SciFi for Grades 7–12

*Anderson, M.T. Feed. (2002)—In a future where most people have computer implants in their heads to control their environment, a boy meets an unusual girl who is in serious trouble.

*Asimov, Isaac. I, Robot. (1950)—In the year 2035 a techno-phobic cop investigates a crime that may have been perpetrated by a robot, which leads to a larger threat to humanity.

*Asimov, Isaac. Foundation (and sequels)—

*Armstrong, Jennifer and Nancy Butcher. Fire-us Trilogy (The Kindling, The Keepers of the Flame and The Kiln) (2002)— In 2007, a small band of children have joined together in a Florida town, trying to survive in a world where it seems that all the adults have been killed off by a catastrophic virus.

*Bell, Hilari. A Matter of Profit. (2001)—Sick of the horrors of conquering beings on other planets, Ahvrem will 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.

*Bloor, Edward. Taken. (2007)—In 2035 kidnapping rich children has become an industry, but when thirteen-year-old Charity Meyers is taken and held for ransom, she soon discovers that this particular kidnapping is not what it seems.

Brin, David. The Uplift Trilogy (Sundiver, Startide Rising and The Uplift War) (1983)— Mankind encounters conflicts among the inhabitants of the universe, as brave individuals prepare to journey into the boiling inferno of the sun.

*Butler, Octavia E. Parable of the Talents. (1998)—A Christian fundamentalist group kidnaps children to raise them in Christian homes in this tale of religious intolerance in a future America. The story is told by a woman at the receiving end of their zeal, the founder of a religion which they consider heathen. By the author of Parable of the Sower.

*Card, Orson Scott. Ender’s Game. (1991)—Child-hero Ender Wiggin must fight a desperate battle against a deadly alien race if mankind is to survive.

*Card, Orson Scott. Pastwatch: The Redemption of Christopher. (1996)—In the 23rd Century, a trio of time travelers journey back to the 15th Century in order to prevent Christopher Columbus from colonizing America. The trip is part of a project by an organization to change history, thereby improving life on earth.

*Christoperher, John. The Tripod Books (The White Mountains, The City of Gold and Lead, The Pool of Fire, and When the Tripods Came) (1968)—Will and a small group of free people plan to destroy the three great cities of the Tripods before the arrival of a space ship destined to doom the planet.

*Clarke, Arthur C. Childhood’s End. (1953)—Giant silver ships appear above every major city in the world. The Overlords have arrived. They eliminate ignorance, disease, poverty, and fear. After fifty years they also start eliminating humans.

*Clarke, Arthur C. 2001: A Space Odyssey. When an enigmatic monolith is found buried on the moon, scientists are amazed to discover that it's at least 3 million years old. Even more amazing, after it’s unearthed the artifact releases a powerful signal aimed at Saturn. What sort of alarm has been triggered? To find out, a manned spacecraft, the Discovery, is sent to investigate.

*DuPrau, Jeane. The City of Ember. (2003)—In the year 241, twelve-year-old Lina trades jobs on Assignment Day to be a Messenger to run to new places in her decaying but beloved city, perhaps even to glimpse Unknown Regions.

*DuPrau, Jeane. The People of Sparks. (2004)—Having escaped to the Unknown Regions, Lina and the others seek help from the village people of Sparks.

*Farmer, Nancy. The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm. (1995)—In 2194 in Zimbabwe, General Matsika's three children are kidnapped and put to work in a plastic mine while three mutant detectives use their special powers to search for them.

*Farmer, Nancy. House of the Scorpion. (2002)—In a future where humans despise clones, Matt enjoys special status as the young clone of El Patrón, the 142-year-old leader of a corrupt drug empire nestled between Mexico and the United States.

*Haddix, Margaret Peterson. Turnabout. (2000)—“It isn't natural for you to be younger than your great-grandchildren. We messed around with nature, and we shouldn't have. Melly and Anny Beth both lived normal lives throughout the 20th century. But in 2000, when they are old and ready to die, they are selected to participate in Project Turnabout and are given an injection to make them grow younger...”

*Haddix, Margaret Peterson. Among the Hidden. (1998)—In a future where the Population Police enforce the law limiting a family to only two children, Luke has lived all his twelve years in isolation and fear on his family's farm, until another "third" convinces him that the government is wrong.

