Sci-fi for an 11 year old

[PepeLePew]

I got such good recommendations from this board when I asked for funny books for dd that I am going to try again - 11 year old has just discovered sci-fi and his grandfather wants some recommendations for things to buy for him (he does a “new book a month” for his grandchildren which is rather sweet).

He loved Ready Player One and I, Robot and was scared half to death by the first book in The Tripods. He’s a very competent reader so adult books are fine from a language point of view (and I’d like to encourage him to push himself a bit) but he’s nervous and also quite innocent.

Series are obviously good as it helps my dad but also very open to one offs. I know dystopian fiction is huge in the YA sphere and we will give that a go but DS feels strongly that books like that aren’t sci-fi. I think it probably needs robots, space ships or damn good tech to qualify!

[LadyMonicaBaddingham]

Came on to say the Hitchhikers series as well, my 11 year old is OBSESSED.

[Sadik]

The Insignia trilogy by SJ Kincaid might appeal - it's YA but I think fine for an 11 y/o (pretty sure dd was around that age when she read it) - computer gaming teens recruited for virtual-reality space wars.

[MissConductUS]

It's lovely to see I'm not the only Heinlein fan here.

And the only book I can recall of his that's even slightly racy is Time Enough for Love., which is a fabulous longer novel.

Stranger in a Strange Land is another classic and great for a younger reader.

[PetraDelphiki]

Just reread number of the beast (father daughter incest), job (sex with 12 year old), Friday (rape), time enough for love has mother/son incest...plus there’s a very heavy subtext that women should want to have sex all the time...

None of it is particularly descriptive but he does have odd attitudes about usual sexual boundaries!

[YesThisIsMe]

Any Heineken book under 300 pages is probably OK for preteens. Any Heinlein book over 300 is not.

[PepeLePew]

This is so helpful! Grandpa has ordered the Thrawn trilogy as a post-exams treat and is going to investigate the Heinlein. I found a copy of Earthsea in the study so DS is currently engrossed in that rather than revising chemistry!

[EllenJanethickerknickers]

I think I've read every book mentioned! How about some Andre Norton books. They were in the young adults/teenager section of my library way back then.

[TabbyM]

Glad to see all the Thrawn appreciation! If he likes the trilogy there is a new one out "Thrawn" which fits with the new timeline.

[CaptainHarville]

I remember enjoying Nicholas Fisk books at that age particularly trillions and Grinny although I see he wrote many more books than I realised. Might be worth a look.

[cdtaylornats]

The Bartimaeus trilogy by Jonathon Stroud about a boy wizard and his (sarcastic) djinn.

Lockwood & Co. by Jonathon Stroud - ghost hunters

Artemis Fowl series by Eoin Coifer - teen genius and technologically advanced other races.

Virals series by Kathy Reichs

Pretty well anything by Asimov, A.E. van Vogt, Poul Anderson or James Blish.

[InfiniteCurve]

Andre Norton wrote fantasy as well as sci fi,but her sci fi books definitely fit the space ships etc brief and are free from sex ...
Beast Master and Catseye are still on my favourites list.And Star Rangers
And agree with Heinlein - Have Spaceship,Will Travel and Space Family Stone would be my choice.
What about David Brin - thinking of Startide Rising which is dolphins in space,sort of.

[cdtaylornats]

If he really wants hard, fun sci-fi E. E. Doc Smith has several series

The Lensmen series - super science, evil monsters, galactic cops
D'Alembert series - intergalactic spies under the cover of a touring circus.

Larry Niven is good too in the known space books. Planets such as Wemadeit, Wunderland and Jinx. The Ringworld books are in the known space universe.