Science Fiction – Middle School
“Writers of science fiction rely on hypothesized scientific advancements and imagined technology to create their plots. To achieve credibility, they provide detailed descriptions of this technology, portray characters who believe in the technology or the results of the technology, and create a world where science interacts with every area of society.” (Donna E. Norton, Through the Eyes of a Child, 2003)
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
Seconds before Earth is demolished to make room for a galactic freeway, an earthman is saved by his friend. Together they journey through the galaxy.
Whales on Stilts by M.T. Anderson
Racing against the clock, shy middle-school student Lily and her best friends, Katie and Jasper, must foil the plot of her father's conniving boss to conquer the world using an army of whales.
The Sky Village by Nigel Ashland
As animals and machines battle for control on Earth, twelve-year-old Mei is taken into the Sky Village, a web of hot air balloons flying above the ground, where she hopes to be protected from those who hunt her for her unique Kaimira gene, which blends human, animal, and machine traits and makes her a target for all three groups, who want to use her powers for their own good.
Fantastic Voyage by Isaac Asimov
Five people are miniaturized and sent on a rescue mission through a man's body where they have sixty minutes to reach and break up a blood clot in his brain.
Nick of Time by Ted Bell
Twelve-year-old Nick McIver tries to help his father and sister send vital information to England about imminent Nazi invasion, until he finds himself transported through time to help his ancestor stop a mutinous captain who is aiding the French fleet and endangering British sailors.
Farenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
"Fahrenheit 451--the temperature at which book paper catches fire, and burns ...";"A Del Rey book." A book burner in a future fascist state finds out books are a vital part of a culture he never knew. He clandestinely pursues reading, until he is betrayed.
The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury
The first Earth people to attempt the colonization of Mars try to build their new world in the image of the civilization they left behind.
The Time Travelers (also published as Gideon, the Cutpurse) and The Time Thief by Linda Buckley-Archer
Originally published as: Gideon the cutpurse. When an attempt to bring Peter and Kate back to their own time is bungled, Peter finds himself stranded in 1763 while The Tar Man, a villainous eighteenth-century criminal, returns with Kate to twenty-first-century London.
Molly Moon – series by Geogria Byng
Unlucky and unloved, Molly Moon, living in a dreary orphanage in a small English town, discovers a hidden talent for hypnotism and hypnotizes her way to stardom in New York City.
The Wonderful Flight to the Mushroom Planet by Eleanor Cameron
A mystery man inspires two boys to build a space ship which takes them to the planet of Basidium to help the Mushroom people.
Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card (see also sequels and parallel novels)
Young Ender Wiggin may prove to be the military genius Earth needs to fight a desperate battle against a deadly alien race that will determine the future of the human race.
The House of Power (Atherton series) by Michael Carroll
Edgar secretly climbs the walls separating the three worlds of Atherton in order to search for a treasure, and begins to learns that the three realms are beginning to collapse.
Quantum Prophecy series by Michael Carroll
Ten years after the disappearance of superhumans--both heroes and villains--thirteen-year-olds Danny and Colin begin to develop super powers, making them the object of much unwanted attention.
When the Tripods Came (prequel to the Tripods series) by John Christopher
Fourteen-year-old Laurie and his family attempt to flee England when the Tripods descend from outer space and begin brainwashing everyone with their hypnotic Caps
The White Mountains (#1 in the Tripods series) by John Christopher
Sequel to: When the tripods came. 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 capture mature human beings and make them docile, obedient servants.
The Roar by Emma Clayton
In an overpopulated world where all signs of nature have been obliterated and a wall has been erected to keep out plague-ridden animals, twelve-year-old Mika refuses to believe that his twin sister was killed after being abducted, and continues to search for her in spite of the dangers he faces in doing so.
Things Not Seen by Andrew Clements
When fifteen-year-old Bobby wakes up and finds himself invisible, he and his parents and his new blind friend Alicia try to find out what caused his condition and how to reverse it.
The Supernaturalist by Eoin Colfer
In futuristic Satellite City, fourteen-year-old Cosmo Hill escapes from an abusive orphanage and teams up with three other people who share his unusual ability to see supernatural creatures, and together they determine the nature and purpose of the swarming blue Parasites that are invisible to most humans.
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen accidentally becomes a contender in the annual Hunger Games, a grave competition hosted by the Capitol where young boys and girls are pitted against one another in a televised fight to the death.
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
By winning the annual Hunger Games, District 12 tributes Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark have secured a life of safety and plenty for themselves and their families, but because they won by defying the rules, they unwittingly become the faces of an impending rebellion.
Jimmy Coates: Assassin? By Joe Craig
While escaping from the strange men that are after him in London, Jimmy discovers he possesses many unusual talents for an eleven-year-old boy.
