Ask Slashdot: Best Science-Fiction/Fantasy For Kids?

Don't try by crazyjj · 2012-06-20 06:45 · Score: 5, Insightful

My advice might seem a little cynical, but the first thing I always tell someone who asks "How do I get my kid to like X?" is to tell them "Don't." If they're anything like my kids, mom and dad trying to sell them on something is the quickest way to make it the most uncool thing in the universe.

When I was a kid, my dad kept trying to sell me on Westerns. Whether or not that had anything to do with it, or whether it was just my nature, I can tell you that I *hated* Westerns then and still do. Of course, I never had the heart to tell the old man, and humored him to no end. But if there was ever any chance I was going to like those bastards Louis L'Amour or John Ford, my dad trying to make them seem "cool" certainly guaranteed that it was never going to happen.

As an alternative, why not ask your kid what HE likes, and YOU read some of HIS stuff instead? It will probably be a bunch of crap (my evil kids stuck me with reading those damned Harry Potter and pussy vampire books). But at least you won't be turning him off to something.

--
What political party do you join when you don't like Bible-thumpers *or* hippies?

Re:Don't try by Grog6 · 2012-06-20 06:49 · Score: 2, Interesting

I'd already read most of Asimov at 8, and lost my chemistry set privileges. :)
Not going to be a geek, is he?
I'd start with Niven's Ringworld; I remember reading that before puberty, lol.

--
Truth isn't Truth - Guliani
Re:Don't try by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 06:53 · Score: 1, Insightful

I would have said, "yeah, dad, sure," and then tossed that crap in the trash can when he wasn't looking. Then I would have went outside, UNSUPERVISED, as was acceptable and even encouraged for kids back then. Then I had actual face-to-face contact with my friends and their parents before my friends and I went to jump bikes UNSUPERVISED and WITHOUT HELMETS (WHAT?! But you could've DIED doing that!).
Why the hell would I waste my time reading Asimov while I was reading National Lampoon magazines? Yes, before they sponsored crappy frat-boy movies, National Lampoon was a magazine full of intelligent adult humor with gratuitous nudity. But none of you will remember that, because you're too busy beating it to anime. Fools!

-- Ethanol-fueled
Re:Don't try by g0bshiTe · 2012-06-20 06:56 · Score: 4, Insightful

We are talking about an 8 year old. They usually tend to still think their parents are cool at that age.

--
I am Bennett Haselton! I am Bennett Haselton!
Re:Don't try by g0bshiTe · 2012-06-20 07:00 · Score: 4, Interesting

I remember those old times, be home before the street lights come on. Did you used to see how far you could go during a day and still be home before dark? Farthest I go was from Houston, TX to Pasadena, TX and back home before dark. Roughly 14 miles one way, not too shabby for an 8 year old.

--
I am Bennett Haselton! I am Bennett Haselton!
Re:Don't try by dkmeans · 2012-06-20 07:03 · Score: 2

Maybe a little Jules Verne? or a little EE Doc Smith "Valeron" - lots of action....

--
Dan Means
Re:Don't try by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 07:06 · Score: 1

Could it also be the way you try to convince? Instead of saying "hey here's a western. You're just gonna love it!" you could actually start telling a story yourself. That could get him excited. When I was a kid growing up in the back of nowhere (dark little town in eastern India), I had two great story tellers relate fairy tales and mythology every evening. I found all that fascinating. When I grew up I took to reading, and even fancied myself a writer/poet!
Re:Don't try by Pieroxy · 2012-06-20 07:06 · Score: 3, Interesting

Not trying to force feed them the book is one thing. One can always let the book around, when the kid asks vaguely answer "bah, it's just one of my books". You'll see.
By the way, the OP is asking which books are suitable, not how to make his son like it. The thing is, if he starts with sloppy SciFi books, he will be put off.

--
Write boring code, not shiny code!
Re:Don't try by dkleinsc · 2012-06-20 07:11 · Score: 5, Insightful

Even better strategy: leave the book lying around, and tell him that it's not for kids his age and he's not allowed to read it. He'll pick it up for sure.

--
I am officially gone from /. Long live http://www.soylentnews.com/
Re:Don't try by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 07:11 · Score: 0

Dragon Pink
Re:Don't try by jellomizer · 2012-06-20 07:15 · Score: 2

There isn't anything wrong exposing you children to new things, what is usually more dangerous is making your kids avoid what you think is crap, or not your cup of tea.
If you do that you start planting the seed of a divide between you and him... However there isn't anything wrong to exposing you children to things you like and other things as well.
It is Ok if you kid Like Gangster Rap... However he should be able appreciate classical music as well, if you just let him make his own choices most kids will choose to do what is popular, exposing your kids to other ideas and arts, forces them to decide if they like it or not.

--
If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
Re:Don't try by NEDHead · 2012-06-20 07:16 · Score: 1

Wrong approach. Pick out what you want him to read, put them on the bookshelf and tell him he can't read them until he is older. Problem solved.
Re:Don't try by Dolphinzilla · 2012-06-20 07:20 · Score: 1

I just tried to get my 15 year old to read Ringworld - awesome book !
Re:Don't try by cnastase · 2012-06-20 07:20 · Score: 2

I'd have to say Jules Verne too. Also, I think there's a children's version of Sherlock Holmes stories, not sure what age is addressed to though.

--
Born to raise hell.
Re:Don't try by rwven · 2012-06-20 07:21 · Score: 1

His dad isn't trying to get him to like it. He already likes it, and the dad is trying to get him something in his age-range.
Re:Don't try by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 07:29 · Score: 0

funny as it may appear, the parent should be modded as Insightful instead of Funny.
Re:Don't try by HapSlappy_2222 · 2012-06-20 07:31 · Score: 2

While you're 100% correct, there is nothing wrong with providing access to the material. Remember; this kid is 8. I highly doubt he's concerned with how uncool Daddy is yet. I'd recommend he take his son to the local library (a fun event in any case) and let him pick out all the books that sound neat to him, but gently steer him to the science fiction area, too. This can be as easy as "Hey son, wanna see some of the books Daddy likes to read?"

Regarding selling kids on things: I agree totally that this isn't the right way to go. On the other hand, if there's interest in a project, there's nothing wrong with supplying some motivation when the going gets tough. My daughters both played soccer for a couple of years (at their choice, we found a list of summer programs they could take part in). At first, they didn't much like the practices; learning was hard, as was meeting new friends, getting up on Saturdays, etc. We went a few times, anyway, and they came to look forward to practices and games. One has moved on to ballet now, and the other decided karate was more her thing. I fully expect them to move on to other things many times in the future, too, and I welcome it; I have no vested interest in them doing any specific thing. I do try to instill a little bit of responsibility and pride in the things they want to do, though.

My kids ARE at that "You're embarrassing me, Daddy!!" age. I'm not allowed to hang out and watch practices, but I'm allowed to come to recitals and competitions. I'm not allowed to congratulate them for doing a good job (when did high-fives and fist bumps get uncool, anyway?) until we get a few blocks away. Yes, I'm a 'pretty cool dad', for the most part, but only because I save the mushy parenting stuff for home, and treat them like the young adults they want to be in public, so long as they earn that treatment. I'm young enough to remember what I wanted, and am willing to provide that, to a point.

I think that you're spot on with a parent experiencing what their kids want to do; I have no interest in doing any of these things myself, but it's fun because THEY love it. It's simply valuable to participate in projects as a family, whenever possible. The easiest way to tell if your kids have a spark of interest in a project you enjoy is to mention it, and then simply listen to them. Conversely, the fastest way to tell if your kid has lost interest with a project is when they pick a new one to replace it.

My kids still love playing video-games with me, and they like watching many of my geek TV shows on lazy Netflix Sundays, though they'd never admit it to their friends, and I'm ok with that. I only get 5 more years until college, so I'm taking what I can get. :)
Re:Don't try by Bill,+Shooter+of+Bul · 2012-06-20 07:43 · Score: 1

Not all geeks like SciFi. I in particular despise most of it with most of my being. There are literally four good sci fi authors: Jules Verne, Issac Assimov , Arthur C. Clarke and Aldous Huxley. Everyone else sucks, IMHO.

--
Well.. maybe. Or Maybe not. But Definitely not sort of.
Re:Don't try by Rolgar · 2012-06-20 07:53 · Score: 2

I disagree. If you show an interest, and do it well they will definitely be interested, although you do need to let them have some input into what is chosen.
My wife and I homeschool (private school is an option, but researching homeschool, we've realized one pace or method does not work for every student). I strongly recommend the Thomas Jefferson Education principles for literature. Thomas Jefferson is a framework where the parents pick the materials and curriculum to match the student, and as such, the principles can be used by any parent, even with a child in school.
For young children of this age, they recommend focusing on the old three R's as the foundation of the rest of their education. For the literacy portion, they recommend reading classic works that have been recognized by previous generations as great works. Now, I personally love fantasy and science fiction, but you need more variety than just science fiction and fantasy, but if you are just looking for some from this category to use, I would definitely recommend Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Asimov, Bradbury, and other names considered among the best of those around a generation ago or longer. A good friend turned me on to Andre Norton and Anne McCaffrey late in elementary. I loved the Xanth novels, and I'm sure there are other series out there. Peter Pan is a classic that is geared more toward that age level. Check this Amazon list or a genre list and look through the list for names you recognize since they are probably some of the more widely read and therefore worth reading.
For works outside this genre, you might consider the 3 Musketeers, Treasure Island, Sherlock Holmes, or the books of Howard Pyle. While not specifically of your genre, they are great stories that might catch the interest of young boys.
Reading with a child is extremely important. But don't make it drudgery, or it will make them think reading is a chore. But if you pick fun stuff, they will probably like it and be interested in it and realize that there are wonderful things to be found in books, and you will have plenty of material to work with. Also make it a point to interact with them after the time of reading, and discuss what's been read. This will help them to learn how to think and talk about what they've read.
Re:Don't try by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 07:54 · Score: 0

I was always an avid reader and when my sons were about 8 years old, I remember reading Jurassic Park and some of Dean Koontz books. They made me read Jurassic Park 4 times to them (including all that boring stuff about the gene sequencing) The Dean Koontz books in particular were the ones called Watchers and another about troll and pig-faced humans who were genetically engineered and really evil ( can't remember the name), I was not allowed to read them word for word as my sons found them too scarey but I had paraphrase each sentence. With children sometimes it's not what you say, but what they see you doing, that influences them. Now they are in their late 20s and they find books for me to read:) Good luck, I found the reading part of child-rearing to be the most fun.
Re:Don't try by Capt.DrumkenBum · 2012-06-20 07:57 · Score: 3, Insightful

It is Ok if you kid Like Gangster Rap.
WRONG! If your kid likes gangsta rap you have done something wrong and must be punished.
Also, get of my lawn.

--
If I were God, wouldn't I protect my churches from acts of me?
Re:Don't try by greenfruitsalad · 2012-06-20 07:59 · Score: 1

I have to agree with this post. Jules Verne is what I started with when I was 10 and I still treasure those memories. The stories are always kiddy-safe and there's so many of them it'll take the little one a good year or two to go through them all.
I remember the shock when I read my first modern scifi books. Everything had so much sex in it, it made the 13 year old me feel really uneasy. I had to go back to classic scifi writers. But the problem with them is they're so old, the future they're describing (our present) feels embarrassingly childish. It's like Bill Gates' visionary book that forgot the little thing called internet. e.g. in the Foundation series, scientists were still wearing white lab coats, flipping two-credit coins and writing notes on paper.
Re:Don't try by cygnwolf · 2012-06-20 08:06 · Score: 4, Informative

If you want to stay with Asimov, he wrote the Lucky Starr books under a pen name, they were targeted at younger boys and were much more accessible and understandable by me than, say, Foundation

--
Free Pie! The Pie is Also Evil!
Re:Don't try by cpu6502 · 2012-06-20 08:07 · Score: 1

I didn't start reading science fiction until 9th grade so that's what..... 14? A friend told me to read Foundation's Edge. Prior to that point I mostly *watched* science fiction like Star Trek and Buck Rogers.
Back at age 8 I was more interesting in REAL science rather than fiction. Here's what I used to read back then:
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/
http://www.astronomy.com/Magazine/
http://www.sciencenews.org/ (once I reached middle school)

--
My AC stalker: " I personally agree with your posts most of the time, but that won't keep me from modding you troll"
Re:Don't try by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 08:12 · Score: 1

That didn't work for me. Each kid is different: some will respond to those kinds of challenges. Others will very much want to read what dad likes. The key is to know your kid, and to try new strategies continuously until you find some that work.
Re:Don't try by Jiro · 2012-06-20 08:15 · Score: 1

I'd mod this up if I had points right now. It's like the question of "I want to get my child/nephew interested in programming, what do I start them with?" The answer is the same: if they're interested, they'll get into it and you can ask the question then. You're not going to make them interested, and realistically, it's something that only a few people actually do.
There's a chance he'll be interested in some of the currently-for-young-readers sci-fi series (Hunger Games comes to mind). The intended audience of that series is older than 8 years old, but it's still closer to his level than I, Robot. But ultimately, if he's not interested, he's not interested. Don't try to "get him interested"; it'll only annoy the kid. You cannot raise kids to be fans; they are their own people.
Re:Don't try by dan828 · 2012-06-20 08:20 · Score: 3, Informative

Some of Heinlein's early stuff was aimed at a younger audience. Red Planet, Time for the Stars, Farmer in the Sky, Podkayne of Mars, Citizen of the Galaxy, to name a few.
Re:Don't try by Jiro · 2012-06-20 08:27 · Score: 1

His dad isn't trying to get him to like it. He already likes it, and the dad is trying to get him something in his age-range.
No, his dad is trying to get him interested.
I'd love to get him interested in science-fiction
Re:Don't try by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 08:30 · Score: 0

Have Spacesuit Will Travel was one of the first SciFi books that I remember reading in elementary school
Re:Don't try by Deep+Esophagus · 2012-06-20 08:34 · Score: 1

Yeah, just find fun stuff to read. When I was that age, I really got into the "kid genius" stories -- Brains Benton, Encyclopedia Brown, Danny Dunn. He's probably old enough for Hobbit, but probably not ready for LOTR yet. Possibly Lemony Snicket?
One VERY loose rule of thumb, with plenty of exceptions, is to look at the age of the protagonists. I've found that for the most part (have I thrown in enough weasel words yet?) that's the target audience. Obviously different kids mature at different rates and so on, but if nothing else it helps the reader identify more closely with the main character.
And extra mod points all around for everyone who says don't force. If you keep pushing, he's going to come to think of reading as a chore he has to endure just to please you, rather than an enjoyable pastime
Re:Don't try by jdavidb · 2012-06-20 08:44 · Score: 1

Interesting. I inherited a lot of my father's loves. Including science fiction, and westerns (TV shows, not books). About all I didn't get was a love for football.
To me it was like osmosis. This was just what the family did.

--
Secession is the right of all sentient beings.
Re:Don't try by nedlohs · 2012-06-20 08:46 · Score: 1

my evil kids stuck me with reading those damned Harry Potter and pussy vampire books
those would be fantasy, surely? Problem solved!
Re:Don't try by greenfruitsalad · 2012-06-20 08:58 · Score: 5, Informative

I also forgot to mention Terry Pratchett. He wrote quite a few books for his daughter.
There's Johnny Maxwell trilogy which is cool, Nome trilogy which is hilarious and cool, Carpet people which is also very funny, there are also Discworld novels for kids but I haven't read those.
Re:Don't try by History's+Coming+To · 2012-06-20 09:02 · Score: 1

I'd highly recommend Asimov's "Lucky Starr" series (aka "Space Ranger"), full length kids novels that are absolutely enthralling, even re-reading them as an adult. They may well be out of print now, but abebooks.com (.co.uk) is your friend. They're no longer astronomically accurate, featuring the oceans of Venus for example, but unless you find a really old edition there's a little disclaimer from the good Doctor explaining this and encouraging further reading.

See also Harry Harrison's "Stainless Steel Rat" series, Orson Scott Card's wonderful "Ender's Game" (with the 8 year old we all were as the hero) and anything by Nicholas Fisk or John Wyndam.

--
Please consider this account deleted, I just can't be bothered with the spam anymore.
Re:Don't try by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 09:17 · Score: 0

That's how I ended up reading Anais Nin's Delta of Venus at age 11. I thought it was sci fi (had Venus in the title, after all) and parents told me I couldn't read it.
Re:Don't try by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 09:22 · Score: 0

"*Maybe* wrong approach", you mean.
My ten-year-old trusts my recommendations to him (and I'm careful to maintain reputation there!) and he'd believe me if I said "don't". So it depends on the kid.
He's just been reading Moorcock's The Runestaff books - Hawkmoon etc - and I broke them to him by reading the first few pages at bedtime... and then he did the rest. He said "there's a new brilliant idea on every page!"...
He's back on Philip Pullman for now, and next stop will be .... well ... ok perhaps I'd better read the rest of these recommendations!
Re:Don't try by Belial6 · 2012-06-20 09:27 · Score: 1

Your dad's problem was that he was improperly using reverse psychology. If he really wanted you to like them, he should have forbid you from watching them. When you came in the room, he should have faux hurriedly shut them off. He should have told you that you were too immature to handle the content. Then when you were thoroughly hooked, he should have slowly reeled you in by letting you watch just a little bit.

My kid could read within a couple of months of turning 3 using this technique. Any movies or TV shows I would like to share with him, I go into a different room and watch. When he comes in, I pause it. 99% of the time he will ask what it is, and I will fluff it off as something he wouldn't like. It works like a charm.
Re:Don't try by LordLimecat · 2012-06-20 10:02 · Score: 1

The problem with ringworld is that its soft sci-fi pretending to be hard sci-fi.
I always loved reading a book where it has some nugget of real information and its like, "cool, that makes sense, and its a real fact that I know now". Its what makes hard sci-fi cool.
The problem with ringworld (having read it a few months ago) is that it has all these factoids that are just false; like for example the klemperer rosette being inherently stable or a ringworld being able to maintain an orbit due to inherent stability. Which all sounds cool, until you spend a split second thinking about it, and say, wait, that doesnt seem right. And you research it, and find out it was completely bogus.
It was an OK book, with a decent plot, but that really bugged me, because it touted itself as hard sci-fi and I got all hung up trying to figure out why his facts seemed all wrong to me.
Re:Don't try by lister+king+of+smeg · 2012-06-20 10:17 · Score: 3, Interesting

If you like Asimov you could go with "Norby Chronicles" by Issac Asimov and his wife Janet Asimov. it is a series of scifi stories for kids it even has the three law show up occasionally.

--
---Saying gnome 3 is better than windows 8 not so much a compliment as it is damning with light praise.
Re:Don't try by littlebigbot · 2012-06-20 10:35 · Score: 1

Depends on the kid, I guess. My dad was all about Sci-Fi and fantasy. And because of that, so was I. But he didn't try to push on me, but rather encouraged it. Not to say the things he pushed on me I hated, but that wasn't one of those things.
Re:Don't try by joebok · 2012-06-20 10:40 · Score: 1

Yes, my first thought too - I'd add Rolling Stones, Rocketship Galileo, Tunnel in the Sky, and Space Cadet.
Re:Don't try by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 11:43 · Score: 0

Eh I had about the same experience. I only liked seeing a Western many years later when I saw The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly. Just the other day my father wanted me to see Bonanza and I said something depreciative to him.
Re:Don't try by istartedi · 2012-06-20 12:23 · Score: 2

Yes! And we had to ride miles to the mall. At the very least, it was a mile to the nearest store that had video games. Childhood obesity was virtually unheard of.
Now get off my lawn, which I had to mow in order to earn money to put in the video games.

--
For all intensive purposes, "whom" is no longer a word. That begs the question, "who cares"?
Re:Don't try by Pseudonym · 2012-06-20 12:37 · Score: 3, Interesting

The Tiffany Aching books (A Hat Full of Sky, The Wee Free Men and I Shall Wear Midnight) to which you prefer are just a little too advanced for an eight year old. Even a reasonably bright eight year old. About 10-12 is probably more realistic. Oh, and the same goes for Nation.
I totally agree with you about the Bromeliad trilogy (Truckers, Diggers and Wings), though. A bright eight-year-old would eat that up, though admittedly not get some of the jokes.

--
sub f{($f)=@_;print"$f(q{$f});";}f(q{sub f{($f)=@_;print"$f(q{$f});";}f});
Re:Don't try by ross.w · 2012-06-20 12:48 · Score: 1

I'd like to add my vote here for Orson Scott Card and John Wyndham. My son who is now 13, enjoyed "Ender's Game" and "Ender's Shadow". John Wyndham's novels may start a bit slow for a young reader. In this regard "The Kraaken Wakes" is one I found hard to get into as a child. The "Midwich Cuckoos" or "The Chrysalids" are two that I would recommend, although some background explanation of the latter might be necessary for someone born after the Cold War. "The Day Of The Triffids" is perhaps, a bit dark. His short stories are great if you can find them.

--
If my call is important, why am I talking to a recording?
Re:Don't try by Will.Woodhull · 2012-06-20 13:32 · Score: 2

Agree with parent and grandparent posts. The juvenile Heinlein stories are a good place to start. The only real problem is in remembering whether with that author it is "i before e" or the other way around.
My suggestions would be to start with _Have Spacesuit, Will Travel_, then the one with the Lumox, I do not recall the title but someone here will. _The Rolling Stones_, of course. _Door into Summer_ would be good in a year or so, but not one of the very first books.
Andre Norton also wrote several juveniles that would be good for his age. One was titled _Plague Ship_ or something like that (it is no where near as dark as the title suggests).
If you want to take the time, Hal Clement's _Mission of Gravity_ would be an excellent introduction to hard science scifi. You will need to read it with him in short, digestible settings, probably with the keyboard in reach so that you can also show him how to use Google, Wikipedia, and so forth to explore some of the physics involved. The story is as engaging as the Sinbad The Sailor stories; the science is as solid as it can be.

--
Will
Re:Don't try by Epsilon+Moonshade · 2012-06-20 15:14 · Score: 1

I'm a bit late on this, but something he should keep in mind is that the Lucky Starr books are a bit dated in their science. I'm not sure if you're going for "fun read" or "get the kid into genuine science," but there are parts of some of them that are flat-out wrong.
"Lucky Starr and the Oceans of Venus" is the most obviously incorrect one, but I seem to recall that the original one ("Lucky Starr - Space Ranger") got some things wrong as well. Just something to keep in mind - a lot of Asimov's stuff has aged extremely well, but that particular series didn't.
Also, the pen name was Paul French - but the volume I have also has Asimov's name on it.
Re:Don't try by lsllll · 2012-06-20 15:54 · Score: 1

Errrrr, I'm going to have to disagree with you there. I have two daughters, now 18 and 17, and I always tried to sell them Star Trek. We started out with TNG, because that's what I had, then TOS, then DS9, then Voyager, and finally Enterprise. We've watched all episodes, and while at times they bitched, we watched them anyways. After all, my house was closer to a dictatorship than it was a democracy.
You know what actually got them thinking that "Hey, maybe the old man wasn't all that nuts."? It was when they met a few other people who thought it was SOOOOO cool that they had watched every episode of Star Trek. Then it was something to brag about. Then it was about pointing out the differences and the discrepancies between the new ST movie and the old series, or quoting lines from popular episodes. In addition, when I was watching episodes of DS9 and TNG in the background while I was cooking dinner, I always said "Everything I learned in life I learned from Star Trek.", because there is usually a lesson to be learned from every episode. Once they actually understood the episodes and their inner meanings, they appreciated them even more.
I'm a firm believer that our job as a parent is not to appease to our kids on a constant basis and that kids sometimes need to be told how to go about life, without letting them discover it on their own. After all, what's the point of passing on our experiences to our offsprings?
Don't get me wrong. I understand that kids' interests do not necessarily collide with their parents' interests, but no kid is going to grow up demented or an asshole because their parents made them sit and watch a TV show, or getting into a hobby that they may not seem interested in at first. There is, after all, many more elements to engaging them and socialization, not to mention that some of their time belongs to their parents while they're still living at home. The last thing you want to do is just let you kids go on their own and try to explore the world by themselves.

--
Is that a roll of dimes in your pocket or are you happy to see me?
Re:Don't try by kiwimate · 2012-06-20 16:14 · Score: 1

I'd already read most of Asimov at 8, and lost my chemistry set privileges. :)
Not going to be a geek, is he?
I'd start with Niven's Ringworld; I remember reading that before puberty, lol.
Wait...you're old enough to have gone through puberty, and this is how you write? Ye gods.
Re:Don't try by scharkalvin · 2012-06-21 00:41 · Score: 1

H.G. Wells.
Re:Don't try by flirno · 2012-06-21 01:01 · Score: 1

I was reading the LotR at that age and while some of it went over my head I could not put the books down until I had finished them. Outside of that I read world and american classics.
And no, my parents refused to let me participate in read-a-thons because of the financial impact it would have on the sponsors.
Re:Don't try by flirno · 2012-06-21 01:06 · Score: 1

I read the Hobbit after I had finished LotR and felt that it was dumbed down somehow. Later on I read in one of his letters that the Hobbit was written as a kind of experiment to see if a fantasy novel of this type could be written to appeal to both adults and to children simultaneously. JRRT admitted in his letters that this particular experiment failed quite badly in its aims though I think that it is clear that readers in certain regions like it well enough.
Re:Don't try by cygnwolf · 2012-06-21 01:33 · Score: 1

True, they are a bit dated on their Science, but no worse than Jules Verne, who has been suggested by a lot of people. That could even be a learning experience, what science fiction authors of today think something might be like may in fact be totally different - see what these older novels thought things were like that we now know to be different? Another example occurred to me last night after I went to bed, if you can find any of the Buck Rodgers novels, they can be fairly action packed too. Same problem with factual errors, but fun books all the same.

--
Free Pie! The Pie is Also Evil!
Re:Don't try by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-21 01:44 · Score: 1

Orphans of the Sky and Starship Troopers are also easy Heinlein reads. Actually, I would recommend anything by Heinlein, except perhaps Friday, to children.
Re:Don't try by AstroMatt · 2012-06-21 01:53 · Score: 1

As a kid my dad had a bunch of SF books around, so I just picked them up w/o him trying to foist them on me. For content, I recommend the anthologies that are out there "best SF of YEAR". Also, there's a lot of Escape Pod (escapepod.org) podcasts that are age appropriate - download and play on longer car trips.
Re:Don't try by jnowlan · 2012-06-21 02:03 · Score: 1

Forgot he wrote those. I gained my love of reading from them. I know the Martians are still hiding out there.
Re:Don't try by TheShadowzero · 2012-06-21 02:46 · Score: 1

Discworld, period, good for anyone of any age. You might have to do some research into which books are more appropriate for an 8 year old, but the whole series is phenomenal.

--
If history repeats itself, why can't we study the future?
Re:Don't try by AG+the+other · 2012-06-21 04:29 · Score: 1

Beside Asimov for younger kids mine liked the L. Frank Baum Oz books, which are more fantasy.
Also Heinlein's early juvenile fiction was written for the age group that you are asking about.

--
Non bene pro toto libertas venditur auro
Re:Don't try by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-21 05:09 · Score: 0

Our kids have really enjoyed the Eragon series by Christopher Paolini, Fablehaven by Brandon Mull, Dragonriders of Pern by Anne McCaffrey, Inkheart by Cornelia Funke, Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer and "A Wrinkle in time" by Madeline L'Engle
Hope this helps.
You may also want to look at the Audiobook section of your local library. Most of them offer downloadable books in MP3 or WMA format.
Dave
Re:Don't try by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-21 05:26 · Score: 0

Go to your local library to the young-adult section. There will be a lot of science fiction there aimed at younger kids.
Personally, I got into science fiction by reading every Batman, Superman and Green Lantern comic book I could get my hands on. More modern graphic novels, including much of the Japanese stuff, is excellent Sci-Fi these days.
Re:Don't try by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-21 05:31 · Score: 0

If you can find them, some old Tom Swift Jr. books would still be a good read. Aimed at just his age bracket. I just looked it up on Amazon, and they are still in print.
Re:Don't try by suutar · 2012-06-21 06:58 · Score: 1

The Star Beast
Re:Don't try by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-21 15:48 · Score: 0

My advice might seem a little cynical, but the first thing I always tell someone who asks "How do I get my kid to like X?" is to tell them "Don't." If they're anything like my kids, mom and dad trying to sell them on something is the quickest way to make it the most uncool thing in the universe.
When I was a kid, my dad kept trying to sell me on Westerns. Whether or not that had anything to do with it, or whether it was just my nature, I can tell you that I *hated* Westerns then and still do. Of course, I never had the heart to tell the old man, and humored him to no end. But if there was ever any chance I was going to like those bastards Louis L'Amour or John Ford, my dad trying to make them seem "cool" certainly guaranteed that it was never going to happen.
As an alternative, why not ask your kid what HE likes, and YOU read some of HIS stuff instead? It will probably be a bunch of crap (my evil kids stuck me with reading those damned Harry Potter and pussy vampire books). But at least you won't be turning him off to something.
Completely agree! Why does the kids have to like same things as the father? Biggest turn off for ksid when the parents interests are enforced on them.
Re:Don't try by e40 · 2012-06-22 08:34 · Score: 1

I have to agree. Pretty much every TV show or book I've tried to turn my kid onto (now 11) has failed. What's worked? Watching the show when I know he's around. Then, he wants to watch it. For books, the best I've done is just take him to the library and let him browse to find stuff.
Re:Don't try by mdenham · 2012-06-22 20:12 · Score: 1

... or a ringworld being able to maintain an orbit due to inherent stability.
He doesn't claim that in the first book, and the second one explicitly states that it's not going to have a stable orbit - if it gets just a bit off-center, you've got a fairly short time frame (2-3 years) to either get it recentered (which is a mess) or lose the thing.
As far as the rosette goes... the puppeteers are moving these worlds at large fractions of the speed of light. Whether or not the setup is normally stable isn't mentioned; however, they've been moving planets around (to produce the Fleet of Worlds, the rosette in question) for somewhere around half a million years. So presumably adjustments are made to maintain the rosette as needed due to gravitational forces from bodies outside the rosette.
So... nice job of mischaracterizing the books.
Re:Don't try by LordLimecat · 2012-06-23 12:06 · Score: 1

THe first ringworld book implies VERY strongly that a large meteor struck the ringworld, causing a massive deformation to it; and this, a long time ago. Seems to me that that should have caused the orbit to fail.

