Science-Fiction

A list of suggested titles for this summer's Reading is an Adventure Challenge: Science-Fiction.

Updated June 24, 2024
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The mighty Chewbacca in the forest of fear! /
Angleberger, Tom.
Paper Book
From New York Times best-selling author, Tom Angleberger. Chewbacca the Wookiee thought he was on a boring cat-sitting job -- but his true mission is much more dangerous. With the help of a young bounty hunter...
The last human
Bacon, Lee
Paper Book
In Lee Bacon's novel The Last Human, in a future when humans are believed to be extinct, what will one curious robot do when it finds a girl who needs its help? In the future, robots have eliminated humans, and 12-year-old robot XR_935 is just fine with...
Starforce on the rise
Behling, Steve
Paper Book
Before Carol Danvers was Captain Marvel, she was Vers, a key member of the elite Kree Starforce warriors who wage their war against the equally formidable Skrull aliens. This middle-grade novel will focus on key adventure of Vers during her time with Starforce, setting up the perfect...
Billy Stuart and the Zintrepids /
Bergeron, Alain M.,
Paper Book
Billy Stuart is a young raccoon who aspires to be just like his grandfather, a globe-trotting adventurer who knows no fear. When he learns that his grandfather has found a way to travel through time and is leaving on another great voyage, he sets out to see him off (and maybe sneak along)....
The extraordinary colors of Auden Dare
Bethell, Zillah
Paper Book
A beautiful friendship and coming-of-age story in middle-grade, The Extraordinary Colors of Auden Dare by Zillah Bethell is lightly futuristic, and deeply compelling. Auden Dare is colorblind and lives in a world where water is scarce and families must live on a weekly,...
The princess, the scoundrel, and the farm boy : an original retelling of Star Wars: a new hope
Bracken, Alexandra
Paper Book
The galaxy is at war. Although the Rebel Alliance has won a few battles against the Empire, hope is fading. The Empire is about to finish building the greatest weapon the galaxy has ever seen--the Death Star. The rebels' only chance to defeat it now lies in the unlikely hands of...
Super Dweeb and the pencil of destiny
Bradley, Jess
Paper Book
"With fast-paced action and absurd humor [...] Super Dweeb in an exciting new series for fans of Captain Underpants or Diary of a Wimpy Kid" - SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL "A funny, fast-paced and zany adventure bursting with colourful cartoon-style...
CatStronauts :
Brockington, Drew.
Paper Book
In the sequel to CatStronauts: Mission Moon, your favorite elite group of cat astronauts are thrust into the space-race of the century! Fresh off of their heroic mission to save the world, the CatStronauts--Major Meowser, Pom Pom, Blanket and Waffles--are taking a...
CatStronauts Mission Moon
Brockington, Drew
Paper Book
CatStronauts, you are needed! When the world is thrust into darkness due to a global energy shortage, the Worlds Best Scientist comes up with a bold plan to set up a solar power plant on the moon. But someone has to go up there to set it up, and that adventure...
Sanity & Tallulah
Brooks, Molly
Paper Book
Best Friends. Mad Science. It can get pretty dull living on a small, out-of-the-way station like Wilnick SS. Best Friends Sanity Jones and Tallulah Vega do their best to relieve the monotony of every day space life by finding adventures, solving mysteries, and...
Jedi Academy
Brown, Jeffrey
Paper Book
Author/illustrator Jeffrey Brown takes readers to a middle school in a galaxy far, far away.... Also, a NY Times Bestseller!This incredible, original story captures all of the humor, awkwardness, fun, and frustrations of middle school--all told through one boy's comics, journal entries, letters,...
The wild robot /
Brown, Peter,
Paper Book
Now a DreamWorks movie! This #1 New York Times bestselling illustrated middle grade novel from a Caldecott Honor winner tells an extraordinary story full of action and thought-provoking questions as a robot learns to survive--and live--in the wilderness....
Cogheart
Bunzl, Peter
Paper Book
Thirteen-year-old Lily Hartman always dreamed of adventure. A strong-willed girl, Lily felt trapped in a life of Victorian stuffiness at her prim boarding school. But after her father-a famous inventor-disappears on a routine zeppelin flight, Lily's life gets turned upside down. Now cared for by her...
