SciFi and Fantasy Book Club discussion

Ria, my 9 y/o grand daughter loves to read. And, joy!, loves getting books for Christmas. She has read all of Harry Potter and I have started her on Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys, but would like to introduce her to A Science Fiction series. In my day I read Tom Corbett and Tom Swift books, but think these are dated and are written for boys.

Does anyone have suggestions for a SF book series for a 9 to 11 y/o, advanced reader for age.

I was also thinking of getting her a Kindle, but being old fashioned, re books, wonder if that is a good idea for kids. Do you think Kindle's are a good idea for a 9 y/o and are there lots of kids books available for the Kindle (I have never seen one)?

TIA,

Bill

Hi Bill: You might want to suggest my series The Persephane Pendrake Chronicles..more fantasy..but I had a classroom of 9-10 year olds read it last spring and they loved it.
You can read their comments to me each day here: http://budurl.com/LEKids
I do respond to all email from my readers..which they love. The home site is www.lady-ellen.com
Cheers,
LE

Kernos,

I really recommend the Gregor the Overlander series. Fantasy though.

Maybe A Wrinkle in Time, one of my childhood favorites?

Interworld by Neil Gaiman and Michael Reaves. It was pretty good and age appropriate.

There's also the Ember series by Jeanne DuPrau. The first book is The City of Ember.

Its not easy finding Science Fiction books written for a younger audience. Fantasy seems to dominate that market.

As far as the Kindle (or any other eReader for that matter) I would say it depends on the kid in question. Specifically, how well does she take care of her possessions? If she understands that a gift like that is something that should be well taken care of, then I say go for it. Reading is reading whether we use dead trees or electrons. :)

Well put about the Kindle, Random..LOL.

LE

My personal opinion, I'd wait a couple more years for the Kindle.
For a couple of reasons:
--Most childrens and YA books aren't available on it yet.
--Issues of eyestrain from computer monitors, etc.
--A personal preference to raise someone who loves paper books - they can always adapt to ebooks later, but if they develop into a reader who scorns paper books, how many doors are they closing?

As for science fiction books, at that age there seems to be mostly fantasy out there, but here are some that are oldie-but-goodie SF appropriate for kids (or adults):
The Space Ship Under the Apple Tree
Miss Pickerell Goes to Mars
The Rolling Stones
Starman Jones
Have Space Suit-Will Travel
Podkayne of Mars
The Harper Hall of Pern (and the rest of the series)
Breed to Come
Moon of Three Rings
Star Ka'at
Andre Norton's The Time Traders series
Harry Turtledove's Crosstime Traffic series, beginning with Gunpowder Empire

If you're/she's ok with space battles, then I'd also go for some of the space opera out there. Newer stuff that has strong female characters that I'd let a 10 year old read include:
the Vattas War series, beginning with Trading in Danger
the Serrano Legacy, beginning with Hunting Party

(I'll add more to this post as I find 'em. = )

If you're looking for YA fantasy, here's a great list I found on Listopia: http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/14...

Wow, everyone has great suggestions!

If your (awesome!) granddaughter loved Harry Potter, I think she'd like The Earthsea Trilogy A Wizard of Earthsea; The Tombs of Atuan; The Farthest Shore, the middle of which is a group read this month!

They are so beautifully written with characters and situations that are complex. Lyrical, magical.

Cindy wrote: "Wow, everyone has such awesome suggestions!

If your (awesome!) granddaughter loved Harry Potter, I think she'd like [book:The Earthsea Trilogy A Wizard of Earthsea; The Tombs of Atuan; The Farthe..."

I first read those when I was around her age. Same with A Wrinkle in Time.

If we include fantasy, I'd also recommend Diane Duane's Young Wizards series.

Carolyn wrote: "If you're/she's ok with space battles, then I'd also go for some of the space opera out there. Newer stuff that has strong female characters that I'd let a 10 year old read include:
the Vattas War series, beginning with Trading in Danger
the Serrano Legacy, beginning with Hunting Party "

Which reminds me, most of the books I read at that age would not be initially considered age appropriate. As the youngest in the family I read whatever happened to be around. That mostly meant the stuff my brother brought home and he's almost 10 years older than me. I believe I first read Dune around 10 or so. :)

Some sci-fi that might work for her:

The Midnighters trilogy by Scott Westerfeld
The Uglies series by Scott Westerfeld
The Supernaturalist series by Eoin Colfer
The Darklands trilogy by Anthony Eaton
The Shadow Children series by Margaret Peterson Haddix
The Missing series by Margaret Peterson Haddix

All of Isaac Asimov's work is pretty accessible.

