Science Fiction for Tweens

From alien invasions to time travel, here’s a wide-ranging selection of middle grade science fiction books for both dedicated sci-fi fans and readers new to the genre. Many titles on the list are the first in a series.

Updated September 9, 2025
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1

Stowaway
Anderson, John David
Paper Book
The beloved author of Posted and Ms. Bixby's Last Day returns with the first book in a coming-of-age sci-fi duology about Leo, a kid trying to navigate the galaxy in order to save his family--and, possibly, the planet Earth. When scientists discover a rare and mysterious...

2

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...

3

Boy 2.0
Baptiste, Tracey
Paper Book
An action-packed superhero story from New York Times bestselling author Tracey Baptiste Win "Coal" Keegan has just landed in his latest foster home, with a big, noisy, slightly nosy family named the McKays. They seem eager to welcome Coal, but he's wary of trusting them. So, he...

4

Moongarden
Barry, Michelle A.
Paper Book
"Moongarden blooms with heart and adventure. A stellar update of The Secret Garden, woven with a little science fiction, a lot of magic, a vibrant heroine, and a plucky robot sidekick to rival R2-D2." --Victoria Aveyard, New York Times bestselling author of Red Queen<...

5

Cleo Porter and the body electric
Burt, Jake
Paper Book
In a future forever changed by a pandemic, a girl survives in total isolation. A woman is dying. Cleo Porter has her medicine. And no way to deliver it. Like everyone else, twelve-year-old Cleo and her parents are sealed in an apartment without windows or doors....

6

The Area 51 files
Buxbaum, Julie
Paper Book
Aliens, sassy hedgehogs, and unexplained disappearances . . . Oh, my! Discover the secrets of the universe in this hilarious, highly illustrated middle-grade series from New York Times bestselling author Julie Buxbaum. "Epically fun!"--Max Brallier, #1 New York Times...

7

The unexplainable disappearance of Mars Patel
Chari, Sheela
Paper Book
Based on the Peabody Award-winning podcast, this tech-filled adventure series pits intrepid Mars Patel and his outcast friends against a brilliant, enigmatic billionaire as they race to figure out why kids are disappearing from their school. Mars Patel's friend Aurora has...

8

The Flicker
Edgmon, H. E.
Paper Book
Perfect for fans of The Marrow Thieves, Hatchet and The City of Ember, H.E. Edgmon's middle grade debut offers a bittersweet tale of hope and survival, a modern classic for the climate change generation. One year ago, a solar flare scorched the Earth and...

9

Maya and the robot
Ewing, Eve L.
Paper Book
From award-winning author Eve L. Ewing comes an illustrated middle grade novel about a forgotten homemade robot who comes to life just when aspiring fifth-grade scientist Maya needs a friend -- and a science fair project. Maya's nervous about fifth grade. She tries to keep calm...

10

The last last-day-of-summer
Giles, L. R.
Paper Book
"The Last Last-Day-of-Summer reminds me that all children deserve to exist in magical spaces where their imaginations and familial bonds will them into heroism. Every single child should have the freedom to be one of The Legendary Alstons. And I, for one, am grateful to Giles, and this brilliant...

11

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...

12

The last cuentista
Higuera, Donna Barba
Paper Book
Winner of the Newbery Medal--a brilliant journey through the stars, to the very heart of what makes us human. "Gripping in its twists and turns, and moving in its themes -- truly a beautiful cuento."--New York Times Había una vez . . .  ...

13

The lion of Mars
Holm, Jennifer L.
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * Life on Mars is pretty standard.... until a mysterious virus hits.  Don't miss this timely and unputdownable novel from the bestselling author of The Fourteenth Goldfish. Bell has spent his whole life--all eleven years of it--on...

14

Futureland : battle for the park
Hunter, H. D.
Paper Book
Whenan extraordinary flying theme park arrives above Atlanta, one boy must stop a sinister force from stealing the park's tech and taking over the world. An electrifying illustrated series with the Afrofuturism of Black Panther that took the world by storm.Perfect for fans of Spider-Man...

15

The first state of being
Kelly, Erin Entrada
Paper Book
WINNER OF THE NEWBERY MEDAL A FINALIST FOR THE 2024 NATIONAL BOOK AWARD A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER ALA Notable Book for Children · Chicago Public Library Best Fiction for Older Readers of 2024 · Shelf Awareness Best Books of 2024 for Kids and Teens · BookPage Best Middle...

16

The Ruby code
Khoury, Jessica
Paper Book
From Jessica Khoury comes a high-action sci-fi adventure about a video game AI come to life. Warcross meets Ready Player One in this thriller set in a high-tech near future. Bullied at school and home, Ash finds respite from his unhappy life in virtual reality games. One...