The door at the end of the world
Carlson, Caroline
Paper Book
An otherworldly middle grade story perfect for fans of A Wrinkle in Time and Stranger Things from the author of the Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates series and the Agatha Award nominee The World's Greatest Detective. What begins as a rather unremarkable Tuesday quickly turns to...
The book that proves time travel happens
Clark, Henry
Paper Book
The moment Ambrose Brody steps into a fortune-teller's tent, he is whisked into a quest that spans millennia with his best friend, an enigmatic carnival girl, and an unusual family heirloom that drops them into the middle of the nineteenth century! The year 1852 is a dangerous time...
Weird little robots
Crimi, Carolyn
Paper Book
When two science-savvy girls create an entire robot world, they don't expect the robots to come alive. But life may be a bit more magical than they thought. Eleven-year-old Penny Rose has just moved to a new town, and so far the robots she builds herself are her only company. But...
Awesome Dog 5000
Dean, Justin
Paper Book
Heads up, DOG MAN lovers! Watch out, readers of BAD GUYS! Robotic dog AWESOME DOG 5000 is in the neighborhood and he's. . . well, he's awesome. Marty, Ralph, and Skyler might make the ultimate secret combo when battling alien-slime ninjas in their favorite video game, but in real...
The underfoot. Book 1, The mighty deep
Fisher, Ben
Paper Book
2020 Ringo Award Nominee  It has been untold years since the Giants-That-Were disappeared, leaving behind the animals forever changed by their strange science. Now, granted the gifts of intelligence and self-awareness, the valiant Hamster Aquatic Mercenaries struggle to keep...
Space case
Gibbs, Stuart
Paper Book
It's a murder mystery on the moon in this humorous and suspenseful space adventure from the author of Belly Up and Spy School that The New York Times Book Review called "a delightful and brilliantly constructed middle grade thriller." Like his fellow...
Glitch
Graley, Sarah
Paper Book
From comics rising star Sarah Graley, a fresh and funny middle-grade graphic novel featuring a girl who must save a virtual world... and her own!Izzy has an incredible secret -- she can enter the world of her new video game! She meets Rae, a robot who says Izzy is destined to save Dungeon City from...
Time shifters /
Grine, Chris.
Paper Book
Luke is a hero in any time and dimension!When Luke investigates an eerie blue glow in the woods behind his house, he doesn't know what he'll find there. But a scientist, a robot Abraham Lincoln riding a friendly dinosaur, and a sassy ghost were the last things he could have imagined stumbling upon....
Under their skin /
Haddix, Margaret Peterson.
Paper Book
From New York Times bestselling author Margaret Peterson Haddix comes the first book in a brand-new thrilling series about twins who are on a quest to discover the secrets being kept by their new family. Nick and Eryn's mom is getting remarried, and the twelve-year-old...
One trick pony
Hale, Nathan
Paper Book
One Trick Pony is a gripping post-apocalyptic science fiction graphic novel from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales series. In a desolate future, a group of kids--and one special robot pony--are the key to Earth's...
Brothers unite
Hansen, Justin LaRocca
Paper Book
Perfect for fans ofAmulet,Sidekicks, andZita the Spacegirl, this graphic novel series debut introduces Stretch and Brella, a pair of ordinary brothers whose extraordinary yard sale discovery turns them into superheroes. Tuck and Hudson are just two average...
George's secret key to the universe
Hawking, Lucy.
Paper Book
In their bestselling book for young readers, noted physicist Stephen Hawking and his daughter, Lucy, provide a grand and funny adventure that explains fascinating information about our universe, including Dr. Hawking's latest ideas about black holes. It's the story of George, who's taken through the...
Sal & Gabi break the universe
Hernandez, Carlos Alberto Pablo
Paper Book
Best-selling author Rick Riordan presents a brilliant sci-fi romp with Cuban influence by Carlos Hernandez, winner of the 2020 Pura Belpré Award. "I love this book in every possible universe! With a surprise on every page and two of the most cosmically awesome, vividly unique...