*Heinlein, Robert. Red Planet. (1949)—A young colonist on Mars befriends a strange round creature called Willis who gets him into trouble when he goes away to school, but whose presence and friendship finally enable the colonials to negotiate a treaty with the Martians.

*Heinlein, Robert. Citizen of the Galaxy. (1957)—A youth who has known only the primitive life of a galaxy slave is purchased by a beggar who turns out to be a man with many extracurricular activities.

*Herbert, Frank. The Dune Saga. (1965)— In the far future, the remote desert world of Dune becomes the epicenter of a spectacular struggle that will spark a revolution, fulfill an ancient prophecy and forever change the galactic balance of power.

*Hogan, James P. Outward Bound. (1999)—As an alternative to serving time in a juvenile boot camp, a young criminal in 22nd century Los Angeles accepts training in military engineering. He is sent on a mission in space and becomes somebody. By the author of Bug Park.

*Hopkinson, Nalo. Brown Girl in the Ring. (1998)—A fantasy novel of urban decay whose heroine turns to Afro-Caribbean magic to help a boyfriend escape gangs. The gangs are enforcing a contract to produce a human heart for transplant, even if the boyfriend has to kill for it. The setting is a futuristic Toronto.

*Hughes, Monica. What if—? Amazing Stories. (1998)— Hughes has collected 14 short stories written by talented Canadians and flanked them with poems to form a superb and varied anthology of fantasy and science fiction.

*Jones, Diana Wynne. Dogsbody. (1975)—Sirius, the dog star, is reborn on earth as a puppy with a mission to search for the lost Zoi, the murder weapon of the stars.

*Leguin, Ursula K. The Left Hand of Darkness. (1994)—The story of a lone human emissary to Winter, an alien world whose inhabitants can change their gender. His goal is to facilitate Winter’s inclusion in a growing intergalactic civilization.

*Lyon, Steve. The Gift Moves. (2004)—In a futuristic United States devoid of wealth and material things, a teenage baker befriends a talented weaver’s apprentice who holds a dark secret.

Myers, Walter Dean. Shadow of the Red Sun. (1995)—As the Fens attack his home in New City, fifteen-year-old Jon is sent into the Wilderness with other young Okalians to search for the Ancient City, but what he finds is something very different.

*Reeve, Philip. The Hungry City Chronicles: Mortal Engines, Predator’s Gold, Infernal Devices, A Darkling Plain—In the distant future, when cities move about and consume smaller towns, a fifteen-year-old apprentice is pushed out of London by the man he most admires and must seek answers in the perilous Out-Country, aided by one girl and the memory of another.

*Shusterman, Neal. Unwind. (2007)—In a future world where those between the ages of thirteen and eighteen can have their lives "unwound" and their body parts harvested for use by others, three teens go to extreme lengths to uphold their beliefs--and, perhaps, save their own lives.

*Skurzynski, Gloria. Virtual War. (1997)— In a future world where global contamination has necessitated limited human contact, three young people with unique genetically engineered abilities are teamed up to wage a war in virtual reality. Corgan is a 14-year-old genetically engineered soldier who was raised in an isolated computer-generated environment for the purpose of one war, now two weeks away.

Skurzynski, Gloria. The Clones. (2002)— Having won the Virtual War for the Western Hemisphere Federation, fifteen-year-old Corgan finds himself raising a clone of the young mutant genius who helped him win before dying.

*Sleator, William. Intersteller Pig. (1984)— Barney’s boring seaside vacation suddenly becomes more interesting when the cottage next door is occupied by three exotic neighbors who are addicted to a game they call “Interstellar Pig.”

*Sleator,  William. Parasite Pig. (2002)—Sixteen-year-old Barney, infected by an alien parasite, and his friend Katie are taken to the planet J'koot by extraterrestrials intent on playing the dangerous game known as Interstellar Pig.

*Westerfeld, Scott. The Uglies Trilogy (Uglies, Pretties, Specials)— In Tally’s world, a 16th birthday brings an operation, transforming one from a repellent Ugly to an attractive Pretty. Turning Pretty is all Tally has ever wanted. Her friend Shay would rather risk life on the outside. When Shay runs away, Tally must make a terrible choice.

*Included in the Belmont Collection