Science fiction books for children and teens

Science fiction books for children and teens

Science fiction books about the future, space, technology, the unknown, new worlds, aliens, AI and knowledge beyond our comprehension.  This list contains 40+ titles to inspire children to become interested in STEM think deeply about narrative problems and empathize with unique situations. This list features books by Mac Barnett, Madeleine L’Engle, Louis Sachar, Donna Barba Higuera, Ernest Cline, Suzanne Collins, Amie Kaufman, James Dashner, Veronica Roth and Orson Scott Card.

Science fiction books for children and teens

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Science fiction books for children and teens – our recommendations

Science fiction for elementary and middle school children

CatStronauts: Mission Moon by Drew BrockingtonCatStronauts: Mission Moon by Drew Brockington.
The First Cat in Space Ate Pizza by Mac BarnettThe First Cat in Space Ate Pizza by Mac Barnett.
A Rover's Story by Jasmine WargaA Rover’s Story by Jasmine Warga.

Viewfinder by Christine D.U. Chung, Salwa MajokaViewfinder by Christine D.U. Chung and Salwa Majoka.
The First Cat in Space and the Soup of Doom by Mac BarnettThe First Cat in Space and the Soup of Doom by Mac Barnett and Shawn Harris.
The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrauThe City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau.

Shock City: A Graphic Novel by Aaron AlexovichShock City: A Graphic Novel by Aaron Alexovich.
Explorer by Kazu KibuishiExplorer by Kazu Kibuishi.
We're Not from Here by Geoff RodkeyWe’re Not from Here by Geoff Rodkey.

The Inventor Vol. 1: The Dangerous Discovery by Lars Henrik EriksenThe Inventor Vol. 1: The Dangerous Discovery by Lars Henrik Eriksen.
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'EngleA Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle.
Fuzzy Mud by Louis SacharFuzzy Mud by Louis Sachar.

The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba HigueraThe Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera.
Inheritance by Christopher PaoliniEragon by Christopher Paolini.
Stephen McCranie's Space Boy Omnibus Volume 1 by Stephen McCranieStephen McCranie’s Space Boy Omnibus Volume 1 by Stephen McCranie.

Fever Crumb by Philip ReeveFever Crumb by Philip Reeve.
Star Wars: The High Republic: Tears of the Nameless by George MannStar Wars: The High Republic: Tears of the Nameless by George Mann.
Glitch by Laura MartinGlitch by Laura Martin.

Science fiction books for teens in high school

Nyxia by Scott ReintgenNyxia by Scott Reintgen.
Ready Player One by Ernest ClineReady Player One by Ernest Cline.
The Hunger Games by Suzanne CollinsThe Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.

Shatter Me by Tahereh MafiShatter Me by Tahereh Mafi.
Songlight by Moira BuffiniSonglight by Moira Buffini.
Moonstorm by Yoon Ha LeeMoonstorm by Yoon Ha Lee.

The Getaway by Lamar GilesThe Getaway by Lamar Giles.
Aurora Rising by Amie Kaufman, Jay KristoffAurora Rising by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff.
Iron Widow by Xiran Jay ZhaoIron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao.

I Am Number Four by Pittacus LoreI Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore.
Scythe by Neal ShustermanScythe by Neal Shusterman.
Snowglobe by Soyoung ParkSnowglobe by Soyoung Park.

Sky's End by Marc J GregsonSky’s End by Marc J Gregson.
Skyward by Brandon SandersonSkyward by Brandon Sanderson.
The Maze Runner (Maze Runner, Book One) by James DashnerThe Maze Runner by James Dashner.

Obsidian by Jennifer L. ArmentroutObsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout.
Feed by M.T. AndersonFeed by M.T. Anderson.
Unwind by Neal ShustermanUnwind by Neal Shusterman.

Uglies by Scott WesterfeldUglies by Scott Westerfeld.
Divergent by Veronica RothDivergent by Veronica Roth.
Ender's Game by Orson Scott CardEnder’s Game by Orson Scott Card.


Click the buttons below to purchase all of the books in this book list, as well as classroom sets of any of these books and many more, from Bookshop.org. Or buy the 20 most popular titles from this list from Amazon – ideal for gifts or stocking your school library. If you are ordering from outside the US, have a look at our ‘worldwide orders’ page which makes this process easy.

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Science fiction books for children and teens

Science fiction resources for teachers

  • Science Fiction Research Association – “the Oldest Professional Association Dedicated to the scholarly Inquiry of Science Fiction and the Fantastic Across All Media” It holds an annual conference for the critical discussion of science fiction and offers a variety of awards and research grants.
  • National Air and Space Museum offers an immersive visual and text history of the genre. “Through science fiction, we’re able to explore new frontiers in science, innovation, and society.” This resource is an ideal primer to introduce students to science fiction in the school library.
  • A beginner’s guide to science fiction from New York Public Library.
  • An interesting academic article explaining the evidence behind science fiction’s impact on student resiliency and high-order thinking skills.
  • An Edutopia article offers many ways teachers can use this genre to invigorate science and STEM learning in the classroom.
  • This University of North Dakota academic article shows how reading futuristic stories can help children understand science concepts better. There’s also this academic article from Minnesota State University which explores similar ideas.
  • Education Week explores the best texts to help children learn more about AI concepts.

Genre classification

BISAC JUV056000 YAF056000 Children’s / Teenage fiction: Science fiction | Thema YFG



About Tom Tolkien

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Tom Tolkien is an highly qualified and highly experienced teacher and children's literature expert (Honors Degree and Postgraduate PGCE QTS) who has spent over 25 years developing award winning literacy and ELA training resources for K-12 schools in the United States and worldwide. His areas of expertise are children's and YA books, literacy instruction, reading recommendations, and school improvement. Twitter | Linkedin