So... nice job of mischaracterizing the books.
IIRC, they explicitly declare that the rosettes are inherently stable. That is a factual inaccuracy, there is no way that you could call it stable. Wikipedia specifically mentions how UNstable it is-- because like the ringworld, any disturbance can throw it off-balance and cause a cascading failure.
The reason he mentions the instability in the second book may have something to do with the large number of letters he received criticizing this very thing. I seem to remember something in the foreword or the wikipedia article about this. Im not the only, or first, one to call these errors out, by a long shot.
Re:Don't try by mdenham · 2012-06-23 13:03 · Score: 1

First off, here's a timeline that's about as consistent as we're going to get.
Meteor impact was about 1600 years prior to the time of the first book; by comparison, the final raid on the attitude jets by the City Builders was probably around the time of the superconductor plague, five hundred years later (as basically a panicked attempt to get away from the problem). The attitude jets at the time of the impact, combined with an existing protector in the Repair Center, would mean that the orbital failure was caught and fixed at the time, probably within hours of impact.
Also, nowhere in the first book does it mention the rosette being stable. Just "safe", which is an entirely different matter (though you do have to wonder about the mindset of a race that thinks that moving planets around in the first place is safe).
Re:Don't try by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-23 14:31 · Score: 0

My wife and daughter agree with you... don't force anything on the kid. On the other hand, my wife also suggested talking to your local librarian, who should be able to recommend some appropriate age-level books.
Just in case you're still looking, there's a lot of stuff out there in both science fiction and fantasy for various ages, some new, some old. Among them: Witches of Karres by James Schmitz, the Kingdom Keepers series by Ridley Pearson; Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson; the Artemus Fowl series by Eoin Colfer; and others. There's also the Madeleine L'Engel Wrinkle in Time series, where the smartest kid is the youngest.
Re:Don't try by tommychips · 2012-06-25 08:56 · Score: 1

Lot's of sex, and really heady concepts in ring world. Maybe a little heavy for an eight year old.
Re:Don't try by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-26 07:13 · Score: 0

Oh boy, the same here.
Mixing together a few compounds, setting it on fire, breathing in the smoke = ultra win
Re:Don't try by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-27 15:13 · Score: 0

Put all your books in the walk in closet with plenty of blankets and pillows and tell them that those are your books and to keep out...
the kid will have them all read in a summer if the TV and computer are "broken"
Re:Don't try by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-29 08:24 · Score: 0

Star Beast is the one with the Lumox. That's the one my mom used to introduce myself and my brothers to science fiction. It's good for kids. We were about 5-6 years old when she read it. Red Planet, Rolling Stones, Have Spacesuit Will Travel are excellent.
Watch out for Podkayne. My mom read it to me when I was little, but it was a censored version (the only one you could get in the 70s, for the most part). I read the uncensored one when I was in my 20s, and I must say, yikes. That's going to be awfully heavy for anyone under, say, 16. Not graphic, but what is implied about what happens to Podkayne is pretty violent, and it ends on a distinctly down-note.
Re:Don't try by mokumegane · 2012-06-29 08:53 · Score: 1

Lol, those were the days we played in the forest behind our house because even the closest grocery store was near eighty miles away and the town connected to our forest service station (we lived on forest service grounds) was two miles away on the log truck-choked freeway. Ahh... in the winter, though, we'd be wetting down the trail going from our yard to the compound street (with the garden hose)... after building a ramp on it, of course. We'd get so much air...

Tolkien, of course by plover · 2012-06-20 06:46 · Score: 4, Insightful

I read the Hobbit to my son around first grade, and we read Lord of the Rings when he was about 7. This was ten years before the movies came out, and he was able to use his own imagination instead of seeing Peter Jackson's imagination at work. Highly recommended - he still has fond memories of our reading those books, and even said so this weekend.

If you read them over the course of a few weeks or so they are like any serial, where you learn to keep track of who is where and doing what, and enjoy the anticipation of finding out what comes next. I wouldn't assume they have to be short stories, they just have to hold his interest.

--
John

Re:Tolkien, of course by getto+man+d · 2012-06-20 06:55 · Score: 3, Interesting

Thanks for sharing. My father read The Hobbit to me when I was about the same age as your son (~5 years old). I absolutely loved it and, when I was older, read LOTR on my own (still remember being mad that Bilbo wasn't the main character anymore), which started a long and interesting journey throughout the fantasy genre.
I'm sure the Harry Potter series would serve as a great starting point as well.
Re:Tolkien, of course by Quiet_Desperation · 2012-06-20 06:58 · Score: 5, Funny

I hope it was the original version where Bilbo stabs first.
Re:Tolkien, of course by Mashiki · 2012-06-20 07:02 · Score: 1

I read the hobbit when I was in grade 5, my teacher thought it was pretty damn neat. And said "If there are words or sentences you don't understand, come to me and I'll explain." But easy sci-fi and fantasy are the best, WoT is pretty heavy reading, so is most of it. My suggestion though is comic books. That's what started me on sci-fi.

--
Om, nomnomnom...
Re:Tolkien, of course by dintech · 2012-06-20 07:05 · Score: 1

When I was his age, I really loved reading the choose-your-own-adventure type books. The wording is easy, they're suitable for boys and the gamification of reading is pretty good at holding a kid's attention.
I really recommend the Fighting Fantasy series by Steve Jackson and Ian Livingston, the co-founders of Games Workshop (Warhammer). Ones I fondly remember were Robot Commando, Temple of Terror and Midnight Rogue. I also really enjoyed the larger scale "Sorcery!" series that Steve Jackson did.
These gave me a pretty good appetite for getting into Dungeons and Dragons, Warhammer 40K and other Sci-Fi and Fantasy reading.
Re:Tolkien, of course by WilliamGeorge · 2012-06-20 07:08 · Score: 1

I like this idea, and will likely do so with my children (age 2 and 3 now). However, what I remember from childhood was my father reading the Wizard of Oz books to me. I'm not sure how old I was, but it must have been pretty young. I think they are probably better aimed at little kids, since the wording and level of violence is lower than even the Hobbit.

--
William George
Re:Tolkien, of course by Anubis+IV · 2012-06-20 07:14 · Score: 1

Gotta agree. My mother sat my brother and I down to read through The Hobbit when we were in elementary school (I was probably in 4th grade, he in 1st), and we followed it up with some of Lord of the Rings, though we stopped well before reaching the end since it was difficult for my brother to follow LotR at the time. She tried reading ahead each night and then summarizing difficult or slow passages for his benefit, but that was a bit much for her to keep up over the course of weeks or months, so we eventually dropped it.
It's been a few decades since then, and those are still some fond memories.
Re:Tolkien, of course by TinyPterosaur · 2012-06-20 07:15 · Score: 1

Tolkien is good for kids, though by eight years old he may already be spoiled by television's constant action to thoroughly enjoy his works. Then again, the hobbit has songs and quite a bit of mostly family friendly action so thats still a good choice. I read Jurassic Park in first grade, but it took me all year and I was obscenely obsessed with dinosaurs, so I may already have been where you want your son to be.
I would also suggest books by Terry Pratchett -- namely The Wee Free Men, which is a great story from a child's point of view, is hilarious to read (even for you) and has two sequels that are very much in the same vein. The books are easily readable, and reasonably quick. (200 some pages)
Re:Tolkien, of course by Talderas · 2012-06-20 07:25 · Score: 1

Harry Potter is a pretty easy read.
I know this suggestion will get my some flak, but Chronicles of Narnia.
WoT is a bad choice, not necessarily because of the heaviness, but primarily because of the length. It's too long, in my opinion, to keep most children engaged in. You can probably read it to a child and ignore a lot of the heaviness that comes from description (good lord the clothing does not need to be recited to the child). I wouldn't go past Eye of the World in the series with a child. It's probably the only one you can safely stop on and have a satisfactory ending.

--
"Lack of speed can be overcome. In the worst case by patience." --Znork
Re:Tolkien, of course by dr_leviathan · 2012-06-20 07:38 · Score: 1

My kids also enjoyed listening to stories at bedtime, until they were almost teenagers. We had some great times and it certainly helped them develop a love for reading books.
Among the stories that I remember as being most fun were The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn which have moments that are even more entertaining when read out loud and shared with a group. There is no need to focus on science fiction. Just pick good books that will keep them interested and you can't go wrong.

--
Religion is poison to rationality, and we lose sight of that at our own peril. -- Lurker2288
Re:Tolkien, of course by usuallylost · 2012-06-20 08:22 · Score: 2

Starting at about six my mother read a lot of books to me. I'd say try a number of different genre's and see what he likes. I remember her reading me; "The Time Machine", "War of the Worlds", "Have Spacesuit - Will Travel", "Space Cadet", "The Hobbit", all of "The Borrowers" books and about 20 others I don't remember the titles of. She read them a chapter or two at a time just as John is describing. I enjoyed it and it turned me into an avid reader.
Re:Tolkien, of course by Whorhay · 2012-06-20 08:38 · Score: 1

I grew up in a family with six kids, so trips of longer than ten minutes were likely to drive my Father crazy from all the noise. So my Mother would frequently read to us. I don't remember what books she read for the most part anymore. But I remeber really loving that she did that for us. I can still remember us begging her to read even though the light was bad because we just couldn't live with the some cliff hanger.
The one series that I do remember is The Chronicles of Prydain, by Lloyd Alexander.
Re:Tolkien, of course by Zaphod+The+42nd · 2012-06-20 08:40 · Score: 1

I mean, some of us, sure. I read Anne Mccaffrey when I was 7, and I read Tolkien.

But that's only if you're ALREADY a huge reader, which it does NOT sound like his kids are. If you're reading Tolkien at 7, you're reading at like a "10th grade level". This is not the kid who you're trying to introduce to books, this is a kid who already loves books. For a kid new to scifi/fantasy, Tolkien is going to turn them off, massively.

Tolkien is written in the 20th century style, everything takes forever to describe and get going. You'll put young modern children to sleep with that.

Tolkien is for when they're already loving fantasy, and want to read the really good stuff. Like Dune. Dune is freaking amazing, but you don't START with Dune! You read it as a teenager.

--
GCS/MU/P d- s:- a-- C++++$ UL++ P+ L++ E+ W++ N o K- w--- O M+ V- PS+++ PE Y+ PGP t+ 5- X R++ tv+ b++ DI++ D++ G+ e++ h-
Re:Tolkien, of course by Existential+Wombat · 2012-06-20 08:58 · Score: 1

I hope it was the original version where Bilbo stabs first.
Written in the original Klingon.
Re:Tolkien, of course by Bardez · 2012-06-20 09:42 · Score: 1

I second comic books. I found them on my own, then discovered my dad still had all his Marvel comics from the late 70's to early 80's. It was a good bonding experience and all that. Comics are short, easy to understand for ages 7-12, have extended vocabulary and can be thematically complex. The problem, though, would be shifting from words and pictures to just words.

--
Perception is the thin dividing line between reality and fiction.
Re:Tolkien, of course by Belial6 · 2012-06-20 10:05 · Score: 2

If watching the movies is seeing Peter Jackson's imagination at work, then reading the books is seeing Tolkien's. While basic reading skills are important in life, the idea that books are somehow 'better' as entertainment is simply BS. If you wanted you kid to use his imagination, you should have had him write his own book instead of reading someone else's and taking credit for the authors imagination.

Honestly, TLOTR made better movies than books. While the story was pretty good, and certainly formed the foundation for modern fantasy, the writing itself was atrocious.
Re:Tolkien, of course by Belial6 · 2012-06-20 10:15 · Score: 1

Speaking of the OZ books, when I finally got around to reading them, I was surprised at just how big of assholes all of the characters were. Not one of them was likeable. Some parents might not like the subject matter of things like how cool it is for children to wonder off with the first street vagrant that passes by as well.

Those books were written in a different time, and people's sensibilities have changed since then. Kind of like how offensive Tom Sawyer would be to a lot of parents today. I'm not saying that kids shouldn't read them. Just that a parent should be aware of what they giving their kids so that they can decide if it is appropriate for their kids. Mine, I would let read the books, but I would be aware of what it was he was reading.
Re:Tolkien, of course by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 10:31 · Score: 0

I was about the same age and there was this brilliantly illustrated version. Besides tolkein's original drawings and (was it watercolors?) there were these deep, full-page dark oil paintings accompanying every page. I think the text was a little bigger too. . . On a cool winter's day I stayed in bed with the window open, and covered up in blankets. Then read the whole book cover to cover.
Re:Tolkien, of course by icebraining · 2012-06-20 11:04 · Score: 1

It's not a binary state; books leave more to the imagination than movies. Which doesn't make them necessarily better - some stories may work better as a movie - but when the movie was made from the book, that's usually the case.
I certainly don't agree with your last comment. Regardless of the writing - which I'm not ready to judge - the books just have a better story; the movies sound like Cliff's Notes of the original.

--
Dilbert RSS feed
Re:Tolkien, of course by incalito · 2012-06-20 17:27 · Score: 1

I started with Dune (first two tomes, only ones available in my country in these times) as a eight years old kid. Found books in school's library, left me stunned. I still recommend Dune to everyone.
Re:Tolkien, of course by Belial6 · 2012-06-20 18:43 · Score: 1

If you think that books leave more to the imagination, you don't have one. How does infinity - 1 work out mathematically. Is it really less?
Re:Tolkien, of course by oernii · 2012-06-20 19:15 · Score: 1

stab? wasn't he given the ring from gollum? (diff from the original version http://www.ringgame.net/riddles.html)
Re:Tolkien, of course by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 22:38 · Score: 0

Yes, same story here. First I read the "The Hobbit", then the whole of LOTR when my son was about 6 or 7, and well before the movies came out.
He was as bitter as I was that they left out the "Scouring of the Shire" :-)
As others have suggested, I'd also recommend The Wizard of EarthSea series by Ursula K. LeGuin.
Re:Tolkien, of course by icebraining · 2012-06-21 06:10 · Score: 1

I don't think your comment makes any sense, so I'm unable to reply.

--
Dilbert RSS feed
Re:Tolkien, of course by hendrikboom · 2012-06-21 14:15 · Score: 1

When LOTR starts to drag during book the fifth, skip to near the end of book the fifth, and resume there.
Re:Tolkien, of course by Belial6 · 2012-06-21 19:42 · Score: 1

I guess that answer that.
Re:Tolkien, of course by avatar139 · 2012-06-24 11:06 · Score: 1

I read the Hobbit to my son around first grade, and we read Lord of the Rings when he was about 7. This was ten years before the movies came out, and he was able to use his own imagination instead of seeing Peter Jackson's imagination at work. Highly recommended - he still has fond memories of our reading those books, and even said so this weekend.
Same here regarding the Hobbit and LotR, my father read many of what are still my favorite science fiction and fantasy stories to me when I was 6.
Just a few of the many sci-fi/fantasy book series he introduced to me and my brother by reading them aloud to us were David Edding's Belgariad series, Gordon R. Dickson's Dragon Knight Series, Keith Laumer's Retief books, The Stainless Steel Rat series by Harry Harrison, The 14 core Wizard of Oz books by L. Frank Baum, and Randall Garrett's Lord Darcy series.
He also read us several mystery and non-fiction books as well, including the Sherlock Holmes books, Elizabeth Peter's Amelia Peabody series, selections from Stephen Ambrose's Pegasus Bridge, as well as various books dealing with the 'Beam Wars' of WWII, chief among them the collected written works of R. V. Jones: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._V._Jones
It may seem odd to some people to read these books to a 6-8 year old child (no one here, of course ;), but I honestly think that's really why I've been such a voracious reader even now all these years later.
For while he no longer reads aloud to me like he did when I was a child, my father and I can now trade reading recommendations as equals; in fact just recently he got me hooked on David Drake's RCN stories and I got him hooked on Timothy Zahn's Quadrail series.

--
I'm honest enough to admit I lie to myself.

Tripods by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 06:48 · Score: 5, Informative

Christopher's Tripods trilogy is aimed at the younger reader. There's even an old British TV adaptation of the first two books.

Re:Tripods by billmil · 2012-06-20 07:01 · Score: 1

Mod this one up.
Pre-teen boys work to understand and undermine alien race controlling the planet
I found it a great read is a kid.
Re:Tripods by btpier · 2012-06-20 07:03 · Score: 1

Christopher's Tripods trilogy is aimed at the younger reader. There's even an old British TV adaptation of the first two books.
I'll second the Tripods trilogy. I got them around 8-10 myself.
Re:Tripods by halivar · 2012-06-20 07:22 · Score: 1

I'd put this in the middle school range, sort of like Interstellar Pig or Strange Attractors. I think for an 8 year old something more along the line of Norby the Mixed up Robot, maybe? It's been forever since I was a kid, it feels like, so my memory is a little hazy.
Re:Tripods by RealGene · 2012-06-20 07:38 · Score: 2

I'm pretty sure this was one of the first SF series I read. Highly recommended.
http://www.amazon.com/Tripods-Trilogy-White-Mountains-City/dp/0020425716

--
Mission: To provide products that consume time and energy as entertainingly as permitted by the laws of thermodynamics.
Re:Tripods by ReverendLoki · 2012-06-20 07:39 · Score: 1

I actually remember reading a comic book style interpretation of this, serialized in Boy's Life, as a kid, though I think I caught it towards the end. It was enough to get me to seek out the books, though.

--
09 F9 11 02 9D 74 E3 5B D8 41 56 C5 63 56 88 C0
Re:Tripods by cygnwolf · 2012-06-20 08:29 · Score: 1

I actually read these right around that age, and I recall that my mother suggested them to be because SHE read them around that age, so yeah, tripods are good books (though not good neighbors....)

--
Free Pie! The Pie is Also Evil!
Re:Tripods by Zaphod+The+42nd · 2012-06-20 08:38 · Score: 1

I came here to say this. You beat me to it. Read those as a kid, LOVED them.

--
GCS/MU/P d- s:- a-- C++++$ UL++ P+ L++ E+ W++ N o K- w--- O M+ V- PS+++ PE Y+ PGP t+ 5- X R++ tv+ b++ DI++ D++ G+ e++ h-
Re:Tripods by Col.+Klink+(retired) · 2012-06-20 09:42 · Score: 1

But please, god, skip the prequel ("When the Tripods Came"), written 20 years after the original trilogy.

--
-- Don't Tase me, bro!
Re:Tripods by Chelloveck · 2012-06-20 09:48 · Score: 1

Agreed. Very good books, which I also read in my pre-teen years. 8 may be a little young, but it's worth a shot. I've been watching Falling Skies with my 14yo and it strikes me that Falling Skies could almost be a prequel to the Tripods. The details don't quite line up, but the alien invasion and subjugation of the human race with mind control devices are similar enough. (Yes, I know about When The Tripods Came, though I haven't read it.)
Also try Terry Pratchett's Only You Can Save Mankind. It's kind of a Last Starfighter story. His other young adult fiction might also be good, but I haven't read any of it.
I haven't read any of them, but the Jupiter series is a conscious effort by Charles Sheffield to produce modern SF stories reminiscent of Heinlein's juvenile novels.
Are the Danny Dunn books still around? Those had a bunch of science and SF themes, though they probably seem very dated by now. As my wife points out, any books supposedly set in the present day need to acknowledge the existence of cell phones or they'll look outdated. If the characters are in a tough situation that revolves around them being isolated, you need to explain why they can't just text each other or call 911.

--
Chelloveck
I give up on debugging. From now on, SIGSEGV is a feature.
Re:Tripods by sloth+jr · 2012-06-20 09:51 · Score: 1

I actually thought it was fine - not of the same caliber of the original - though a bit moralizing.
Re:Tripods by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 10:33 · Score: 0

Yes, this! Excellent series.
Re:Tripods by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-21 09:30 · Score: 0

Ditto!

Jules Verne! by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 06:48 · Score: 5, Insightful

I was totally reading Jules Verne as a young kid. They're easy reads, often interesting for kids, and are very light-hearted/G-rated.

Re:Jules Verne! by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 07:29 · Score: 0

I read lots and lots of Verne between ages 8 and 12 in Russian. The only English translations I can find are from 1915 and full of SAT vocabulary words. My son is almost 9 and I would bet he wouldn't understand a lot of it. And I don't want to give him abridged versions.
Re:Jules Verne! by hamming · 2012-06-20 07:30 · Score: 1

Same here: Journey to the Center of the Earth. The first real book I read, loved it!
Re:Jules Verne! by oldmac31310 · 2012-06-20 08:19 · Score: 1

Mysterious Island is a cracking read. Read it for the first time a couple of years ago and loved it.

--
http://www.acetonestudio.com
Re:Jules Verne! by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 08:45 · Score: 0

Finally! A thoughtful response.
Ringworld? For an 8 year old? I enjoy inter-species intercourse as much as the next guy, but in a book from dad to an 8 year old? Pass.
And I'm stunned Ender (Game, World, Speaker...) isn't to be found in the responses. Before the furious onslaught, let me remind all
>>>> For 8 year old son
Re:Jules Verne! by icebraining · 2012-06-20 11:18 · Score: 2

Try Walter Miller's translations: http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&keywords=Walter%20Miller&rh=n%3A283155%2Ck%3AWalter%20Miller%2Cp_lbr_one_browse-bin%3AJules%20Verne&page=1

--
Dilbert RSS feed
Re:Jules Verne! by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 12:53 · Score: 0

yes, highly recommended, or you can pick up abridged kids versions
Re:Jules Verne! by mitrevski · 2012-06-21 09:40 · Score: 1

I will second Verne. I found his style to be very approachable and was rarely bored.
Re:Jules Verne! by hendrikboom · 2012-06-21 14:45 · Score: 1

I've tried reading the originals in French. It's full of difficult words, too. One word I couldn't find in the dictionary, even the online dictionary, When I googled it, there was only *one* hit --where it occurred in the book itself.
I'd say if the translation only has SAT words, it's simplifying things!
The books also have detailed explanations of technical matters. This tends to bog down the storyline.
-- hendrik

"The Road" by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 06:49 · Score: 0

'nuff said.

Jules Verne by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 06:49 · Score: 1

I'd say anything by Jules Verne. I read most of his work between 8 and 10 and I couldn't be happier.

Harry Potter in space by fuo · 2012-06-20 06:49 · Score: 5, Informative

Ender's Game.

Re:Harry Potter in space by din0 · 2012-06-20 06:56 · Score: 1

Yes, I was reading Ender's Game at this age, though that was the 80s ... it might be rated MA by today's standards
Re:Harry Potter in space by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 06:58 · Score: 1

Ender's Game.
Uhm.. well, if you don't mind the violence, it is pretty brutal at some points.
Personally I would go for something along the lines of Rama. (The first book, not the triology.)
Re:Harry Potter in space by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 07:00 · Score: 0

Because xenocide is such a great concept for an 8-year-old? Or because Card is practically an apologist for the Master Race?
Re:Harry Potter in space by wynterwynd · 2012-06-20 07:01 · Score: 1

Eh, maybe not. There's some pretty rough stuff in that game and some very adult moments. Kids die, some psychologically disturbing stuff, and gets fairly bleak towards the end. Wait till about 12 :)

--
"Not all who wander are lost" -- JRR Tolkien
Re:Harry Potter in space by wynterwynd · 2012-06-20 07:02 · Score: 2

Eh, maybe not. There's some pretty rough stuff in that book* and some very adult moments. Kids die, some psychologically disturbing stuff, and gets fairly bleak towards the end. Wait till about 12 :)
Corrected.

--
"Not all who wander are lost" -- JRR Tolkien
Re:Harry Potter in space by MilwaukeeMadAss · 2012-06-20 07:11 · Score: 0

True that. My very first thought was Ender's Game but then like you mentioned, it does get a bit rough/heavy in spots.
Re:Harry Potter in space by Minwee · 2012-06-20 07:17 · Score: 1

It makes gratuitous use of the word "fart".
I'm surprised it hasn't been banned.
Re:Harry Potter in space by History's+Coming+To · 2012-06-20 09:06 · Score: 1

It's been removed from at least one library for being unsuitable due to the fight-in-the-shower scene. Utterly wonderful book, I discovered it last year at the ripe old age of 36 and can't believe I missed it as a kid.

--
Please consider this account deleted, I just can't be bothered with the spam anymore.
Re:Harry Potter in space by History's+Coming+To · 2012-06-20 09:08 · Score: 1

And there's no way anybody should be discussing ethics and the evil men do with an eight year old. Heaven forbid they learn something and stop making the same dumb mistakes the rest of the species has. You did read to the end of the book didn't you? The whole point is "kid learns for himself that genocide and war are Bad Things, and helps save a species".

--
Please consider this account deleted, I just can't be bothered with the spam anymore.

Heinlein Juvies. by HornWumpus · 2012-06-20 06:49 · Score: 5, Informative

'Space Cadet', 'Rocket Ship Galileo', 'Have Space Suit Will Travel' etc etc.

--
John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'

Re:Heinlein Juvies. by JimProuty · 2012-06-20 06:52 · Score: 1

+1 Growing up these were my favorites.
Re:Heinlein Juvies. by farnsaw · 2012-06-20 07:00 · Score: 1

Seconded, often call his "Boys Books"

--
"Computer Scientists can count to 1024 on their fingers" (non-mutant, non-mutilatated, human computer scientists)
Re:Heinlein Juvies. by Jhon · 2012-06-20 07:03 · Score: 4, Insightful

Agreed. Those are good starters.
Didn't work for my son,though. He just wasn't interested. But he did go for Harry Potter. I read the first 5 books to him. He re-read those on his own -- then completed the series as it came out.
So, I left him alone to find is own interests. Around age 11 he picked up a copy of Percy Jackson. He ate up the entire series. Turns out he has the same "useless superpower" that I have -- the ability to read freakishly fast. He's now getting ready to turn 13 and has read through most of my older Heinleins (I'm not ready to try to explain to my wife Stranger, Time enough for Love, etc... so those are off limits), Asimovs and all my old "serials" (Simon Hawke, Robert Asprin, etc).
I think the best advice is to READ to your kids. Get them interested. Read what they like. And if you can, Be EMOTIVE when you read.
As a side note, I used to end an evening with a cliff-hanger. Right smack dab in the middle of the chapter there'd be something like "... and then there was a BANG! Ok... We're done for tonight". Drove my son insane. Made him seek out the book and read ahead.
Re:Heinlein Juvies. by porsche911 · 2012-06-20 07:12 · Score: 1

My thought exactly. You could go through the entire series then get him started on some of the short stories.
Re:Heinlein Juvies. by kailSD · 2012-06-20 07:16 · Score: 5, Insightful

The Star Beast! Kids love Lummox. :)
Re:Heinlein Juvies. by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 07:39 · Score: 0

Excellent choice.
And with several of his works having made the jump to the big screen, i.e. Puppetmasters and Starship Troopers, there is a chance to "try" the story out on them before introducing them to the books. The Past Through Tommorrow is a good collection of his stories in one volume.
Early Clarke like The Deep Range and The 9000 Names of God also are good choices.
Re:Heinlein Juvies. by Jason+Levine · 2012-06-20 07:43 · Score: 1

When my son gets into reading, he's just as fast as I am. He can tear through a book *and* understand what was going on. (Just tearing through it isn't enough if the reader doesn't remember what happened.) Part of the problem is motivating him to pick up that book and begin on page one. I'll admit that we've used the "read for 1 hour and get X minutes of Nintendo DS time" technique. It works nicely. It gives him an initial motivation to read (since he wants to play DS), but then he gets hooked into reading and will do everything possible to complete the book he's reading.

--
My sci-fi novel, Ghost Thief, is now available from Amazon.com.
Re:Heinlein Juvies. by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 07:55 · Score: 0

I agree, Heinlein was one of my intros to SciFi, also, Anne McCaffery's dragon riders (the harper hall series might be a good start, younger protagonists). I have found that my kids tend to do whatever I do. A blessing and a curse really :) If you read a lot, and make books available, they will read too. Also agree with the sharing interests comment. I have spent many hours playing Pokemon. Don't care for the game, but cherish the time with my kids.
Re:Heinlein Juvies. by JimProuty · 2012-06-20 08:08 · Score: 1

Yes, "Andre" Norton really does the "Hero's Journey" kind of story really well. Kids (and old kids) love that.
Re:Heinlein Juvies. by Capt.DrumkenBum · 2012-06-20 08:08 · Score: 1

'Have Space Suit Will Travel' is one of my all time favorites. I remember very seriously writing a letter to NASA trying to find out about getting a used spacesuit.
I still remember the order of the planets using the memonic from that book:
Mother - Mercury
Very - Venus
Thoughtfully - Terra
Made - Mars
A - Asteroids
Jelly - Jupiter
Sandwich - Saturn
Under - Uranus
No - Neptune
Protest - Pluto

Yes, I know that Pluto is no longer a planet. (It always will be to me.)

--
If I were God, wouldn't I protect my churches from acts of me?
Re:Heinlein Juvies. by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 08:15 · Score: 0

Reading to your kids is great, but I also recommend letting them see you read.
My mom used to do that all the time when I was a kid (I'm told). She'd time reading something to me...then when it was done she'd tell me to play and pull out whatever book SHE was reading and continue reading (to herself).
Apparently I'd get mad and demand to be taught to read so I could keep going with stories when it was her time to read.
Let them know its something _you_ enjoy too and not just something you're doing because its "educational" or because you should.
Re:Heinlein Juvies. by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 08:25 · Score: 0

Yup, they were what got me into SciFi. Completely awesome.
Re:Heinlein Juvies. by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 08:39 · Score: 0

Farmer in the Sky was one I won at a Library contest at 8. I still have it. Influenced my interest in SciFi from that point forward.
Re:Heinlein Juvies. by Jiro · 2012-06-20 08:41 · Score: 2

Heinlein's works have made it to the big screen, but they haven't been good when they've done so. (Except Destination Moon, and that's for obvious reasons something few kids would be interested in).
And classic science fiction tends to contain a lot of outmoded technology, outmoded social attitudes, and generally outmoded references to everyday life (does your kid really understand why Have Spacesuit Will Travel has a TV show with a single sponsor, and how he can get real drugs for his emergency spacesuit supplies?). Also, Starship Troopers is a juvenile in name only, and I wouldn't push that on any kid who wasn't educated enough to know how voting restrictions often played out in the real world.
Re:Heinlein Juvies. by polebridge · 2012-06-20 08:42 · Score: 1

>read ahead
Yeah, we did this too. The kids kept two bookmarks in the books, one for them and one for us to resume reading aloud. Theirs was always ahead, but they always wanted to hear us read from the earlier bookmark.
Reading aloud works for quite awhile. I was a parent at sixth-grade camp a few times. On the first night the kids would be pretty rowdy, not settling down. I just sat and started reading aloud in a normal voice, probably "Hatchet" or "Have Spacesuit" and kids would start shushing each other to listen. On subsequent nights they would settle right in and ask for the story.
Re:Heinlein Juvies. by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 09:02 · Score: 0

When I was 13 and 14, I picked up Stranger In A Strange Land and Time Enough For Love from the library, saving my parents the hassle of who explains what to whom. I wasn't raised in a particularly conservative household, so while I was exposed to new concepts, I wasn't worried that I was going to burn, and I felt Heinlein provided enough context that they weren't paeans for "free love". I thought Time's example of why it's bad to doink close relatives was particularly appropriate!
Re:Heinlein Juvies. by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 09:21 · Score: 0

'Space Cadet', 'Rocket Ship Galileo', 'Have Space Suit Will Travel' etc etc.
I second these.
Re:Heinlein Juvies. by J-1000 · 2012-06-20 09:26 · Score: 1

Turns out he has the same "useless superpower" that I have -- the ability to read freakishly fast.
Wait, how is that useless? I wish so badly that I had that ability. I imagine my ability to self-educate would shoot through the roof.
Re:Heinlein Juvies. by sconeu · 2012-06-20 09:30 · Score: 1

This. A thousand times this.

--
General Relativity: Space-time tells matter where to go; Matter tells space-time what shape to be.
Re:Heinlein Juvies. by sconeu · 2012-06-20 09:32 · Score: 1

Troopers isn't a Juvie. It shouldn't be classed as such.

--
General Relativity: Space-time tells matter where to go; Matter tells space-time what shape to be.
Re:Heinlein Juvies. by nprz · 2012-06-20 11:58 · Score: 1

Turns out he has the same "useless superpower" that I have -- the ability to read freakishly fast.
I want that superpower! Seriously, I read freakishly slow and I like to read. The result is that my wife can finish a dozen books by the time I finish one.
I've tried all of those speed-reading books and exercises but they usually result in me not having any idea what I just read, which doesn't make reading enjoyable.
Re:Heinlein Juvies. by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 12:23 · Score: 0

Make sure you stick to Heinlein BEFORE ~1960... after that he get progressively more pornographic.
Re:Heinlein Juvies. by Jerry+Smith · 2012-06-20 22:37 · Score: 1

'Space Cadet', 'Rocket Ship Galileo', 'Have Space Suit Will Travel' etc etc.
Excellent, read them later in life but still enjoyed them. Too bad my son is more into ww2-games :(

--
All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain. Time to die.
Re:Heinlein Juvies. by Mike+Van+Pelt · 2012-06-21 07:06 · Score: 1

Actually, I thought "The Puppet Masters" movie was pretty good. It hit a lot of Heinlein's points from the book, and Donald Sutherland positively nailed the role of "The Old Man."
Yeah, in the movie they defeat the slugs long before "Schedule Suntan" is neccesary, but then, they didn't want an NC-17 rating.
Re:Heinlein Juvies. by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-21 09:43 · Score: 0

As a side note, I used to end an evening with a cliff-hanger. Right smack dab in the middle of the chapter there'd be something like "... and then there was a BANG! Ok... We're done for tonight". Drove my son insane. Made him seek out the book and read ahead.
I would note that, since I'm now reading it to my daughter, that The Hunger Games is written in a way that supports this. There's a minor cliffhanger at the end of each chapter.

