of mentions. I guess I just wanted some of the characters and so forth to be more fully developed.

Cheryl wrote: "Oh, gosh, yes, Sleator was so much fun and I wish I could find more of his. Hoover and Hughes, yes, I am working on them. I remember Stinker from Space, too!

I turned my son on to William Sleator's books years ago. He especially liked The Green Futures of Tycho.

Beverly wrote: "The Shepherd Moon
I wasn't quite sure what to make of this novel. I agree with one reviewer who thought it was somewhat dystopian, before dystopian novels became so popular. I didn't..."

I don't remember it at all, but I did read it, gave it three stars -

I particularly like little details, like how the bodyguard just happens to be a woman, and the exhausted conscience of the grandfather, and how much less imposing the grandfather looks out of uniform, and the dogs' behaviors and names. And the quote by Leonardo da Vinci: "As every divided kingdom falls, so every mind divided between many studies confounds and saps itself."

*Iff* you're into older juvenile SF, I recommend that you read at least one book by Hoover, whichever one you find or are drawn to.

Andre Norton must have a mention. She was one of the leading YA SF writers from the 50s to the 80s. My favourites were Star Born, Lord of Thunder, Star Gate, Star Man's Son, 2250 A.D and The Zero Stone, but there are so many to choose from.

Oh, yes, Thank You, Len, one of the masters who introduced a lot of teens to SFF!

I gave Orvis four stars.

Charming. The adventure is not too scary, but exciting enough. The philosophy is the sort that I have always loved. What does it mean to be sapient? (The book says sentient, but today's kids have come to understand that most critters are sentient, whereas Orvis is sapient, and so the distinction matters.) What is the definition of a family? Of a friendship? And... what might come after climate change kills the majority of life on Earth?

"She gave him a grateful smile which he received with a shrug, as if loyalty were a simple gift."

Highfire is not, as I assumed, YA (much less children's). It's vulgar, ugly, stomach churning adult.

I'm making good progress with that list of books I own. Unfortunately, I'm not coming up with many that are worth mentioning here.

The Delikon would have been good back in the day for a younger reader, for example. Children of the Star was a big disappointment.

I will definitely try to find some of the ones you-all have reported. Thank you again for contributing!

I'm not into sci-fi but I enjoyed a good female-centered fantasy book in my young adults years. I am trying to get my nieces to read anything by Tamora Pierce. One niece would love Alanna and the other should love Daine if she bothers to read the book I gave her Wild Magic. The Tortall books are very much set in a medieval Europe world with peoples from Asia and Africa appearing in the stories as well. The Circle books are more fantasy oriented and less real world. They get progressively darker as they go on though.

I've heard so many good things about Pierce.

I enjoyed Beyond World's End's blend of fantasy and SF. I can't quite recommend it to people with long to-read lists, but I am glad I read the adventure (on openlibrary.org).

The Keeper of the Isis Light
Interesting plot and characters. The author makes the planet Isis a believable place--a harsh, almost Mars-like planet, except with animals and plants. The two major radiation storms really unsettle the new settlers from Earth. Olwen's actions are completely in line with her character and Mark is a real jerk. But this story does date itself with mention of "tapes"--so old school!

Beverly wrote: "The Keeper of the Isis Light
Interesting plot and characters. The author makes the planet Isis a believable place--a harsh, almost Mars-like planet, except with animals and plants. T..."

Yes, I gave that four stars. I think it was the one that inspired me to work harder to find Hughes' works.

The Golden Aquarians (published 1995)
This was a very interesting adventure story, and raises some moral questions. Once Walt and his friend Solveig meet and realize that there is sentient life on Aqua, and that a tidal wave will destroy the terraforming compound in 6 days, they have to try and convince the rest of the terraforming crew of their discoveries. The Aquarians are interesting creatures, being sentient frog-like amphibians who communicate through telepathy. They don't want to harm these humans who are determined to ruin their planet. Unfortunately, Walt's father (the one in charge) has become obsessed with conquering the planet and refuses to believe his son's story of the Aquarians and the coming tsunami. A very good, fast-paced plot with likable, and some unlikeable characters.

Thank you, that sounds right up my alley!

I just got back from a 1 1/2 months away and am facing the rest of the stack I set out to read for this theme. I will get around to them, I vow, somehow, and hopefully soon!

Giants in the Dust is a novella written for adults, but this 'anthropological sf' is certainly suitable for ages about 13 and up. Less than that and it might be a bit too confusing as young children don't generally have enough understanding about sociology and anthropology. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I do appreciate Chad Oliver's speculative fiction works.