The iron giant :
Hughes, Ted,
Paper Book
An iron giant saves the world in this contemporary classic. A mysterious creature stalks the land, eating barbed wire and devouring tractors and plows. The farmers are mystified--and terrified. And then they glimpse him in the night: the Iron Giant, taller than a house, with glowing...
Mister invincible : local hero
Jousselin, Pascal
Paper Book
"Mister Invincible doesn't justfight villains. He shows us why comics delight us." - Gene Luen Yang viaThe New York Times Bologna RagazziAward Winner 2020 A Junior Library GuildSelection 2020 Featured in The New YorkTimes ...
Bot Wars
Kade, J. V.
Paper Book
The robots will rise... Twelve-year-old Aiden (Trout) St. Kroix lives with his older brother Po. Their father disappeared two years ago while fighting in the Bot Wars--a devastating conflict that began when robots became so advanced that they revolted and took the lives of...
Blastaway
Landers, Melissa
Paper Book
Kyler isn't your typical runaway. All he wanted was a quick trip to the legendary Fasti Sun Festival. When an accidental launch sequence ends with Kyler hurtling through space on the family cruiser, the thrill of freedom is cut short by two space pirates determined to steal his ship. Luckily, Kyler...
The portal
Lasky, Kathryn
Paper Book
"Kathryn Lasky's latest is a sleight-of-hand that will have you clapping your hands. With the brio and big-heart that characterizes all of Lasky's work, this opening salvo of a new series can be heralded with trumpet fanfares and clouds of rose petals." --Gregory Maguire, author of Wicked...
Star scouts
Lawrence, Mike (Comic book artist)
Paper Book
Avani is the new kid in town, and she's not happy about it. Everyone in school thinks she's weird, especially the girls in her Flower Scouts troop. Is it so weird to think scouting should be about fun and adventure, not about makeovers and boys, boys, boys? But everything changes...
Dragon Pearl /
Lee, Yoon Ha,
Paper Book
Rick Riordan Presents Yoon Ha Lee's space opera about thirteen-year-old Min, who comes from a long line of fox spirits. But you'd never know it by looking at her. To keep the family safe, Min's mother insists that none of them use any fox-magic, such as Charm or shape-shifting. They must appear...
Seventh grade vs. the galaxy
Levy, Joshua
Paper Book
Percy Jackson meets Star TrekPSS 118 is just your typical school--except that it's a rickety old spaceship orbiting Ganymede, a moon of Jupiter. Jack's dad used to be the science teacher, until he got fired for tinkering with the ship. Now Jack just wants to get through the last day of school...
Super pancake
Lloyd, Megan Wagner
Paper Book
It's a bird! It's a plane! It's a... pancake? Here is a delightfully clever and endearingly funny graphic novel about a pancake named Peggy, who accidentally develops superhero abilities and must defend her home of Breakfast Town. Life in Breakfast Town is pretty uneventful for...
Monstrous devices /
Love, Damien,
Paper Book
"I enjoyed everything about Damien Love's debut--its title, its breakneck action, its sly sense of humor. I wish my first novel had been as imaginative and assured." --Anthony Horowitz, New York Times bestselling author of the Alex Rider series On a winter's day in a...
Emperor of the universe
Lubar, David
Paper Book
"Fans of Dav Pilkey, Jon Scieszka, and Tom Angleberger will race to read this smart and silly space adventure." --School Library Journal The launch of a hilarious space adventure trilogy for young readers by David Lubar, author of the popular Weenies...
The once and future geek /
Mancusi, Mari.
Paper Book
When young Arthur of Camelot accidentally time-travels to the 21st century and Googles himself, he discovers the not-so-happily ever after in store for him once he pulls the sword from the stone. Yes, he'll go from squire to sovereign basically overnight, but he'll also lose the love of his life to...
Emperor of the universe /
Marciano, Johnny,
Paper Book
"Applaud for KLAWDE. Two paws up!"--Dav Pilkey, creator of the Dog Man series. "Funny, savage, and brilliant, Klawde is the pet I wish I had."--Max Brallier, New York Times Bestselling author of The Last Kids on Earth. Klawde is not your basic...
Klawde :
Marciano, Johnny,
Paper Book
"Applaud for KLAWDE. Two paws up!"--Dav Pilkey, creator of the Dog Man series. "Funny, savage, and brilliant, Klawde is the pet I wish I had."--Max Brallier, author of the New York Times Best Seller The Last Kids on Earth Klawde is not your average cat. He...