Ender's game by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 06:50 · Score: 0

The hero is kid plus I think it can also be found as a comic book

Re:Ender's game by thepike · 2012-06-20 07:09 · Score: 1

Seconded. Good storyline, doesn't drag too much, and with the age things kids can relate. Maybe.
But, as others have said, don't push too hard to get him to like them. Just show them that you like them and he'll think they're cool by association. If he wants to try other stuff, let him, but make sure he sees you reading some of these books and he'll copy you.
Re:Ender's Game by neminem · 2012-06-21 05:28 · Score: 1

"Hard literature" and "profound book" are not by any means synonyms. I've read enough "hard literature" that had pretty much crap-all to really -say-, it just said it in a way so as to -appear- profound. The copy of Ender's Game I have actually even has a forward by Card stating that his goal in writing it was to deliberately avoid "all the literary games and gimmicks that make 'fine' writing so impenetrable to the general audience", so that "the reader wouldn't have to be trained in literature or even in science fiction to receive the tale in its simplest, purest form". Way more profound than a lot of "literature", in the sense of "actually having things to say" - it just says them by making you look for them in the story, rather than by making you search for them in the word salad because the author was trying to sound like he was high on something.

Tom Swift books by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 06:50 · Score: 0

The early ones, and the versions written in the 80s.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Swift

Re:Tom Swift books by farnsaw · 2012-06-20 07:01 · Score: 3, Insightful

Seconded again, Tom Swift books come in various Generations... get the latest ones for the most relevance to today. But don't ignore the old ones, they are more fun in my opinion.

--
"Computer Scientists can count to 1024 on their fingers" (non-mutant, non-mutilatated, human computer scientists)
Re:Tom Swift books by BlueBat · 2012-06-20 07:20 · Score: 1

I loved this series when I was a teenager. That was over 30 years ago. :)
Re:Tom Swift books by khelms · 2012-06-20 08:39 · Score: 1

I grew up reading the Tom Swift Jr. series, so I would also recommend them, but good luck finding them. As far as I can tell, they've been out of print since the last book came out in the 70's.
Re:Tom Swift books by dwillden · 2012-06-20 09:01 · Score: 1

I was looking this up planning on making the suggestion until I saw someone had beat me to it, but according to Wikipedia , the last Tom Swift title was published in 2007. I really didn't get into sci-fi until age 11 or 12 (Thank you Anne McCaffrey), but I do recall reading every one of these I could get from the school library at earlier ages. Or I should say I didn't think I was into sci-fi until older, but I guess Tom Swift is Sci-fi so I was into it. I also enjoyed the tripod books as a kid, but mostly because Boys Life Serialized them during my cub and scout years.

--
I'm too lazy to compose a creative sig.
Re:Tom Swift books by khelms · 2012-06-20 09:26 · Score: 1

The Tom Swift Jr. series written under the pseudonym of "Victor Appleton II" ended in 1971, but yes, there have been additional books since then using the name Tom Swift. Those appear to be updated versions of the character rather than a continuation of the original Tom Swift and Tom Swift Jr. series. I haven't read what Wikipedia refers to as the Third, Fourth, and Fifth series, so I can't comment on whether they are as interesting as I found the Second series when I was a kid.

Terry Pratchet by daw1234 · 2012-06-20 06:50 · Score: 3, Informative

Great writer.

Re:Terry Pratchet by toriver · 2012-06-20 07:42 · Score: 1

... and for those who only think of the Discworld books: He has also written some good sci-fi, including books for kids
Truckers, Diggers, and Wings constitute a trilogy about a race of tiny people discovering who they really are.
Strata and Dark Side of the Sun have interesting plot twists.
The Johnny Maxwell books are probably also good for an eight-year-old: Only You Can Save Mankind, Johnny and the Dead and Johnny and the Bomb.
Re:Terry Pratchet by Blue+Stone · 2012-06-20 07:44 · Score: 1

Just who I came to recommend. And Douglas Adams too (thought there are fewer of his works in existence, in this dimension).

--
Corporation, n. An ingenious device for obtaining individual profit without individual responsibility. - Ambrose Bierce
Re:Terry Pratchet by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 08:07 · Score: 1

Second that - he's done a bunch of books for younger readers without talking "down". The Tiffany Aching series (The Wee Free Men, A Hat Full of Sky, Wintersmith and I Shall Wear Midnight) are still among my daughter's favorites, and there's the Bromeliad trilogy, etc etc.
Re:Terry Pratchet by addie · 2012-06-20 08:15 · Score: 1

And a cool guy.
This is a side story. My first email address was on Ottawa freenet circa 1994. At the time I was massively into Pratchett's Discworld series, and I had found mention somewhere of a fold-out wall map of Discworld. Not understanding exactly how the world was supposed to work, I managed to hunt down Pratchett's email address (I'm afraid I don't have a clue where I found it) and sent him a note asking if he knew where such a map was available in Canada.
Two days later, he wrote back telling me he wasn't really sure, but let me know of a few shops he knew of in America that sold Discworld merchandise and thanked me for reading. I printed that email out (the first email I ever printed) and put it in a box for safekeeping. It's still there.
What a thrill for a 14 year old kid!
Re:Terry Pratchet by History's+Coming+To · 2012-06-20 09:10 · Score: 1

Seconded, and he even does a few books aimed specifically at kids, "Wee Free Men" for example.

--
Please consider this account deleted, I just can't be bothered with the spam anymore.
Re:Terry Pratchet by Drishmung · 2012-06-20 12:28 · Score: 1

Yes, and widely recognized as getting kids reading. Not just reading sf/fantasy but reading. Plus, there is enough depth in the stories that the kid will not quickly grow out of them.

--
Protoplasm. Quiet Protoplasm. I like quiet protoplasm.

Neil Ardley : World of Tomorrow by rwa2 · 2012-06-20 06:50 · Score: 1

These were my favourites when I was that age:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=Neil+Ardley+World+of+Tomorrow

OK, so it's a set of picturebooks without any real story. But I'd like to find something modern and similar for my kids.

Also finding myself showing them old reruns of ST (TOS and TNG), since there are no other Sci Fi worlds I've seen that have a somewhat positive view of the future.

STAR WARS by Forrest+Kyle · 2012-06-20 06:51 · Score: 4, Interesting

Have him watch Star Wars in the Machete Order and then get him started on the Timothy Zahn books, Heir to the Empire, Dark Force Rising, and The Last Command. They are awesome! I loved them when I was a kid, and still do.

Re:STAR WARS by thepike · 2012-06-20 07:08 · Score: 1

Whoa. This order just blew my mind. My girlfriend has never seen them (obligatory joke blah blah, yes she's real, and it's faults like never having seen Star Wars that I have to put up with to have one), and she's now going to watch them in this order. My sister is about to have a kid too, and I might suggest this.
Re:STAR WARS by Talderas · 2012-06-20 07:38 · Score: 1

I think I might have to go back and watch them in this order. Sure, the guy can write about it, and it seems awesome but to know you must experience it.

--
"Lack of speed can be overcome. In the worst case by patience." --Znork
Re:STAR WARS by PCM2 · 2012-06-20 08:52 · Score: 1

Any ordering that includes Episode II is just plain deranged. That's not only the worst of the Star Wars movies, it's gotta be one of the worst pieces of trash ever screened. It's like the Adam Sandler movie of special effects!

--
Breakfast served all day!
Re:STAR WARS by demonbug · 2012-06-20 09:01 · Score: 1

Have him watch Star Wars in the Machete Order and then get him started on the Timothy Zahn books, Heir to the Empire, Dark Force Rising, and The Last Command. They are awesome! I loved them when I was a kid, and still do.
Interesting, I might have to try watching in that order one of these days. Though I suppose that would mean having to actually buy the prequels...
I agree with the Zahn books. I couldn't remember what age I read them, had to look it up on wikipedia to see that I was 12 when the first one came out - but I remember wondering for years why there were no Star Wars books to read aside from a few (young) children's storybooks. Judging by other books I read at the time, 8 is probably old enough assuming some familiarity with the original movies. Actually thinking about it, even this new and incredible Machete Order wouldn't fix the inconsistencies between Zahn's books and the prequel trilogy, so might be best to drop the prequels entirely, watch the original movies, and then read the better Star Wars books (Zahn and Stackpole would be my picks).

Two of my first SciFi books... by KendyForTheState · 2012-06-20 06:51 · Score: 2

...when I was a kid were "The Runaway Robot" by Lester del Rey and "Secret Under the Sea" by Robert Silverberg. I think I still have them in a box somewhere.

--
...I just came for the free beer.

Re:Two of my first SciFi books... by KendyForTheState · 2012-06-20 06:53 · Score: 3, Informative

Oh, and, while not really Science Fiction, "The Mad Scientists' Club" by Bertrand R. Brinley was pretty cool.

--
...I just came for the free beer.
Re:Two of my first SciFi books... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 07:02 · Score: 0

Yay, you beat me to it. "The Runaway Robot" was my favorite for a long time. It's still a good read.
Re:Two of my first SciFi books... by KendyForTheState · 2012-06-20 07:33 · Score: 1

A lot of Andre Norton's stuff, like "Daybreak 2250AD"...I've loved post-apcalypse stuff ever since, or "Breed to Come", "The Zero Stone". I could go on for hours.

--
...I just came for the free beer.

Fantasy by COMON$ · 2012-06-20 06:51 · Score: 4, Informative

Narnia or Dark is Rising, both are fast paced and worthy of a few chapters at a time. I was read them when I was a kid, by the time we finished Narnia I was reading the books to my parents and was way ahead of my classmates on a reading level.

--
CS: It is all sink or swim...oh and did I mention there are sharks in that water?

Re:Fantasy by Iphtashu+Fitz · 2012-06-20 07:25 · Score: 1

Another good fantasy series would be the Xanth books by Piers Anthony. I remember reading them when I was really young and really enjoyed the puns and plays on words that he incorporated into the titles & throughout the books.
One other series that comes to mind is one I remember stumbling across in my elementary school library. It was "Midnight at the Well of Souls" by Jack Chalker. It's more sci-fi but it has a mix of fantasy included.
Re:Fantasy by tirerim · 2012-06-20 07:26 · Score: 1

Yep, those are both excellent (well, if you skip The Last Battle...). While we're talking about great children's fantasy series, I'll also add The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander.

Also, pretty much anything by Bruce Coville; he has both fantasy and SF. There's the "My Teacher is an Alien" series, the Unicorn Chronicles, "Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher", and lots of others.
Re:Fantasy by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 07:29 · Score: 0

> Narnia ...
Stay off the preachy stuff. I was turned off Narnia immediately when it quickly became obvious what it was.
Take a look at the classics. Many authors and series are being identified by others, but one I'm not seeing is Edgar Rice Burroughs.
Re:Fantasy by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 07:40 · Score: 0

Piers Anthony for an 8 year old? Not unless your ready for a lot of talk about the birds & the bees (except in the case of Piers Anthony, it would be a talks about the birds, bees, unicorns, ogres, and robots).
Re:Fantasy by SirGarlon · 2012-06-20 08:14 · Score: 1

FYI, "Midnight at the Well of Souls" (or the series, anyway) has some oddball sex in it. Hermaphrodite-on-hermaphrodite and deer-on-centaur come to mind. Read it first before handing it to an 8-year-old.

--
[Sir Garlon] is the marvellest knight that is now living, for he destroyeth many good knights, for he goeth invisible.
Re:Fantasy by COMON$ · 2012-06-20 08:38 · Score: 1

oh yea, forgot about those, I read Xanth when I was in HS, they were light compared to my normal reading but enjoyable!
Perhaps Robotech as well.

--
CS: It is all sink or swim...oh and did I mention there are sharks in that water?
Re:Fantasy by COMON$ · 2012-06-20 08:41 · Score: 1

This made me think of "The Myth Adventures" and "The Last Unicorn"

--
CS: It is all sink or swim...oh and did I mention there are sharks in that water?
Re:Fantasy by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 08:41 · Score: 0

I second this, too.
Re:Fantasy by tompaulco · 2012-06-20 08:57 · Score: 1

Stay off the preachy stuff.
Why must everything that a religious person does be judged on the fact that he is religious and not of the quality of the work itself?

--
If you are not allowed to question your government then the government has answered your question.
Re:Fantasy by jdavidb · 2012-06-20 09:04 · Score: 1

For me as a boy, fantasy was the gateway to science fiction. I second the Dark is Rising Sequence; I loved those in about sixth grade or earlier. I also strongly recommend The Chronicles of Prydain, by Lloyd Alexander.
Another neat little treasure is Half Magic.

--
Secession is the right of all sentient beings.
Re:Fantasy by tompaulco · 2012-06-20 09:14 · Score: 1

I think Piers Anthony would be good. They won't get all the double entendres at that age but will still find plenty to keep them interested. Then four years from now, they will understand it on a whole new level and still find it interesting.
Me, I am 41 years old and currently rereading one of Anthony's "Bio of a Space tyrant" books. I've read it at least 3 other times at various stages of my life.

--
If you are not allowed to question your government then the government has answered your question.
Re:Fantasy by COMON$ · 2012-06-21 01:58 · Score: 1

wow was only 40 minute from my post to the first anti-theology post. If we avoid preachy books then we get rid of a lot of books. What bothers the GP is the fact that it is a Christian theme.

--
CS: It is all sink or swim...oh and did I mention there are sharks in that water?

something lighthearted by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 06:51 · Score: 0

I'd start with something light hearted and fun.. Grave of the Fireflies comes to mind. (ps i am kidding, don't show your kid Grave of the Fireflies)

Hard for 8 Year Olds But Here's a Core Dump by eldavojohn · 2012-06-20 06:51 · Score: 5, Informative

I don't recall getting into this stuff seriously until I was 11 or 12 but names I would throw out would be Madeline L'Engle (Wrinkle in Time), C.S. Lewis (Perelandra, That Hideous Strength), Ray Bradbury (Martian Chronicles or his short stories), Lowis Lowry (The Giver), Orson Scott Card (Ender's Game although it's a long one for kids), Robert Heinlein (The Star Beast, The Rolling Stones), Arthur C. Clarke (Childhood's End), Terry Pratchett (Johnny Maxwell series) ... now, since I was young there have been a whole raft of others and I think Neil Gaiman is even writing children's books now. I guess some names I've heard that you can look into are Andre Norton, Douglas E. Richards, Terrance Dicks, Donald Moffitt, Larry Niven, Jane Yolen, Gary Paulson, etc.

Just so you know, Asimov did edit collections of sci-fi for children (on his way to having his name on 500 books) and I think I remember Young Mutants and Tomorrow's Children being okay collections.

--
My work here is dung.

Re:Hard for 8 Year Olds But Here's a Core Dump by Gutboy · 2012-06-20 07:01 · Score: 2

Asimov also did some books (under the name Paul French) that were intended for juveniles - the Lucky Star series.
Re:Hard for 8 Year Olds But Here's a Core Dump by Krishnoid · 2012-06-20 07:12 · Score: 1

The Andre Norton Award for best science fiction for young adults may also be a good starting point.
Re:Hard for 8 Year Olds But Here's a Core Dump by Nathanbp · 2012-06-20 07:13 · Score: 1

There's also the Norby series (apparently mostly by Janet Asimov according to Wikipedia) which I quite enjoyed as a kid.
Re:Hard for 8 Year Olds But Here's a Core Dump by honestmonkey · 2012-06-20 07:13 · Score: 1

I second most of your choices here. At that age and a bit older I'd read Asimov, Clarke, Bradbury, Heinlein. Wrinkle in Time is good. But that has been 40 years or more since I read it (and 50 since it was published), and I'm sure there have been other books written since. Asimov had a series originally written as Paul French for "teens". I read a bit more fantasy then than I do now. I also read Van Vogt, but I'm not sure that, or say, P K Dick would be easy for an 8 year old. I'd say pick out short story collections for ease of reading. Bradbury's Martian Chronicles come to mind in that regard. Niven would be okay, but the older he got the more sex he put in, so in general his earlier stuff might be more appropriate. I read 2001 before the movie came out, and I was 10 or 11 when that happened.

You could also take him to the library and let him pick out his own books. I rode my bike to the library probably every other day or so when I was a kid, and soon found the books in the "normal" section were more interesting than those in the kids section.

--
Everything you know is wrong, Just forget the words and sing along.
Re:Hard for 8 Year Olds But Here's a Core Dump by Dr+Herbert+West · 2012-06-20 07:24 · Score: 1

I'll second that-- I found all of the Lucky Star books to be fast, quick fun around that age (8 or so), and good preparation for when I wanted something a little more dry when I was older (Foundation).
Re:Hard for 8 Year Olds But Here's a Core Dump by kermidge · 2012-06-20 07:51 · Score: 2

If one can find a copy, "An Omnibus of Science Fiction" edited by Groff Conklin. Several editions from the Fifties, he also edited a variety of other anthologies. Excellent stories, easily accessible and though-provoking, although some will seem dated. "A Pail of Air" by Fritz Leiber has stuck with me since I read it circa '58.
http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/pl.cgi?298440
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2318155.Omnibus_of_Science_Fiction
http://www.iblist.com/book12137.htm
for starters.
Re:Hard for 8 Year Olds But Here's a Core Dump by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 07:53 · Score: 0

Agreed on the titles listed. Also think you should add The Tripods series by John Christopher, and Fablehaven by Brandon Mull. My 8-yr-old loved both.
Re:Hard for 8 Year Olds But Here's a Core Dump by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 08:03 · Score: 0

And I third it as well.
I read the "Norbies" (the first three of them, at least) around that age and I enjoyed them immensely, though I must confess they rank quite below the average Asimov quality. The Lucky Starr, on the other hand, are packed with action, have reasonably clever plots, and the Council of Science.
Leaning on the fantasy side, and not very slim, there are the three His Dark Materials books, by Pullman, which are the best books for children published in a very very long time.
Re:Hard for 8 Year Olds But Here's a Core Dump by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 08:19 · Score: 0

While I like C.S.Lewis' writing I seem to remember that _That Hideous Strength_ featured a lesbian detective of police who tortures the male protagonist's pretty young wife? Excellent writing, the best out of his sci-fi triology.
Re:Hard for 8 Year Olds But Here's a Core Dump by khelms · 2012-06-20 08:36 · Score: 1

Why not Andre Norton's own books? She wrote many excellent scifi novels in the 50s, 60s, and 70s. The Stars are Ours, Star Born, Galactic Derelict, etc. Many of them are back in print, often with multiple stories collected into longer books.
Re:Hard for 8 Year Olds But Here's a Core Dump by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 09:14 · Score: 0

The Norby series was my favorite at this age (8-10). I remember going to the library and searching to find the other books in the series I hadn't read. Looking at the list now it seems that I missed a few. I'll have to pick these up for my nephews in a few years and read with them.
Re:Hard for 8 Year Olds But Here's a Core Dump by History's+Coming+To · 2012-06-20 09:20 · Score: 1

Fantastic books, even to re-read as an adult. The moment with the peas and the axle grease in "Oceans Of Venus" caught me out a 10 and again at 33.

--
Please consider this account deleted, I just can't be bothered with the spam anymore.
Re:Hard for 8 Year Olds But Here's a Core Dump by BadPirate · 2012-06-20 10:42 · Score: 1

I particularly like Enders game, as the main character is a younger age, and more relatable (though totally more badass then I was at that age). Props to that. I think at 8 I was reading Anne Mccaffery's Dragonriders of Pern series.

--
- Holy crap, I've got MOD points! Who thought that was a good idea.

e. e. doc smith by Imagix · 2012-06-20 06:51 · Score: 3, Informative

How about the Lensman series?

Re:e. e. doc smith by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 07:12 · Score: 1

I second that. I read the Lensman series as a kid and loved them. They are showing their age at this point but a young kid could still enjoy them I think. I still re-read them every few years for the nostalgia. You might have him skip the pre-history in Triplanetary, as that is a little slow in some parts, but the rest of the series is as fast paced as it gets. The skylark series might be even better for a younger kid as it starts fast and the books are shorter.
Re:e. e. doc smith by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 08:38 · Score: 0

Definitely. This was one of the first SF series I ever read. I was lucky enough to have a bachelor uncle who was a voracious reader and who passed his copies on to me. I still have the 1966 editions in my library at home and pull them out to read from time to time.

Ender's Game by dualboot · 2012-06-20 06:51 · Score: 1

Also any of the Heinlein juvenile books.

Have Spacesuit Will Travel is probably the reason I'm the person I am today.

Farmer in the Sky by Robert Heinlein by genghisjahn · 2012-06-20 06:52 · Score: 2

It's great for kids. About a young boy and his father who emigrate to a terra-formed Ganymede.

--
Sorry about the mess.

Re:Farmer in the Sky by Robert Heinlein by cptdondo · 2012-06-20 07:21 · Score: 1

Great for boys, you mean. Heinlein was at his sexist best in that one.
I like Heinlein, but he was a misogynistic racist, especially in his earlier books. Not sure I want to dump that on a kid.

Louis Slobodkin by HockeyPuck · 2012-06-20 06:52 · Score: 2

Check out his series that starts with The Space Ship Under the Apple Tree.

While it was written in 1952, it used to a in every single elementary school library, and is aimed at kids about your child's age.

Re:Louis Slobodkin by scharkalvin · 2012-06-21 00:55 · Score: 1

Also the "mushroom planet" books ("The Wonderful Flight to the Mushroom Planet", "Stowaway to the Mushroom Planet", "Mr. Bass's Planetoid") by Eleanor Cameron. Add "The Fabulous Flying Bicycle" by Glen Dines and "The Phantom tollbooth", by Norton Juster.

Start with more simple reads by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 06:52 · Score: 0

I, robot is pretty advanced for an 8 year old. Start with something easier like Ender's Game, or some good fantasy books by David Eddings or Brandon Sanderson, the latter I know has a great children's fantasy series called Alcatraz vs the Librarians, it's a fun one. Anything like that would be good.

Heinlein, Brackett, Norton, Baum by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 06:52 · Score: 0

The Oz series has much more science fiction than one normally thinks, and is mostly accessible to young readers.
Much of the work of Robert Heinlein, Leigh Brackett, and Andre Norton is accessible at least to early teens.

Jules Verne by ddonato · 2012-06-20 06:52 · Score: 3, Informative

I'd say anything by Jules Verne. I read most of his work between 8 and 10 and I couldn't be happier.

Try this by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 06:52 · Score: 0

If you really want him started try Ursula K. LeGuin. Nice a nd easy for young readers. Maybe not as young as 8, though. I'd agree with first responder - don't push him. Get a few books that might interest him but don't push him to read them.

Just my two cents...

my teacher is an alien by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 06:53 · Score: 0

I remember when i was a young child i was into the My Teacher is an Alien, and My Teacher Fried My Brains series. You could always try to track one of those down for him. If i remember correctly, they aren't long books.

Re:Short, Fiction, with simple words by LifesABeach · 2012-06-20 06:53 · Score: 1

I wonder if the parent considered the 1938 radio broadcast of "War of the Worlds," or FOX News?

A Wrinkle in Time by Hatta · 2012-06-20 06:53 · Score: 5, Interesting

Need I say more?

--
Give me Classic Slashdot or give me death!

Re:A Wrinkle in Time by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 07:12 · Score: 0

Amen! I have no mod points, but someone else should do something!
Re:A Wrinkle in Time by Skewray · 2012-06-20 07:21 · Score: 0

A Wrinkle in Time, where the universe is saved at the end of the book because the heroine thinks of Jesus, Our Incorporeal Overlord? Like the Narnia books, these have embedded Xian messages that are not safe for children. When I was a kid I enjoyed everything by James H. Schmitz. His books and short stories are full of weird aliens and monsters, and has a lot of kick-ass women, which is pretty rare for the time. A few years ago most of his book were reprinted, so they should be easy to find.
Re:A Wrinkle in Time by Hatta · 2012-06-20 07:25 · Score: 1

Yeah, it's a scifi/fantasy book. Nothing wrong with invoking magic to save the day.

--
Give me Classic Slashdot or give me death!
Re:A Wrinkle in Time by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 08:00 · Score: 0

IIRC, Meg just focuses on her love for her brother, not on Jesus per se.
Interestingly, some conservative Christians have singled out the book for its too-liberal Christian theology!
Re:A Wrinkle in Time by tompaulco · 2012-06-20 09:18 · Score: 1

Like the Narnia books, these have embedded Xian messages that are not safe for children.
Be sure and exclude all ideologies. If the Christian ideology is dangerous for children, so are all the others. That should leave you with a sample set of zero to work with.

--
If you are not allowed to question your government then the government has answered your question.
Re:A wrinkle in time by Drongo14 · 2012-06-20 19:02 · Score: 1

Thanks! I remember reading A Wrinkle in Time when I was a youngster and it made a deep impression on me. Trouble was that I couldn't remember author or title anymore. My son will hopefully enjoy reading this in a year or two.
Re:A wrinkle in time by JMJimmy · 2012-06-21 01:04 · Score: 1

I disagree. Tolkien's stories are meant to be read aloud (as he would read to his kid) and when someone does that it is a wonderful thing. I vaguely remember a wrinkle in time being good - though it didn't really stay with me.
My suggestions:
- Hobbit/LOTR
- Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy trilogy of five
- Star Wars junk novels... they're no masterworks but entertaining for kids (though pre-read them as 1 in ~5 have sections that may not be entirely suitable depending on the age)
- Terry Pratchett's books... I haven't read these but my sister really loved them... there's a couple of books for kids and the Discworld series
Re:A wrinkle in time by TheShadowzero · 2012-06-21 02:43 · Score: 1

Absolutely yes, all of Madeline L'Engle's books are amazing for children. I grew up with the Time Quartet (A Wrinkle In Time, A Wind in the Door, Many Waters, and A Swiftly Tilting Planet [my personal fave]) and they're intelligent, easy to follow, exciting sci-fi books with great characters and original stories.

--
If history repeats itself, why can't we study the future?
Re:A wrinkle in time by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-21 06:59 · Score: 0

AWIT was my into to SF, and my first thought here too.
Re:A wrinkle in time by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-22 07:03 · Score: 0

My daughter enjoyed A Wrinkle in Time and The Tripods series. I read The White Mountains as a boy, and I didn't know if she'd enjoy a book about pre-teen boys fighting aliens, but she read the whole series.

I have a 7 yo and a 9 yo, both boys. by Pirulo · 2012-06-20 06:53 · Score: 0

My biggest mistake is always feeding them with material that is not appropriate for their age yet. Like RC airplanes that are even difficult for me to flight. Bat what works best so far is: 1./ No television available at the house 2./ Limited, and directed/restricted access to computer, unless they are programming Lego NXT, RubyKids, or practicing vim skills. (yes, the 9yo edits in vim) 3./ Plenty of reading and art material available. Most of the time they are either building, reading, or painting something.

Re:I have a 7 yo and a 9 yo, both boys. by lerxstz · 2012-06-20 07:17 · Score: 1

Almost the same here. Except I've started my 6 yr old on Logo (ACSLogo on the Mac) and Robozzle. Robozzle didn't last long though, when she learned she could solve it by trial and error rather than thinking through it.
I'll have to check out RubyKids. Lego NXT and possibly Arduino is on the horizon when she's a bit older.

--
I chose to end my comments, not with a rim shot, but a long decaying F#7sus4
Re:I have a 7 yo and a 9 yo, both boys. by CubicleZombie · 2012-06-20 07:21 · Score: 1

Ray: You mean you never even had a Slinky?
Egon: We had part of a Slinky. But I straightened it.

--
:wq

Norby! by jockeys · 2012-06-20 06:53 · Score: 1

Written by Asimov and his wife, Norby the Mixed Up Robot (and many sequels) are awesome. Loved them as a kid. Family friendly (no sex, clean language, minimal violence) but entertaining enough for adults.

--

In Soviet Russia jokes are formulaic and decidedly non-humorous.

Re:Norby! by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 16:01 · Score: 0

Maybe no sex, but if I remember correctly, Norby's owner had an older brother who met his girlfriend through a prank he pulled in school involving a fabric dissolver that was delivered as a nudity bomb. Asimov and his wife may have kept things in perspective, but they sure knew how to titilate a young mind.

H. Beam Piper - _Little Fuzzy_ by WillAdams · 2012-06-20 06:54 · Score: 4, Interesting

_not_ Scalzi's reboot.

Charming, stand-alone story which is a part of his ``Terro-Human Future''.

In the public domain, so available from Project Gutenberg:

http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/18137

If you're travelling at some point in the near future, the version on Librivox:

http://librivox.org/little-fuzzy-by-h-beam-piper/

is absolutely professional in its production quality and would make a great story to listen to in the car.

William

(and I second the suggestions of Verne, Ender's Game and the Heinlein juveniles)

--
Sphinx of black quartz, judge my vow.

Re:H. Beam Piper - _Little Fuzzy_ by way2trivial · 2012-06-20 13:22 · Score: 1

Major+++++++++ Little fuzzy got me started....

--
every day http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random

Dune by Zilax · 2012-06-20 06:54 · Score: 1

Dune remains the all-time great, in my opinion. It pulls together many different themes... It's a coming of age story, it's about becoming a leader, it's about making do with circumstances, and it's about the struggle for resources (spice, water).

Re:Dune by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 07:11 · Score: 0

For an 8 year old? Dear. Lord. No. I was 15 and reading other science fiction, but I couldn't make it past a few chapters of Dune.. it was just too big and boring and going nowhere.
Re:Dune by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 07:12 · Score: 0

Dune is an AMAZING book, BUT its far too much to expect an 8 year old to grasp. Not only is it long, but it deals with some very complicated concepts. I'm 21 and intend on re-reading it to actually understand all the different points.
Re:Dune by INeededALogin · 2012-06-20 07:12 · Score: 1

Dune remains the all-time great, in my opinion. It pulls together many different themes... It's a coming of age story, it's about becoming a leader, it's about making do with circumstances, and it's about the struggle for resources (spice, water).
I don't think an eight year old would enjoy Dune. And... the books are somewhat inappropriate when it gets to the spice orgies and such.
Re:Dune by mooingyak · 2012-06-20 07:23 · Score: 3, Funny

I think GRRM's Game of Thrones might be slightly more kid friendly.

--
William of Ockham had no beard. The most likely explanation is that it was chewed off by squirrels every morning.
Re:Dune by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 07:28 · Score: 0

I had no problems reading Dune at the age of 8. I loved it and highly recommend it if the 8 year old has the patience.
You could always watch the old 1980's movie and mention that the book is 18 thousand times better. Perhaps pointing out scenes that took chapters in the book. Perhaps even make it interactive "stop and go" movie and book experience: have him read the book and then watch that part in the movie. Then stop and have him read more in the book... etc.
As for the "spice orgies" and such... my eight year old brain just read that as "the mushy stuff" and pretty much ignored it. That was decades ago; I suspect that nowadays an 8 year old might have an even greater tolerance for such issues.
Re:Dune by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 08:31 · Score: 0

Dune remains the all-time great, in my opinion. It pulls together many different themes... It's a coming of age story, it's about becoming a leader, it's about making do with circumstances, and it's about the struggle for resources (spice, water).
I don't think an eight year old would enjoy Dune. And... the books are somewhat inappropriate when it gets to the spice orgies and such.
I don't remember at what age I first read Dune. But I do remember that "inappropriate" sexual content was never a problem when reading books as a kid. If you are too young to be interested, you just quickly go over those parts and move on to the more interesting stuff. A sex scene in a book never harmed anyone.
Re:Dune by RazorSharp · 2012-06-20 08:45 · Score: 1

I had no problems reading Dune at the age of 8. I loved it and highly recommend it if the 8 year old has the patience.
I think it's one of those things you let your eight year old read - if they can get through it more power to them. But it would be awkward to read to them unless you were intending to bring up those inevitable conversations.

