Kids > Book Center > Booklists > Science Fiction for Grades 3–8
Science Fiction for Grades 3–8
Last updated: January 25, 2011
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.
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.
Dark Life by Kat Falls- In a future in which most dry land has been swallowed by the Rising, Ty, a settler of the subsea frontier, and Gemma, a Topsider, must join forces to protect his family's land from both the outlaw Seablite Gang and the government.
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.
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.
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.
Boom! by Mark Haddon- When Jim and Charlie overhear two of their teachers talking in a secret language, they begin to suspect that the teachers may be aliens, and decide that they must stop them from taking over the world.
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.
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.
Missile Mouse: The Star Crusher by Jake Parker- Missile Mouse, a secret agent for the Galactic Security Agency, battles deadly foes in order to rescue a scientist from the Rogue Imperium of Planets, which is trying to steal a doomsday machine capable of destroying the universe.
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 by Dav Pilkey- Ricky Ricotta, a small mouse, saves a giant robot from his evil creator, Dr. Stinky, and in return, the robot protects Ricky from the bullies at school and saves the city from Dr. Stinky's plan to destroy it.
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.
The True Meaning of Smekday by Adam Rex- When her mother is abducted by aliens on Christmas Eve (or "Smekday" Eve since the Boov invasion), 11-year-old Tip takes the family car south to find her, but needs the help of an alien mechanic along the way.
Lost Time by Susan Schmid- Violynne, the 12-year-old daughter of archaeologists missing on the planet Lindos, must solve the puzzle of her parents' disappearance before the dictatorial Arbiter captures her and forces her to do his bidding.
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.
Meanwhile by Jason Shiga- When a boy stumbles on the laboratory of a mad scientist, which should he test first: a mind-reading device, a time machine, or a doomsday machine? In this mind-bending graphic novel, you will choose which path the story takes.
Alien Feast by Michael Simmons- In 2017, human-eating aliens have kidnapped two scientists who might be able to cure the disease that is destroying them, and 12-year-old William, his elderly Uncle Maynard, and the scientists' daughter, Sophie, set out to rescue them.
The Doom Machine by Mark Teague- When a spaceship lands in the small town of Vern Hollow in 1956, juvenile delinquent Jack Creedle and prim, studious Isadora Shumway form an unexpected alliance as they try to keep a group of extraterrestrials from stealing eccentric Uncle Bud's space travel machine.
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
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.
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.
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins- In a future North America, where the rulers of Panem maintain control through an annual televised survival competition pitting young people from each of the twelve districts against one another, 16-year-old Katniss's skills are put to the test when she voluntarily takes her younger sister's place.
The Maze Runner by James Dashner- 16-year-old Thomas wakes up with no memory in the middle of a massive and forbidding maze, and must work with his fellow prisoners to evade the repulsive Grievers and escape.
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.
Incarceron by Catherine Fisher- To free herself from an upcoming arranged marriage, Claudia, the daughter of the Warden of Incarceron, a futuristic prison with a mind of its own, decides to help a young prisoner escape.
The Other Side of the Island by Allegra Goodman- Born in the eighth year of Enclosure, 10-year-old Honor lives in a highly regulated colony with her defiant parents, but when they have an illegal second child and are taken away, it is up to Honor and her friend Helix, another "Unpredictable," to uncover a terrible secret about their Island and the Corporation that runs everything.
The Line by Teri Hall- Rachel thinks that she and her mother are safe working for Ms. Moore at her estate close to The Line, an invisible border of the Unified States, but when Rachel has an opportunity to Cross into the forbidden zone, she is both frightened and intrigued.
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.
Fever Crumb by Philip Reeve- In a future London, as armies mass and the first traction cities are constructed, foundling Fever Crumb must leave her sheltered life with the Order of Engineers to seek her origins, only to discover that she may be part mutant Scriven, and that there are those who will hunt her on suspicion of this alone.
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.
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.
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.
