Kids > Book Center > Booklists > Science Fiction for Grades 3–8
Science Fiction for Grades 3–8
For Grades 3–6
Whales on Stilts by M.T. Anderson- Shy Lily and her best friends, Katie and Jasper, must foil the plot of her father's conniving boss, who is planning to conquer the world using an army of whales.
Star Jumper: Journal of a Cardboard Genius by Frank Asch- Young inventor Alex wants to escape his annoying little brother by building a spaceship out of cardboard and duct tape and going to live on another planet.
Lunch Walks Among Us by Jim Benton- Franny K. Stein is a mad scientist who prefers all things spooky and creepy, but when she has trouble making friends at her new school, she experiments with fitting in — which works, until a monster erupts from the trash can.
The Wonderful Flight to the Mushroom Planet by Eleanor Cameron- A mysterious man inspires two boys to build a space ship, which takes them to the planet of Basidium, home of the Mushroom people.
The White Mountains by John Christopher - Young Will Parker and his companions make a perilous journey toward an outpost of freedom, where they hope to escape from the ruling Tripods, who transform mature human beings into docile, obedient servants.
Akiko, the Training Master by Mark Crilley- Fifth-grader Akiko renews her acquaintance with her friends from the planet Smoo when they whisk her away to the Zarga Baffa Training Camp, where she must deal with mud, misery, and a training master who is out to get her.
Space Station Rat by Michael J. Daley- A lavender rat that has escaped from a laboratory and a lonely boy whose parents are scientists meet on an orbiting space station, communicate by e-mail, and ultimately find themselves in need of each other's help and friendship.
The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau - In Ember, the lone city in the vast darkness of the Unknown Regions, the lights are starting to go out — and no one remembers how to fix them. Ember seems doomed to fall into darkness until 12-year-old Lina stumbles upon a puzzling document that hints at a solution.
The Transmogrification of Roscoe Wizzle by David Elliott- After eating constantly at a fast food restaurant called Gussy’s, 10-year-old Roscoe finds himself turning into a giant bug.
The 7 Professors of the Far North by John Fardell- Eleven-year-old Sam finds himself involved in a dangerous adventure when he and his new friends, brother and sister Ben and Zara, set off for the Arctic to try to rescue the siblings' great-uncle and five other professors from the mad scientist holding them prisoner.
Eager by Helen Fox- When the Bell family’s beloved old robot, Grumps, begins to malfunction, their scientist friend loans them an experimental robot named Eager, who learns, has emotions, and even makes mistakes. Eager doesn’t seem nearly as glamorous as the new super high-tech BDC4s, but when they begin to act suspiciously, only Eager’s unique abilities can prevent a catastrophe.
My Life Among the Aliens by Gail Gauthier - Two brothers begin to wonder if it is their mother's unusual cooking that is attracting the aliens that keep showing up at their house.
Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix- In a future where the Population Police enforce the law limiting a family to only two children, Luke has lived all his 12 years in isolation and fear on his family's farm, until another "third" convinces him that the government is wrong.
The Softwire: Virus on Orbis 1 by PJ Haarsma- When 12-year-old Johnny and his sister arrive on Orbis in a spaceship of orphans, he finds he has a unique ability to communicate with computers.
The Iron Giant: A Story in Five Nights by Ted Hughes- The fearsome iron giant becomes a hero when he challenges a huge space monster.
The Homeward Bounders by Diana Wynne Jones - Once he becomes a pawn in a game played by a powerful group he calls Them, 12-year-old Jamie is repeatedly catapulted through space and time.
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle- When an atomic physicist disappears on a secret mission, his son, daughter and their friend set out on an interplanetary search for him.
The Giver by Lois Lowry- Jonas becomes the Receiver of Memories and learns the terrible truth about the society in which he lives.
Flip by David Lubar- Thirteen-year-old twins Taylor and Ryan find alien disks in the woods that allow them to "flip" and become famous people from the past.