Jimmy Coates: Target by Joe Craig
Eleven-year-old Jimmy Coates is in France with friends and family, hiding from NJ7, the British secret intelligence agency that designed and programmed him, when he learns that there is another genetically-programmed assassin--a new enemy whose mission is to return Jimmy to London.
The Journal of Curious Letters by James Dashner
Thirteen-year-old Atticus "Tick" Higginbottom begins receiving mysterious letters from around the world signed only "M.G.," and the clues contained therein lead him on a journey to the perilous 13th Reality and a confrontation with evil Mistress Jane.
City of Ember by Jeanne Du Prau (1st book in series)
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.
7 Professors of the Far North by John Fardell (sequel – Flight of the Silver Turtle)
Eleven-year-old Sam finds himself involved in a dangerous adventure when he and his new friends, brother and sister Ben and Zara, set off for the Arctic to try and rescue the siblings' great-uncle and five other professors from the mad scientist holding them prisoner.
The Ear, The Eye, and The Arm by Nancy Farmer
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.
The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer
"A Richard Jackson book." 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.
The Tomorrow Code by Brian Faulkner
Two New Zealand teenagers receive a desperate SOS from their future selves and set out on a quest to stop an impending ecological disaster that could mean the end of humanity.
The Girl Who Could Fly by Victoria Forester
Piper McCloud's ability to fly sets her apart from the other kids, so her mother sends her to an exclusive school for children with exceptional abilities, but even there she does not fit in with the other students.
Eager by Helen Fox (sequel – Eager’s Nephew)
In late-twenty-first-century England, the Bell family, looking to replace their malfunctioning robot, buys Eager, who is programmed to learn through trial and error like humans and who, with the Bell children, comes to see that something is not right with the BDC4s, a sleek, alarmingly clever line of robots the Bells could not afford.
Among the Enemy by Margaret Peterson Haddix (part of Shadow Children series)
"A shadow children book." In a society that allows families to have only two children, third child Matthias joins the Population Police to infiltrate their system.
Double Identity by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Thirteen-year-old Bethany's parents have always been overprotective, but when they suddenly drop out of sight with no explanation, leaving her with an aunt she never knew existed, Bethany uncovers shocking secrets that make her question everything she thought she knew about herself and her family.
Found by Margaret Peterson Haddix
When thirteen-year-olds Jonah and Chip, who are both adopted, learn they were discovered on a plane that appeared out of nowhere, full of babies with no adults on board, they realize that they have uncovered a mystery involving time travel and two opposing forces, each trying to repair the fabric of time.
Sent by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Jonah, Katherine, Chip, and Alex find themselves in 1483 at the Tower of London, and discover that Chip and Alex are Prince Edward V and Richard of Shrewsbury, imprisoned by Richard III; but trying to repair history without knowing what is supposed to happen proves challenging.
Turnabout by Margaret Peterson Haddix
On the title page, the letters 'b' and 'u' in Turnabout are reversed. Melly and Anny Beth agree to participate in Project Turnabout, a scientific experiment in which they are given a shot that will make them grow younger, until they receive a second injection that will stop the aging process, but when other participants die after receiving the second shot, Melly and Anny Beth refuse to have the shot and set out to find someone to care for them when they are too young to do it themselves.
Siberia by Ann Halam
After spending two years at a prison school, thirteen-year-old Sloe sets off on a trek across frozen wastelands, tending to the secret "seeds" of wild animals her mother left in her care, trying to reach a new life for all of them.
George’s Secret Key to the Universe by Stephen and Lucy Hawking
George and his neighbor friend Eric travel through a computer portal into outer space encountering black holes while trying to escape an evil scientist.
Tunnel in the Sky by Robert Heinlein – see other Sci Fi by this author
The final exam for Dr. Matson's Advanced Survival class was meant to be just that: only a test. But something has gone terribly wrong...and now Rod Walker and his fellow students are stranded somewhere unknown in the universe, beyond contact with Earth, at the other end of a tunnel in the sky. Stripped of all comforts, hoping for a passage home that may never appear, the castaways must band together or perish. For Rod and his fellow survivors, this is one test where failure is not an option....
Dune by Frank Herbert
The story of a young prince, Paul Artreides, scion of a star-crossed dynasty, and of his journey from boy to warrior to ruler of a dying planet destined to become a paradise regained.
Go Big or Go Home By Will Hobbs
Fourteen-year-old Brady and his cousin Quinn love extreme sports, but nothing could prepare them for the aftermath of Brady's close encounter with a meteorite after it crashes into his Black Hills, South Dakota, bedroom.
Alex Rider series by Anthony Horowitz
They said his uncle Ian died in a car accident. Alex Rider knows that’s a lie, and the bullet holes in his uncle’s car confirm the truth. But nothing can prepare him for the news that the uncle he always thought he knew was really a spy for Britain’s top-secret intelligence agency. Enlisted to find his uncle’s killers and complete Ian’s final mission, Alex suddenly finds himself caught in a deadly game of cat and mouse, with no way out.