It is a stand alone rather than a series, but she might like Shade's Children by Garth Nix.

Artemis Fowl and sequels, by Eoin Colfer. Kind of a sci-fi/fantasy blend.

Eleanor wrote "The Woderful Flight to the Mushroom Planet" and sequals. The protagonists are boys; but the series is delightful.


Also, by John Christopher: The White Mountains; The City of Gold and Lead and The Pool of Fire. An excellent trilogy.

If she hasn't read A Wrinkle in Time, then that's a great place to start. There's a whole series, but Wrinkle stands alone quite well. My daughter read and loved them all. I only read Wrinkle because I didn't know that the Murry kids were in any more books.

Also, if she's an advanced reader, she might like Molly Fyde and the Parsona Rescue. It fast paced, has a lot of action, and the protagonist is a girl. There's a sequel coming out early next year.

Mary JL wrote: "Eleanor wrote "The Woderful Flight to the Mushroom Planet" and sequals. The protagonists are boys; but the series is delightful.

Agreed! I loved that book to pieces when I was a child; didn't know there were sequels until I was almost too old to enjoy them.

The Wonderful Flight to the Mushroom Planet by Eleanor Cameron

I like Carolyn's suggestions they are really good and Peregrine's suggestion of Eoin Fowler books is a good one as well.

The best place to start SF and where many people started as a kid is with the juvenile Heinlein's. I also heartily agree with:

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeliene L'Engle b/c its just wonderful
Dragonsong and Dragonsinger by McCaffrey are also great suggestions
I loved the The Wonderful FLight to the Mushroom Planet as a kid.

I would add in the following that I read before I got to Heinlein:

The Borrower books by Mary Norton which is the kind of whimsical books that are a good intro.
The Dark is Rising series by Susan Cooper
The Gift of Magic by Lois Duncan is probably too mature but maybe for later
The Sword in the Stone by TH White is a classic
The Fantastic Voyage by Isaac Asimov
The Secret Garden Francis Burnett



You get a sense of adventure too from:

Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
The Other Side of the Mountain


I would think the Andre Norton books are great as well. I ate them up when I was that age.

Other books that are a little more mature are:

Elizabeth Scarborough wrote some cute fantasies -- Bronwyn's Bane is a nice neat fantasy

A Dragon on a Pedestal by Piers Anthony is a cute little fantasy

I like Carolyn's suggestions they are really good and Peregrine's suggestion of Eoin Fowler books is a good one as well.

The best place to start SF and where many people started as a kid is with the juvenile Heinlein's. I also heartily agree with:

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeliene L'Engle b/c its just wonderful
Dragonsong and Dragonsinger by McCaffrey are also great suggestions
I loved the The Wonderful FLight to the Mushroom Planet as a kid.

I would add in the following that I read before I got to Heinlein:

The Borrower books by Mary Norton which is the kind of whimsical books that are a good intro.
The Dark is Rising series by Susan Cooper
The Gift of Magic by Lois Duncan is probably too mature but maybe for later
The Sword in the Stone by TH White is a classic
The Fantastic Voyage by Isaac Asimov
The Secret Garden Francis Burnett



You get a sense of adventure too from:

Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
The Other Side of the Mountain


I would think the Andre Norton books are great as well. I ate them up when I was that age.

Other books that are a little more mature are:

Elizabeth Scarborough wrote some cute fantasies -- Bronwyn's Bane is a nice neat fantasy

A Dragon on a Pedestal by Piers Anthony is a cute little fantasy

Kernos wrote: "Ria, my 9 y/o grand daughter loves to read. ..."

Hello,

An author that introduced me to Sci-Fi was
Monica Hughes. I was probably 10 or 11 when I read these. She wrote some very good stories. The series of books that got me going was her Isis series. The first of them being The Keeper of the Isis Light. From there I was hooked on all her books and expanded onto other Sci-Fi from there.

Stephen

Thought of another! H. M. Hoover. She writes Sf aimed at younger readers. Children of Morrow is one; aslo the Time of the Dark.

My personal favorite is The Delikon.