--
"From the depths of my skeptical and rationalist soul, I ask the Lord to protect me from California touchie-feeliedom."
Re:Dune by tnk1 · 2012-06-20 08:55 · Score: 1

"What is that sweetie? Yes, it is nice how the handsome Khal Drogo mercilessly pounds the beautiful Princess Danerys on their wedding day! Just think, in only four years, you'll be her age! Yay!"
If I have a daughter, I am never letting her choose "Princess" as her future career.
Re:Dune by aquabat · 2012-06-20 09:54 · Score: 1

I read Dune when I was 14. Four hundred pages of "Dune" and 600 pages of "The Oxford English Dictionary". Great book, and I learned a lot of stuff while trying to wrap my head around it, but it's the opposite of "light reading".

--
A republic cannot succeed till it contains a certain body of men imbued with the principles of justice and honour.
Re:Dune by MutualFun · 2012-06-21 04:36 · Score: 1

"What is that sweetie? Yes, it is nice how the handsome Khal Drogo mercilessly pounds the beautiful Princess Danerys on their wedding day! Just think, in only four years, you'll be her age! Yay!"
If I have a daughter, I am never letting her choose "Princess" as her future career.
Oh man, I literally 'laughed out loud'!
Re:Dune by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-22 17:49 · Score: 0

Anyone who reads Game of Thrones to their eight year old child deserves to have their parent license revoked.

Poul Anderson, The High Crusade, maybe Eddings by Modern · 2012-06-20 06:54 · Score: 1

The High Crusade is a pretty simple book that I loved and remembered reading as a kid. It is a good start into SciFi and easy to picture in ones mind while reading. I also suggest David Eddings, the Belgariad series as a good place to start. Good books with lots of imagery and not to difficult.

If you love Asimov ... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 06:55 · Score: 0

I'd suggest Paul French's David "Lucky" Starr series. :)

Douglas Adams and Neil Gaiman by Colonel+Korn · 2012-06-20 06:55 · Score: 2

nt

--
"I zero-index my hamsters" - Willtor (147206)

Kids' Sci-Fi by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 06:55 · Score: 0

The Norby Chronicles, Asimov

Choose you own adventure books by g0bshiTe · 2012-06-20 06:55 · Score: 2

Find some of these. I remember reading these things as a kid and loved them. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Choose_Your_Own_Adventure

--
I am Bennett Haselton! I am Bennett Haselton!

The Wonderful Flight to the Mushroom Planet by JimProuty · 2012-06-20 06:55 · Score: 3, Insightful

This was got me hooked back in the day (plus the Heinlein juves): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wonderful_Flight_to_the_Mushroom_Planet Part of "The Mushroom Planet Books". These are easy to follow without being condescending. And anyone who isn't captivated by the idea that youngsters could build their own functional rocket ship isn't awake.

Re:The Wonderful Flight to the Mushroom Planet by the+gnat · 2012-06-20 07:10 · Score: 2

Oh HELL yes. My mom (!) introduced me to these as a child and I though they were terrific - definitely not "hard" science fiction but an excellent gateway to the genre. Perfect level for an 8-year-old (I doubt he'd have a problem reading it himself).
Some of the other books I've seen mentioned on this thread are probably going to go over the head of an 8-year-old; Ender's Game in particular is pretty dark. The Heinlein juveniles are great but I'd probably wait a couple more years unless you have an exceptionally precocious child. The Norby and Lucky Starr series are both excellent, however. I'd probably give "A Wrinkle In Time" a try too.
Re:The Wonderful Flight to the Mushroom Planet by Boawk · 2012-06-20 07:21 · Score: 1

This is what I was going to post. This book was totally captivating to me in 4th grade.
Re:The Wonderful Flight to the Mushroom Planet by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 07:30 · Score: 0

Darn, I just posted the same answer (I missed your comment). I loved those books when I was a kid.
Re:The Wonderful Flight to the Mushroom Planet by eddy+the+lip · 2012-06-20 17:33 · Score: 1

I had all but forgotten these! I loved them when I was about that age.
It's pretty easy to forget what being eight was like. I stumbled on Jules Verne and HG Wells, and a few other books in this thread at a reasonably young age, but not eight. At that time of life, just a couple years makes a big difference.
One other series I was reading about the same time was The Mad Scientist's Club. A bit of science, a bit of DIY, a bit of getting one over on the adults, and just the right amount of adventure. Might not be typically thought of as science fiction, but is in it's best tradition, and the kind of thing that lit my imagination on fire at that age.

--
This is the voice of World Control. I bring you Peace.
Re:The Wonderful Flight to the Mushroom Planet by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-21 04:24 · Score: 0

I'll add my recommendation for this. It's an older book, but utterly captivating and holds up pretty good after all these years. What youngster wouldn't want to build their own rocket and fly off to a mysterious planet. All without parental supervision!
I also agree with The Hobbit and the Narnia series.
Also, at that age, I got both of my kids library cards and let them check out whatever they wanted from the kids section. Things that captivated me at 8 seem silly now in perspective, but let your child help drive the decision.

Read by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 06:55 · Score: 0

Read TO him. Every night. At least one chapter. My kids got started on Bradbury, and Clarke and Heinlein. I read to them pretty much every night until they were well into their teens. They bootstrapped themselves into advanced reading because I read too slow...

A Wrinkle In Time by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 06:55 · Score: 0

See if you can get your child to relate to Charles Wallace.

Edgar Rice Burroughs by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 06:55 · Score: 0

I got into the John Carter books around that age.

My dad had the editions with the sexy covers (http://blogcritics.org/books/article/book-review-a-princess-of-mars1/) and told me not to read them because I was too young. Instantly hooked!

Re:Edgar Rice Burroughs by kral · 2012-06-20 07:52 · Score: 1

I was probably about 10 when I discovered Burroughs, and spent next couple years devouring Mars (Barsoom), Venus, Pelucidar series, plus many individual books and the earlier Tarzan novels. Other than some dated attitudes on race and the role of the sexes, the content is all quite kid friendly (no sexual contact and little romance beyond profound yearning and obligation that often drove the plot; even uncivilized Tarzan's pursuit of Jane followed an arc altogether befitting his noble British pedigree; violence only following the pattern of necessary and justifiable acts by protagonists to counter villified acts by antagonists.)

--
whatever is - the music is

Choose Your Own Adventure by SoundGuyNoise · 2012-06-20 06:55 · Score: 2

There's a few sci-fi themed Choose Your Own Adventure books, I bet you can find those easily online.

--
You never expect irony, do you?
Want to be a professional wrestler? Visit www.iyfwrestling.com
@iyfwrestling

The Bible by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 06:55 · Score: 0

n/t

Re:The Bible by tompaulco · 2012-06-20 09:27 · Score: 1

n/t
No text or New Testament?

--
If you are not allowed to question your government then the government has answered your question.

Danny Dunn... by LoLobey · 2012-06-20 06:56 · Score: 4, Informative

Books I remember liking from that age that had a science or sci-fi bent were Danny Dunn stories (there were quite a few books, don't know if any are available) and a book called the Dinosaur and the Egg (by Stephanie Lewis?). Lit my imagination and an appetite for all things sci-ency.

--
We have nothing to fear but fear itself! And Spiders!

Re:Danny Dunn... by BlueBat · 2012-06-20 07:25 · Score: 2

Great series.

From another non-Sci-Fi/non-Fantasy or maybe semi-Fantasy angle, try these series:

The Great Brain
Mad Scientists Club
Encyclopedia Brown
Re:Danny Dunn... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 12:00 · Score: 0

Last time I checked - a couple of years ago, the Danny Dunn books were out of print and unavailable. I LOVED those books.
Mark Edwards
Proof of Sanity Forged Upon Request

Re:Stfu, troll by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 06:56 · Score: 0, Flamebait

It's not hate, it's humor, just because Republicans are stupid, that doesn't mean that Democrats hate them.

Wow. Really? by Quiet_Desperation · 2012-06-20 06:56 · Score: 2, Interesting

My son is 8 years old. I'd love to get him interested in science-fiction, but most of the books I can think of seem to be targeted to older kids/adults

Huh. Shame there's not some vast repository of information where you could search for this.

http://www.google.com/search?q=science+fiction+novels+kids

Re:Wow. Really? by spiffmastercow · 2012-06-20 07:46 · Score: 1

The point of posting this isn't to actually recommend books for the poster's kids (okay, well, maybe to him it is), the main point is to spark discussion of your favorite sci-fi from childhood, with the thinly veiled excuse that some kid somewhere should be reading some old books that you liked as a kid.
Re:Wow. Really? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 08:55 · Score: 1

I don't see why it's inappropriate that one might want to get an opinion from a human instead of Google.
Re:Wow. Really? by tompaulco · 2012-06-20 09:28 · Score: 1

And don't forget those precious, precious advertising dollars!

--
If you are not allowed to question your government then the government has answered your question.
Re:Wow. Really? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 11:14 · Score: 0

repository of information
www.google.com/
Wow. Really?
Re:Wow. Really? by Quiet_Desperation · 2012-06-20 16:22 · Score: 1

Yes, there is a repository of info, the Internt, that you use Google's tool to search.
I figgered the average Slashdotters knows what I mean.
Boy, that assumption NEVER works out, does it?
Re:Wow. Really? by Quiet_Desperation · 2012-06-20 16:24 · Score: 1

I know. I was in a bad mood, I couldn't recall the author of some great young adult SF I read in middle school. Couldn't even recall a title to search on. I felt old. :-(

Brian Jacques by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 06:57 · Score: 0

What, no love for the Redwall series around here? I remember reading a ton of them around that age.

Re:Brian Jacques by dpilot · 2012-06-20 07:08 · Score: 1

Aye! Depends on if you're into pies with all the fixin's, and an Abbey and all the religious trappin's with nary a shade o' religion, etc, etc, etc.
Actually, my kids loved the Redwall books. I read one or two with them, but there's only so much virtuous mice eating well, evil rats, and other critters with charming accents that one can take.

--
The living have better things to do than to continue hating the dead.

Re:Stfu, troll by HarrySquatter · 2012-06-20 06:57 · Score: 0

He has a sense of humor and you don't?

Kid's Sci-Fi by TubeSteak · 2012-06-20 06:58 · Score: 4, Informative

There's plenty of kid-focused Sci-Fi
Anything with Janet Assimov's name on it is kid friendly.
I loved the Lucky Starr series by Isaac Asimov (under the name "Paul French")
Heinlen even wrote some kids books.

Most of the 'big' sci-fi authors have written stories for kids.
You just have to go looking for it.

--
[Fuck Beta]
o0t!

Re:Kid's Sci-Fi by AceJohnny · 2012-06-20 07:16 · Score: 2

I concur on Janet Asimov's books. I actually read those in 7th or 8th grade, after I had read many of Isaac Asimov's other books. I was just looking for anything with "Asimov" on it. I recall finding them a bit juvenile, but still a good enough read that I still remember them 20 years later!

--
Misleading titles? Inflammatory blurbs? Keep in mind that Slashdot is a tabloid.
Re:Kid's Sci-Fi by BillAtHRST · 2012-06-20 08:59 · Score: 1

For me, it was the Tom Swift books. But I agree with the others who are saying:
- keep it simple (Dune? Are you kidding?)
- the hero/heroine should be a kid
- some of the older Asimov etc. "juveniles" could be a problem, just because they are so out-of-date by now.

Have fun!

Re:Ender's Game, in graphic novel format by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 06:58 · Score: 1

Kids like Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game books. I have given the Marvel-published graphic novel version as gifts to nephews, and they really got into it. If they like the story, you can tell them there's more to read in the full-text version.

http://www.amazon.com/Enders-Game-Battle-School-Gn/dp/B005B1AW7Y/

David and the Phoenix by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 06:58 · Score: 0

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_and_the_phoenix

Bolos Sentient Tanks by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 06:59 · Score: 1

FInd some of the anthologies with authors like William H Kieth Jr., Kieth Laumer, David Weber, John Ringo, David Drake, Mercedes Lackey, Linda Evans and others...
How can you go wrong?

Anthologies carry the shorter, action packed stories. Can grow into the full novels - I constantly go back an re-read many of them just because they are fun quick reads.

He's an Eight Year Old Kid by theshowmecanuck · 2012-06-20 06:59 · Score: 2

If he's not interested let him play outside with other kids like he's supposed to. Or at worst let him read comic books. If he's interested in books now then fine, but it doesn't sound like it. Give him a couple of years to develop more. In the meantime interacting with other kids is far better in this internet rich interaction depleted world we live in. Encourage reading sure, but don't push it.

--
-- I ignore anonymous replies to my comments and postings.

Re:He's an Eight Year Old Kid by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 07:27 · Score: 0

Yes, but have him read (or read to him) at bed-time. As for the suggestions that everyone else has been making, bear in mind that an 8-yo kid is only in the second or third grade, and most of the books are way above level. Droon or Magic Treehouse are more their level, wait a year or two for A Wrinkle in Time or most of the other suggestions. And, to be honest, there is a whole lot more to the world than Sci-Fi/Fantasy.
Re:He's an Eight Year Old Kid by nudnik72 · 2012-06-20 08:53 · Score: 1

I also vote for "Secrets of Droon", by Tony Abbott. This series is about three kids who discover a magic staircase in their basement leading to another world full of magic, flying lizards, and fun, furry creatures. The kids make friends and go on various adventures. My 8-yo daughter is devouring these books at a rate of about one a day -- each book is a few pages longer than the previous, helping the child build up the courage to tackle larger stories (Harry Potter can be daunting to a child who can't get past the idea of reading a 300+ page book!). We get the books from the local library because when she's done with this series, I expect there will be another one...
Re:He's an Eight Year Old Kid by geezer+nerd · 2012-06-20 16:34 · Score: 1

Let him find his own way. At 8 years he has plenty of time to discover what he likes. Of course you want to be sure he has opportunity and access to sample many things.

I have been a SF and Fantasy reader most of my life ( pushing 70 now), but I also remember that I did not really find my way there until I was 10 or 12. Before that I read encyclopedias. First SF for me were HG Wells and J Verne. Then Edgar Rice Burroughs. Those are really old fashioned, but still good reads today.

Re:Short, Fiction, with simple words by Jeng · 2012-06-20 06:59 · Score: 1

Or comic books.

--
Don't know something? Look it up. Still don't know? Then ask.

Stop trying to dumb it down for your kid. by Banichi · 2012-06-20 07:00 · Score: 2

Give him a copy of Accelerando or Cyteen and let him sink or swim.

If it ends up dust covered on a shelf, repeat after me: "It's perfectly OK for my kid not to like what I like, He's my son and I love him anyway.".

Re:Stop trying to dumb it down for your kid. by History's+Coming+To · 2012-06-20 09:26 · Score: 1

Interesting idea even if I think you've gone too far. I'd suggest 2001 if you want to throw him in at the deep end but still have themes suitable for kids. And if he's not seen Spielberg's version of Jurassic Park then DO NOT LET HIM until he's read the book (Michael Crighton), the film is good, but as ever...

--
Please consider this account deleted, I just can't be bothered with the spam anymore.

Young Adult Asimov books by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 07:00 · Score: 0

Asimov wrote a series of YA books with his wife called the Norby Robot Chronicles. If you want to share Asimov with him, that may be a better way to go.

The Tripods by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 07:00 · Score: 0

(posting anon as I already modded) I really liked The Tripods trilogy (haven't read the fourth book, and from what I gather it's not that great). I re-read them a few years back, and while the second book was still quite enjoyable, it really didn't work as well anymore; but to a young boy it rocked.

Lester Del Rey by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 07:01 · Score: 0

When I was young I read "The Runaway Robot" by Lester Del Rey, and after that I was hooked on SF for life.

I just looked it up on Amazon and was pleased to see it's still being published and that readers (mostly aging baby boomers like me) are giving it 5 stars. Amazon says it was published in 1985, but I read it in the late 60s. Highly recommended!

Narnia and Redwall by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 07:01 · Score: 0

Before I read The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, I was introduced to The Chronicles of Narnia. I don't remember what age I was at the time but it was probably in the 8-10 range. I know some people have issues against that series because of some of the religious tones it has but I never realized it had them until I was an adult and well past belief in an invisible man in the sky. My brother, who is autistic, became good at reading thanks to Brian Jacques' Redwall books. I'm not sure if the reading level is appropriate for an 8 year old but it's something to keep in mind in a couple of years at least. And talking animals seem to be good at catching kids imagination from what I've seen. :)

a few by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 07:02 · Score: 0

Leguin - a wizard of earthsea
L'engle - a wrinkle in time
Pinkwater - snarkout boys, alan mendehlsohn boy from mars ...

Re:Short, Fiction, with simple words by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 07:02 · Score: 0

I've got one better its called Global Warming. Insert politics into everything, right out of the dictators play book. Anyone ever trace where some of this crap comes from(not this one)? You'd be amazed most of this crap is right from the government itself, social scientists. Slash dot has become such crap.

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 07:03 · Score: 0

My suggestion is The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum. It's just a fun fantasy story that even has a "hero" the same age as your son. Perfectly age appropriate and, depending on reading level, can be read indecently. Plus, there are 39 other Oz books to read after that (the first 14 by Baum are even public domain). What can I say...I've been an Oz fan for most of my life.

Also, the Peter and the Starcatchers series might work for you too. Prequels to Peter Pan (the Disney version) that a fun and have some great humor.

Tripods by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 07:03 · Score: 0

The Tripod trilogy. I can't think of the author off the top of my head. Christopher something.

Alan Dean Foster by IWantMoreSpamPlease · 2012-06-20 07:03 · Score: 2

Very accessible, minimal (or none) profanity and sex, very funny (Jed the Dead) and insightful (Nor Crystal Tears)

ADF all the way.

--
So rise up, all ye lost ones, as one, we'll claw the clouds.

Re:Alan Dean Foster by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 08:12 · Score: 0

Agreed - enjoyable work for a broad audience. I remain particularly fond of the Spellsinger saga, which would surely lend itself superbly to the big screen, but so far, ADF's only been involved in turning films into books, rather than vice versa.

HP? by BattleBlow · 2012-06-20 07:03 · Score: 2

Some others have already mentioned 'The Hobbit', which is great for his age (I read it to my son at the same age yours is).

I can't believe no one has yet mentioned 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone' yet though. That was about the age I read that to my son too. The only caveat is be careful how fast you progress. He's likely not old enough for 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows'. We've tackled that by giving one a year for Christmas.

City of Ember by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 07:03 · Score: 0

My kids really enjoyed the City of Ember series. Don't bother with the movie though.

HPMOR by beberly37 · 2012-06-20 07:03 · Score: 1

Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality: http://hpmor.com/

on reading by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 07:04 · Score: 0

He's 8 years old. Get him to read the story to YOU, not the other way around. Let him ask you questions about vocabulary and story points if he doesn't understand something. Of course it'll confuse him if you read the story at YOUR pace.

The only way he'll like reading, science fiction or anything else, is if you let him develop his ownership and mastery of it. Doing it for him won't help. And let him branch off to other stories if it turns out he likes something other than science fiction.

Re:Short, Fiction, with simple words by Herkum01 · 2012-06-20 07:04 · Score: 2

You need to consider that one of them is one is fiction, and the other is straight out delusional...

"The Day of the Triffids" by stanlyb · 2012-06-20 07:04 · Score: 2

"The Day of the Triffids" - John Wyndham.
Actually, you could say it not science fiction, as it is the reality now....but anyway.

Science Fiction for an 8-yr old by John_Yossarian · 2012-06-20 07:05 · Score: 2

8 is a little young for most kids to appreciate hard science fiction, so I would stick to the softer stuff. Here are a few softer stories I enjoyed at that age:

The Pern books by Anne McCaffrey
The Zero Stone by Andre Norton
Startide Rising by David Brin (I think I was 10 when I read this one, but the concept of dolphins piloting starships blew my mind...some sexual content, though)

Re:Science Fiction for an 8-yr old by smooth+wombat · 2012-06-20 07:32 · Score: 1

I think the Xanth series by Piers Anthony would also fall into your list. His writing isn't that bad and with few exceptions, the words shouldn't trip up an 8-year old.
Besides, what kid who likes sci-fi/fantasy wouldn't like to be born with some kind of permanent magical talent?
That said, I gave up on the series not too long after Dor became king. Either I outgrew him or his writing no longer held my interest (or both).

--
We will bankrupt ourselves in the vain search for absolute security. -- Dwight D. Eisenhower
Re:Science Fiction for an 8-yr old by toriver · 2012-06-20 07:48 · Score: 1

Startide Rising by David Brin
Extend that to the whole Uplift saga (of which Startide Rising is a member). I'd recommend starting with the first, Sundiver which has crime novel aspects and an interesting plot twist and plenty of suspense.
Re:Science Fiction for an 8-yr old by Sir+Realist · 2012-06-20 08:37 · Score: 1

I'm all for honest and frank child education, but have a good long think about how much discussion you want to have with your son about sex before you just wade into most of McCaffrey's Pern. The Harper Hall series, on the other hand, is probably perfect.
Upvote for Alan Dean Foster and Terry Pratchett. I'd even go Piers Anthony's Xanth stuff - I hate it myself with the fire of a thousand suns, but from what I remember its certainly aimed at about the eight-year-old level. Remember, you're not necessarily looking for books that _you_ will like, but rather for ones that will engage _him_.
Also, since we all seem to be recommending books from last century; Planesrunner by Ian McDonald was interesting, well-written, and from this decade. Also, its got zeppelins in.

Ender's Game by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 07:05 · Score: 0

It's written for kids (middle/high school, though a bright 8 year-old should have no trouble) with kids as the protagonists. I didn't read this book until I was in my thirties, but it is my favorite sci-fi book and I wish I'd read it as a child.

My favorite sci-fi from childhood was Dune and Asimov's books.

Cory Doctorow's stuff features familiar settings by Krishnoid · 2012-06-20 07:05 · Score: 1

I've also found Cory Doctorow's stuff to be pretty accessible, as they refer to settings that would be familiar to an 8-year old American earthbound human. I'd also recommend you and he take turns reading to each other, or have him read the book himself; I think the comprehension differs between listening and reading. In addition, the Narnia series was quite good, and I also fondly remember James and the Giant Peach.

Additional shameless plug: A friend recently self-published his book, Marlowe and the Spacewoman. I've read about half of it and got to a point with a tense action scene. There's a decent amount of social commentary, but I found it very enjoyable and a relatively easy read, perhaps comparable to the reading level of Hunger Games.

Harry Harrison: Stainless Steel Rat series by maroberts · 2012-06-20 07:05 · Score: 2

Always good for a starting point into sci fi.

--

Donte Alistair Anderson Roberts - hi son!
Karma: Chameleon

Alan Garner as well by jd · 2012-06-20 07:06 · Score: 2

Weirdstone of Brisingamon and Moon of Gomrath have plenty of action and are every bit in the same spirit as Tolkien.

For sci-fi, at that age I was into Citizen of the Galaxy, Spaceship Medic and other lighter stuff. However, I would strongly suggest Pratchett's "Only You Can Save Mankind".

--
It's a small world and it smells funny; I'd buy another if it wasn't for the money; Take back what I paid (SoM)

Re:Alan Garner as well by ghostdoc · 2012-06-20 07:27 · Score: 4, Insightful

Good call on Alan Garner, I'd second that.
Also the Wizard of Earthsea series (Ursula LeGuin) are very readable and the character is (or at least starts the adventure as a) kid, which I think is necessary for kid-suitable fiction.
It's heartbreaking to say it, because they've given me so much pleasure over so many years, but we may as a civilisation be moving away from Plain Old Books and into other forms of storytelling.
It might be more useful in the long run to teach him how to discern between mass-market crap and good, meaningful stories in whatever form they take.

--
Business/App ideas are like arseholes: everyone's got one, they're mostly shit, but very rarely they contain a diamond
Re:Alan Garner as well by cygnwolf · 2012-06-20 08:21 · Score: 1

For that matter, the lighthearted humor in almost anything Pratchett writes might be good for a younger boy. (some of the slightly suggestive bits in later diskworld novels would go over really well with a pre-teen boy, though a lot of parents might not appreciate it as much)

--
Free Pie! The Pie is Also Evil!
Re:Alan Garner as well by jd · 2012-06-20 11:20 · Score: 1

Agreed that we may be moving away from "Plain Old Books", but despite many attempts to put Arthur Ransome's work in other formats, they've essentially all failed. I'm inclined to say that some stories are just too difficult to do well in any form other than books.
(I didn't list Ransome's superb series earlier because although they are brilliant, the language is starting to get dated. That's not always a problem - Enid Blyton's books are in an even older form of English but are regaining popularity today - but there are... unfortunate... changes in language that may cause problems with Ransome's books with kids if they're at just the wrong stage.)

--
It's a small world and it smells funny; I'd buy another if it wasn't for the money; Take back what I paid (SoM)
Re:Alan Garner as well by nadavwr · 2012-06-20 12:42 · Score: 1

+1 on A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula LeGuin. It is truly profound as a children's book. I assume OP wasn't looking for recommendations for his own sake, so SPOILERS BELOW (also: it's been years since I've read it, I'm sure there are inaccuracies).
One of the first things LeGuin tells us on the world of Earthsea, is that everything has a true name. Being able to name something by it's true name would give you power over it. Magic is not without checks and balances, though -- if a wizard were to bring in rains over the island where he resides, the neighboring island might experience a drought.
As an ambitious student of wizardry, Ged, the hero of the book, overreaches and summons a shadow from the netherworld. In the chaos that ensues, the shadow is banished from the academy, at the cost of the headmaster's life.
The hero of the story spends his early youth in the academy, atoning for his hubris, haunted by the evil he unleashed into the world, knowing that the shadow lies waiting outside its walls. When he graduates, he goes to a remote island. Not long after, the shadow (describes as a dark headless figure with the vague physic of a bear. I remember being scared shitless of it when I was 10) catches up with him, and he is forced to flee.
After migrating from island to island several times, trying to keep ahead of the shadow, Ged arrives at a realization (but LeGuin doesn't share that realization with us yet), and turns the tables on the shadow, chasing it instead (I remember asking myself if he'd gone insane). Surprisingly, the shadow flees, drifting over water towards the horizon.
Ged gives pursuit, and sails after him towards the horizon -- going far far away from land, until he finally catches up with the shadow at edge of the world, where the sky and the ocean finally meet, and the shadow can run no further.
Ged then addresses the shadow by it's true name -- Ged, his own name -- and he and the shadow merge together.
The moral of the story is: don't be afraid of your own shadow, don't run away from dealing with your problems -- especially those that come from within, and that coming to terms with your "shadow" is part of growing up. I was only able to have an intelligent discussion about the book after reading it as an adult, but I remember that reading it as a child was able to reach me through my guts, rather than my head -- the message came across without any need to verbalize it.
I remember when Harry Potter was at the peak of its hype, people mentioning Harry Potter to me would send me into sputtering tirades, comparing and contrasting with my reading experience of A Wizard of Earthsea as a kid. I think Harry Potter is a decent book series with an immense marketing machine -- I've got nothing against it, but I think it's not an exemplary children's literature. I think A Wizard of Earthsea is.
They don't make 'em like that no more.
Re:Alan Garner as well by ghostdoc · 2012-06-28 07:58 · Score: 1

spoilers!

--
Business/App ideas are like arseholes: everyone's got one, they're mostly shit, but very rarely they contain a diamond

Bradbury by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 07:06 · Score: 0

If he's not horror adverse, Something Wicked This Way Comes, October Country. R is for Rocket if he is.
Martian Chronicles for the 8th birthday.

The Prometheus Project trilogy by slackerfilm · 2012-06-20 07:06 · Score: 2

This series was written by Douglas E. Richards specifically because he was looking to interest his children in science. Though, the books are about an alien race visiting Earth, the science is real (at least the explanations are) and the action is fast paced. He writes in the voice of children very well.

All that said, I got hooked on this author for his Wired series and I recommend that as well.

I also think the Ender's series has been spectacular, but probably not for pre-teen.

--

throw the baby out. The bathwater is cold

Make your own SF/F Story with an RPG by Creedo · 2012-06-20 07:06 · Score: 1

Why not try out a simple RPG with them, like the D&D Basic set from the 80s? My kids picked it up quick, and had fun with a loosely run fantasy dungeon. Of course, we went on to play some rather weird Call of Cthulhu scenarios, so my kids might not be representative of the general age group. If you are the DM, you still get to "read" the stories to them, but now they get to be active participants. If you have to, take a hammer to the rules and get rid of anything that the kids don't find fun. If you take the time to build up your own scenarios, you can even work in some real world logic skills and such. Plus, it can be a lead in to other fantasy/sci-fi series. Anyway, that's the direction I went, and it turned out well.

--
All that is necessary for the triumph of good is that evil men do nothing.

Dogsbody by shmax · 2012-06-20 07:07 · Score: 1

My favorite book around that age was Dogsbody http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dogsbody_(novel), by Diana Wynne Jones. It's got a litle sci-fi, animals, villains, and one of those tear-jerking endings that will haunt you forever.

Re:Dogsbody by Skewray · 2012-06-20 07:28 · Score: 1

I preferred Howl's Moving Castle myself, but avoid the sequel.

The Wonderful Flight to the Mushroom Planet by Lurker2288 · 2012-06-20 07:07 · Score: 2

When I was about your son's age, I read Eleanor Cameron's 'The Wonderful Flight to the Mushroom Planet,' about two boys who befriend a scientist (who's really almost a wizard) and with his help build a spaceship to explore a small, hithero undiscovered moon populated by friendly mushroom people. It sounds wacky, but it was a lot of fun, and there are a few other books in the series if your son enjoys the first.

Depending on your son, some of Heinlein's fiction for children might also work. I remember loving 'Tunnel in the Sky' and 'Red Planet' when I was ten or so.

Best Science-Fiction/Fantasy For Kids? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 07:07 · Score: 0

Tom Swift Jr. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Swift

Danny Dunn by ai4px · 2012-06-20 07:07 · Score: 2

I liked Danny Dunn when I was in middle school. They'll be a bit dated, but good never the less.

Tom Swift by apcullen · 2012-06-20 07:08 · Score: 1

My son used to love the hardy boys. As a change-up, to introduce him to science-fiction type stories, we started getting some of the tom swift books out of the local library. He loved them. If you have an e-reader, I think the copyright on them expired, and they're available from gutenberg.

Re:Tom Swift by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 07:31 · Score: 1

I came here to suggest Tom Swift as well. I read a lot of Hardy Boys as a kid and then discovered the Tom Swift series. That was my first into scifi and I've loved it ever since. Also check out the three investigators series if it's still around. Not scifi per se, but good logical reasoning sort of like sherlock holmes. (Assuming my memory form 20-25 years ago is correct)
Re:Tom Swift by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 08:41 · Score: 0

You may both be referring to the Tom Swift, Jr. series, if you are labeling it as science fiction.
The original Tom Swift (Sr.) invented motorcycles and motorboats and giant flashlights in the 1910s. Still cool, but not very appropriate for kids due to a lot of bad racial stereotypes.
Re:Tom Swift by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 11:10 · Score: 0

the Tom Swift books are pretty fun for kids. Crazy airplanes, spaceships, submarines, and all kinds of weird things. The books will make YOU cringe a little (not the best prose in the world and sometimes quite tacky) but may spark the imagination of a child.
The Tom Swift books appear to be on Project Gutenberg, by the way.
Re:Tom Swift by Mac+Scientist · 2012-06-20 11:15 · Score: 1

Excellent points. Tom Swift is how I got interested in Sci Fi. They are hard to find these days, but were in the supermarkets back in the 60's.
When I was older, about 12, I got Heinlein's "Puppet Masters" and proceeded to read my way through the library shelves.
Re:Tom Swift by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 13:01 · Score: 0

I'm reading these to my seven year old and he enjoys them. But you have to edit on the fly. The word "computer" occurs very rarely. It takes Tom two and a half pages to make a long distance phone call. I find myself replacing large swaths of text with:
"Let me boot up linux", Tom said, shell-shocked.
"I'll use my droid phone," Tom said smartly.
Re:Tom Swift by Discopete · 2012-06-20 18:33 · Score: 1

Can't agree with this more. The Tom Swift books were (and are) great reads!