The Cassandra Virus by K. V. Johansen
When Jordan creates a computer program that communicates with him via e-mail, he has no idea the havoc the program will create for him and his friend Helen.
Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
With more than five million copies sold, Flowers for Algernon is the beloved, classic story of a mentally disabled man whose experimental quest for intelligence mirrors that of Algernon, an extraordinary lab mouse. In poignant diary entries, Charlie tells how a brain operation increases his IQ and changes his life. As the experimental procedure takes effect, Charlie's intelligence expands until it surpasses that of the doctors who engineered his metamorphosis. The experiment seems to be a scientific breakthrough of paramount importance--until Algernon begins his sudden, unexpected deterioration. Will the same happen to Charlie?
An American classic that inspired the award-winning movie Charly.
Epic by Conor Kostick
On New Earth, a world based on a video role-playing game, fourteen-year-old Erik persuades his friends to aid him in some unusual gambits in order to save Erik's father from exile and safeguard the futures of each of their families.
The Crack in the Line by Michael Lawrence
Sixteen-year-old Alaric discovers how to travel to an alternate reality, where his mother is alive and his place in the family is held by a girl named Naia.
A Swiftly Tilting Planet by Madeleine L’Engle
The youngest of the Murry children must travel through time and space in a battle against an evil dictator who would destroy the entire universe. (Sequel to A Wrinkle in Time)
Fearless by Tim Lott
In the future, girls labeled "juvies" or "mindcrips" are taken from their families and sent to the prison-like City Community Faith School, but LIttle Fearless decides to break out, and embarks on a dangerous mission to try to free the girls from their miserable captivity.
Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry
Lame and suddenly orphaned, Kira is mysteriously removed from her squalid village to live in the palatial Council Edifice, where she is expected to use her gifts as a weaver to do the bidding of the all-powerful Guardians.
Messenger by Lois Lowry
In this novel that unites characters from "The Giver" and "Gathering Blue," Matty, a young member of a utopian community that values honesty, conceals an emerging healing power that he cannot explain or understand.
Alien in a Bottle by Kathy Mackel
With the help of a star-gazing classmate and an unusual assortment of aliens from outer space, teenager Sean Winger tries to find a way to convince his parents to let him pursue his dream of becoming a glass blower.
Z for Zachariah by Robert C. O’Brien
After living alone for a year, believing herself to be the only survivor of a nuclear holocaust, sixteen-year-old Ann makes a startling discovery--a scientist named John Loomis has also survived--but this pleasant surprise very quickly turns sinister.
1984 by George Orwell
Orwell's final novel, 1984, is the story of one man's struggle against the ubiquitous, menacing state power (“Big Brother”) that tries to dictate nearly every aspect of human life. The novel is a classic in anti-utopian fiction, and a trenchant political satire that remains as relevant today as when it was first published.
Dangerous Days of Daniel X (series) by James Patterson
Fifteen-year-old Daniel has followed in his parents' footsteps as the Alien Hunter, exterminating beings on The List of Alien Outlaws on Terra Firma, but when he faces his first of the top ten outlaws, the very existence of Earth and another planet are at stake.
Maximum Ride – series by James Patterson
After the mutant Erasers abduct the youngest member of their group, the "birdkids," who are the result of genetic experimentation, take off in pursuit and find themselves struggling to understand their own origins and purpose.
The Last Book in the Universe by Rodman Philbrick
After an earthquake has destroyed much of the planet, an epileptic teenager nicknamed Spaz begins the heroic fight to bring human intelligence back to the Earth of a distant future.
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.
The Book of Time series by Guillaume Prevost
A statue; a coin; an old book. They look as dusty as everything else in the Faulkner Antiquarian Bookstore, where 14-year-old Sam Faulkner seeks his father, who's been missing for days. But when Sam slips the coin into the statue, he's swept back in time -- to Scotland in 800 A.D. -- where he must find both the statue and another coin in order to return to the present. It's the first step in an adventure that will take him to ancient Egypt, World War I, even Dracula's castle -- and a mystery that will end only when Sam saves his father, or loses him in time . . .
Larklight, Starcross, Mothstorm by Philip Reeve (sequel - Starcross)
Arthur (Art) Mumsby and his irritating sister Myrtle live with their father in a huge and rambling house called Larklight…that just happens to be traveling through outer space. When a visitor called Mr. Webster arrives for a visit, it is far from an innocent social call. Before long Art and Myrtle are off on an adventure to the furthest reaches of space, where they will do battle with evil forces in order to save each other—and the universe. A fantastically original Victorian tale set in an outer space world that might have come from the imaginations of Jules Verne or L Frank Baum, but has a unique gravitational pull all its own…
The Quantum July by Ron King
As problems escalate between their parents, a Harvard-educated stock boy and a would-be physicist, thirteen-year-old Danny agrees to participate in his twelve-year-old sister's experiments with quantum physics, through which he hopes he can change their lives for the better.