Jinxed
McCulloch, Amy
Paper Book
The Golden Compass meets the digital age! When a coding star enters an elite technology academy, she discovers a world of competition, intrigue, and family secrets--plus a robotic companion that isn't what it seems. Lacey Chu is a girl who codes. She has always dreamed of working as an...
Watchdog /
McIntosh, Will.
Paper Book
Thirteen-year-old twins Vick and Tara have built an incredible machine--a loyal robotic watchdog named Daisy. But, when local crime boss Ms. Alba schemes to add Daisy to her robot army, Vick and Tara must go to great lengths to protect their prized pet. Because Daisy is more than just any...
SCI-FU. Book 1, Kick it off
Mercado, Yehudi
Paper Book
"Old school hip hop meets old school science fiction in this fun comic." -- Polygon Set in 1980s Brooklyn, a young DJ accidentally summons a UFO that transports his family, best friend, and current crush to the robot-dominated planet of Discopia. Hip-hop, sci...
Margot and Mateo save the world /
Miller, Darcy,
Paper Book
A hilarious--and slimy--alien adventure (set on Earth) that the bestselling author of Zombie Chasers, John Kloepfer, calls "fast paced, out-of-this-world fun!" Selected by the Wisconsin Library Association for Outstanding Achievement in children's literature. When Margot...
Stanislaw Lem's the seventh voyage
Muth, Jon J.
Paper Book
Ijon Tichy is caught in a TIME LOOP. An NPR Best Book of the Year "... J Muth's hilarious and gentle masterpiece." -- Neil Gaiman Alone in his broken spaceship-with no one there to help him-he could remain trapped in space indefinitely! But soon something...
How to sell your family to the aliens
Noth, Paul
Paper Book
Happy Conklin Jr. is the only 10-year-old who has to shave three times a day. Hap's dad is a brilliant inventor of screwball products, and being a Conklin kid means sometimes being experimented on. So Hap has his beard, and his five sisters each have their own unique--and often problematic-...
The starspun web
O'Hart, Sinead
Paper Book
For fans of Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy comes a thrilling adventure about a brave girl who finds a portal to parallel worlds, and must protect her secret from the evil forces trying to capture it. All her life, Tess has lived at Miss Ackerbee's orphanage with her friends...
Bloom /
Oppel, Kenneth,
Paper Book
"The perfect book right now for young readers searching for hope, strength, inspiration -- and just a little horticultural havoc."--New York Times   The first book in a can't-put-it-down, can't-read-it-fast-enough action-thriller trilogy that's part Hatchet, part...
House of robots /
Patterson, James,
Paper Book
The #1 New York Times bestseller, perfect for fans of Diary of a Wimpy Kid!   An extraordinary robot enters an ordinary fifth grade class in this hilarious, action-packed start to the #1 bestselling series from James Patterson!
Knights vs. dinosaurs /
Phelan, Matt.
Paper Book
An ALA Notable Title "Absurdly entertaining. Victorious on all fronts." --ALA Booklist (starred review) Renowned for their courage, their chivalry, and their ability to fight mythical creatures, the Knights of the Round Table must face their most dangerous opponents yet--DINOSAURS!<...
Two girls, a clock, and a crooked house
Poore, Michael
Paper Book
This is a story of things that are not possible. It's not possible for Amy to see spirits. (She does.) It's not possible that Amy and Moo can communicate using only their minds. (They do.) It's not possible to time-travel. (Yet.) And it's definitely not possible that...
Stuck in the stone age
Rodkey, Geoff
Paper Book
Tom Edison (no, not that Tom Edison) is a hopeful janitor who dreams of becoming a scientist-and Dr. Morice is a shy scientist who dreams of making friends. When an accident at the lab sends them back in time to the stone age, Tom and Dr. Morice must work together to face down cavemen, saber-tooth...
We're not from here
Rodkey, Geoff
Paper Book
Imagine being forced to move to a new planet where YOU are the alien! From the creator of the Tapper Twins, New York Times bestselling author Geoff Rodkey delivers a topical, sci-fi middle-grade novel that proves friendship and laughter can transcend even a galaxy of differences. ...