More early kid stories by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 07:08 · Score: 0

As previously mentioned, early Heinlein. Don't do anything by Heinlein after Have Spacesuit Will Travel - he gets too weird for young kids.
I also remember "Danny Dunn and the Anti-Gravity paint", and "Andy Buckerman's Tin Men" - both were good intros in to sci fi without being big sci fi.

Crazy advice by Lurker2288 · 2012-06-20 07:09 · Score: 0

Of course it's okay for his kid not to love a particular book or genre, but what would you set him up to fail by giving him something that's very likely to be over his head? That's the kind of experience that will convince him never to try sci fi again. Better to pick something more reasonable, though not dumbed down, so at least it's not a struggle just to get through it.

Re:Crazy advice by mdenham · 2012-06-20 07:28 · Score: 1

Not to mention that Accelerando really isn't appropriate for kids under the age of about 13. (And I thought the ending was horrible as well; I've had several people agree with me that it was like the story just kept motoring on until it drove off a cliff, Thelma-and-Louise style.)
Re:Crazy advice by Banichi · 2012-06-20 07:30 · Score: 1

>"I read him some of the short stories in Isaac Asimov's I, Robot. He liked these, but I could tell he was having a hard time keeping up."
Letting him finish reading anything on his own might take the unstated threat/insult of "you aren't good enough for the books your father reads" entirely out of the equation.
Again, if he doesn't like books, stop making him feel guilty for not wanting to read them.
The problem the OP has is his problem for having unrealistic expectations, namely that his son wants all the same things, and wants to do them the exact same way his father does.
Stop giving your kids neuroses, Slashdot.

2 Suggestions by CanHasDIY · 2012-06-20 07:10 · Score: 2

1 - The Pern series by Anne McCaffrey. Excellent mix of both fantasy and sci-fi (though perhaps a bit gruesome for an 8 year old...)

2 - the Animorphs book series; I read them when I was a kid and really got into the story. What 8-year-old hasn't dreamed of being able to transform into an animal?

--
An enigma, wrapped in a riddle, shrouded in bacon and cheese

Re:2 Suggestions by alcourt · 2012-06-20 07:43 · Score: 1

My kid and his cousin both give a big thumbs up to Animorphs. They devoured them, and the length was perfect for an eight year old. There are a few cultural references in them that are aimed for adults (I saw a Babylon 5 reference in one), but they are easy to gloss over.

--
"I may disagree with what you say, but I will defend unto the death your right to say it." -- Voltaire
Re:2 Suggestions by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 08:35 · Score: 0

If you're going to go with McCaffrey, only touch the Harper Hall trilogy - Dragonsong, Dragonsinger, and Dragondrums. Those three are definitely great reads for kids.
The rest of the core Pern books are host to a lot of problematic things, have sexism and homophobia built into the setting, and are rather explicit. The first two published books both feature rape by the protagonists, for example.
Re:2 Suggestions by FrootLoops · 2012-06-20 09:53 · Score: 1

Yes to Animorphs--a thousand times yes; they're the perfect answer to this question.
* They're short, ~120 pages in large font. Very short chapters make for easy stopping points all over the place.
* They're made for kids his age and up. No big vocab requirement or overly complex plots. The main characters are all in middle school so you can identify with them.
* They're basically for boys. Reliably two major battle sequences per book, ray guns, space ships, alien monsters.... Girls probably like them fine too, but when I was growing up with them it was all guys who read them.
* There's like 60 of them to foster an interest in sci-fi.
* Many schools and public libraries should have lots of them, and they're new enough that they're still really cheap used, like around $200 for the entire series.
* Various life lessons like accepting people's differences, not everything is black and white, can't judge a book by its cover, etc.
I've actually reread the bulk of the series as an adult. I imagine if you were to read the stories to him you'd find them easily bearable and perhaps even enjoyable. (I don't have kids, but I can only imagine the horror parents must sometimes go through when reading/watching garbage with their kids.) There's also a fair amount of comic relief that's good at any age.
Re:2 Suggestions by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 11:21 · Score: 0

Dude, I loved Animorphs.
A more contemporary option would be the Artemis Fowl series by Eoin Colfer. Premise: an evil 14-yr-old Irish supergenius plots to steal fairy gold. Full of swash and buckle, with a good dose of fart jokes.

SF or Fantasy? by Frequency+Domain · 2012-06-20 07:10 · Score: 3, Informative

For SF, the Heinlein juveniles: Red Planet, Have Space Suit Will Travel, Between Planets, Space Cadet, etc. if your kid can deal with young-teen reading levels. If you need something younger, Asimov had "Norby" and "Lucky Starr", there were a set of books about "Danny Dunn" in the 50's and 60's, Brinley wrote "The Mad Scientist Club" for Boy's Life around the same time, and there were a bunch of "Tom Swift" books - Jr, not Sr, the latter are way too dated. Also from the 50's, check out "The Wonderful Flight to the Mushroom Planet" by E. Cameron. Fifteen years ago my own kids plowed through the "Animorphs" series, but I thought they were formulaic and trite - I guess the recommendation depends on whether you're looking for "good" books or something that the kids will find engaging. In the same vein, Coville's wrote a bunch of lightweight but fun things such as "My Teacher is an Alien".

I would NOT recommend Verne or HG Wells for modern young readers, the prose seems long-winded and obtuse by modern standards, but after your kid's hooked he can certainly go back and fill in with these.

For fantasy, you couldn't do better than "The Enchanted Forest Chronicles" by Patricia C Wrede. Hold off on Tolkien until later, "The Hobbit" might be okay for a read-aloud family activity but is a bit much for most 8 year olds.

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by INeededALogin · 2012-06-20 07:11 · Score: 4, Insightful

I've seen an eight year old read it and love it. It is very accessible because it is just random fun.

Re:Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Krishnoid · 2012-06-20 07:16 · Score: 1

It's also a great counterpoint to most science fiction in how it describes outer space as potentially just as messed up and for similar reasons as life on Earth.
Re:Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 10:27 · Score: 0

Seconded. I must have read HHGTTG first time round at about that age and loved it.

Ask your librarian... by vtTom · 2012-06-20 07:11 · Score: 2

Visit your local (or school) library and ask the librarian what other kids your son's age are reading....

Re:Ask your librarian... by Turidoth · 2012-06-20 15:01 · Score: 1

Don't hesitate to get a second opinion if your first librarian seems out of the loop in this genre. Few librarians have concurrent expertise in children's books and SF

Try, just don't force. by pavon · 2012-06-20 07:11 · Score: 2

I agree with you that you shouldn't try to force something on the kid if he doesn't like it. However, at that age there are there are an innumerable number of things that he has never been exposed to, and has no idea whether he likes them or not. Exposing your kids to different things, especially ones that are good for him in general (reading) or had positive impact on your life (like sci-fi) is part of being a good parent. If he doesn't latch onto it, then fine, let it be and move onto something else, but the guy should try, and finding stories that are at the right level for his kid will avoid turn him off unnecessarily.

Re:Try, just don't force. by Jiro · 2012-06-20 08:26 · Score: 1

I don't buy that reasoning. While the kid might not specifically have been exposed to Asimov, you really should be able to tell if he's seen, say, the Clone Wars on television, or if he asks to watch with you when you've got your Babylon 5 DVDs running. There's so much science fiction around that it is not believable that he has had so little exposure to it that he doesn't know if he likes it.
Ironically, Westerns are a better example; they're scarce enough that it's entirely possible the kid really hasn't been exposed to them. But sci-fi?
Re:Try, just don't force. by icebraining · 2012-06-20 10:50 · Score: 1

I like plenty of SF books, yet I can't stand most sci-fi TV shows (yes, including Star Trek and Babylon 5). SF is not all created equal.

--
Dilbert RSS feed
Re:Try, just don't force. by cheesybagel · 2012-06-20 11:51 · Score: 1

Babylon 5 is awesome but it only gets interesting in the 2nd or 3rd season. The first season is a mixed bag of concepts that are only fleshed out later.
Can't remember one good SF TV show running right now. Most SF anything I have seen recently is either anime or reruns.

Choose your own adventure!! by dloolb · 2012-06-20 07:11 · Score: 2

Choose your own adventure !! With a childs limited attention span, the ability to go back and pick another storyline is great, plus the stories are shorter.

--
The electric yellow has got me by the brain banana

The Way of Kings by bluefoxlucid · 2012-06-20 07:11 · Score: 1

The Way of Kings by Sanderson is actually really good (it's huge but it's doable). The language isn't too heavy (i.e. Donaldson), it doesn't have sex in it and somehow isn't detracted from by this (it's not "childish", it just doesn't focus on the sexual undertones too much--well, some stuff about girls exposing their left hands, a few girls naked i.e. while bathing, a guy naked due to a few unfortunate events but nobody screaming PENIIIIIIISSSS HIS PENIS IS FLOPPING AROUND OMG!!!!!).

The story is somewhat violent, not incredibly graphic about it but it's bloody now and then. It's not a kid's story, but it's definitely digestible. Give it a read yourself first by all means. The world is besieged by high storms (hurricanes etc) and so most of the curses revolve around references to storms--people curse a LOT, but it's not hot-button (really there's no difference between that and just saying 'fuck,' but try convincing your irrational little brain of that once).

This contrasts to Age of Misrule (lots of drugs/sex), Something Secret This Way Comes (graphic sex, graphic gore), The Gap Cycle (LOTS OF GRAPHIC SEX AND VIOLENCE), etc. AoM and TGS are excellent, Secret is ... pulp, but decent pulp... it's too episodic for me. Vampire Hunter D as well, violent and sexual at times, but milder.

The Way of Kings is mild enough for a kid yet definitely up there with The Gap Cycle, and at a palatable reading level (not too simplified, but not overly complicated with big fancy Master's English words).

--
Support my political activism on Patreon.

Re:The Way of Kings by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 21:53 · Score: 0

...okay, while Sanderson's prose is admittedly a little simple, expecting a child (especially an 8 year old) to read a 400k word epic fantasy and catch even a fraction of the background stuff that's going on is ridiculous.
Christ, it took me a second read to catch Shallan's shardblade and all the cosmere stuff.
Re:The Way of Kings by Tombstone-f · 2012-06-21 02:26 · Score: 1

While I think The Way of Kings would be a little too much for an 8-year old, Brandon Sanderson's Alcatraz books would be great for him.
Re:The Way of Kings by bluefoxlucid · 2012-06-21 06:57 · Score: 1

Shallan has a Shardblade? What? Are you inferring this from the specifics of the damage to her father and his soulcaster (the great detail it's described in does highlight specifics that would indicate a shardblade; and she does confess to have murdered him), or did she whip it out somewhere?

--
Support my political activism on Patreon.
Re:The Way of Kings by bluefoxlucid · 2012-06-21 07:24 · Score: 1

why? I read The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant when I was in middle school, around 12 years old. The Way of Kings doesn't demand as high of a reading level, I think.

--
Support my political activism on Patreon.

Re:Do Try Asimov by Drafell · 2012-06-20 07:12 · Score: 2

Asimov's "Complete Robot" is responsible for getting me into Sci-Fi at the age of 7 or 8. The stories are fairly sanitary from what I remember.

Star Wars books by gallondr00nk · 2012-06-20 07:12 · Score: 1

I really liked the Jedi Academy or Rogue Squadron series of books when I was a kid. That said, I discovered it myself. Your mileage may vary :)

I really liked the Stainless Steel Rate Series by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 07:12 · Score: 0

As teenager back in the 1970's I really liked the Stainless Steel Rat Series, and the Lensmen series which go by the name of space opera. I also read Venus Equilateral, although that me a little dated, and technical as well.
I started off by reading some young boy adventure Science Fiction that I can no longer remember and can not find
Johnny Quest has a series of books as well.
If you want to learn more about history the MAgic Tree House are great they got my son to actually like some aspects of history

Re:I really liked the Stainless Steel Rate Series by mrflash818 · 2012-06-20 07:23 · Score: 1

Loved Harrison's Stainless Steel Rat set, too.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Stainless_Steel_Rat

--
Uh, Linux geek since 1999.

Robert A. Heinlein by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 07:13 · Score: 0

Robert A. Heinlein had a whole period of 'juvenile' stories. Those were advised to me by a nice librarian when i was like 12.

Have Space Suit - Will Travel, is the one i remember the most.

William Sleator by Trunklebob · 2012-06-20 07:14 · Score: 2

As a kid/teen, some of my favorites were by William Sleator. A lot of sci-fi staples were introduced to me in his books (cloning, 4th/5th/nth dimensions, black holes, telepathy, time travel). My favorites were House of Stairs and Interstellar Pig.

I also enjoyed the Tripods series by John Christopher.

Also, I'm seconding the Danny Dunn and Tom Swift series. I think the series of Swift I read was the Tom Swift, Jr. from the 50's and 60's.

Fablehaven by sanosuke001 · 2012-06-20 07:15 · Score: 1

My girlfriend dragged me to the Rochester Teen Book Festival in Rochester, NY and she wanted me to read something from an author that'd be there beforehand. I asked her for a good fantasy or sci-fi book and she pointed me to Fablehaven. It's about a couple kids sent to stay with their grandfather in Connecticut and they learn of a secret world of magic creatures that exist in the real world but away from civilization. I thoroughly enjoyed it, evn though it was meant for middle-school-aged readers. I ended up buying the 5-book set at the festival.

--
-SaNo

Recommendations by EvilElk · 2012-06-20 07:15 · Score: 1

Anything by Diana Wynne Jones is an absolute must - she does both Sci Fi and Fantasy, and all are very original and started my love for the two genres. I cannot recommend her enough. There's tons out there, probably 20 books or more, and it I would even recommend for adults. Other ones I remember from when I was 9 to 11 are Nicholas Fisk, Anthony Horowitz, which are more sci fi IIRC. There's the Redwall books by Brian Jacques and Deptford Mice by Robin Jarvis - these last two series are quite dark & grim though, so maybe wait till a bit later (I read them when I was 10, but I was always weird like that). Also, you can't really beat Enid Blyton's "Wishing Chair" and "Magic Faraway Tree" books, I believe they're available in an omnibus now. I think someone's already mentioned Susan Cooper's "Dark is Rising" series, and of course the Narnia books.

My teacher is an alien by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 07:16 · Score: 0

That series, all 4 books is rather short. It is funny, and the hero is about the right age heck even now i sit down for an hour or 2 every few years and read it just for the laugh.

Diane Duane - So You Want to Be A Wizard? Series by musicon · 2012-06-20 07:16 · Score: 2

I'd highly recommend the series So You Want to Be a Wizard? series by Diane Duane for kids in the 8-15 age range, although they read fine for older ages as well. And before anyone asks, I'd recommend them over the Harry Potter series. For older kids (12-18), the Amber series by Roger Zelazny is great as well. There's also the old Danny Dunn series. Finally, depending on the kids' maturity level, go for the classics (Stranger in a Strange Land, A Wrinkle in Time).

Hard For Kids? by Tenebrousedge · 2012-06-20 07:17 · Score: 3, Insightful

Those are all good suggestions, I might add Anne McCaffrey to the list. I am confused however by the idea that it's bad to exceed a child's comprehension. Let his own reading material be age-appropriate if you must, but he will enjoy being read good stuff even if he doesn't completely understand it. What exactly is gained by reading unchallenging books?

--
Those who advocate genocide deserve every protection afforded by law, and none afforded by common human decency.

Re:Hard For Kids? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 09:33 · Score: 0

Yes! Anne McCaffrey was some of the earliest sci fi/fantasy I read.

Exiled From Earth by wcrowe · 2012-06-20 07:17 · Score: 1

When I was that age I read Ben Bova's Exiled From Earth, and was hooked on Sci Fi from then on. The story still holds up pretty well.

--
Proverbs 21:19

Before Jonny Quest there was Tom Swift by xactuary · 2012-06-20 07:17 · Score: 0

As a young kid I read all the Tom Swift books. Highly recommended.

--
Say hello to my little sig.

Start with books made for kids by Pontiac · 2012-06-20 07:17 · Score: 2

Rather than trying to get the kids reading the adult shorts and novels try the books they wrote for kids
Asimov has the Luckey Starr series. This was probably the first Sci-fi book I remember my dad reading to me.

David Starr, Space Ranger (1952)
Lucky Starr and the Pirates of the Asteroids (1953)
Lucky Starr and the Oceans of Venus (1954)
Lucky Starr and the Big Sun of Mercury (1956)
Lucky Starr and the Moons of Jupiter (1957)
Lucky Starr and the Rings of Saturn (1958)

From Heinlein

Rocket Ship Galileo, 1947
Space Cadet, 1948
Red Planet, 1949
Between Planets, 1951
The Rolling Stones aka Space Family Stone, 1952
Farmer in the Sky, 1953
Starman Jones, 1953
The Star Beast, 1954
Tunnel in the Sky, 1955
Time for the Stars, 1956
Citizen of the Galaxy, 1957
Have Space Suit—Will Travel, 1958

--
If you think it's expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until you hire an amateur. --Red Adair

Re:Start with books made for kids by Anonymous Coward · 2012-07-01 18:38 · Score: 0

There is also the Tom Corbett series. I know the first seven are in the public domain. I am not sure about the eighth and final book.

Airborne Series by Punko · 2012-06-20 07:18 · Score: 1

The Airborne Series (Airborne, Skybreaker, Starclimber) by Kenneth Opel. Award winning series set in an alternate Edwardian time, where airplanes don't exist, but airships rule the skies. 2nd book is my favorite.

--
If only we could fall into a woman's arms without falling into her hands

Many great sci-fi books for kids by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 07:18 · Score: 0

I loved many, many of these books when I was a kid:
http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/2450.Best_Children_s_Science_Fiction_Books

especially books by Heinlein, Christopher, Cameron, L'Engle, and Williams. Great stuff!

Sci-fi recommendations by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 07:19 · Score: 1

L'engle's A Wrinkle In Time and the sequels.

Heinlein's juvenile books like Podkayne of Mars and Have Space Suit Will Travel

John Bellairs, pretty much anything he's written. The House With A Clock In It's Walls is one of his best. My personal favorite of his is The Face in the Frost, but that might be for more adult readers.

Lloyd Alexander by Medievalist · 2012-06-20 07:19 · Score: 3, Informative

Lloyd Alexander's Prydain series for fantasy, Heinlein's juvenile stuff for SF. And don't ask him to read the books, read the books to him. Let him find his own things to read (it'll be godawful stuff in your opinion, and that's OK).

Re:Lloyd Alexander by OnionFighter · 2012-06-20 10:45 · Score: 1

Lloyd Alexander's Prydain series for fantasy,
I liked this series better then the Narnia books when I was a kid.
Re:Lloyd Alexander by Xygon · 2012-06-21 01:32 · Score: 1

I'm an avid fantasy reader, and started with these books as a kid. I didn't even know the Disney movie (and video game!) existed until years later.

Re:Diane Duane - So You Want to Be A Wizard? Serie by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 07:20 · Score: 0

Mod parent up - this is a great series!

Counterpoint by eldavojohn · 2012-06-20 07:21 · Score: 3, Insightful

I had the same experience with Westerns. I guess when I saw "My Name Is Nobody" I was a bit lost but the Fist Full of Dollars stuff was right in my wheelhouse. Today I don't watch much other than Clint and my dad was okay with that. On the other hand, my dad used to play records for me like Baba O'Riley by The Who and The Beatles' Red and Blue collections on his old record player. I gobbled that stuff up and, later, when I would be exposed to then popular bands like Ace of Base and Green Day from my classmates my body rejected that trash like a baboon heart with the wrong blood type. So I think it can easily go both ways depending on the relationship and the kid's interests. This guy's kid already sounds like he's showing a positive enjoyment towards the books so let's further it.

And today, I have many younger cousins that I guess I never realized looked up to me and thought I was cool. Well, one Christmas, my aunt just put my name on a present to my younger cousin Hunter and it was for some book I never heard of. She e-mailed me the synopsis and he read that book in five days we did a little back and forth over e-mail about it. So I took her cue and started sending him books I pick up at thrift stores and other used book stores if they're cheap (I'd wager he's got some pretty good sets and maybe even doubles of most of these authors). Seriously, stop in a goodwill sometime, pick out some good books and gift them to your younger relatives, it's worth the ~50 cents for the old paperback on the chance the kid reads it. Now when I'm visiting I casually ask him about the books and he goes nuts where he never said two words before.

So, if you want to help the person asking Slashdot, perhaps the suggestion should be "Give the book to his idol and politely ask them to give the book to your kid." Then once the kid is hooked, you just so happen to have read the book as well.

--
My work here is dung.

Re:Counterpoint by scharkalvin · 2012-06-21 00:46 · Score: 1

"My name is Nobody" was one of my favorite westerns. I also liked "Duck you sucker" (which was renamed "a fist full of dynamite"), and "the good, the bad, and the ugly".

Bartimaeus by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 07:21 · Score: 0

The Amulet of Samarkand (A Bartimaeus Graphic Novel) http://www.bartimaeusbooks.com/about_graphic.html
was a blast for my 5yr old.

Re:Bartimaeus by lattyware · 2012-06-20 07:28 · Score: 1

The Bartimaeus books are great, among my favourite reads to this day. The are refreshingly different, and extremely interesting. Definitely worth a read for anyone, kids or not (the later books mature a little).

--
-- Lattyware (www.lattyware.co.uk)

Asimov wrote children's books too. by Llynix · 2012-06-20 07:21 · Score: 1

Check out Norby.

For my own memories... by Kilobug · 2012-06-20 07:21 · Score: 1

At that age, I loved the Philippe Ebly novels, but I don't if they are translated to English (he's belgian, writing in French). But I'm pretty that those are the ones that made love scifi and fantasy so much.

Asimov is my favourite writer, but 8yo is probably too young for Asimov, I think I started enjoying Asimov around 12.

Jules Verne is also quite good, but I'm not sure how old I was when reading them, maybe a bit older like 10.

Asimov's Lucky Starr Series by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 07:21 · Score: 0

Check out Asimov's Lucky Starr series of books. He wrote these for kids, a sort of Lone Ranger in space. Lots of action and fairly simple plots and concepts.

Xanth by treerex · 2012-06-20 07:22 · Score: 2

Piers Anthony's Xanth series can be a lot of fun, especially the early ones. Eight may be a bit young for them though. I'll second the suggestions of Narnia and The Hobbit (LotR is not engaging enough for the average 8 y/o IMHO).

Re:Xanth by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 07:57 · Score: 0

Absolutely! I think I started reading Xanth at about that age and absolutely loved them. And the good news is, Piers Anthony has written so many Xanth books by now that if you start your kid reading them at age 8, he'll probably just be finishing them by the time he graduates from high school.
Just before I discovered Xanth, I also enjoyed the hell out of Choose Your Own Adventure books. I don't have kids, so can't say if maybe 8 is already too old for CYOA, but I loved those things at one point. It's not science fiction, but the Hardy Boys were popular for a reason. And I loved Encyclopedia Brown, too. I hear there's a fairly popular series of fantasy books that came out of England in recent years, too. Perhaps you've heard of them? I think they may be known by the name of their lead character - Harry Potter, or something like that.
Re:Xanth by chooks · 2012-06-20 16:11 · Score: 1

This was one of my thoughts as well as I started reading Piers Anthony in 5th or 6th grade. The Xanth novels are great for puns. Many of his other series or short stories have decidedly more mature themes (Minnie's Crew...I remember reading THAT in 8th grade. Yikes!). Still, I remember reading (and re-reading) Cthon, the Bid of a Space Tyrant series, the Blue Adept/Phase series, and the Greek mythology based ones (forget the name of those books) with fondness.
And I'm not completely screwed up (although opinions on this may vary). :)

--
-- The Genesis project? What's that?

Piers Anthony's Xanth Novels by mikecvelide · 2012-06-20 07:22 · Score: 1

Highly recommended. These books are interesting, exciting and written with content and style appropriate for young readers. Also, there are currently 35 of these books published so it'll keep him busy if he enjoys them. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xanth#Books

"The White Mountains" trilogy by John Christopher by mattack2 · 2012-06-20 07:22 · Score: 1

There is also a newer prequel that apparently spoils the trilogy.

The Cyberiad by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 07:22 · Score: 0

Stanislaw Lem's Cyberiad

Ship Breaker by fahrbot-bot · 2012-06-20 07:22 · Score: 1

Try a YA (Young Adult) novel like Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi. I'd also recommend Ringworld by Larry Niven. If he ever gets into hard-core science fiction then try Alastair Reynolds and the Revelation Space series.

I'm not a big fan of fantasy, but he might like The Golden Compass.

--
It must have been something you assimilated. . . .

Re:Ship Breaker by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 08:36 · Score: 0

Ringworld by Larry Niven has a pretty sexist viewpoint. Not sure if I would want my children reading that. . .

SF for Juveniles by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 07:23 · Score: 0

I strongly recommend Robert A. Heinlein's juvenile books such as Podkayne of Mars and several others. I would also suggest finding anything by Andre Norton as these are stories I read as a kid and which are still among my favorites.

The reason for these suggestions is that they were, unlike Asimov's, written for a younger audience so that they are easier to read and have enough action to keep a young reader's interest. Even Edward E. (Doc) Smith could be good reading, despite how dated the technologies are.

Re:Do Try Asimov by halivar · 2012-06-20 07:23 · Score: 2

Norby the Mixed-Up Robot was both my introduction to Asimov, and sci-fi in general.

My choices. by hackwrench · 2012-06-20 07:23 · Score: 1

Robert Asprin's "Myth" or "Phule" series.
Graham Watkin's Virus.

Nesbit by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 07:23 · Score: 0

The fantisy novels of Edith Nesbit are excellent:
5 children and It
The phoenix and the Carpet
the Story of the Amulet
The Enchanted castle

the Narnia books are really good, and Jules Verne makes a good read aloud.
The hobbit and other less well known Tolkien books are good (farmer giles of ham, the father christmas letters)

Webcomics by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 07:23 · Score: 0

Try "Buck Godot, Zap Gun For Hire" or "Girl Genius". Whet his appetite. He'll be asking to go to the library soon enough.

That's what my parents did. (But with paper comics).

Ender's Game by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 07:23 · Score: 0

Unless you live in South Carolina...

Comics probably better by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 07:24 · Score: 0

Comics are lot more palatable for the age mentioned. Not necessarily US comics of all kinds of superheros but for instance the Valerian series. Enders game is also available in comics.

Re:Stfu, troll by StillNeedMoreCoffee · 2012-06-20 07:24 · Score: 3, Interesting

Not hate, not even ideology, stupidity is politically neutral but it seems that there is a preponderance of good fiction, and re-writing of history that begs laughter in this political compaign. It also seems like much is coming via Fox "News" (since when). What you see is laughter.

I detect though that you have some scorn, and hate. You wouldn't be invested in that message would you? and you with your "festering bullshit" comment seems like you missed the point and as other have stated, possibly, lack a sense of humor.

Well better than Republicans, lets see. by keeping an open mind, caring for more than just myself and my pocketbook, feeling that every citizen should vote and we should not provide road blocks to suppress voters from voting, I think congress should govern (parties working together and compromising) rather than lying down on the floor and pounding their fists and saying no, no, it that to be my way. Realizing that we are better off now than when Bush was in office, because the economy was in free fall, it is not now. Thinking that unregulated commerce has almost killed the economy what 5 or 6 times, so anyone saying that more de-regulation is the path out of economic crisis, is not playing with a full deck (or most likely, they feel they can take advantage and take your money and run behind the gated community gate before you realize what has happened). I don't know what makes anyone better than an ideologue, on either side.

But as you said, this was about what children should read. But you asked the question.

Science first -- fiction will follow... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 07:24 · Score: 0

I went from Dr. Seuss to science (NASA was a big deal). And then Star Trek - TOS. Twilight Zone. Outer Limits. And every cheesy Hammer film on Saturday fueled more reading. Mom took me to see Planet of the Apes (I was 7 - the perfect time to learn "God damn you all to hell!").

I read every Doc Savage pulp that Bantam reprinted in the 60s, and a bit of the Shadow, Spider, Justice Inc. and others. Marvel comics beginning with FF 103 (and thereafter every one before it as well).

Ringworld and Foundation, along with a great many of Asimov's collections of non-fiction essays.

But, it was always what I wanted...and that's key...

Here we go by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 07:26 · Score: 0

For general fantasy:
-The chronicles of Prydain from Lloyd Alexander
-The Belgariad \ Malloreon from David Eddings
-The Hobbit \ LOTR from Tolkien
-Gnomes \ Discworld from Terry Pratchett

For Science Fiction is harder, kids usually don't have the knowledge to understand the science part, so try with short stories like Asimov's "Pâté de Foie Gras"

Actually, many of the grandmasters are good... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 07:26 · Score: 0

Asimov wrote several novels targeting younger readers specifically, I know Clarke could be read by younger children (Some of his stuff anyway) and Heinlein even wrote novels targeted at youngsters.

Re:Stainless Steel Rat by MRe_nl · 2012-06-20 07:28 · Score: 2

"Bill, the Galactic Hero" by H.H. is also good kiddiesoftware.

And some of Jack Vances simpler stuff, Dying Earth/Planet of Adventure (maybe not sci-fi enough).

--
"Kill 'em all and let Root sort 'em out"

Tom Swift by Droog57 · 2012-06-20 07:28 · Score: 1

Try the Tom Swift series, have no idea if they are still available, but it was like the Hardy Boys in space. Another good book, highly overlooked for years, but was taught in English Class back in the day, The Chrysalids by John Wyndham, same guy that wrote Day of the Triffids and Midwich Cuckoos. Great book, light on the sci- heavy on the -fi, but totally original and refreshing. No idea why that one never made it to the big screen.

--
"If the only tool that you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail." Donny Rumsfeld

Eleanor Cameron by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 07:28 · Score: 0

Try The Wonderful Flight To The Mushroom Planet by Eleanor Cameron. The Borrowers might work for fantasy although the sheer size of the book might be daunting.

Try Robert Heinlein's "Have Spacesuit Will Travel. by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 07:29 · Score: 0

Try Robert Heinlein's "Have Spacesuit Will Travel."

Re:Cory Doctorow's stuff features familiar setting by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 07:29 · Score: 0

I can't stand Cory Doctorow's writing. I sort of respect his activism, but as a writer, he really is awful... totally seems like someone disgruntled because real publishers wouldn't accept his crappy books, so he released them for free.

It just seems like bad stories about his dream universes - that is, the story is about the universe which it takes place in, but has no value as a story. No mind fucks, no philosophical points, no suspense - no plot - just a freaky universe. I might as well have been watching silent movies.

50 shades of grey by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 07:29 · Score: 0

nuff said

The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander by raist21 · 2012-06-20 07:30 · Score: 1

These were the first fantasy books I can remember reading, and I was completely hooked on the genre afterwards.
I was in the first grade as I recall, and while they were a quick a light read, they actually dealt with some fairly heavy (at that age anyways) moral issues and life lessons.
Oh, and if you're basing an opinion of these books off of having watched Disney's Cartoon...don't...there are few similarities if any.

Red Thunder by CheapEngineer · 2012-06-20 07:31 · Score: 1

Red Thunder by John Varley (http://www.amazon.com/Red-Thunder-John-Varley/dp/0441010156). What kid doesn't want to build his own spaceship?

Johnny Maxwell Trilogy by Terry Pratchett by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 07:31 · Score: 0

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Maxwell

I'm a huge Pratchett fan in general, but when I read these books I remember thinking 'Well that was kinda cool, but it seems like it was written for kids..." Turns out it was.

+1 for A Wrinkle In Time or The Hobbit
-10 million for LOTR (Too long/convoluted) or Hitchhikers Guide (Too much satire/irony)

One more vote for Prydain by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 07:31 · Score: 0

I started reading Lloyd Alexander's stuff when I was that age. Great series.