Simon Bloom, The Gravity Keeper by Michael Reisman
Sixth-grader Simon Bloom finds a book that enables him to control the laws of physics; but when two thugs come after him, he needs the formulas in the book to save himself.
Simon Bloom, The Octopus Effect by Michael Reisman
When twelve-year-old Simon becomes the official Keeper of the Order of Physics, he and his friends Owen and Alysha face extreme danger as they try to protect the Universe from destruction by evil forces.
Jake Ransom and the Skull King’s Shadow by James Rollins
Jack Ransom and his sister, Kady, are sent on a wild hunt for answers when a mysterious letter arrives on the doorstep and leads them to a strange world inhabited by a mix of long-lost civilizations, where they hope to learn the truth about their parents' disappearance.
Contact by Carl Sagan
In December, 1999, a multinational team journeys out to the stars, to the most awesome encounter in human history. Who -- or what -- is out there?
The Boxes by William Sleator
When she opens two strange boxes left in her care by her mysterious uncle, fifteen-year-old Annie discovers a swarm of telepathic creatures and unleashes a power capable of slowing down time.
The Boy Who Reversed Himself by William Sleator
When Laura discovers that the unpopular boy living next door to her has the ability to go into the fourth dimension, she makes the dangerous decision to accompany him on his journeys there.
First Light by Rebecca Stead
When twelve-year-old Peter and his family arrive in Greenland for his father's research, he stumbles upon a secret his mother has been hiding from him all his life, and begins an adventure he never imagines possible.
Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart (sequel – Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey)
After passing a series of mind-bending tests, four children are selected for a secret mission that requires them to go undercover at the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened, where the only rule is that there are no rules.
Lost Time by Susan Schmid
Violynne, the twelve-year-old daughter of missing archaeologists 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.
Sleeper Code, Sleeper Agenda by Tom Sniegoski
Just when he has met a beautiful girl and his outlook is improving, sixteen-year-old narcoleptic Tom Lovett begins to suspect that his dreams and hallucinations of killing people may be something more real and terrifying.
Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne
Three men dare to adventure into a subterranean world full of danger and beauty discovering many unusual things on their trip to the Earth's mysterious core.
Twenty-Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne
A nineteenth-century science fiction tale of an electric submarine, its eccentric captain, and undersea world, which anticipated many of the scientific achievements of the twentieth century.
H.I.V.E. Higher Institute for Villainous Education by Mark Walden
Thirteen-year-old orphan Otto Malpense, identified as a boy with a special talent for villainy, is kidnapped and taken to the remote Higher Institute of Villainous Education, or H.I.V.E., where he is enrolled in a six-year training program and immediately begins formulating a plan to escape.
The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells
On a cold day in February, a stranger arrives in the village of Iping. He wears gloves and dark glasses, even inside, and his face is covered in bandages. Soon crimes occur that cannot be explained, and the townspeople realize the unthinkable truth: the strange man is invisible--and he is slowly going mad.The Invisible Man is a dangerous enemy who must be stopped. But if no one can see him, how can he be caught?
The Time Machine by H.G. Wells
A scientist invents a time machine and uses it to travel hundreds of thousands of years into the future, where he discovers the childlike Eloi and the hideous underground Morlocks.
War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells
Deeply concernedwith the welfare of contemporary society, Wells wrote his novel of interplanetary conflict in anticipation of war in Europe, and in it he predicted the technological savagery of twentieth century warfare. Playing expertly on worldwide security fears, The War of the Worlds grips readers with its conviction that invasion can happen anytime, anywhere—even in our own backyard.
Double Helix by Nancy Werlin
Eighteen-year-old Eli discovers a shocking secret about his life and his family while working for a Nobel Prize-winning scientist whose specialty is genetic engineering.
The Uglies – book one of a series by Scott Westerfeld
Tally is faced with a difficult choice when her new friend Shay decides to risk life on the outside rather than submit to the forced operation that turns sixteen year old girls into gorgeous beauties, and realizes that there is a whole new side to the pretty world that she doesn't like.
STORM: The Infinity Code (series) by E.L. Young
In London, the teenaged geniuses of STORM, a secret organization dedicated to eliminating the world's misery through science and technology, uncover plans for a deadly weapon and race to find and dismantle it, then confront the corrupt scientist behind the scheme.
Students generally have free choice when selecting titles within a genre. Students should try to choose books at their individual reading level – not too difficult or too easy. The titles above are suggestions available in the school library. Content is generally appropriate for middle school students. Reading levels vary. The final decision regarding the appropriateness of a particular book for an individual student rests with the student, his/her parents and teacher.
Book descriptions from Follett Titlewave