Alien in a Bottle by Kathryn Mackel - With the help of a stargazing classmate and an unusual assortment of aliens from outer space, Sean Winger tries to find a way to convince his parents to let him pursue his dream of becoming a glass blower.
The Silver Child by Cliff McNish- Drawn to a wasteland of garbage dumps called Coldharbour, six children undergo mysterious transformations and band together to face an unknown enemy.
The Time Hackers by Gary Paulsen- When someone uses futuristic technology to play pranks on 12-year-old Dorso Clayman, he and his best friend set off on a journey through space and time in order to stop the gamesters who are endangering the universe.
Ricky Ricotta’s Mighty Robot vs. the Uranium Unicorns from Uranus by Dav Pilkey- Evil Uncle Unicorn attempts to dominate earth by using a Ladybot to trick Mighty Robot.
Mush, a Dog from Space by Daniel Pinkwater- Kelly, who has wanted a pet dog for a long time, runs into a highly educated mushamute dog from the planet Growf-Woof-Woof.
Princess from Another Planet by Mindy Schanback - Gracie Quicksilver escapes her impoverished and unconventional life by impersonating her rich cousin at an exclusive summer camp, until a series of weird events convinces her that her mother's delusions about being the deposed queen of a distant planet just might be true.
2095 by Jon Scieszka- While on a field trip to New York's Museum of Natural History, Joe, Sam and Fred travel 100 years into the future, where they encounter robots, anti-gravity disks and their own grandchildren.
Marco’s Millions by William Sleator- Twelve-year-old Marco must travel to an eerie alternate universe populated by insect-like creatures in order to save his sister Lilly from becoming their next Medium.
Aliens for Breakfast by Stephanie Spinner- After he finds an intergalactic special agent in his cereal box, Richard joins the extraterrestrial in a fight to save Earth from the Dranes, one of whom is masquerading as a student in Richard's class.
Who Goes Home? by Sylvia Waugh- On his 13th birthday, Jacob learns a secret about his birth and becomes involved in his father's work to protect beings from the planet Ormingat who live on Earth.
Danger Boy: Ancient Fire by Mark London Williams- When 12-year-old Eli becomes involved with the time travel experiments that the government pressures his parents to pursue, he travels to fifth-century Alexandria, Egypt, where he meets Thea, a scholar accused of sorcery, and Clyne, an extraterrestrial saurian who is working on a homework assignment.
Tanglewreck by Jeanette Winterson- Eleven-year-old Silver sets out to find the Timekeeper — a clock that controls time — and to protect it from falling into the hands of two people who want to use the device for their own nefarious ends.
For Grades 6–8
The Diary of Pelly D by L.J. Adlington- When Toni V, a construction worker on a futuristic colony, finds the diary of a teenage girl whose life has been turned upside down by holocaust-like events, he begins to question his own beliefs.
Spacer and Rat by Margaret Bechard- Jack's predictable existence on Freedom space station is transformed when Kit, the Earthie rat, enters his life and enlists him and a sentient robot in an effort to outwit the Company.
A Matter of Profit by Hilari Bell- Sick of the horrors of conquering beings on other planets, Ahvren will be allowed to end his service as a soldier and save his sister from an unhappy marriage if he can discover who is behind a rumored plot to assassinate the Emperor.
Chance Fortune and the Outlaws by Shane Berryhill- Josh, who dreams of being a superhero even though he has no powers, gains admittance to the Burlington Academy of the Superhuman under a false identity, and must lead a ragtag team of newbie superheroes in battle against the snobbish upperclassmen known as The Invincibles.
The Supernaturalist by Eoin Colfer- In futuristic Satellite City, 14-year-old Cosmo Hill escapes from his abusive orphanage and teams up with three other people who share his unusual ability to see supernatural creatures. Together they determine the nature and purpose of the swarming blue Parasites that are invisible to most humans.
Enchantress from the Stars by Sylvia Engdahl- When young Elana unexpectedly joins the team leaving the spaceship to study the planet Andrecia, she becomes an integral part of an adventure involving three very different civilizations, each one centered on the third planet from the star at the center of its own solar system.