Young Jedi Knights by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 07:31 · Score: 0

Especially if he likes the star wars movies, the Young Jedi Knights series would be excellent.

Tom Swift by arikol · 2012-06-20 07:32 · Score: 4, Informative

the Tom Swift books are pretty fun for kids. Crazy airplanes, spaceships, submarines, and all kinds of weird things. The books will make YOU cringe a little (not the best prose in the world and sometimes quite tacky) but may spark the imagination of a child.

Hardcore sci-fi can start being interesting soon, but most of that does not get REALLY interesting until the children become old enough to read between the lines and see the actual point of the stories. At least a little. Books such as Animal Farm (okay, not sci-fi, but bear with me) are often seen as boring by children who haven't trained themselves to read books and understand the point. Most hardcore sci-fi isn't about robots, but rather about the human condition. Choose something simpler that really is about robots to begin with. The rest comes when the children start exploring by themselves.

The Giver by Lois Lowry by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 07:32 · Score: 0

Might I recommend "The Giver" by Lois Lowry.

A relatively simple read with deep undertones and just the right amount of age appropriate sex for your youngster.....

Tom Swift & Tom Swift jr.series by Tacoboy · 2012-06-20 07:33 · Score: 0

The Tom Swift and Tom Swift Jr. series are easy reading. Main character is like Tony Stark (boy genius) My 4th grade teacher gave us credit for how many book pages (any book) we could read during the school year Because of that series, I ended up reading over twice as many books then anyone else in my 4th grade class. Stainless Steel Rat series, that was some good reading.

A broad spectrum of advice by hardie · 2012-06-20 07:33 · Score: 1

I'm pretty amazed at some of the advice. Not to pick on anyone, but Ringworld for an 8 year old?

Comic books first, or compilations of them. The Avengers come to mind. I liked the idea of the Hobbit too. If he likes that, LOTR will follow.

Heinlein has lots of good, juvenile oriented books. Charles Sheffield has some also, Putting Up Roots, Higher Education, The Billion Dollar Boy, The Cyborg from Earth. He has lots of great adult SF as well, not nearly as well known as he should be.

Definitely talk to your local librarian.

Steve

No Polemics by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 07:33 · Score: 0

The Phantom Tool Booth.

Interpreting the request as SciFi/Fantasy your son might like. Never too soon to expose him to books with a subversive twist. For other (not necessarily subversive) options:
The Hobbit/LOTR
A Wrinkle in Time
The Narnia Series
Stranger in a Strange Land
The Phantom Toll Both
Girl Genius (webcomic with print volumes)
The Tripods Series

And with that last suggestion, he'll even be prepared for the XKCD references.
Did I mention 'The Phantom Tool Booth'?

robots by tcc3 · 2012-06-20 07:33 · Score: 1

C.O.L.A.R. by Alfred Slote. Its actually the second in a 4 book series, but the best in my opinion. Its what got me started on Scifi. Its out of print, but used copies appear to be available.

The Bug Wars by Orga · 2012-06-20 07:34 · Score: 1

http://www.amazon.com/The-Bug-Wars-Robert-Asprin/dp/0441073735

Simple story and the kicker is there isn't a human mentioned in the book. It's from the perspective of an alien race fighting an alien race. Great way in my opinion to get a child to take another look at the world.

The Bunnicula Series by mooingyak · 2012-06-20 07:34 · Score: 1

Bunnicula by James Howe. A story about a possibly vampire bunny, as told by the family dog. My eight year old loves them, we're up to the fifth book in the series.

--
William of Ockham had no beard. The most likely explanation is that it was chewed off by squirrels every morning.

My suggestions by SilverJets · 2012-06-20 07:35 · Score: 1

The Last Unicorn
A Wrinkle in Time
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
The Chronicles of Narnia
Stardust
Ender's Game
The Hobbit (I'd stop there (for now) LOTR can get very involved in detail that can even turn off adult readers)
The Chrysalids
Journey to the Centre of the Earth
Around the World in 80 Days
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea
The Mysterious Island
The Time Machine
The Martian Chronicles
Farenheit 451
War of the Worlds

Star Wars by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 07:35 · Score: 0

However you feel about the Star Wars novels, they're a great way to introduce a kid to why reading is cool. When I was 10 or 11, my Dad read the entire Thrawn Trilogy (circa 1992) to my brother and I over the course of a Summer. After that, I became an avid reader. Some of the older Star Wars books are pretty content safe, but epic enough to be interesting to kids. I'd stay away from the more recent storyline for a whole though, like the Legacy Era or New Jedi Order. Some pretty scary stuff and somewhat more adult content.

In addition, though it's been suggested, you can't go wrong with the Hobbit. That was the first large "chapter book" I ever read. Ender's game is also short enough for most younger kids. Though I personally didn't read it until High School. Not sure how I missed it honestly.

Re:Short, Fiction, with simple words by ReverendLoki · 2012-06-20 07:36 · Score: 2

As I understand it, one has a fantastical, fictional story of the unbelievable, centering around aliens invading our world and threatening our way of life, and the other features Orson Welles...

--
09 F9 11 02 9D 74 E3 5B D8 41 56 C5 63 56 88 C0

Comment removed by account_deleted · 2012-06-20 07:37 · Score: 1

Comment removed based on user account deletion

What I loved by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 07:37 · Score: 0

When I was that age I absolutely LOVED the Greek Myths, which are good fantasy, can lead to lots of other useful stuff like looking at maps and researching stuff, I have very early very fond memories of drawing maps of Greece and plotting the locations of some of the tales.

The earliest SF I consciously recall reading was either Douglas Adams or John Wyndham... not sure which, the Crysalids had a big impact on a young mind

I also recall reading Earthsea when I was young, but not sure I was as young as seven.

Re:Do Try Asimov by Jason+Levine · 2012-06-20 07:38 · Score: 1

I knew there were some other Asimov books that might be better. I think the slow nature of the first few I, Robot stories might have turned him off slightly. Once we were in the story, he would want me to keep reading so he could find out just why Speedy kept running in circles on Mercury, but it didn't spark an interest in him enough for him to want to hear the rest of the stories.

--
My sci-fi novel, Ghost Thief, is now available from Amazon.com.

I loved Mercedes Lackey for Fantasy by BlueBat · 2012-06-20 07:38 · Score: 2

I started reading her when I was very young and over time her books have become among my favorites. She is among my top authors that I keep an eye out for. There are probably less than 20 authors that I keep an eye out for their books and want when I see a new one.

One author that I loved when I was younger was Piers Anthony. I loved the early Xanth books and the Incarnations of Immortality books. I've drifted away from the Xanth books because they seem like he is just putting them out for the puns he gets from fans. They just don't seem as fun anymore to me. Also his single novels have never done much for me. He seems to do much better with series. A really good Sci-Fi series of his I loved when I was younger was his Bio of a Space Tyrant series but that contains some things you may find objectionable to a young reader. Of course, I was reading hard Sci-Fi before I was a teenager, including some of the Gor books with their sexual situations and it never scarred me.My uncle used to tease me about them though. :) But I haven't become a fetishist that likes to tie up women and treat them as slaves so I guess I can say that they didn't hurt me any. :)

Dianna Wynne Jones by IronSilk · 2012-06-20 07:39 · Score: 1

Amazing British author Dianna Wynne Jones is just what you are looking for. Archers Goon, Homeward Bounders. Shes an amazing storyteller. Also Terry Pratchett, comedy sci-fi, very funny and accessible.

Bartimaeus! by yacoob · 2012-06-20 07:39 · Score: 1

Bartimaeus series:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bartimaeus_(book_series)

You can read it both at the same time, and you'll both have fun.

Alternatively, Leviathan series:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leviathan_(Westerfeld_novel)
but it's less refined.

--
-- we're here you're not

Andre Norton by CrimsonAvenger · 2012-06-20 07:40 · Score: 2

Since noone has bothered to mention her juveniles. Time Traders, first three or four novels, Witch World, most, if not all of them Almost any of the stories that mention the Dipple, though you'll probably have to explain that part to him (or might have to have someone explain it to you, if you're young enough for an 8-year-old son still). Not sure whether her post atomic war stories (Stars Are Ours, Star Man's Son, etc) would fit within his worldview (it's been a very long time since that was a big concern), but the stories are reasonably entertaining, usually involving a teenage boy as protagonist....

--

"I do not agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it"

Re:Andre Norton by mattver2 · 2012-06-20 08:24 · Score: 1

Since noone has bothered to mention her juveniles. Time Traders, first three or four novels, Witch World, most, if not all of them Almost any of the stories that mention the Dipple, though you'll probably have to explain that part to him (or might have to have someone explain it to you, if you're young enough for an 8-year-old son still). Not sure whether her post atomic war stories (Stars Are Ours, Star Man's Son, etc) would fit within his worldview (it's been a very long time since that was a big concern), but the stories are reasonably entertaining, usually involving a teenage boy as protagonist....
I have many fond memories of reading every single Andre Norton book I could find as a pre-teen and younger teenager. I still enjoy re-reading some of those from time to time. Great suggestion.
Re:Andre Norton by roc97007 · 2012-06-20 08:27 · Score: 1

Norton is great. The Stars Are Ours was the first novel I read by her, in grade school, and it affected me deeply. A lot of her novels appear to take place in the same universe -- one rich with the detritus of dead civilizations and made dangerous by partially-functioning alien technology. Even the time travel stories appear to share the same aliens and a lot of the same technology as the later stories.
I remember being really excited when I heard The Beast Master had been optioned as a movie... Ur... that didn't turn out well. Norton deserved better.
I read Storm Over Warlock to my daughter when she was about eleven. She loved it. We tried to get through the sequel Assignment in Otherwhere, but she was bored by it. Not every Norton novel is a gem, but enough are that they're worth looking for.
I swear to you -- if Paramount had any sense at all, they'd acquire the rights for Star Rangers and turn it into a series set in the far future of the Star Trek Federation -- where civilization has broken down, the origin of man has been forgotten, and a few broken down ships still maintain patrols out of a sense of duty. It would be fascinating, unlike anything else that's ever been on television, and (in my opinion) wildly popular.

--
Oliver's law of assumed responsibility: If you're seen fixing it, you will be blamed for breaking it.

Tamora Pierce by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 07:42 · Score: 0

I can think of countless authors that fit the bill. My favorite at that age though was Tamora Pierce. I still read the Alanna books every year.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=sr_tc_2_0?rh=i%3Astripbooks%2Ck%3ATamora+Pierce&keywords=Tamora+Pierce&ie=UTF8&qid=1340221198&sr=8-2-ent&field-contributor_id=B000APBE82

Seventh Tower by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 07:42 · Score: 0

I loved this series as a kid and read them around 5th or 6th grade. They are an easy read but I still remember the images the had me imagining.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Seventh_Tower

worlds of power books? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 07:45 · Score: 0

Nintendo Power books. you owe me : P I used to read bionic commando and shinobi when I was a kid man, how can you beat that? haha not that he necessarily likes vidgames or whatever plus they are really old but thought I'd throw that out there...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Worlds_of_Power

totally kid level too

My recommendations by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 07:45 · Score: 0

Dragonlance has been a great thing for me, both when I was just learning to read, and now. Harry Potter is good for all ages also. Otherwise I'd recommend The Hobbit, the Artemis Fowl series or the His Dark Materials trilogy. The Narnia books are also good for that age.

For the science fiction, I'll definitely recommend Enders Game, although I'm not sure if he needs to be a few years older to appreciate it. Orwells The Time Machine is also an easy read, and the same goes for I Am Legend, both being kinda short.

Here's a good one... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 07:45 · Score: 0

A Short Guide to a Happy Marriage: The Essentials for Long-Lasting Togetherness

Comment removed by account_deleted · 2012-06-20 07:46 · Score: 4, Funny

Comment removed based on user account deletion

Redwall by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 07:47 · Score: 0

Redwall.

Narnia / LOTR bored the hell out of me

Comment removed by account_deleted · 2012-06-20 07:48 · Score: 1

Comment removed based on user account deletion

Fantasy in Appalachian Setting: Silver John by Dr+Herbert+West · 2012-06-20 07:48 · Score: 1

When I was a kid my mom got me into the "Silver John" series by Manly Wade Wellman. They're kinda spooky fantasy (but not scary) southern folk lore style short stories set in the Appalachias in the early 20th century, mixing Cherokee myths with pioneer-era American magic.

Lots of cool monsters (like the Behinder that "no on can rightly say what it looks like ...for it's alway behind the man or woman it wants to grab" or the Gardinel, a kind of living house where "...the few that's lucky enough to have gone into a gardinel and win out again... tell that inside it's pinky-walled and dippy-floored, with on the floor all the skulls and bones of those who never did win-out... and all at once you know that inside a gradinel is like a stomach") and magic guitars strung with silver strings make these a lot of fun. Wellman had an amazing ability to convey local dialect effectively (which can make for a fun read-- practicing regional accents!) and a real feel for the landscape in which he sets the action.

He also did a lot of sci-fi as well, but the Silver John books are where it's at.

Patricia McKillip by evanthx · 2012-06-20 07:48 · Score: 1

I recommend anything by Patricia McKillip, especially the book "Forgotten Beasts of Eld": http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0152055363/patriciamckillip

Red Planet by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 07:48 · Score: 0

A classic by by Robert A. Heinlein. I read this as a kid, and it inspired me to read on.

Tom Swift Series by ggendel · 2012-06-20 07:49 · Score: 1

I wonder if the old "Tom Swift" series is still around? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Tom_Swift_books. I cut my teeth on those. I managed to see one of them again a couple decade or so ago and realized that most of the "Science" in the book was pure nonsense. But it was an easy read for a young age and did capture my imagination to start me off towards the Sciences.

Douglas Adams, Weis and Hickman by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 07:49 · Score: 0

Without reading all of the 200+ other comments, and giving respect where it's due for those that say, "don't push your children into a genre, let them figure it out on their own" -- I do respect that thought -- I would suggest some Douglas Adams' "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" as a great way to introduce them into Sci Fi that's easy to read -- I recommend that to ANYONE of any age that doesn't read much but is interested as it's a very easy read. Of course, based on my personal experience, I preferred fantasy over space at first. The first books that really grabbed me were the Dragonlance Chronicles by Wies and Hickman way back in grade school when they came out. Also very safe (safer even that Adam) in regard to content, so long as you stay away from the "for adults' D&D books, commonly by authors such as Salvatore who have crossed the line from juvenile into adult high fantasy (this isn't a bad thing, but I wouldn't want my kids to read some of his stuff).

Pendragon series of books by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 07:49 · Score: 0

These are excellent books.

Comment removed by account_deleted · 2012-06-20 07:49 · Score: 1

Comment removed based on user account deletion

The Runaway Robot by Lester Del Rey by steveha · 2012-06-20 07:51 · Score: 1

This was the first science fiction book I ever read, and it still has an important place in my heart. It's out of print, but trust me, it's worth finding a used copy and buying it. It's probably worth it to buy a hardcover; the mass-market paperback (from "Scholastic Book Services") was printed on very cheap paper that is turning brown these days.

The story: a family of three (father, mother, son) has been living on Ganymede, but will now move to Earth. The son grew up on Ganymede with a robot, Rex, as a nanny/companion. Since shipping is expensive, they plan to sell Rex and leave him behind. Hating to leave Rex, the boy gets off the space liner just before it departs, and runs away; the boy and the robot have adventures as they try to get to Earth together. It's a tale of adventure and loyalty and love. The story is narrated by Rex in the first person.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Runaway-Robot-Lester-Del/dp/B000DZDQD0

I believe I was 8 when I read this. I loved it then and I still love it today.

steveha

--
lf(1): it's like ls(1) but sorts filenames by extension, tersely

The Hobbit by Zarhan · 2012-06-20 07:51 · Score: 1

Since you included fantasy. Works perfectly. My friend is currently reading it one chapter a night for her 7-year-old - and he just loves it.

On the sci-fi-side, others have mentioned lots of examples - but you could try giving him book versions of Star Wars and Empire Strikes Back - and then the Timothy Zahn's Thrawn trilogy. Not so serious but the stories flow smoothly. And they have space battles with lots of turbolasers.

Re:The Hobbit by turgid · 2012-06-20 08:41 · Score: 1

The Hobbit and Harry Potter are not science fiction: they're "Fantasy."
Mrs. Turgid teaches English at secondary level (12-18 years) and she says that Harry Potter isn't that great technically (in terms of the quality of the writing) but it has been immensely valuable in that it has go children reading books again.
She's a great Tolkein fan and reads LOTR once a year, every year. I've tried. When I was 10 I didn't make it past Bilbo's birthday (it was pointless, boring and nothing happened), and when the films came out in the 2ks I tried again and made it on to RotK but didn't finish it (no depth, just a series of rather hum-drum encounters and a load of nonsense about magic and superstition). It just doesn't float my boat. I'd read all the Asimov Robot books by the time I was 12 and gave up with SciFi after that (and fiction in general). I was more interested in inventing the future rather than reading about someone else's idea of what it might be like in 1000 years...
I'm not doing too well, as you can imagine.

--
Stick Men
Re:The Hobbit by PCM2 · 2012-06-20 08:43 · Score: 3, Funny

(no depth, just a series of rather hum-drum encounters and a load of nonsense about magic and superstition)
Wow. I'd hate to hear your review of Homer's Odyssey.

--
Breakfast served all day!
Re:The Hobbit by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 09:10 · Score: 0

Absolutely, The Hobbit. At eight it should be easy. We were reading LOTR by eight. The Narnian Chronicles are also good for children and easy reads. (Some people hate them as inherently religious--kids don't notice.)
Harry Potter, though reductive and non-classic, is also easy and can be fun.
The Dark is Rising Sequence is a slightly tougher read, but also uses much better language.
Most importantly, turn off the TV/Computer/Videogames. Books get MUCH more interesting when there isn't something around that gives faster rewards.
Go with LOTR and skip The Hobbit. If he likes LOTR you can go back to The Hobbit as back-story, but keeping track of all the names of the dwarves for the first 1/3 of the book where not much else is going on in not a good introduction to the world of Bilbo
Re:The Hobbit by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 09:15 · Score: 0

IIRC, I read the Dark is Rising books in 6th grade and found them a little simple (but still fun), so 9-10 might be about right for them.
Re:The Hobbit by Belial6 · 2012-06-20 09:34 · Score: 1

Tolkein really wasn't a very good writer. Good at coming up with stories, but not a good writer. He was far too obsessed with minutia.
Re:The Hobbit by dkleinsc · 2012-06-20 11:51 · Score: 1

Wow. I'd hate to hear your review of Homer's Odyssey.
Oh, that's a great one for the kids - chock full of exquisite sex and wholesome violence that underscores our values (to quote a certain ex-president). Also has generous helpings of drug use, rock-and-roll, and of course a lot of religious imagery which I'm sure the Christian right would find horrifically evil.

--
I am officially gone from /. Long live http://www.soylentnews.com/
Re:The Hobbit by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-21 00:54 · Score: 0

The Hobbit and Harry Potter are not science fiction: they're "Fantasy."
So a good answer to the question that was posed : "Which science fiction and/or fantasy books would you recommend for an 8-year-old" ?
Re:The Hobbit by shaitand · 2012-06-21 02:16 · Score: 1

The poster asked for sci fi/fantasy. Clearly you don't like Fantasy but that is off topic.
Re:The Hobbit by shaitand · 2012-06-21 02:21 · Score: 1

I'd add "The Wheel of Time" to this as well as any of the dungeons and dragons related fantasy like the dragonlance stuff. Terry Brooks should be good. Eragon. There is actually quite a bit in the fantasy category that would be fine for a younger audience.
Terry Goodkind is quite readable but involves graphic violence, repeated rape, and after a few books an obsessive right wing agenda. Personally I don't believe censorship is beneficial to children so its the last one I'd be concerned with.
Re:The Hobbit by TheShadowzero · 2012-06-21 02:45 · Score: 1

LOTR tends to be too dense for most young kids...in fact even as an adult I have issues with it. It's also very long and sometimes younger kids want to move on to the next story. I would start with The Hobbit as it flows nicely and you can lead into LOTR better with it than vice versa.

--
If history repeats itself, why can't we study the future?
Re:The Hobbit by turgid · 2012-06-21 07:16 · Score: 1

Like I said, I'm not too good at reading and I tend to miss things out.

--
Stick Men
Re:The Hobbit by RockDoctor · 2012-06-22 02:03 · Score: 1

Tolkein really wasn't a very good writer. Good at coming up with stories, but not a good writer.
Tolkein had some wonderful strands of mythology and folklore to draw on. I'll leave it to personal opinions as to whether JRR Tolkein was a good writer, a great writer, or what - I have no distress at the idea of re-reading any of the works he had more-or-less completed himself.
It's much less open to debate whether JRR Tolkein was a better writer than his son (Christopher ? ... checks ... yes), who has mostly confined himself to editorial mining of his father's estate.
For the original question, the First Post says enough. Ramming something into the child's hands, let alone hammering it into their ears or down their throats, is likely to be counter productive. Anything stronger than "What's that you're reading Dad? ... [This] This other one is by the same author - give it a try." is likely to be counterproductive.

--
Birds are not dinosaur descendants;birds are dinosaurs, for all useful meanings of "birds", "are" and "dinosaurs"
Re:The Hobbit by Anonymous Coward · 2012-07-03 02:09 · Score: 0

You sound like the most boring person in the world.
Re:The Hobbit by Shadowmist · 2012-07-03 18:41 · Score: 1

The Hobbit and Harry Potter are not science fiction: they're "Fantasy."
And science fiction is for the most part a subset of fantasy, only instead of incantations, we have formulae. Instead of wands and magic carpets, we've got phasers and warp drive. The important thing that both can engender for children in that age is a sense of wonder, something that for most of us is lost all too soon. Parent, you're asking the wrong question. What you need for the 8 year old is not getting them hooked on futurist scenarios or science fiction as a formula. What you need is to be sensitive to that sense of wonder and look to keep it alive as long as possible. If you preserve it long enough while still keeping some grounding perspective, your child will take care of itself. One of the most important contributions of the Harry Potter series was that it brought more children to an interest of reading than any other book before it. Ignore the scifi snobs who would tell you otherwise. If something works.... it works. Harry Potter does for children now what Star Trek did generations ago, only it does it better, and it does it by reading, something that's far more effective at engaging imagination than visual media.
Re:The Hobbit by turgid · 2012-07-04 08:34 · Score: 1

I agree, and that's Mrs. Turgid's position too. She teaches English at secondary level and, although she says that Harry Potter isn't very well written, as you said it's the best thing to have happened to children's reading for years.
When I was growing up in the 1980s, our teachers belittled us in public if they thought what we were reading wasn't good enough, and my father discouraged me from reading anything that wasn't "hard" science fiction. I soon got bored and gave up reading fiction.
Reading fiction is good for the imagination, and it's good for the character in other ways (something I didn't realise until my late teens). Through fiction we explore human interaction, amongst other things. Shakespeare is particularly good for this and it's why it's taught in schools. Too bad they waited until after we'd been bored to death to explain that. We might have paid more attention.
Note I don't like Shakespeare in general. It has too many words, too quickly for me. The comedies are good, though.

--
Stick Men

Graphic Novels by mcleland · 2012-06-20 07:51 · Score: 1

Others have mentioned The Hobbit and Narnia. We listened to Narnia on audiobook and my 7 year old eats them up. I just started the Hobbit and he's hooked half-way through chapter 1. Another idea is graphic novels. We got a few young reader books like Billy Blaster and Recon Academy (sort-of sci fi) which he can read along with. I discovered Missle Mouse which I had to read at first, but after a few readings he likes to look at for himself.

Asimov's "Tomorrow's Children" by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 07:52 · Score: 0

Found this in my school library as a kid. Loved it.

Anything your kid wants by aaaaaaargh! · 2012-06-20 07:53 · Score: 1

Shouldn't your kid just read whatever he wants? Okay, perhaps you want to exclude erotic novels and horror stories, although I doubt very much that these could do any harm. When I was about 7 or 8 years old I read Lem's Eden and it absolutely fascinated me. Haven't read it again for quite a while but it's still one of my favorites. At age 7-12 I then read almost everything else by Lem and all the other classics like Asimov, Bradbury, Heinlein, etc. of my fathers collection. Oh, and of course also loved the Little Hobbit and Lord of the Rings.

When I say your kid can read whatever he wants, I assume that you'll also have the time to talk about it, of course.

Fantasy first? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 07:53 · Score: 0

Everyone's different, but I found that fantasy was easier for me at a young age. Though the two genres are related and very similar, scifi tends to deal with technical things and it wasn't till I was grade 4 or 5 that I was interested in such things. Dragons, knights, wizards, magic... these were all more interesting to me at an earlier age.

I would suggest some of the classics written specifically for children such as The Chronicles of Narnia and the Lloyd Alexander's The Chronicles of Prydain. Harry Potter series is also very good.

One answer by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 07:54 · Score: 0

Jules Verne. Most of his books are very child friendly.

Fisk, Hughes, Sleator, Christopher and Hill by JacobAlexander · 2012-06-20 07:54 · Score: 1

There's a tonne of stuff which isn't necessarily so easy to get hold of any more, but I have very fond memories of reading the 'Space' Anthologies, particularly Space 6 which included the classic story "Bobo's Star". I used to love Nicholas Fisk - most memorably "A Rag, A Bone and a Hank of Hair" and "Trillions"; Monica Hughes, who wrote lots of stuff including "Crisis on Conshelf 10" and "Devil on my Back". The Tripods is nowhere near the best of John Christopher's work. (He died earlier this year by the way) - but you should check out "The Lotus Caves" and the Sword of the Spirits Trilogy - which is pretty brutal stuff and targeted at adolescents. Someone has already mentioned William Sleator who died last year and who wrote the brilliant "Boy who Reversed Himself" and 'Singularity". For pure, thrilling 8-year old sci-fi action, you can't beat Douglas Hill's Last Legionary series of novels.

Some suggestions by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 07:55 · Score: 0

I tried not to repeat too many suggestions:

The Coral Island by R M Ballantyne - Three boys are shipwrecked on an island.
The Princes Bride by S. Morgenstern - Get the expurgated edition edited by William Goldman unless you really like reading about hats.
Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C. Clarke - A mysterious ship approaches earth and a group of astronauts investigate.
The Belgariad by David Eddings - A young boy is tasked to kill a god
The Malloreon by David Eddings - See the Belgariad.
Child of the Grove by Tanya Huff - Tale about a young wizard.
A Wrinkle In Time by Madeleine L'Engle - Fourth-Dimensional Geometry (and dragons) for kids.
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Charles Dodgson - Point out some of the math/logic puzzles and try and solve them.
Xanth by Piers Anthony - Read the book first. Some Xanth books are perfectly ok for younger kids, some are not.

Ender's Game? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 07:56 · Score: 0

Ender's Game?

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry by Verloc · 2012-06-20 07:56 · Score: 1

The Little Prince is a fantasy/sci-fi novel that is extremely multidimensional (you can read it on many levels). It's something that one can read at 8 and enjoyed, then read again at 12, 16 and enjoyed for entirely different reasons. I cannot recommend this book enough for young readers.

Re:Antoine de Saint-Exupéry by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-21 11:58 · Score: 0

Ooo yes, definitely.
Seconded!

Focus on stories about kids their own age by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 07:56 · Score: 0

I find kids really like stories where the protagonist is their own age. Perfect for that is Ender's game, my kids loved it. A more obscure one is "The Tripods" trilogy by John Christopher. A bit dark, but I loved it at that age.

Good luck.

The City of Gold and Lead by John Christopher by WindPwr · 2012-06-20 07:59 · Score: 1

"The City of Gold and Lead" by John Christopher. I recall I lucked onto it in the 3rd grade. My gateway book to Science Fiction/Alternate Universe/Fantasy.

The Magic Tree House series kept my kids attention-Mary Pope Osborne

A lot of Jules Verne's work has been edited for younger readers.

As other have stated, let your kids guide you to what interests them. Let's hope they have access to a good reading program in school.

I've found any of the Newbery Award winners from the ALSC are usually good reading. Those librarians are on to something.

A few recommendations from a life-long book nerd. by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 08:01 · Score: 0

I would recommend "The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe" by C.S. Lewis, "The Hobbit" by J.R.R. Tolkien, or "A Wrinkle In Time" by Madeleine L'Engle.

I know a lot of people would start with Clarke, or Asimov, or Niven, but I wouldn't recommend it. Read something that captures the imagination and you're hooked for life.

I still remember reading "Rocketship Galileo" by Robert Heinlein for the first time. It was fantastic. Another good starter book, I think.

Best of luck!

sci fi for an 8 year old by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 08:02 · Score: 0

i got into sci fi at about that age reading asimov's, i robot. i reckon kids just love robots or a good one to read to them if you're good at voices would be the hitchhikers guide to the galaxy, if you can make the characters come alive for them. oh and i mean the original version not anything to do with that awful film.

I suggest Choose-Your-Own-Adventure type books by Bluntaxe · 2012-06-20 08:02 · Score: 1

I completely hated reading at that age. However the Choose-Your-Own Adventure and similar type books changed that. They were like a game I could play while at school. Next thing I knew a few years later I was reading novels.

Re:Do Try Asimov by es330td · 2012-06-20 08:05 · Score: 1

Just watch out the child does not find Asimov so interesting they read up to Robots of Dawn. You may have some explaining to do.

I'd suggest by JustNiz · 2012-06-20 08:05 · Score: 1

When I was about that age, The Tripods Trilogy by John Carpenter and the Edgar Rice Burroughs Barsoom series dominated my reading universe.
They are readable even for a younger kid, and theres also a lot of them.
You might also try the Discworld series by Terry Pratchett, although they're more fantasy than sci-fi, they're great stories for all ages and have a wonderful sense of humour.

Marvelous World by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 08:06 · Score: 0

Troy Cle's Marvelous Effect

I read this when I was around 8... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 08:06 · Score: 0

Enders game.

Tom Swift books by ageoffri · 2012-06-20 08:06 · Score: 2

Look no further then the Tom Swift and Tom Swift Jr. books. Sure the older ones are outdated, but they gave me a love of Science Fiction that I still have.

According to the wiki article they are still being published as of 2007.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Swift

When we have kids I plan to read these to our kid very early on.

--
-- Slashdot, making the Left look conservative since 1997.

David Eddings' The Belgariad by KnightElite · 2012-06-20 08:06 · Score: 1

I remember reading the Belgariad (first book is Pawn of Prophecy), and enjoying it a lot when I was younger, rereading it several times. It's a very easy read, and is definitely suitable for a younger audience.

It's time to own up to the fact... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 08:06 · Score: 0

That your son might just be slow.

Comic versions of sci-fi (and other) classics by DrEnter · 2012-06-20 08:07 · Score: 1

When I was that age, I found a bunch of "graphic novel" versions of various classics in my school library: Jules Verne, H.G. Wells, Charles Dickens, Robert Louis Stevenson, Alexander Dumas, etc. I devoured those books. It was my love of Verne and Wells that led to a lifetime of reading sci-fi. The ones I read, I believe, were the "Classics Illustrated" that were re-released by Pocket Books (this would've been in the mid-to-late 1970's). There is a web site for the originals, though: http://www.classicscentral.com/.

Suggestions by chill · 2012-06-20 08:07 · Score: 1

For fantasy:
The Chronicles of Narnia (the books, not the movies)
A Wrinkle in Time
The Chronicles of Amber by Roger Zelazny
Changeling and Madwand by Roger Zelazny

For sci-fi, try Alan Dean Foster's "Flinx" series and Heinlein's Juveniles

--
Learning HOW to think is more important than learning WHAT to think.

Re:Suggestions by Bob+the+Super+Hamste · 2012-06-20 08:32 · Score: 1

I had forgot about A Wrinkle in time. I would also suggest A Tunnel Through Time as I enjoyed that one as well.

--
Time to offend someone

The Hobbit by Oxford_Comma_Lover · 2012-06-20 08:08 · Score: 5, Insightful

Absolutely, The Hobbit. At eight it should be easy. We were reading LOTR by eight. The Narnian Chronicles are also good for children and easy reads. (Some people hate them as inherently religious--kids don't notice.)