17

Eyes on the sky
Kramer, J. Kasper
Paper Book
From acclaimed author J. Kasper Kramer comes a middle grade novel that's "part gritty historical fiction, part The War of the Worlds" (Kirkus Reviews) about a budding young scientist in 1947 Roswell, New Mexico, who fears her weather balloon experiment has been mistaken for a flying...

18

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...

19

Finn and Ezra's bar mitzvah time loop
Levy, Joshua
Paper Book
Finn and Ezra's bar mitzvah weekend takes on a Groundhog Day twist in this hilarious and magical middle grade novel from Joshua S. Levy. Winner of a National Jewish Book Award and a Sydney Taylor Honor Book! Finn and Ezra don't have a lot in common--except, of course, that...

20

Hana Hsu and the Ghost Crab Nation
Liu, Sylvia
Paper Book
"A refreshing, imaginative take on a cyberpunk future, filled with wickedly cool technology and unraveling intrigue!" -Xiran Jay Zhao, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Iron Widow and Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor Perfect for fans of Dragon Pearl<...

21

Glitch
Martin, Laura
Paper Book
From the critically acclaimed author of Float comes a new whirlwind adventure about a pair of kids who must break all the rules of time travel, perfect for fans of Gordon Korman and John David Anderson. Regan Fitz and Elliot Mason have been enemies since they started training to become...

22

Last gate of the Emperor
Mbalia, Kwame
Paper Book
From Kwame Mbalia and Prince Joel David Makonnen comes an Afrofuturist adventure about a mythical Ethiopian empire. Sci-fi and fantasy combine in this epic journey to the stars. Yared Heywat lives an isolated life in Addis Prime -- a hardscrabble city with rundown tech, lots of rules, and not...

23

Show us who you are
McNicoll, Elle
Paper Book
A neurodiverse twelve-year-old girl is shown an amazing new technology that gives her another chance to talk to the best friend she lost. But she soon discovers the corporation behind the science hides dark secrets that only she can expose in this heartwarming and heroic sophomore novel from the...

24

Alien summer
Murray, James S.
Paper Book
"An exciting series opener."-Kirkus From the mind of Murr from the Impractical Jokers comes a new hilarious, action-packed seriesabout a world of bizarre creatures, wacky gadgets, and four kid interns at the most interesting place on Earth- Area 51! It's the...

25

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...

26

Trouble in the stars
Prineas, Sarah
Paper Book
"A space chase that would feel right at home in the world of Star Wars. Unexpectedly out of this world." --Kirkus Reviews   From acclaimed author Sarah Prineas comes an action-packed, funny, and heartwarming outer-space adventure about a troublesome little shape...

27

The rhythm of time
Questlove
Paper Book
An Instant New York Times Bestseller From the Academy Award-winning, Grammy-winning, and New York Times bestselling author Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson and the New York Times bestselling author S. A. Cosby comes this thrill-a-minute novel-the first in a rollicking...

28

I am the walrus
Shusterman, Neal
Paper Book
Eoin Colfer meets Rick Riordan--with a little Margaret Peterson Haddix sprinkled on top--in this hilarious sci-fi series from New York Times bestselling authors Neal Shusterman and Eric Elfman. ​ When fourteen-year-old Noah falls from the trees on...

29

Project Mercury
Smith, Ronald L.
Paper Book
Ike Pressure is an Army brat. Which, if you ask him, is not an insult. His mom's new job is in Mercury, Nevada, on a secretive military base close to Area 51. What's more, his childhood friend, Eesha Webb, and her family are about to move there too. Spoiler...

30

Happy Town
Van Eekhout, Greg
Paper Book
Stay calm and remain HAPPY. Help is on the way. Perfect for fans of Gordon Korman and Jennifer L. Holm, this adventure-packed middle grade story, set in a world not too far from our own, follows a family that moves to a remote company town that seems perfect on the surface......

31

A rover's story
Warga, Jasmine
Paper Book
New York Times bestseller * Best Book of the Year from The Washington Post, Publishers Weekly, New York Public Library, Chicago Public Library The One and Only Ivan meets The Wild Robot in this unique and deeply moving middle grade novel about the journey of a fictional Mars...

32

Paige not found
Wilde, Jen
Paper Book
A thrilling adventure story that examines consent and privacy in a way that books have not had to before this generation where everything is online. Nothing about us, without us. When Paige learns that her parents enrolled her in an autism study without telling her, her world turns...

33

Last gamer standing
Zhao, Katie
Paper Book
Ready Player One meets the action of battle royale video games in this middle-grade sci-fi perfect for fans of Fortnite. In twelve-year-old Reyna Cheng's world, gaming is everything. Professional esports teams are the mainstream celebrities. Kids begin...

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