Order History
Premium Membership & Rewards
Help Center / FAQ
These Classic Science Fiction Middle-Grade Books Are the Perfect Starter-Kit for New Sci-Fi Readers!
Wondering if science fiction is for your young reader? Here’s how to tell: if they like stories about the future, crazy new technologies, wacky science experiments, and supernatural elements, then they’ll love reading this genre!
To help kick start their science fiction journey, we’ve rounded up five classic middle-grade reads. From futuristic governments and science experiments gone amuck to talking animals and cosmic beings, these books will get your young reader’s sci-fi juices flowing (and have them dreaming up futuristic ways to finish their homework.) Ready? Here’s what we picked:
Ships in 1-2 days.
A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeleine L’Engle
Determined to rescue her missing father, troublesome kid Meg Murry is thrust into a cosmic adventure as she encounters supernatural beings, travels through a fifth dimensional phenomenon, and confronts a disembodied brain with powerful abilities. A Wrinkle in Time not only engages its readers with whimsical details, but also with classic themes of good versus evil.
Ships in 1-2 days.
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, by Robert C. O’Brien
When a farmer threatens to destroy the home of Mrs. Frisby, a field mouse, she seeks the help of the mysterious group of intelligent and technologically savvy rats of NIMH. (As in rats who can talk, read, and operate advanced machines.) It takes ingenuity, courage, and teamwork to rescue Mrs. Frisby’s home and ultimately her family. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH perfectly blends sci-fi whimsy with relatable themes for all readers.
Ships in 1-2 days.
The Giver, by Lois Lowry
When 12-year-old Jonas is assigned the role of Receiver of Memory, he uncovers startling truths about the utopian world he lives in. His community, while free from pain and strife, lacks emotional depth and harbors dark secrets, ones that include murder, abandonment, and rejection. Jonas must sacrifice all he knows to help his community break free from its past and survive its future. The Giver is the perfect introduction to dystopian fiction for advanced readers.
Ships in 1-2 days.
The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm, by Nancy Farmer
Ever wonder what 2194 Zimbabwe looks like? Gangs terrorize the nation, future technology blends with past traditions, and three supernatural detectives (the Ear, the Eye, and the Arm) aid children to safety. The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm is an imaginative and funny book that takes readers of all ages on a past-meets-future science fiction adventure.
The House of the Scorpion, by Nancy Farmer
A Clone. That’s what Matteo Alacran is. Cloned from the drug lord El Patron to keep him alive. Viewed as a monster by most, Matteo struggles with who to trust (mob bosses, body guards, and gangs, oh my!) as he wrestles with his existence and place in life. The House of the Scorpion is a powerful science fiction book geared towards older readers.