The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer- In a future where humans despise clones, Matt enjoys special status as the young clone of El Patron, the 142-year-old leader of a corrupt drug empire nestled between Mexico and the United States.
Taylor Five by Ann Halam- Fourteen-year-old Taylor is still dealing with the fact that she is a clone produced by the same company that funds the Orangutan Reserve, her home on the island of Borneo, when the Reserve is attacked and she flees with her younger brother and Uncle, the Reserve's mascot.
Time for the Stars by Robert A. Heinlein- Only a few years pass for a telepathic twin on a dangerous exploratory space voyage, but when he returns to Earth, his brother is ready to celebrate his 90th birthday.
The Secret Under My Skin by Janet McNaughton- In the year 2368, humans exist under dire environmental conditions and one young woman, rescued from a work camp and chosen for a special duty, uses her love of learning to discover the truth about the planet's future and her own dark past.
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind by Hayao Miyazaki- In a future world ravaged by the poisonous technologies of war, Princess Nausicaä must make peace between clashing empires, discover what is causing the madness of the giant insects that inhabit the ever-expanding corrupted areas, and find a legendary land where humans can live without fear of contamination.
47 by Walter Mosley- Number 47, a 14-year-old slave boy growing up under the watchful eye of a brutal master in 1832, meets the mysterious Tall John, who introduces him to an almost magical science and teaches him the meaning of freedom.
Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer- Through journal entries, 16-year-old Miranda describes her family's struggle to survive after a meteor hits the moon, causing worldwide tsunamis, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
Only You Can Save Mankind by Terry Pratchett- Twelve-year-old Johnny endures tensions between his parents, watches television coverage of the Gulf War, and plays a computer game called "Only You Can Save Mankind," in which he is increasingly drawn into the reality of the alien ScreeWee.
The Sterkarm Handshake by Susan Price- Andrea travels through a time tunnel to the 16th century, where she falls in love with a young warrior.
Larklight by Philip Reeve- Eleven-year-old Arthur and his sister Myrtle, residents of Larklight, a floating house in one of Her Majesty's outer space territories in an alternate Victorian England, uncover a spidery plot to destroy the solar system.
River Rats by Caroline Stevermer- Nearly 20 years after the holocaust called "the Flash" has destroyed modern civilization, Tomcat and a group of other orphans face danger as they steer an old steamboat over the toxic waters of the Mississippi River.
So This Is How It Ends by Tui Sutherland- During an earthquake in the year 2012, five teens are transported 75 years into the future, where the end of the world is imminent, and are drawn together by a mysterious force.
Fourth World by Kate Thompson- Thirteen-year-old Christie and his older stepbrother, Danny, travel to the home and mysterious laboratory of Danny's geneticist mother, where they learn a shocking truth about the nature of her experiments.
JumpMan Rule #1: Don’t Touch Anything by James Valentine- When Theodore, a teen from the distant future, is stranded in the 21st century by a defective time-jumping device, he is helped by two high school students — Jules, who is having time problems of his own, and Gen, an old friend Jules was about to ask out.
Heir Apparent by Vivian Vande Velde- While playing a total immersion virtual reality game of kings and intrigue, 14-year-old Giannine learns that demonstrators have damaged the equipment to which she is connected, and she must win the game quickly or be damaged herself.
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne- As prisoners of the deranged Captain Nemo, Professor Arronax and his two companions set off on a breathtaking and perilous journey through the ocean’s depths in search of revenge.
Uglies by Scott Westerfeld- Tally can’t wait for her 16th birthday and the operation that will turn her from ugly into glamorously pretty, but when her friend Shay runs away in order to avoid the surgery, Tally is forced to choose between turning Shay in to the authorities, or never becoming pretty at all.
Storm Thief by Chris Wooding- With the help of a golem, two teenaged thieves try to survive on the city island of Orokos, where unpredictable probability storms continually change both the landscape and the inhabitants.
