
Ask HN: Good Sci-Fi/Geek-Lit For School-Age Kids? - tptacek
Hi, Ask HN. Long time listener, first time caller.<p>My son is 10 years old. We're going to the Western Michigan on vacation next week. I'd like him to be reading.<p>If he was just a couple years older, I'd know where to aim him --- early Stephenson, early Gibson, non-crazy Heinlein books, to be followed up with a period of weaning him off sci-fi and onto Vonnegut.<p>See, I've got this all planned.<p>The problem is, for his age right now, the only title that jumps to mind as age-appropriate is Ender's Game. Harry Potter In Space. Besides the fact that OSC's politics scare the bejeezus out of me, that's just one title.<p>The standard list of sci-fi books "for non-readers" falls down for me because of his age. Long story short, I don't want to spend my summer vacation having the birds and the bees talk. If you must know, I also won't let him play video games with non-cartoony violence --- although I'll make an exception for literary merit.<p>Some of you are parents, some of you are pretty young, and most of you are geeks. Give me some ideas!
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bd
Well, not sci-fi, but still somehow geeky - when I was a kid, I enjoyed "
_Three Investigators_ " series:

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Investigators>

Also, you can introduce him to some excellent Ostblock sci-fi authors:

 _Stanislav Lem: "The Cyberiad"_ (<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cyberiad>)

 _Arkady and Boris Strugatsky: "Monday Begins on Saturday"_
(<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monday_Begins_on_Saturday>)

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stinkytaco
I'm a librarian, so I can speak somewhat to this. Ender's game is a good book,
if violent. I've got some below. Talk to your local librarian, they might have
some good suggestions too.

Will he do fantasy? If so try:

The Hobbit

Narnia

Artimis Fowl

Discworld (by Terry Pratchett)

Sci-Fi:

D.A.

Jumper

A Wrinkle in Time

Heinlein's Y/A stuff (Have spacesuit will travel)

Akiko

Little Brother

City of Ember

The Eye, the Ear and the Arm

Uglies

The Giver

Try some Manga too, if you're not opposed.

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tptacek
You have an awesome job.

D.A.?

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stinkytaco
[http://www.amazon.com/D-Connie-
Willis/dp/1596061200/ref=sr_1...](http://www.amazon.com/D-Connie-
Willis/dp/1596061200/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1250214867&sr=8-7)

It is a pretty awesome job. Most people who come to the library really want to
be there. But there's lots of drunks, homeless and otherwise unpleasent people
as well. Gotta take the good with the bad, I guess.

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shrughes
At around that age I read The Tripods trilogy and liked it.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tripods>

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timwiseman
I second the suggestion for Asimov, everything by Asimov.

Also, Piers Anthony has some excellent Sci-Fi books targetting that age group.
I started reading his books when I was 11.

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dantheman
All of the enders game series including the shadow of ender books are great.

I'd also recommend the lensemen series by e.e. doc smith.

Lord of the Rings

Alas Babylon

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mrlyc
When I was that age, I really liked the "Mike Mars" series of books by Donald
A. Wollheim.

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Mankhool
Asimov's, I Robot.

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tptacek
I'm biased against Asimov --- which I'm sure is a great suggestion and thank
you --- because I got it in grade school and it put me to sleep. Was I crazy,
or is stuff like Snow Crash just a whole lot more fun to read?

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trafficlight
It's true. Neal Stephenson is a whole lot more fun to read.

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antipaganda
While I agree with you to an extent, Neal Stephenson also gets panned for
writing long-winded stuff, like Anathem or the Baroque Trilogy. I just view it
as dense brain-food, but some people get turned off.

