Mrs.
Frisby and the Rats of Nimh
Mrs. Frisby, a
widowed mouse with four small children, is faced with a terrible
problem. Fortunately, she encounters the rats of NIMH, highly
intelligent ex-laboratory rats, who come up with a brilliant solution to
her dilemma. And Mrs. Frisby in turn renders them a great service. (This
book isn't 'true' sci-fi, but it is a wonderful and imaginative story.)
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The Wonderful Flight to Mushroom Planet
In print
since the 1950's, the Mushroom Planet series is about the
adventures of Chuck and David, two boys who travel to the alien planet
Basidium in their homemade spaceship. Eleanor Cameron has managed to
create a very memorable and enjoyable sci-fi tale which is a favorite
among mid-elementary students (3rd-6th)
pb
195pp |
The
White Mountains (Tripod Series)
Long ago, the
Tripods -- huge, three-legged machines -- descended upon Earth and took
control. Now people unquestioningly accept the Tripods' power. They have
no control over their thoughts or their lives. But for a brief time in
each person's life -- in childhood -- he is not a slave. For Will, his
time of freedom is about to end -- unless he can escape to the White
Mountains, where the possibility of freedom still exists.
pb 195pp |
Farmer
in the Sky
Bill and his father
move to Ganymede, one of Jupiter's moons, to start a new and fruitful
life. Their journey is fraught with danger and they have to
wonder....is this worth it?
*A good book to read if you're
studying the solar system or agriculture in science. (A little
'preaching' about population growth in the first few chps- good
discussion material.)
*This Heinlein book was originally written for Boy Scouts. Not all
of his books are appropriate for children, though.
221pp |
Fahrenheit
451
Fahrenheit
451 is the temperature at which book paper burns. Fahrenheit 451 is a
short novel set in the future when "firemen" burn books forbidden by the
totalitarian "brave new world" regime. The hero is "a book burner who
suddenly discovers that books are flesh and blood ideas and cry out
silently when put to the torch."
179pp |
Ender's Game
At the age of six, Ender is accepted into the I.F.'s elite battle
school. With his small stature, but brilliant brain, Ender must
learn to gain the respect of his peers and earn their trust enough to
follow him into battle. *This
was the first real science fiction book I ever read- and I've been
hooked ever since! |
Midshipman's
Hope
In the year 2194,
Nick Seafort is a 17-year-old midshipman aboard the Hibernia, a huge
interstellar liner cruising to the Hope Nation colony 69 light-years
away. When all the senior officers are killed in a freak accident, the
captaincy falls to Nick--who must battle inexperience, mutiny, and an
alien horror.
*My favorite, after Ender's Game |
1984
Winston Smith lives
in London, in the nation of Oceania. Everything in Oceania is
controlled by the Party, and even thoughts are punished. The
Party has revised history and is even implementing a new language called
NewSpeak in an effort to squelch political rebellion. Winston's
moves are watched at all times via telescreens. He must even
control his facial features in order to avoid "thoughtcrime." This
book has become required reading for many high school and college
students. Indeed, some terms we use today were coined in this
book. *high-school and up
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Timeline
An intriguing story melding quantum physics
and medieval times. |
Prey
A fascinating look at how
scientists study animals to learn new ways to program computers- in this
instance using nanotechnology. |
Brave New World |
