Sci-fi for 11yr old boy.

[Cpt1sock]

Ds is 11 and wants to read some gripping Sci-fi. We went to the bookshop and the books he saw didn't jump out at him although we didn't know where to begin when looking at the books, just random pickings.

So any recommendations for Sci-fi books for an 11yr old boy please?

The Stainless Steel Rat by Harry Harrison
The Complete Robot by Isaac Asimov

What does he like? Does he prefer novels or short stories? I've been reading scifi since I was a child and can recommend loads more if you give me some clues.

If you can get past the slightly militaristic bent, Robert Heinlein wrote a number of sci fi books for teenage boys. Citizen of the Galaxy. Farmer in the Sky etc

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
Eon - Greg Bear
2001 - Arthur C. Clarke
Beyond Lies The Wub - Philip K. Dick
The Tar-Aiym Krang - Alan Dean Foster
Puppet Masters - Robert A. Heinlein
Tuf Voyaging - George R. R. Martin
The Many-Coloured Land - Julian May
Neutron Star - Larry Niven
The Ragged Astronauts - Bob Shaw
The Colour of Magic - Terry Pratchett
City - Clifford D. Simak

Ds has read Hitchikers Guide to the Galaxy a million times a lot, he's said it's fab! Douglas Adams has written others too.

Enders Game, it has a young boy as the protagonist, plus most of the other main characters are children.

Thank you, will get him to read blurbs of your suggestions, see what he fancies.

stuntnun he doesn't know what he likes. He reads novels and has just about read every novel about football he can get his hands on. The want to read Sci fi has come from reading about a game developer who read Sci fi as a child so he's decided to move on to that.

Citizen of the Galaxy is a good one to start with.

Also the Tripods series by John Christopher.

The thing with sci-fi is that it often contains mature content. Not necessarily sex and drugs but possibly disturbing scenes. As PP have said, you should be ok with Heinlein (maybe not Stranger in a Strange Land), Asimov and Phillip K. Dick (although he has some mature content, The Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch, for example). I would also throw Arthur C. Clarke in there, but again not everything is suitable for an 11 year old.

I loved John Christopher and John Wyndham at that age or a bit older. The language in John Wyndham can be challenging though.

A Wrinkle in Time is perfect for an 11 year old, but more sci-fi/fantasy than straight sci-fi.

Have Spacesuit - Will Travel is good sci-fi, but I think I may have read it in my early teens.

I would avoid Heinlein unless you've specifically checked for suitability for children. That said, I did read Stranger in a Strange Land, Friday, etc. when I was a young teenager and the sex stuff must have gone over my head.

The hungry city chronicles by Phillip Reeve are great for this age.

I'd definitely look out for Insignia and the sequels by S J Kinkaid - much more modern than the other books recommended, and I think would really appeal to a gaming 11 y/o.

I'd say the Divergent trilogy are more sci-fi than fantasy (they're based on a plausible near-future scenario with some genetic manipulation thrown in). My 12 y/o really liked them, providing you're ok with a Hunger games level of violence (there's also a very minimal implied sex scene in the last of the three, but I'd say it's fine for an 11 y/o).

Also there's the series with mobile cities rambling across the world, can't remember what it's called but I'm sure someone will know!

Just remembered, it's Mortal Engines (not to be confused with Mortal Instruments, which is very different!) Maybe more steampunk than sci-fi, but good all the same.

Would echo Takver's recommendations of Insignia and Mortal Engines. Very readable (especially Insignia) and definitely the books to go for if you're trying to wean him off football. Would also recommend the Time Riders series - not quite Sci Fi but does have a Dr Who|Terminator twist to it with a giant dollop of history too.

My big recommend for a space themed book though is Cosmic by Frank Cotterell Boyce (again not Sci Fi but ideal for 11 year old boys)

Phoenix - SF Said
My ds (10 year old sci-fi fiend) says it's the best book he's ever read.

I came on to say John Christopher too! Not just tripods, but sword of re spirits books too. I often reread them now!

Jules Verne
Ursula K Le Guin

What about Dune? DH read a number in his youth; I don't know them.

What about the ' Gregor the overlander' series? I've just recommended them on another thread too! My ds ,10, read them last year and loved them . They're by suzanne Collins who wrote 'The hunger games', but suitable for a younger audience, without being at all babyish . The Percy Jackson series is another super one!

Just gave Hitchhikers to DH's DD :)

I'd completely recommend anything by Nicholas Fisk - as 11 year olds these books were always the most popular for our Friday afternoon class reading sessions. Our teacher read them to us after our swimming lesson right before the end of school, and it was the most magical part of the week, and one of the reasons I got into sci-fi. Good ones to start with are Space Hostages, Grinny (and its sequel You Remember Me) and Trillions.

I'd also recommend the collection of stories written for the Doctor Who 50th anniversary - authors like Neil Gaiman, Mallorie Blackman, Marcus Sedgwick, Patrick Ness etc wrote stories for each incarnation of the Doctor and they were published as a collection soon after. It might be a good way into finding sci-fi and fantasy authors who are suitable for your son's age group.

I loved sci-fi when I was little, and especially loved Douglas Adams, Madeleine L'Engle, John Christopher, John Wyndham, Ender's Game, lots of Ray Bradbury, The Neverending Story (perhaps more fantasy though), and The Phantom Tollbooth (not exactly sci-fi, but quite fun).