Harry Potter, though reductive and non-classic, is also easy and can be fun.

The Dark is Rising Sequence is a slightly tougher read, but also uses much better language.

Most importantly, turn off the TV/Computer/Videogames. Books get MUCH more interesting when there isn't something around that gives faster rewards.

--
-- IANAL, this isn't legal advice, and definitely isn't legal advice for you. Also, Squee!

Heinlein, Pratchett, and Asimov you may not know by roc97007 · 2012-06-20 08:11 · Score: 1

I started reading to my daughter when she was less than two years old. I don't know if she was actually following the story, but she seemed to like hearing my voice.

When she was about seven or eight, I started her with the Heinlein juveniles. She *really* enjoyed Have Space Suit, Will Travel and Red Planet. She thought Podkayne of Mars was funny and sad, but a very good story. The version I had was the one with both endings -- the original and the softened ending Heinlein was asked by his publisher to write. She said she preferred the original, sadder ending. When she was nine or ten I took a chance and read her The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, pointing out that there was a connection to The Rolling Stones. She loved it. She liked the character of Mike the computer so much that I was required to very cautiously read to her -- edited on the fly -- The Cat Who Walks Through Walls.

I read to her the funnier parts of Hogfather, and she insisted on hearing the entire novel. We went on to Thief of Time (because she loved the Susan character), then backfilled with Mort and Soul Music, and eventually read every single Discworld novel, at her request. She likes that I do the voices. (The voice of Death hurts my throat.)

I read her L'Engle's A Wrinkle In Time, and that led to all the Murray stories, except Many Waters, which bored her, and A House Like a Lotus, which I couldn't bring myself to read to her because of the attempted rape scene that was central to the story. (She can read it on her own, now that she's a teenager.)

Sadly, she lost interested in our nightly reading sessions about halfway through junior high, and now that she's graduated high school those days are probably over for good. My recommendation is just to start with a juvenile you really enjoyed as a kid, something you can read with enthusiasm, and see if it grabs him.

Asimov's adult fiction is well written, scientifically accurate, and fairly dry. But Asimov lived another life, as author "Paul French", when he wrote the juvenile "Lucky Starr" series. They're quite well written space adventure, and will easily hold the attention of an eight year old. The first book is "David Starr, Space Ranger".

--
Oliver's law of assumed responsibility: If you're seen fixing it, you will be blamed for breaking it.

Nix, Pinkwater, others by unfortunateson · 2012-06-20 08:11 · Score: 3, Interesting

Some of the classics of SF are awfully dated: theirs are futures which didn't happen. Because of that, Asimov, Heinlein, Andre Norton, Williams and Abrashkin's "Danny Dunn" and other juveniles of that time may be hard to swallow. I'd say that CS Lewis falls in the same category.

Daniel Pinkwater is a genius, with books for all ages:Tooth-Gnasher Superflash is a picture book about test-driving a car, and hopefully it flies and eats other cars; Alan Mendelsohn, The Boy from Mars is about the strangeness of growing up. You can't go wrong with one of his books.
Roald Dahl, while written half a century ago, hold up pretty well: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is a good gateway drug, and Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator is a little more SFnal
Orson Scott Card's "Ender's Game" is a tough read for a youngster -- be available for the reader, answer questions, help them along. Some object to Card's politics, and his psychology of cruelty, but it's still a darn good read.
Lois McMaster Bujold's "The Warrior's Apprentice" may be a little old for an 8-year-old, but not by much. It's a modern space opera, about someone older but not bigger than an 8-year-old.
Scott Westerfeld's "Leviathan", "Peeps" and "Uglies" series are perhaps aimed more at teens, but don't get too adult. His wife, Justine Larbalester, writes great fantasy (How to Ditch your Fairy, Liar).
Clive Barker's "Abarat" is sort of an Oz/Wonderland inside-out. Yes, the creator of Pinhead can write kid-safe stuff too. But oops, that's fantasy too.
China Mieville's "Railsea" is getting great press, but I haven't had a chance to read.
Paulo Bacigalupi's "Shipbreaker" is another I haven't read yet
Adam Rex's "The True Meaning of Smekday" is one my wife enjoyed a lot
Cory Doctorow's "Little Brother" might work well, if you don't mind your 8-year-old becoming an activist ;^)

--
Design for Use, not Construction!

Re:Nix, Pinkwater, others by unfortunateson · 2012-06-20 08:13 · Score: 1

Whoops, forgot Garth Nix: Sabriel is one of the best fantasies I've read, and treats its magic very seriously, very technological. The Keys to the Kingdom is a series my wife loved (I haven't gotten to it).

--
Design for Use, not Construction!
Re:Nix, Pinkwater, others by capsteve · 2012-06-20 08:34 · Score: 1

I second the "Little Brother" recommendation. I'd also suggest:
Cory Doctorow's "For the Win"
John Connolly's "The Gates"
Jim Butcher's Dresden series
the Danny Dunn series
While not tech/scifi genre related, the "Great Brain" series from John Fitzgerald is also a great read for younger readers.

--
three can keep a secret, if two are dead - benjamin franklin
Re:Nix, Pinkwater, others by Bob+the+Super+Hamste · 2012-06-20 08:40 · Score: 1

On the whole I liked CS Lewis. The Chronicles of Narnia are not dated and his Space Trilogy is a worthy Science Fiction/Fantasy book even though we have a much better understanding of those planets than we did when they were written. I didn't really care for "That Hideous Strength" the first time I read it as it was difficult to follow and seemed almost like it didn't belong with the other two.

--
Time to offend someone

Monica Hughes by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 08:12 · Score: 0

Try her Isis series.

The Hobbit by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 08:15 · Score: 0

When I was ten my dad read The Hobbit to me and my brothers. After that I started reading The Lord of the Rings, and developed a habit of reading that has served me well all my life.

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by liquidhokie · 2012-06-20 08:16 · Score: 1

Maybe not science fiction, per se, to some-- but I think it counts. And don't worry, the book is an order of magnitude better than the crappy animated movie which I will not spell out :)

Re:Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by hort_wort · 2012-06-20 08:22 · Score: 1

Maybe not science fiction, per se, to some-- but I think it counts. And don't worry, the book is an order of magnitude better than the crappy animated movie which I will not spell out :)
Hey! I liked that movie! :(

Girl Genius! by undeadbill · 2012-06-20 08:16 · Score: 2

My 8 year old has been reading Girl Genius comics for over a year now. She can't get enough of them. The comics are free online, you only pay for print versions and merch. She has all of the print copies, and rereads them regularly.

http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/

Re:Girl Genius! by Gilmoure · 2012-06-20 09:34 · Score: 1

Yup, same here. GG turned daughter (11) on to Steampunk cosplay too. A couple weeks ago she was Steampunk Miss Martian at ACE. They also have the GG stories in print books, which provides a bit more background info than the comics.

--
I drank what? -- Socrates
Re:Girl Genius! by Whatah1 · 2012-06-20 22:51 · Score: 1

I did a double take when I noticed that the art was done by the Foglios (artists behind some of the oldest and iconic magic the gathering cards like Mishra's Factory, Mirror Universe, Eureka).
P. Foglio also had a comic strip run in Dragon magazine and Deulist magazine

atlas shrugged by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 08:17 · Score: 0

Anything by Ayn Rand would be sufficient, and if thats not fiction enough for you try Asimov.

I don't recommend A Night to Remember by mike2400 · 2012-06-20 08:19 · Score: 1

When I was a kid we actually lived on a boat. My dad was and still is fascinated by the Titanic. So he thought a good book to read to my brother and I was A Night to Remember. That is really the only book I remember my dad reading to me and my little brother. I know he read other books but this is the only one I remember clearly from my childhood days. It did not upset me but my little brother had nightmares about the boat sinking. I would start with something that has pictures. Maybe Star Trek comics. You can get a bunch on a CD that has most of the old comics on it from Amazon. Comics have gotten a lot more serious lately. The older stuff is a lot more lighthearted and might peak his interest.

Asimov's Norby Series by mattver2 · 2012-06-20 08:19 · Score: 1

I'm surprised no one has recommended the Norby series by Janet and Isaac Asimov. They are targeted to pre-teens and I enjoyed them very much as a kid.

Alcatraz by LandDolphin · 2012-06-20 08:21 · Score: 1

Brandon Sanderson (an excellent Fantasy Writer for adults) wrote a series through schoolastics for 5th to 7th grades kids. The series is about a bot named Alcatraz. It's a great read and worth exposing kids to.

http://www.brandonsanderson.com/book/Alcatraz/

--
Spelling and Grammar errors have been added to this post for your enjoyment

Enders Game by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 08:22 · Score: 0

Enders Game and the Enders series is a good choice for kids. It is an epic book.

C. S. Lewis by Bob+the+Super+Hamste · 2012-06-20 08:24 · Score: 1

For both Science-fiction and Fantasy I would recommend C. S. Lewis. You have the Chronicles of Narnia for fantasy but read them in the order:
The Magician's Nephew
The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe
A Horse and His Boy
Prince Caspian
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
The Silver Chair
The Last Battle.

I would also recommend his Space Trilogy but stay away from the final book until he is older as I remember the first time I read it was rather difficult to follow what was going on in That Hideous Strength. I also remember reading and enjoying the The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K. Le Guin when I wasn't much older. For fantasy works I would recommend reading the stories in A Thousand and One Nights, it isn't that difficult and does expose him to some "Classic" literature, although some of those stories would be rather dark and might not be appropriate for an 8 year old. You also can't really go wrong with a modern translation of Beowulf as it is an easy read (once you get past the names) and Tolkien's works, but those have already been mentioned.

--
Time to offend someone

Ray Bradbury! by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 08:25 · Score: 0

Something Wicked This Way Comes, has got your fantasy and horror. Then something like Illustrated Man for the Science Fiction. Finish off with the Martian Chronicles for good measure.

John Bellairs by iroll · 2012-06-20 08:25 · Score: 1

http://www.amazon.com/John-Bellairs/e/B000APZTO2/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1340223614&sr=1-1

I was probably in the 8 - 12 range when Bellairs was my favorite author EVER; I loved these books: creepy gothic fantasy, with a little sci-fi twist (IIRC).

Also, books about kids building things--like the Mad Scientists' Club books:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mad_Scientists'_Club

Totally inspirational for a young "life hacker." The books are from the 60s (?) but they were still amazing in the late 80s / early 90s, so I can't imagine they've lost it since then.

--
Repetition does not transform a lie into the truth. - FDR

The Book of Three by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 08:26 · Score: 0

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Book_of_Three
I think I was about 10 when I first read this series, and I'm not sure how it would read for an 8 year old, but it was the first truly gripping fiction I'd ever read. I had to read each next book. 30 years later, it leapt into my head when you asked. If this doesn't hook him, either it's still just a little advanced for him or the genre is just not his thing.

Bromeliad. by gerald626 · 2012-06-20 08:30 · Score: 1

haven't gone through all the comments, but I think that would be a good one to start with.

Anthony & Asprin by skelly33 · 2012-06-20 08:32 · Score: 1

Probably not a name you see recommended often, but I recall his books being rather light and airy, adventuresome, lots of humor infused - if the kid is not a die-hard who takes sci-fi too seriously, he might enjoy just about anything from Piers Anthony.

Also Robert Asprin wrote a number of stories that were comical in nature with his whole Myth series. Pick up any one and run with it - they're fun!

Also, I second the nomination for Jules Verne reading from above.

Wired had a list like this recently by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 08:33 · Score: 0

In March, Wired listed 67 must-read books that parents should read to their kids. Some were for young children, others were more sophisticated. The list is here:
http://www.wired.com/geekdad/2012/03/67-books-for-kids/

A few favorites by demonbug · 2012-06-20 08:34 · Score: 1

I think it is definitely easier to pick out fantasy books for kids. Here are a few that would probably be age appropriate and which are excellent books:

The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien
Prydain Chronicles (first one is The Book of Three), Lloyd Alexander
Earthsea (A Wizard of Earthsea), Ursula K. LeGuin
Narnia (The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe), C.S. Lewis
The Dark is Rising, Susan Cooper

For Sci-Fi, I think it is a bit harder to find good books for kids - most of the sci-fi geared towards children I utterly loathed growing up. But a few you might try:

A Wrinkle In Time, Madeleine L'Engle
Thrawn Trilogy, Timothy Zahn (Star Wars books, so assuming familiarity with the original movies - basically fantasy in space)
Robotech, Jack McKinney (not the greatest literature, but I loved these books at that age; might be hard to find today, though)

Some others, not too sure whether they are age-appropriate but books I enjoyed around that age (plus or minus a couple years):
Gateway, Frederick Pohl
Ender's Game, Orson Scott Card

Might be a bit late... by KhabaLox · 2012-06-20 08:38 · Score: 1

Goodnight Moon.

--
Ceci n'est pas un sig.

Re:Might be a bit late... by Gilmoure · 2012-06-20 09:31 · Score: 1

What about Goodnight Keith Moon?

--
I drank what? -- Socrates

The Last Legionary by jdavidb · 2012-06-20 08:38 · Score: 1

One series I loved as a kid was The Last Legionary, by Douglas Hill. There were five titles: a four part series, followed by a prequel. Basic synopsis: in the future, mankind has spread out over the galaxy, using "ultralight" drive. The galaxy doesn't contain other sentient races, but humans have evolved in different directions in many different environments. On the planet Moros, the Legions have honed themselves into the finest fighting force in the galaxy. Until a mysterious force wipes out the entire planetary population with radiation, leaving only one offworld survivor, Keill Randor, left alone to investigate what happened.

My parents basically got me into science fiction by watching Star Trek with me and giving me some of the Star Trek books from Pocket Books. I also read the Star Wars novels voraciously. I know both of these are probably not what a lot of hardcode SF fans think of when they think of "reading science fiction," but I treasure those memories. And I married a girl just like me, and our merged collection (sans duplicates) sits on our shelves waiting to be shared with our kids in a couple years.

--
Secession is the right of all sentient beings.

The Runaway Robot by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 08:41 · Score: 0

http://www.amazon.com/The-Runaway-Robot-Lester-Del/dp/059002261X

Choose your own adventure? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 08:42 · Score: 0

Anyone remember those?
http://www.cyoa.com/

Jane Yolen by Zaphod+The+42nd · 2012-06-20 08:43 · Score: 1

The pit dragon trilogy is amazing, and very readable for young kids. Its dramatic and interesting, its got action and emotion, and its very well written. I read them when I was around 7 or 8 and I read all 3 in a shorter time than it'd take me to read most single books. Dragon's Blood, Heart's Blood, and A Sending of Dragons. So good.

--
GCS/MU/P d- s:- a-- C++++$ UL++ P+ L++ E+ W++ N o K- w--- O M+ V- PS+++ PE Y+ PGP t+ 5- X R++ tv+ b++ DI++ D++ G+ e++ h-

Fantasy: Terry Pratchett? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 08:43 · Score: 0

I really don't know why you would want your son to get interested in SciFi... it's a bit too close to "I'd like to get my son interested in greek tragedies because I don't wan't him to read this SciFi/Fantasy stuff" for my liking. Know what I mean?

There's lots of cool books you wouldn't call SciFi. Personally, I think that developing creativity and imagination is very important. But you don't necessarily need SciFi for that ;-)

Well, I'm not that much into SciFi. But since you ask about SciFi *or* Fantasy: What about Pratchett? He's one of my favorite authors. Have a look at "The Wee Free Men" or "The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents". /Mario

His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 08:43 · Score: 0

Please don't be irritated by the film adaptation with Nicole Kidman, the novels are really great. The first of his series, Northern Lights (or: The Golden Compass), was given to me when I was 9 and I had never read any Fantasy/ Sci-Fi stuff and am still not that big of a fan in general. But that book was sacred to me.
It is very adventurous and yes, it is fantasy, but it is not as far out there as other stuff. I found it to be very complex and diversified and extremely fascinating. So much that I read it three times in a row, which is quite a lot for a child.. it has 400pp. It is so full or interesting stuff, it didn't matter.
It's about a journey to the north in search for a missing friend, a mysterious substance called "Dust", rumours about strange experiments, friendship, armoured polar bears, witches, fighting angels... it is to much to tell, check out wikipedia. But it takes place in a world parallel to ours, so I believe it is a good way to start for your son.

Best Science-Fiction/Fantasy For Kids? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 08:45 · Score: 0

for noobs: Tom Swift!!!

"Fables for Robots" by Lem by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 08:46 · Score: 1

Stanisaw Lem, "Fables for Robots" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fables_for_Robots

Seriously.

Oz books by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 08:47 · Score: 0

I distinctly remember finding the Wizard of Oz at the library the summer before 3rd grade (so I'd've been 8) and reading it. By the end that school year, I had read all 14 books Baum wrote about Oz.

That lead to a lifetime of fantasy and sci fi reading (there is a reason the section of the book store is often labelled, Sci Fi/Fantasy).

Heck, now I'm a computer developer by day and Library Board president by night. Books are a large part of who I am and it all started with the Wizard of Oz!

Here you go! by Johann+Lau · 2012-06-20 08:49 · Score: 1

Stephen King's "Dark Tower" series. There's not so much science fiction (but it *does* have a giant robot bear, and AI near the end), but hey ^^

Re:Here you go! by mdenham · 2012-06-22 20:39 · Score: 1

This falls more into the "read it to him, cleaning it up slightly as you go" category, but otherwise I firmly approve of this (partly because by the age of 10 - 20 years ago - I'd read the first three books myself).
If you're going to do this, though, insert The Wind in the Keyhole into its "proper" position (between Wizard and Glass and Wolves of the Calla) just to minimize his confusion.

Chrestomanci by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 08:50 · Score: 0

The Chrestomanci books, by Diana Wynne Jones, are fabulous. They're fantasy, not science fiction, but they are top-notch. Diana Wynne Jones has tons of great fantasy books suitable for kids, but these are her best.

List by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 08:51 · Score: 1

Off the top of my head (If I had my bookcase in front of me I could triple this list)

Authors: Alexander Key (The Forgotten Door)
Robert Closky (Centerburg Tales)
Andre Norton (The Zero Stone)
Shealer (Zip Zip and his Flying Saucer -series of 3)
Tom Corbet Space Cadet (series)
Shiras: Children of the Atom
Heinlein juveniles
Rick Brandt (series) - might be bit old, depending on the kid
The Mad Scientist Club
Mr. Pudgins

Phillip Reeve's Larklight by Acy+James+Stapp · 2012-06-20 08:51 · Score: 1

It's more steampunk fantasy but it is both easily approachable for children and fun for adults. Hard scifi is harder to get into; at least for myself I was a lot more interested in fantasy at that age and moved on to scifi later. A Wrinkle in Time has been mentioned, and it's a fun read.

--
-- Too lazy to get a lower UID.

Re:Phillip Reeve's Larklight by Gilmoure · 2012-06-20 09:56 · Score: 1

Here's the author looking back on Larklight and how it came about.

--
I drank what? -- Socrates

Roald Dahl by RazorSharp · 2012-06-20 08:52 · Score: 1

I haven't seen anyone mention Roald Dahl yet. That's who I was reading at that age. It's neither traditional sci-fi or fantasy, but that's part of what makes it great, it can't really be pigeonholed into a genre. The man just wrote great stories. I think it's the perfect step up from Dr. Seuss. After Dahl, I'd go for Tolkien and Bradbury and The Hunger Games trilogy.

The Hunger Games aren't the sort of books I normally read but they came highly recommended and I was very impressed. They're great books, whether you're a kid or not.

--
"From the depths of my skeptical and rationalist soul, I ask the Lord to protect me from California touchie-feeliedom."

For those recommending childhood favorites by khelms · 2012-06-20 08:52 · Score: 1

You might want to check if the books are currently in print. Many series I loved when I was growing up have been out of print for years. The Lensmen, The Skylark of Space, Tom Swift Jr., Tom Corbett, Space Cadet, Carson of Venus, and on and on, are all partially or fully unavailable on paper. Fortunately a lot of the older stuff that is falling into the public domain is being made available in eBook format and is either free or extremely cheap (like $1.99). A Kindle or a Nook might be a good recommendation for someone looking to explore scifi classics.

Re:For those recommending childhood favorites by LordLucless · 2012-06-20 11:09 · Score: 1

I've bought a lot of my own OOP childhood favourites (in preparation for kids, partly) from places like thebookdepository.co.uk. They index second-hand bookstores from all over Britain and Europe, the books are cheap and they have free worldwide shipping. For OOP books, you really can't go past it.

--
Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean there isn't an invisible demon about to eat your face

try William Sleator by Khashishi · 2012-06-20 08:53 · Score: 1

He wrote some cool stuff, like The Boy Who Reversed Himself and Green Futures of Tycho.

Books by SteveWP · 2012-06-20 08:54 · Score: 0

Around that age I really enjoyed the "Bolo" series of books by Keith laumer wiki here-> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keith_Laumer and for fantasy I also enjoyed enormously the "Conan the Barbarian" books by Robert E. Howard Wiki here-> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conan_the_Barbarian

Lloyd Alexander by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 08:54 · Score: 0

The series The Chronicles of Prydain, by Lloyd Alexander is a great starting point. Good story and after he reads book 3, The Black Cauldron, you can get the Disney video and compare the book to the movie.

The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper by m1kesm1th · 2012-06-20 08:56 · Score: 1

The Dark is Rising is the first novel I read by Susan Cooper and changed me from a 8 year old with a hobby of plastic warfare and transformer obsession into a book addict. I cannot begun to get across the memories this book now invokes. I have read the greats, but this book for me is right up there. I seem to remember a teacher asked me if I wanted to choose something else, because back in the day we had to read aloud to her at school, but we could take it home and read the rest. Since I was reading so quickly at home, it became a bit difficult for her to follow the story.

Over Sea, Under Stone is the first in the `Dark is Rising` sequence, but personally I missed nothing by starting with the 2nd book, The Dark is Rising. I didn't follow the series as a child, since I had no way to get the rest of the books. I've tried to keep this short, but don't underestimate the ability of childrens or at least in this book a book aimed at teenagers. I have since read the 2nd book and I think it may even be a better start. I can still read this now and find nothing in it patronising. What I do notice is that the emphasis is on good and evil, morality and a lack of violence and sex in vast comparison to many other books which might be volunteered as suitable. A problem I find with books is you wanting people to share the experience, to the point the desire to push something unsuitable (but enjoyed) happens a lot (with people of different tastes never mind ages). Allowing him to choose from a selection might be good, also getting a library card and choosing his own. The library near my parents have known me since a child.

Should you feed your kid 1940s attitudes? by Peganthyrus · 2012-06-20 08:57 · Score: 1

I second this. I'd upvote it if Slashdot's voting system wasn't so crazy. Also here's a list of young reader SF on IO9.

Most people are suggesting hoary old stuff from the 40s and 50s. There is a place for these, but I really don't know if they apply to a modern kid - it's hard to read stuff about "the future" when nobody has computers, cel phones, etc. Find well-regarded new books by NEW authors who are trying to write about the future we have NOW, instead of the future of the 1940s. Among other things you won't be filling your kids with a bunch of 1940s attitudes towards women.

I mean, I read a decent amount of the old stuff, sure, I even dug up the Lensman books and read them - but I read them when I was old enough to see them as being from a DIFFERENT TIME.

--
egypt urnash minimal art.

One good sci-fi/fantasy book for a child of 8 ... by admiralZ · 2012-06-20 08:57 · Score: 1

The Girl With the Silver Eyes is a good intro due to good and simple vocabulary explained in the book and a reasonably compelling story that is relatable.
But, as with all recommendations for children, I strongly advise any parent to read the book themselves before handing it over to their kid, because a parent may not know everything about their child, but they are still the best judge of skill level and censor for the inappropriate.

The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 08:57 · Score: 0

Bring your son to the local public library. The librarian should ask him what he likes to do, which kind of movies he prefers, etc. He or she should then be able to recommend many modern books that he will fall in love with. Has he read "The Strange Case of Origami Yoda?" What about the 39 Clues series?

Harry Potter and Manga worked for us by dnut · 2012-06-20 08:58 · Score: 1

Have to admit that the only ones that really caught with the kids at that age were the Happy Potter books. The stuff that the boy would pick up and read on his own was all Manga (Pokemon, Naruto, etc). The girl has since picked up on other good stuff like LoTR, etc.

Robert Heinlein's "Time for the Stars" by PortHaven · 2012-06-20 08:59 · Score: 1

One of my all time favorites. Tends to stand the test of time really well. It's one of Heinlein's juveniles series. :-)

A bunch of recommendations by s_p_oneil · 2012-06-20 09:00 · Score: 1

Speaking as a father of two (currently ages 12 and 13) who has been reading them stories like this for a number of years, I will say that if you start at such an early age, you'll need to introduce most of these stories by reading them to him first. Sometimes you can start reading him a story and he'll take over (e.g. if he can't stand to wait until you get home to find out what happens next). Sometimes he'll simply go back and re-read his favorite books after you're done, and sometimes he'll just re-read his favorite parts.

The Belgariad by David Eddings - Both my son and daughter loved this one at a young age, and my son has re-read this series on his own several times.

The Dragonlance Chronicles - This one was a close second for my son, but not so much for my daughter (who loved certain characters but didn't like the story as much overall).

Ender's Game - Great story that's accessible to young boys (I think Ender was 8 at the beginning of the story), but it's probably better for age 10 than 8. Of course, "age appropriate" always depends on the child.

Short stories by Heinlein and Bradbury - You'll want to read these yourself and cherry-pick the most appropriate stories for your son's age and reading level.

Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, Eragon, Hunger Games, etc. - My wife and/or kids picked these out at various times. The kids liked them to varying degrees.

Wool and Molly Fyde by Hugh Howey - I read these to my kids at ages 11-12 and they both loved them. Wool sucked them in quickly (they kept begging me to keep reading it until I'd finished the series), but the story is dark for age 8, so I recommend you read it yourself first and decide when you think it's a good idea to introduce it. Molly Fyde is lighter and more "fun", closer to a "Star Wars" type of story. My kids felt that the first chapter was slow, but it really picked up after that.

A few more from the "kids" section:

11 Birthdays - It's not technically sci-fi/fantasy, and it's technically on the "girls" side of the kids section, but trust me on this one. It involves a little magic and a time loop, and IMO it's one of the best books I've ever read from the kids section. Both my kids love it, and they've shared it with their friends at school (who also love it).

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children - One of my kids' favorites.

The Gideon Trilogy - Kids traveling back in time.

Re:A bunch of recommendations by Gilmoure · 2012-06-20 09:24 · Score: 1

Larklight by Phillip Reeve is another good one for kids; it's the 1890's and a brother and sister, who live in a house orbiting the moon, have their parents snatched by giant spiders that live in the rings of Saturn. There are space pirates, Venusian trees, a Martian princess (married to Sir Richard Burton), the Royal Space Navy, etc. Is a really good read and wife and I enjoyed them (is an illustrated trilogy of course) as well.

--
I drank what? -- Socrates

Monica Hughes / Rosemary Sutcliff / Madelein L'Eng by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 09:02 · Score: 0

Particular sci-fi novels I recall reading as a kid:

Anything by Monica Hughes, but in particular any of the
- Arc One series (starting with Devil On My Back**) or the
- Isis series (starting with Keeper of The Isis Light)

(** I've started reading this to my 5 yr old, he loves it so far)

Rosemary Sutcliff (ok, not science fiction but historical fiction)
- Eagle of the Ninth trilogy: Eagle of the Ninth, Silver Branch and Lantern Bearers (I learned a lot about Roman times from these)

Madeleine L'Engle:
Kairos First-generation (Murry) series:
A Wrinkle in Time (1962) (Newbery Award Winner) ISBN 0-374-38613-7
A Wind in the Door (1973) ISBN 0-374-38443-6
A Swiftly Tilting Planet (1978) ISBN 0-374-37362-0 —National Book Award in category Children's Books (paperback).[2][a]
Many Waters (1986) ISBN 0-374-34796-4

Given that all of these are written for the 10-14 age group and feature protagonists of that same age group, a younger kid - possibly not quite able to read it, but certainly listen to it - should be able to get into it.

Also, not written for kids but its so soft and squishy, its like sci-fi cotton candy: Harry Harrison's "Bill the Galactic Hero" series (can't recall if there's any gratuitous sexuality in it) or the Stainless Steel Rat series.

After these, my uncle gave me Ringworld and The Foundation Trilogy when I was 12 and I never looked back.

Re:Diane Duane - Young Wizards Series by Translation+Error · 2012-06-20 09:02 · Score: 1

Definitely. The Young Wizards series is about kids who learn magic in the modern world, but unlike most such series, where magic is thumbing your nose at natural laws, these laws are the foundations of magic. Sure magic can change the world (or it wouldn't very well be magic, would it), but things like physics and conservation of energy aren't ignored. I'd say in this series, magic is more like having access to the universe's source code, rather than being given cheat codes.

The series has a strong focus on responsibility, personal choices, and consequences--without playing up the ideas of Good and Evil. Additionally, I'd say it includes more real life, personal issues that kids can identify with. It's a great series for kids who want more than fluff and flash in books with magic.

--
When someone says, "Any fool can see ..." they're usually exactly right.

H. M. Hoover by SoftwareArtist · 2012-06-20 09:04 · Score: 1

She's a fantastic children's SF author. Try "The Delikon" and "This Time of Darkness".

--
"I'm too busy to research this and form an educated opinion, but I do have time to tell everyone my uninformed opinion."

The Chronic-WHAT-cles of Narnia! by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 09:05 · Score: 0

The Chronicles were a great intro to fantasy/sci-fi genre.
I read the series to my 2 oldest kids (age 4-6 at the time).
Each book had characters the kids could identify with and plenty of adventure to keep them interested.
My daughter still adores Reepicheep.
From CS Lewis, we've worked our way up to Harry Potter's 6th year and they love that series as well.
They've also started on books of their own choosing (Percy Jackson, Star Wars, 39 Clues, etc.)

I found the key is to read to them on a regular basis and encourage them to try out books on their own.
Don't force them to read something they don't like or have a hard time with, that will make reading a chore and turn them off.

The kid's 8 years old by PCM2 · 2012-06-20 09:06 · Score: 2

We're talking about an eight-year-old here, and all anybody seems to be mentioning is the same old stuff that crops up every time there's a "what should I read?" question on /. Seriously, Dune for an eight-year-old? Get out.

It seems strange to me that anyone would even need to ask this question, when the market for juvenile fiction seems to be exploding right now (especially as compared to the market for literary fiction). Why not just take him to a bookstore and have him pick out something that looks fun?

But if you want to find some suitable, critically-acclaimed books for his age, perhaps you should consult the list of Newbery Award winners. There's a decent amount of science fiction and fantasy in there, and a bunch of other good stuff, besides.

--
Breakfast served all day!

Dragonback Series by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 09:07 · Score: 0

The Dragonback series by Timothy Zahn. It's about a young boy and nothing in it would be over his head. A series so good many of my age 50+ friends still read it regularly

Science fiction vs. real science by Relayman · 2012-06-20 09:07 · Score: 1

My son (now 20) grew up in a household with a lot of science fiction (books, magazines, television and movies) and now has no interest in real science. Science fiction, yes, but real science, where you do something called mathematics, no. Since he would have made a great scientist, I wonder if the overexposure to science fiction ruined this career path for him.

--
If I used a sig over again, would anyone notice?

I started to read SF around 7 because ... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 09:10 · Score: 0

Because my father left some pulp magazine lying around.
Fiction & Galaxy (in French)...

You could subscribe to Analog, Fantasy & Science Fiction, Asimov's And mark the stories that are too hard, inapropriate or just bad, and let him read the rest.
And sometimes start to read them, it's ok to stop near the end :-)....

He'll love it...

Ender's Game by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 09:11 · Score: 0

I read it when I was 6, turned out ok.

philip k dick by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 09:12 · Score: 0

If he likes the movies he'll surely like the books i think. Most stories are short but interesting.

