Your child really doesn’t like to read but you feel that their world could be expanded so much more by getting away from TV and opening up a good book. Have you considered trying to urge your young adult or youngster to read science fiction/fantasy? Their imaginations work overtime as it is, so why not let them delve into some of these wonderful sci-fi/fantasy kid’s books?
Aliens on Vacation by Clete Smith (For ages: 8-12 years) – David is sent to a little town in Washington state to spend his summer with his grandmother. Grandma runs a space-like bed and breakfast with very strange guests and these guests have traveled a long way for an Earth vacation! Grandma enlists David’s help to make the aliens blend in and stay away from the sheriff, who’s skeptical of Grandma’s bed and breakfast. Will Grandma’s cover be unmasked by David?
On the Blue Comet by Rosemary Wells (For ages: 8 and over) – In Cairo, IL, a boy named Oscar and his father live in a little house. In their home they’ve made a little world for themselves with ten Lionel trains one of which includes the Blue Comet. But they live during the Great Depression and, sadly, two years into it the bank must take the house, and with it, the trains. As his father looks for work in California, Oscar is forced to go live with his teasing cousin and aunt who lacks a sense of humor. Oscar’s trains are on display at the bank and on Christmas Eve, he goes there to see them. However, he’s caught in the middle of a bank robbery and Oscar’s encouraged by the strange night watchman to “jump” into the trains to get away. Finally, Oscar does jump into the train set and also jumps ten years into the future!
The Animorphs Series by K.A. Applegate (For ages: 9-12 years) – Tobias, Marco, Jake, Cassie and Rachel discover a crashed alien spaceship. As the pilot lay dying, the kids are provided with an amazing power—if they touch an animal they are able to transform into that animal! They can use this power to fight in the secret war that’s happening on Earth—and possibly win! However, the kids have to be careful because their enemies could be anyone—even the people they are close to.
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne (For ages: 10 and over) – Ships are sinking because of a gigantic, deadly sea monster! An American warship loses three of its crewmen over the side—a Canadian harpoonist, a French scientist and his faithful sidekick. The monster’s side door opens and grabs the three men into a mighty submarine, the Nautilus, that’s lead by a maniac named Captain Nemo. Into the depths of the sea they’ll go with the Captain!
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L’Engle (For ages: 10-15 years) – Go on exciting space and time adventures with Meg Murry, her young brother Charles Wallace and her friend Calvin O’Keefe. They are searching for Meg’s scientist father who’s missing. He disappeared while he was involved in government secret work over the tesseract issue.
Larklight by Philip Reeve (For ages: 10-15 years) – This is a wonderful Victorian fable that takes place in space. Art Mumsby and his sister, Myrtle, reside in a big, sprawling home named Larklight which orbits the moon. A Mr. Webster pays their father a visit and it definitely isn’t a social one. Before they know it, Art and Myrtle are swept up into an adventure that takes them across space. To save the universe—and each other—they must battle evil forces.
The Hunger Games (Book 1 of 3) by Suzanne Collins (For ages: 14 and over) – North America is no more. In its place is a Capitol called Panem which twelve districts surround. These twelve districts pursued and lost a war against the Capitol many years ago. The district’s surrender terms were made and consented to. Part of those terms are that each district has to release one girl and one boy every year to fight a deathly battle called “The Hunger Games” which is broadcast on TV—live. When District 12’s Primrose Everdeen’s name is called, her older sister, Katniss, has no choice but to appear in the Games in her sister’s place. Rules, land and audience participation might change throughout the game but the one constant is that you must kill or be killed.
The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary A. Pearson (For ages: 14-17 years) – It’s the future where biotechnology has made it possible to create synthetic brains and bodies; but it’s illegal. Jenna was in a severe accident and after waking from a coma, finds herself with memory gaps. As she tries to get answers to her questions, she discovers a shocking secret about her life.
Black Hole Sun by David Macinnis Gill (For ages: 14-17 years) – Mars is a tough place to live. Lakes and rivers are loaded with sulfur; it’s extremely hot; innocent miners are hunted by beasts and wicked men; the smell of burning fuel fills the air. But the men and beasts aren’t quite what they appear to be and the miners have a secret. There isn’t anywhere to hide from the dangers and nobody that can help them…except for Durango and his group of protectors.
Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton (For ages: 15 and over) – An amazing method has been discovered for retrieving and cloning the DNA of dinosaurs. This means that all of human’s exciting fantasies could come true! For thousands of years, dinosaurs have been extinct and now they are free to walk within the borders of Jurassic Park. All the world can pay the fair and come into this soon-to-be opened theme park; they’ll experience their profound mystery and impressive presence. But then, something goes horribly wrong and science is now nothing but a catastrophic toy!
These are just a few of the abundance of sci-fi/fantasy books out there to choose from for your son or daughter. Sci-fi/fantasy books will take your child to a completely different world—and sometimes that’s just the thing they need to spur their reading habit onward.