A problematic paradox
Sappingfield, Eliot
Paper Book
Nikola Kross has given up on living in harmony with classmates and exasperated teachers- she prefers dabbling in experimental chemistry to fitting in. But when her life is axially inverted by a gang of extraterrestrials who kidnap her dad and attempt to recruit her into their service, she discovers...
Frank Einstein and the antimatter motor /
Scieszka, Jon.
Paper Book
New York Times Bestseller "I never thought science could be funny . . . until I read Frank Einstein. It will have kids laughing." - Jeff Kinney, Diary of a Wimpy Kid "Huge laughs and great science - the kind of smart, funny stuff that makes Jon Scieszka a legend."...
Spaceheadz /
Scieszka, Jon.
Paper Book
We're close to 3.14 million SPHDZ, but there is still a lot to be done. Michael K., Venus, TJ, and the SPHDZ are working hard to keep kids signing up to be Spaceheadz. But Agent Umber of the AAA (Anti Alien Agency) is relentless and the unseen leader of Spaceheadz turns out not to be who anyone...
The Mona Lisa key
Shurtliff, Liesl
Paper Book
From Liesl Shurtliff, the New York Times bestselling author of Rump: The True Story of Rumpelstiltskin, comes a thrilling new middle grade trilogy about three city kids who get on the wrong subway train and wind up on a wild, magical mystery-adventure throughout time. ...
This is war /
Stohl, Margaret.
Paper Book
#1 New York Times bestselling author Margaret Stohl and Lewis Peterson's hilarious middle grade debut has it all: robot overlords, secret feline agents, and earthling humans who are in for a real catastrophe. With examples of why coding is fun and other STEM applications cleverly...
Brobots and the kaiju kerfuffle! 1
Torres, J.
Paper Book
A trio of robot bros reel in a big challenge and must band together to battle a giant monster in this playful take on classic kaiju-mech and fairytale stories.
A time traveler's theory of relativity /
Valentine, Nicole
Paper Book
He believes in science, but only magic can help his mom.Twelve-year-old Finn is used to people in his family disappearing. His twin sister, Faith, drowned when they were three years old. A few months ago, his mom abandoned him and his dad with no explanation. Finn clings to the concrete facts in his...
Cog
Van Eekhout, Greg
Paper Book
Five robots. One unforgettable journey. Their programming will never be the same. Wall-E meets The Wild Robot in this middle grade instant classic about five robots on a mission to rescue their inventor from the corporation that controls them all. Cog looks like a...
Friendroid
Vaughan, M. M.
Paper Book
"[An] unrelentingly funny sc-fi story." --BCCB (starred review) Stranger Things meets robots in this sweet and "noteworthy" (Booklist) story about an unlikely friendship between two boys--one human, one android. Danny's a kid. Eric's a kid...
Nick the sidekick
Whamond, Dave
Paper Book
When Nick signed up to be a superhero, it seemed like a terrific idea. He was flattered to be chosen by Super Fantastic Guy - picked for his intelligence, his investigative skills and his super-amazing hearing abilities. But as Super Fantastic Guy's assistant, Nick (who, by the way, hates being...
Hilo. the boy who crashed to Earth / Book 1
Winick, Judd
Paper Book
"An action-packed page turner with heart!"--Dav Pilkey, author of DOG MAN Take off on an action packed adventure with HILO Book 1! Dog Man meets Big Nate in this hilarious New York Times bestselling graphic novel series that kids love! ...
Alien superstar /
Winkler, Henry,
Paper Book
From Emmy Award-winning actor Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver comes a new out-of-this-world middle-grade series No one is shocked by the six-eyed alien strolling around the Universal back lot. The tourists just think he's part of the show. It doesn't take long for Buddy to land a role on a popular TV...
Delivery of doom
Yaccarino, Dan
Paper Book
When Luno's dad FINALLY gives him the responsibility of delivering pizza orders all over the galaxy, Luno is excited, mostly. He knows that delivering pizza is no walk on the moon. There are hostile customers, and there's always the threat of his deliveries being intercepted by Quantum Pizza, the...

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