It's ten minutes into the future science fiction and perhaps it's better for her in a few years, but perhaps not. I *loved* Little Brother by Cory Doctorow and it won a boat load of awards.

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman also won several awards and is written with persons of her age-- and any age in mind.

Running Out of Time by Margaret Peterson Haddix is not part of a series, but is written from a fascinating perspective.

I absolutely love Diane Duane's Young Wizard series. The first book is So You Want to Be a Wizard . They are kind of a combo of fantasy with sci fi elements. The first 3 books are my favorites and the third book in the series, Young Wizards, Book 3 High Wizardry (Digest) is very sci-fi oriented.

Julia wrote: "It's ten minutes into the future science fiction and perhaps it's better for her in a few years, but perhaps not. I *loved* Little Brother by Cory Doctorow and it won a boat load of awards."



Little Brother is an excellent book, my son loved it. However, I'd only recommend it for the 13+ because of some rather mature content. My son was 13 when he read it and was a bit embarrassed by the "adult situations". (His words, not mine.)

I think Little Brother is almost for adults or at the very least teenagers.

The Young Wizard books by Diane Duane, are to me, fantasies.

Besides Little Brother, I'd also say the Scott Westerfield books are all for the 13+ group as well...

I loved Isis series too when I was a kid.
I also read Z for Zachariah by Robert O'Brien and The Giver by Lois Lowry. I might have been a bit older though, I can't remember.

I'd Would seriously save "The Giver" for a child 12 or older. Perhaps a younger might find it disturbing.

Andre Norton wrote a lot of great YA sci-fi/fantasy books. I don't think you could go wrong with any of her books.

This thread a little old, but I'll still try at this one. I suggest The Roar.

Kernos wrote: "Ria, my 9 y/o grand daughter loves to read. And, joy!, loves getting books for Christmas. She has read all of Harry Potter and I have started her on Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys, but would like to..."

Hi, Bill—

I suppose I should throw my two cents in here. People have made some really good suggestions. I have written a series of seven fantasy titles (so far) for that age group. The first book in the series is: The King of the Trees. My website is: http://www.greencloaks.com. You can get all the titles in paperback or for the Kindle. (Each title has a glossary/pronunciation guide at the back.)

These are not dark, gruesome or gory books, by the way. If your granddaughter likes mystery and adventure, she would probably enjoy them. I have found that Harry Potter fans enjoy my series as well.

Good luck!

Bill Burt

P.S. There is also the Chronicles of Narnia, by C.S. Lewis.

Kernos wrote: "Ria, my 9 y/o grand daughter loves to read. And, joy!, loves getting books for Christmas. She has read all of Harry Potter and I have started her on Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys, but would like to..."

If she's a voracious reader, you may have to go Kindle just to keep from going broke :-)

Kriss Erickson has the first two eBooks out in her fantasy series, Brownbird's Luck and Journey to Brodantia. There's one more, but that's not out yet. You can get them at akwbooks.com, Amazon, or Smashwords (if you can find it there) in a format suitable for the Kindle. The publisher is AKW Books and they have the first two, on their site only, in a bundle for just $5 (love the price!).

They also have Joseph Lexxus and the Drug Runners of Altair by John Bowers. Think Hardy Boys in space. But the audience is more for boys (same as Hardy Boys), so use your judgment -- you know best what interests your daughter.

Alice Hoffman's Aquamarine and Indigo

When she gets just a few years older, try to find a copy of Rite of Passage by Alexei Panshin

A Wrinkle in Time is a good choice, as well as Uglies.

I was about to suggest the Animorphs series by K.A. Applegate - it's very expansive and most of the books are out of print, but the first two are being re-printed in May.

If we're including fantasy, I'll add the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series by Rick Riordan, starting with The Lightning Thief - it might be a little young for her, but I read the first three books recently and really wished they had existed when I was a kid. Fun, witty, and action-packed.

I'll also toss in the His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman. (I would include links to all of the above, but Goodreads features aren't really working for me right now.)

I started Dune about that age - locked in my love of SFF for life :)

Rachel wrote: "I started Dune about that age - locked in my love of SFF for life :)"

Wow! I'm impressed. Dune has so many layers. After 4 decades of re-reading Dune and sequels, I still find new relationships. I'm not sure she's ready for that, but...

Thanks all for your suggestions.