Science Fiction novels/novellas/short stories for a kid?

[photon]

My kid is 9, but he reads a grade level or two above his grade.. he's shown a big interest in science fiction but I'm really having problems trying to find anything that would be at (or even above) his level that isn't fantasy, or a comic, or that wouldn't have inappropriate content.

All my favorites have deep and complex themes that would probably be lost on or at the very least be uninteresting to him. Almost need bad quality scifi that's more just fancy space battles and stuff.

Any suggestions?

Ender's Game was the first that came to mind but even that I'm not sure would be appropriate.

Maybe the Star Wars novels?

[Minnie]

Goodreads has always got good lists, with reviews and ratings. Here's their list.

[Sliver]

I, Robot short stories by Issac Asimov. You could double check if they are age appropriate by reading them again since they're awesome.

[octothorp]

When I was that age, I can recall that I was reading novelizations of age-appropriate sci-fi movies, like Black Hole or Tron or Escape to Witch Mountain (all disney movies, I think). I don't know if these were any good, but they might fit into that bad quality sci-fi. No space battles in those ones, though. I have no idea if novelizations of movies are still something that's done, but if there are sci-fi movies that he likes, check and see if there's novel versions of them.

[onetwo_threefour]

Here's some ideas. Can't vouch for many of these, but there's at least a starting point...

http://www.mymcpl.org/cfapps/juvser/subject.cfm?id=2

[photon]

Movie novelizations is a good idea! Yeah lists are harder (I've looked at goodreads lists before) if I don't recognize anything, was hoping someone had some ones they knew would be good. That list onetwo_threefour breaks it out as juvenile and young adult, which is probably where I'd look to.

Thanks!

[Minnie]

I've got a couple of good librarian friends who may be able to give you some leads too. I'll ask them what they might recommend for your son.

[photon]

Oh and one set that we did get that I really thought were good were Zita the Spacegirl http://zitaspacegirl.com/

Graphic novels tho.

[troutman]

http://www.sfsite.com/lists/younger.htm

[photon]

Oh nice, I check sfsite once in a while.

[SportsJunky]

Photon, a couple of years back you posted a short sci-fi story about the end of the world. Do you know what I'm referring to? I've been wanting to read it again.

[Minnie]

Photon, one of them said, off the top of her head, what popped into her head was Heinlein's juvenile series. She'll do a little more digging at work.

Rocket Ship Galileo

Space Cadet

Red Planet

Between Planets

The Rolling Stones aka Space Family Stone

Farmer in the Sky

Starman Jones

The Star Beast

Tunnel in the Sky

Time for the Stars

Citizen of the Galaxy

Have Space Suit—Will Travel

She just PM'd me a few others - Asimov's. She says:

David Starr, Space Ranger

Lucky Starr and the Pirates of the Asteroids

Lucky Starr and the Oceans of Venus

Lucky Starr and the Big Sun of Mercury

Lucky Starr and the Moons of Jupiter

Lucky Starr and the Rings of Saturn

Modern would be Nancy Farmer, especially The Eye, The Ear and the Arm

[photon]

Holy crap how could I forget about Heinlein. Thanks!!

Sorry SportsJunky doesn't ring a bell, can you remember any details at all about the story?

[Dion]

Tom Swift JR.... Read his books in my youth.

Tom Swift Jr. is the central character in a series of 33 adventure novels for male adolescents, following in the tradition of the earlier Tom Swift ("Senior") novels. The series was entitled The New Tom Swift Jr. Adventures. Unlike the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys titles that were also products of the prolific Stratemeyer Syndicate, the original Tom Swift stories were not rewritten in the 1950s to modernize them. It was decided that the protagonist of the new series would be the son of the earlier Tom Swift and his wife, Mary Nestor Swift; the original hero continued as a series regular, as did his pal Ned Newton. The covers were created by illustrator (J.) Graham Kaye.[1] Covers in the later half of the series were mostly by Charles Brey. A total of 33 volumes were eventually published.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Swift,_Jr.

Look for his books on Ebay.....

http://www.ebay.com/bhp/tom-swift-jr-books

[To Be Quite Honest]

http://arthurslade.com/frontpage/

[malcolmk14]

Ender's Game (probably more like grade 7-8)
Artemis Fowl series
City of Ember
The Giver
The Jupiter Chronicles

[SportsJunky]

Originally Posted by photon

Sorry SportsJunky doesn't ring a bell, can you remember any details at all about the story?

It was about a parent and child that sat in the back yard looking up at the sky as whatever celestial event that was happening around them slowly destroyed the planet. I've been searching here but haven't found the link you posted some years back.

[photon]

Was it this one? Last Contact by Baxter?

http://web.archive.org/web/200807250...st-contact.asp

EDIT: Haha yeah. http://forum.calgarypuck.com/showthread.php?p=1401192 As soon as you said the basic premise I knew which one it was.

[SportsJunky]

Funny, I had forgotten that the culprit in this story is dark energy. I'm reading Rollins' The Eye of God right now and the basic story is similar. Dark energy causing massive destruction on the planet.

Thanks for digging it up again Photon.

[Super-Rye]

I'll second the Isaac Asimov suggestion. Robot Stories is a collection of his short stories. His Foundation and Robot series are also top notch. Each book is a fairly easy read, and there's lots of books there to keep your kid entertained for years.