Comic Books! by Gilmoure · 2012-06-20 09:12 · Score: 2

My daughter (11) was not a reader but enjoyed us reading stories to her. What finally got her going, around 8 years old, was Star Wars and Doctor Who comics. From there, she graduated to Star Wars (scholastic has some for grade school kids) and Doctor Who books, and now she's working her way through Hunger Games and Golden Compass.

She's also hooked on web comics; Girl Genius, Darths and Droids, Gunnerkrig Court, and Irregular Web Comic. The last is a Lego comic and that appeals to kids. Darths and Droids is a reselling of the Star Wars films, as if they were an ongoing tabletop RPG. Having a 10 year old involved really explains the weirdness of EP. I.

--
I drank what? -- Socrates

Re:Comic Books! by Ju1es13 · 2012-06-20 14:22 · Score: 1

My son (now 11) has loved the Dan Dare books since he was 4 and had to have us read the text bubbles to him. Also "Amulet" (and anything else from Kazu Kabuishi), the Bone series (Jeff Smith) and the recent adaptations of some of the Wizard of Oz books. Then chapter books, the Dragonslayers Academy ones are great, Tom Swift Jr if you can find them, the Secrets of Droon Series. It seems like most recent "speculative" fiction for kids centers on fantasy not science. If you can cope with delving into the past though there are more options (such as the Dan Dare books I mentioned). He's probably a bit old already for Franny K Stein but I have to give her honorable mention for pure adult-repelling grossness.

Kir Bulychev by pater+noster · 2012-06-20 09:13 · Score: 1

I'd recommend Kir Bulychev (his website in russian) or Kir Bulytschow (german). At least to the russian or german speaking folks of us as I can't find any english versions of his books which is too bad since I really loved them when I was young. Especially Die lila Kugel (The violet sphere) was one I devoured (just grabbed a used copy at Amazon - so, thanks for reminding me of my childhood).

Re:Kir Bulychev by geroy · 2012-06-21 19:52 · Score: 1

yep, that's the one :) this is real children's sci-fi .. and we are talking about sci-fi not fantasy (as many people suggested harry potter/hobbit/etc...)

Red Dwarf by MobileTatsu-NJG · 2012-06-20 09:15 · Score: 1

I recommend Red Dwarf, Ifninity Welcomes Careful Drivers. It's funny. Its sci-fi elements are plausible and not too out there to understand. The characters are distinct and interesting (your son may even find it insightful in a helpful way.) . Really the only real downside is it might be slightly adult for him. It may be better for him if he's closer to 12.

My wife banned anything with 'Star' in the title after I made the mistake of taking her to see Episode II. I was able to get her to enjoy sci-fi by handing her that book.

--

"I like to lick butts!" by MobileTatsu-NJG (#32700246) (Score:5, Informative)

Recommend the Pit Dragon Chronicles by Jane Yolen by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 09:16 · Score: 0

At that age, I loved these books. Simple enough reads, but very enjoyable. Later it was ripped of by Eragorn books

A Wrinkle in Time by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 09:17 · Score: 0

A Wrinkle in Time was a favorite when I was that age.

Children of the Atom by ring-eldest · 2012-06-20 09:18 · Score: 1

Shiras' Children of the Atom is a whole lot of fun, although I didn't stumble onto it until I was in college.

As a youth services librarian . . . by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 09:23 · Score: 0

. . . I would suggest The True Meaning of Smekday, by Adam Rex and the Larklight series by Phillip Reeve. The Larklight books may seem a bit thick for an 8 year old, but there are a lot of really cool illustrations that eat up a lot of that space. In terms of fantasy . . . it isn't traditional fantasy, but try Varjak Paw, by SF Said. If he likes the Warriors series (the one with the cats) he'll love Varjak. Fantasy series that many 8 year olds love is the Redwall stories, buy Brian Jacques. Incredibly great stuff that is enjoyable at any age . . . also, if he reads these, don't be surprised if he ends up hungry, Jacques really had a talent for describing feasts. If you wanted to go more classic, I devoured the Earthsea trilogy, by Ursula K LeGuin, when I was 8 years old.

Re:As a youth services librarian . . . by enbody · 2012-06-21 02:03 · Score: 1

The Redwall series by Brian Jacques is excellent for young kids. The characters are animals, and the stories are engaging. There are quite a few titles in the series. Many of the suggestions are excellent suggestions, but in my opinion are better for slightly older kids, YMMV. My son is now a young adult and started with Redwall. He has read many classics such as LOTR, is into the Game of Thrones (happens to be reading Lolita at the moment and loves Hemmingway).

Perhaps some Nicholas Fisk by Rich · 2012-06-20 09:24 · Score: 1

Perhaps some Nicholas Fisk would fit - I really enjoyed the StarStormers books and Trillions when I was a child. I also loved the older scifi like Jules Verne.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicholas_Fisk

Azimov is great, also Nicholas Fisk by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 09:26 · Score: 1

I was reading Azimov at around your kid's age. The original few books in the Foundation series were great, and I loved his short stories.

I also really liked an author called Nicholas Fisk. I think the book he's most notable for was Trillians. These were books written for kids, about kids (much like the way Potter makes the kids the focus/heroes), but often with quite an edge, and some interesting premises.

The think with reading at that age is that you are better off aiming a bit too high, and having your kid not quite follow it, than find them boring and patronising. It's a bit like Pixar films, they contain lots that young kids don't get, but it doesn't matter so long as the basic story arc makes sense.

I'd also second The Hobbit. Not so sure about LoTR, I read it on my own but just found it so long it was offputting. However reading it together might be different.

When I was starting out, I liked these: by DavidHumus · 2012-06-20 09:28 · Score: 1

And they're probably on the less complex side:

Gate of Worlds by Robert Silverberg
The Dueling Machine by Ben Bova
The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury

This latter one is more sophisticated but a book of short stories - like the collections from the '50s edited by H.L. Gold - might be a good starting point.

Try the old and classics by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 09:28 · Score: 0

Tarzan, Nemo, 1920-50s sci-fi meant for younger readers. Try local or city library and see the cover pages which are very telling. If the cover is an abstract image, the text might be too heavy and aimed for an adult reader. If there are younger people or colorful characters in the cover, the book might be easier to read. Sci-fi from the Eastern European authors tend to be too heavy reading for under 12 years old according to my experience.
Although some of the old books may contain questionable values and ways of using the language compared to those of the modern world, they tend to be exiting for the younger reader. The language is also educational and relatively precise.

Douglas Hill - The Last Legionary by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 09:29 · Score: 0

I loved this series as a kid of about that age, it was a key part of my development as a reader of Sci-fi:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galactic_Warlord

Read These by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 09:29 · Score: 0

Enid Blyton: The Folk of the Faraway Tree, The Magic Faraway Tree and The Enchanted Wood To Begin With. - Very Camp
Brian Jacques: Redwall, Mossflower etc

That's how I got into the genres

Bruce Coville & William Sleator by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 09:29 · Score: 0

At that age, I loved Bruce Coville and William Sleator. Though William Sleator's work tends to be a bit psychologically disturbing. I recall reading Betsy Byars also, though I think she has a lot of non sci-fi stuff. This is what I was into 20 years ago, so maybe it'll be uncool or outdated to the modern 8-year-old.

Mod Parent Up by jddj · 2012-06-20 09:32 · Score: 1

"The White Mountains" trilogy enthralled me as a kid. Great for a young reader.

No, don't get the prequel (though I haven't read it).

Robert Heinlein's "Have Spacesuit, WIll Travel" by sirius-one · 2012-06-20 09:33 · Score: 1

One of the most popular authors wrote what is truly a young person's book: Have Spacesuit, Will Travel". I librarian pointed me in the direction of the SF shelf when I was 8, and I either found this book or had it pointed out to me.

They Should watch by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 09:34 · Score: 0

Battlestar Galactica 2003

Tough question! by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 09:38 · Score: 0

A lot of great fiction is straight out - you probably don't want an eight year old reading about sexy times! Clarke and Asimov should be safe, though I always found Clarke a bit dry. Maybe the Lensman stuff? It's pretty silly, but it strikes me as something that a kid would be more receptive to, what with the zap guns and alien horrors and all.

SF-elitist kneejerkery by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 09:41 · Score: 0

The Hobbit and Harry Potter are not science fiction: they're "Fantasy."

He asked about "science fiction and/or fantasy".

Maybe you just have reading difficulties.

John Christopher's Tripods Trilogy by astapleton · 2012-06-20 09:43 · Score: 1

John Christopher's The White Mountains" (1967), "The City of Gold and Lead" (1967), "The Pool of Fire - One of my first, and favorite, children's sci-fi trilogy. The books are a good read for a 3rd grader. It's a bit difficult to find, but well worth it. I believe there was even a mini-series production of it years back called "The Tripods".

--
"Courage is being afraid to do the Right Thing, and doing it anyway."

Re:John Christopher's Tripods Trilogy by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 14:38 · Score: 0

That's a good recommendation. I enjoyed reading those myself while young, and the series was exciting too.

Monica Hughes by aquabat · 2012-06-20 09:45 · Score: 1

Monica Hughes is what got me hooked on scifi, when I was about 10 or so. "Crisis on Conshelf Ten" and "Earthdark" were my first taste, and are still on my shelf somewhere. I devoured all her other stuff that was in the school library pretty quick after Conshelf. Easy to read, but there are some levels to it, that you start to notice as you get older. I don't know if her stuff is still in print though. FWIW.

--
A republic cannot succeed till it contains a certain body of men imbued with the principles of justice and honour.

Old School by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 09:45 · Score: 0

This series is more about cryptography and logical thinking. They were my favorites when I was young.

Alvin Fernald series by Clifford B. Hicks

The Castle in the Attic by Elizabeth Winthrop by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 09:46 · Score: 0

It was the first fantasy novel that I ever remember reading. The memory of reading the book has stuck with me for years and I've got it in a box somewhere in the basement.

His Dark Materials by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 09:49 · Score: 0

The great fantasy/sci-fi trilogy His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/His_Dark_Materials

i agree with 'Dont Try' by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 09:51 · Score: 0

but if you want to buy books that both you and you family will probably enjoy, I would recommend everything by Sir Terry Pratchett. (especially Discworld).

Even better would be to find some old fogey who wants to sell his SF collection from the 30s-60s... and buy it.

His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 09:54 · Score: 0

Don't watch the movie. I loved the trilogy when I was 10 or 11, I think it might be good for an 8 year old, too. It's about a world parallel to ours, which is good for a beginner, and it's very adventurous. I read the first novel of the series, Northern Lights (or: The Golden Compass), three times in a row, that' how excited and fascinated I was. I think it might be interesting for you, too, if you want to read it to him or with him. It is about a journey to the north in search of a missing friend, there are mean grown-ups, talking animals, armoured polar bears, witches, a mysterious substance, there is fighting and rescuing and fleeing, a lot of interesting characters, both male and female, it expressed criticism of a organisation similar to the church... It is very complex, though. It is for children but adults, too, I guess. Has something for everyone.

Battle on Mercury - Lester Del Rey by JTW · 2012-06-20 10:06 · Score: 1

I'd recommend a return to the Pre-Apollo Era Space SciFi when Chesley Bonstel was popular - http://www.amazon.com/Battle-Mercury-Winston-Science-Fiction/dp/B000OP9M4Q/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1340228543&sr=8-1&keywords=battle+on+mercury

At a pre-teen I really enjoyed the stories that seemed to resonate with the movies like the Day the Earth Stood Still - but went much much further.

"Battle on Mercury" has space travel, robots, alien life forms and just a ton of stuff in a nice sized book.

"The Windows of Forever" was a nice story in which the main character discovers wormholes all around them just outside the corner of your eye to the past or the future. A boy learns how to detect them and ends up helping future colonists battling alien invaders on a distant future earth.

"They Might be Gods or Demons" is another light scifi story in which the travelers track down ancient astronauts bent on conquering the earth but who run afoul of a group of students who discover time travel and foil their plans tens of thousands of years ago, unable to time travel the ancient astronauts threaten to find them whenever they go. A "grown up" Back to the Future story.

"Son of the Stars" a trilogy in which a young man discovers a crashed spaceship and helps a humonoid alien learn about earth, launch a rescue beacon and then is invited to visit the federation of worlds - only to find out Earth was under observation the whole time, and it was all a test to find out if Earth was worthy to take its seat in the governing body of this area of the galaxy.

"Marooned on Mars" an escape mission to return to Earth from Mars, but the dead do not reast easy on Mars, and these dead wiped out all life on multiple planets long ago and Earth is next. (maybe a bit too intense for a young child).

I wouldn't worry too much about the language barrier, if he's interested in SciFi he'll learn to sustitute what he knows for what he doesn't and reconcile later. It's what kids do to keep from going bonkers over anxiety worrying about details.

1950 and 1960's scifi for the most part should be relatively safe and mostly gloss over the ideas and concepts people find too difficult.

Tom Swift by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 10:12 · Score: 0

Tom Swift

Asimov'd be my choice, but.. by angiasaa · 2012-06-20 10:13 · Score: 1

Asimov is, I think, a very good choice. I began when I was 8.. "Stars Like Dust", "Caves of Steel" etc.. By the time I was 12, I was through the Foundation Trilogy. I stopped reading Sci-Fi for some reason then. But "Voyage of the Space Beagle" by A. E. Van Vogt brought me back and by 16, I'd read most everything by Asimov, by E.E. (Doc) Smith and Arthur C Clarke. That's more or less when I realized that I was a fan(atic). :)

Honestly, I do not think it would be a wise idea to press your likes and dislikes upon your child. However, I understand the desire to do so. As a kid, I stumbled across a fondness for Sci-Fi quite by accident. My father is a voracious reader and his appetite spans not just Sci-Fi, but a massive variety of work. Dad used to get me and my sister to help him dust the books and re-shelve them from time to time. He had a massive collection of books and would keep adding more every month. It became a fun game to categorize the books by author and then alphabetically by Title. Dad would later assemble them upon the shelves by genre. We were too young and uneducated to know what that meant or how he knew which book belonged to which genre. So we'd watch him and hand him books from whichever pile he'd ask for.

I'd always been fascinated by the covers on the Sci-Fi books in our shelves, and after a few months of handling each book and caring for them, a boring Sunday came and I decided to see what they were all about. My very first book was "Buy Jupiter" by Isaac Asimov. A classic, yes, but I had no idea what that meant back then. I just wanted to know what the story was behind the space-ship on the cover. The play of words in the title helped make the choice too. It seemed like it would be a fun read.

I think if Dad had tried to make me read any of those books, I'd have developed a life-long distaste for them. Instead, learning how to care for our books was pretty much the only thing he'd make me and my sister do, and even that, was kinda like a game. He took great pains to ensure that we would enjoy the whole process. I read the Hobbit when I was 6, and was fairly comfortable reading "big" books by 8. As a kid, time crawls around you, and learning new things comes easy. I'd suggest you just let the child familiarize himself with being in the company of books and let him make his choice. It's a discovery you don't want to force upon a child. :)

By the way, you might also want to have compilations from The Golden Age of Sci-Fi lying around. They're mostly easy reads, and have layers and layers of entertainment. I've read the Foundation Series about seven or eight times now, and every time I do so, I discover things I'd miraculously missed in the past. Perhaps my lack of awareness, education, and immaturity prevented me from seeing them before. But the point I'm trying to make, is that most books are not really age-restricted. You can enjoy them when you're a kid as well as when you're an adult. You just enjoy them in different ways.

I hope this turns out to be of some help. Even if it does not deter you from trying to mould your kids taste in books, I hope it nevertheless give you some ideas to encourage his affinity for the genre. Good luck!

--
Geekism is your _only_ God!

Alfred Slote by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 10:15 · Score: 0

I liked Alfred Slote's books when I was around that age range. Intriguing storylines about interstellar travel, time travel, cloning, etc.

Book suggestion: The Time Cavern by MobyDisk · 2012-06-20 10:16 · Score: 1

The Time Cavern
This is much lighter than a lot of the suggestions I've seen here, that I think are more appropriate for a pre-teen than pre-ten.

The Holy Bible by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 10:19 · Score: 0

The Holy Bible (by various authors) is a good starting point. It's presented as an anthology of short stories, so you can read it in small chunks if you have a short attention span like I do. On the surface it presents as Fantasy, but there's an argument for a scifi angle (with possible oblique references to David Icke's excellent Reptilian canon), if you read some meta into the compiler's intentions. It's a bit preachy in some places, but that can play into the meta story I mentioned earlier. However, it does tend to become unanchored and drift further into philisophical territory as the reader progresses through the stories; you might want to read the later parts with your children, so you can identify the theses and discuss the psychological and literary devices employed to convey them.

Also came here to recommend Christoper by Alaska+Jack · 2012-06-20 10:23 · Score: 1

Count me in as another guy who came here to say exactly this.

Will lives in a rural peasant village in England. His life is pretty normal for any kid growing up in the dark ages.

Except, strangely, his father has a wristwatch ...

Ask your Library by duk242 · 2012-06-20 10:27 · Score: 1

How about instead of asking a whole bunch of adults who know little about the reading habits of 8 year olds, you go ask the school librarian. I work in a school library and we have all our books with coloured dots on them to help the kids know what book is suitable for them (eg. Yellow dots is suitable for 10 year olds, though younger kids can read them if they can prove it's not too hard). To check if a book is too hard for a child, we get them to read a page, if they make more than 5 mistakes, then it's too hard and they should go get an easier book.

Artemis Fowl series by Eoin Colfer by Gibgezr · 2012-06-20 10:29 · Score: 1

I grew up on some fantastic old school SF (Heinlen's "The Rolling Stones" for example), but as for modern stuff no-one has mentioned so far I would heartily recommend the Artemis Fowl series by Eoin Colfer. Artemis is a 12 year-old criminal mastermind with a ninja-bodyguard butler, and he discovers that the earth is hollow and strange beings live in there.

Tamora Pierce writes some good modern fantasy, like her Alana series...mmm, it's actually called "The Song of the Lioness Quartet", four books (and then a couple of extras) with a young female protagonist.

My four kids (one boy, three girls) all loved these, along with the usual Terry Pratchet's/Harry Potter.

The multiple people recommending the Tom Swift series also reminded me of a very old series I loved, the sort of thing you graduate to after Encyclopaedia Brown: Rick Brant Science Adventure stories. Probably hard to find, and definitely 'long in the tooth', but I adored them at his age.

Those old Retief books were fun SF books when I was a kid, and are still funny to re-read as an adult (and get all the sarcastic digs at bureaucracy and diplomats that you missed as a kid).

Let them read before bed by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 10:35 · Score: 0

Our kids (like most I imagine) look for any excuse to stay up instead of going to bed. Our approach is to 'bend the rules' on bedtime and allow them to sit up and read instead of going to sleep.

It worked wonders for us as both kids are now bookworks. Especially as our daughter's reading was well behind in grade 1 (Grade 1, NSW, Australia). Now she is in greade 2 she is reading Diary of a Wimpy Kid and many other books fluently.

As for what to read? Simple: 1. Go to the school library and ask the linrary teacher what SF the kids are reading; 2.Ask you kid what his friends are reading (peer pressure is your friend here); 3. Go to your public library and ask the librarian.

Lastly, for emphasis, don't underestimate public librarys! They are chock full of stuff, with heaps of kids books (at least ours in Oz are that way) and its all FREE.

FREE FREE FREE!!!!

Ender by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 10:37 · Score: 0

I am a little surprised at all the recommendations for fantasy novels. Didn't the OP ask for recommendations for science fiction?

When I was eight I read Orson Scott Cards book "Ender". It is written about a young boy that goes into a military service at the age of six. About a very smart young boy coming to terms with independence and leadership. The tech in it is simplified and easy to absorb.

If you read it to him, I am certain that he will enjoy it.

For Sci Fi: The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury by hythlodayr · 2012-06-20 10:43 · Score: 1

Some of the science is dated, but the stories are short (18 in all) & they're all quite good.

Kids already know about the reveal, though. by Shandalar · 2012-06-20 10:55 · Score: 1

Interesting order theory. But my kids have not seen any Star Wars movie yet, yet they know all about the vader/luke reveal because of all the merchandise they own. The tortuous order is unneeded. I plan to just ignore the existence of the prequels.

Target novelisations by LainTouko · 2012-06-20 11:00 · Score: 1

The Target novelisations of Doctor Who stories got many children into reading in the first place.

Re:Do Try Asimov by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 11:02 · Score: 0

Yes, major second on this. I spent a whole summer reading nothing but Norby books as a little kid.

Fantasy Sci/Fi Stuff I Read When I Was A Young'Un by LordLucless · 2012-06-20 11:05 · Score: 1

Roughly in order of age suitability, from young to old:
* Enid Blyton - Magic Faraway Tree, Wishing Chair
* Fred Hoyle - Frozen Planet of Azuron, Energy Pirates, The Planet of Death, The Giants of Universal Park
* C.S. Lewis - Narnia
* Lloyd Alexander - Prydain Chronicles
* Ian Livingstone/Steve Jackson - Fighting Fantasy
* Dianne Duane - Young Wizards
* Fay Sampsan - Pangur Ban
* Nathan Elliot - Star Pirates
* John Christopher - Tripods Trilogy (and prequel)
* Various - Doctor Who Novelizations
* David Eddings - Belgariad
* Raymond E. Feist - Magician (sequels not so much)

--
Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean there isn't an invisible demon about to eat your face

I wrote my sci-fi kids books for this very reason by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 11:05 · Score: 0

Hi, I wrote THE PROMETHEUS PROJECT trilogy to fill the exact need that you have. I, too, was looking for some good juvenile SF to introduce my kids to the literary genre I love. I couldn't find any, so I decided to write some. Google found my name on this site and alerted me (someone else suggested my name, I guess). The books are old fashioned hard SF, upbeat (not dystopian) adventures, with cliffhangers at the end of every chapter. WRINKLE and ENDER are great choices also, but he might want to wait a year of two for those. Doug

Two of my favorites when younger by Accursed · 2012-06-20 11:10 · Score: 1

To avoid some of the more recent and/or immediately comes-to-mind, there's always Lloyd Alexander's Chronicles of Prydain and Jane Yolen's Pit Dragon Trilogy. And for popular there's Ursula LeGuin's Earthsea series, although some of those might be best to wait a few years past 8.

My childhood by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 11:24 · Score: 0

I never read well until about 3rd grade where I took off reading. Sci Fi was limited but I started off with the Redwall series - great classics.

Some Books by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 11:25 · Score: 0

I remember Xanth and M.Y.T.H. INC being light/lighthearted reading suitable for a young child. I haven't read them since elementary school, but they are fun books written for young kids.

Douglas Hill - great sci-fi pulp by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 11:32 · Score: 0

Most of the suggestions I had in mind were posted, but as a kid I loved anything by Douglas Hill. He wrote simple, action-filled sci-fi aimed at kids/young teens, with same as protagonists.

Someone else suggested Anne McCaffrey, but those might be just a tad adult for an eight year old. I read her Pern/Dragonrider books as a teenager and loved them - especially the parts where when the dragons mated, the dragons' riders would form a telepathic bond and uncontrollably fuck each other dragon style. Made me feel funny, in a good way.

John Carter of Mars by Burroughs by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 11:33 · Score: 0

There's a whole series. They're pulp sci-fi - more adventure than sci-fi, but that might be a good thing.

Lloyd Alexander, Cressida Cowell by PMuse · 2012-06-20 11:39 · Score: 1

Lloyd Alexander: The Chronicles of Prydain. All 5 are compelling, but book 4, Taran Wanderer, is a sneaky-wonderful coming-of-age story.

Cressida Cowell: How to Train Your Dragon and its nine sequels. The movie was great, but when I began reading the books to my then-3-year-old, I discovered a different, equally compelling story from that of the movie (both tales get props from me). We eventually read all 10 books together.

Both series are not too long, child-appropriate, and not childish. If your child has contended with Asimov, he/she can handle Alexander and might be able to read Cowell alone.

--
"We reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals." --The American President (20.1.2009)

Jules Verne. The End. by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 11:44 · Score: 0

Jules Verne, and get him reading on his own already.

Adventure books. Stuff like Robinson Crusoe, Swiss Family Robinson, Tom Sawyer, anything 'boys own', anything on the 'high seas', Hitchhikers Guide!

Leave all of the young-teen etc fiction alone, it's soooo crap!

Forget the old stuff. by julesh · 2012-06-20 11:50 · Score: 1

Stuff like Asimov, Heinlein, Tolkien, Verne, H. G. Wells, and so on. They may be "classics". But they don't appeal to a modern reader without a background in the genre. They're not a starting point: the writing style is not the same modern style a new reader is likely to be familiar with, which will be offputting, and the science is often outdated which can be a problem for suspension of disbelief. Save them for later.

Look at popular modern books, instead. They'll be more accessible, which will make the entire process easier. Hunger Games, perhaps? Suggestions of Pratchett are good from the fantasy side (Maurice and his Educated Rodents is a great introduction to the idea of metafiction, while Wee Free Men and the sequels are great from a more traditional perspective, all easily accessible to a young reader).

Xanth by PMuse · 2012-06-20 11:54 · Score: 1

OK, so Piers Anthony's Xanth doesn't qualify as literature, but I was as addicted to it as a teenager as I ever was to the Hardy Boys in grade school. It was _fun_, people. Admit it: you laughed, too. It's not like you can hand the boy Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson until he's at least thirteen. The thing is 500 pages long.

Come to think of it, I wouldn't hand him Xanth until then either. He might accuse you of trying to sneak in a kissing book.

--
"We reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals." --The American President (20.1.2009)

TV/Game tie-ins? by sonamchauhan · 2012-06-20 12:01 · Score: 1

Try something that ties-in with visual media he may already enjoy (e.g., Stargate SG1 novels, Halo videogame novels).

Re: 'Halo' novelizations: read them first though. Some ('Contact: Harvest', and the newer ones after 'The Cole Protocol') are bad. And that's even more so for the Stargate novels.

At that age, exposure to any media is indoctrination - Its your duty to protect his innocence until he's older and wise enough to evaluate what he's reading critically.

Into the Dream by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 12:07 · Score: 0

I read a book called Into the Dream by William Sleator when I was in 4th grade. I completely loved the book. I still remember it and I read it in '79.

A few More by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 12:15 · Score: 0

I strongly second the Daniel Pinkwater recommendations. Be sure to try Lizard Music and The Snarkout Boys and the Avocado of Death.

Here are some others I haven't seen listed, possibly a bit rarer but still worthy of consideration.

John Bellairs (anything but The Face in the Frost) - his books have a light dusting of fantasy. The best to start with is The House With A Clock In Its Walls.

Peter Dickinson - The Blue Hawk

Diane Duane - the entire Wizard series starting with So You Want to be a Wizard?. Longer and better written than Harry Potter. Deep Wizardry can be terrifying so be careful.

Pete Hamill - Snow in August. It was turned into a quite decent movie.

Diana Wynne Jones - many of her books are great for kids. Try Power of Three or Eight Days of Luke for the younger ones.

Richard Koll - Christopher. About a boy finding his inner gifts and learning to use them responsibly.

Frederrick Pohl & Jack Williamson - Undersea City, Undersea Fleet & Undersea Quest. SF in the Heinlein juveniles style aimed at the water loving crowd.

Jane Yolen - Dragon's Blood, Heart's Blood, A Sending of Dragons. This series has a few similarities to the Pern series but manages to stand on its own.

hope this helps

Can't go past His Dark Materials trilogy by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 12:35 · Score: 0

Fantastic story and full of action and invention and wonder. The language is on a child's level but the concepts are complex.

I should mention that evolution plays a role int he story and that the Church and (most of) the angelic host are the bad guys and there's a scene where God simply falls apart and fades away after his protective bubble is popped.

enders game by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 12:38 · Score: 0

Enders game us not a bad start. And there is a movie coming out, so he can feel superior to his friends

A wrinkle in time by TapeCutter · 2012-06-20 12:45 · Score: 4, Insightful

I agree, I tried to wade through Tolkien as an adult but could never stay awake long enough to turn the page. For an 8yo I would suggest A wrinkle in time, I enjoyed immensly when I read it as a kid in the 60's. Unlike Tolkien it flows very well. The main charcters are kids a teenage girl hero and her younger brother, the writer does a great job of making them real by giving the charaters everyday kids problems. For example the girl is seen as a troublemaker at school and lacks self-confidence in her looks because of her red hair. It's educational without reading like a text book, it firmly plants science and math concepts into the child's mind by applying them to situations the hero's find themselves in, (a visit to a 2d planet is one example of that covers the concepts of higher spacial dimemtions).

But most importantly it's a great story about two kids growing up on an road trip through the universe, guided by wise beings who do not belittle their childhood concerns but rather expose them to experiences and hard choices that provides them with the perspective to deal with their own problems. The Harry Potter series does the same thing but in a different setting and with less educational value. Ultimately I belive the ability of these writers to relate to kids in this way via a fantasy world is why both books have been immensley popular with children. The fact that both books mention wicthcraft have also made them very unpopular with religious nutters, Both are high on the list of books that have garnered the most petitions to ban them in the US, wich to me is even more reason to give them to your kids and let them make up their own minds.

Now if someone could just explain to me why my 3yo grandaughter is facinated by kids shows that to me look and sound like they were the product of some really funky drugs? I'm not having a go at modern kids shows here, my favorite when I was very young was "Bill and Ben the flowerpot men" which as an adult appears every bit as fucked up as the modern stuff. Since I only had B/W TV as a young child, this universal urge to watch bizzare animated creatures wander around the screen can't be explained away by "bright colours".

--
And did you exchange a walk on part in the war for a lead role in a cage? - Pink Floyd.

juvenile Sci-fi by danielpauldavis · 2012-06-20 12:46 · Score: 1

"The Tripods" trilogy by author John Christopher

--
Cranky educator.

80s fantasy by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 12:46 · Score: 0

I got sold on fantasy with DragonLance Chronicles when I was 10... but maybe I was a fluke :-D

There is a family friendly version of the Escape Pod podcast.. (I think called Escape Pod Classic) that might be worth checking out. I listen to the big boy podcast and it's great, the kid-friendly is a subset so I expect it would be just as great.

Terry Pratchett, of course. by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 13:03 · Score: 0

Hysterically funny with a great combination of sci-fi AND fantasy. His kids novels include:
The Carpet People (1971), Truckers (1988), was the first in The Nome Trilogy of novels for young readers, about small gnome-like creatures called "Nomes", and the trilogy continued in Diggers (1990) and Wings (1990). Subsequently, Pratchett wrote the Johnny Maxwell trilogy, about the adventures of a boy called Johnny Maxwell and his friends, comprising Only You Can Save Mankind (1992), Johnny and the Dead (1993) and Johnny and the Bomb (1996). Nation (2008) marks his return to the non-Discworld children's novel. Finally, Maurice and His Educated Rodents before moving onto the Discworld series for adults.....

My recomendations by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 13:08 · Score: 0

Try:
The Invention of Hugo Cabret
The Search for Wondla
A Wrinkle in Time

On the Fantasy side:
Spiderwick Cronicles & Deltora Quest.

And in a few years:
Space Demons & Skymaze by Gillian Rubinstein.
All of the works of Isobelle Carmody.
The Young Wizards Series by Diane Duane.

ideas by Legion303 · 2012-06-20 13:26 · Score: 1

Madeleine L'Engel's series. Isaac and Janet Asimov's "The Norby Chronicles". At least the first couple of Narnia books (my at the time 7-year-old got bored with the third, YMMV). Harry Potter. Bone, the epic comic fantasy from Jeff Smith.

Wow - never knew I was a nerd. by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 13:28 · Score: 0

I never quite knew the scale until I read the posts here. Thanks for the outing.

Heinlein Juveniles by kenwd0elq · 2012-06-20 13:35 · Score: 1

For books aimed at the 12-15 demographic from 1950, Robert Heinlein's "juvenile" series has stood the test of time EXCEPTIONALLY well. Novels like "Space Cadet", "Tunnel in the Sky", "Starman Jones", "Between Planets" and "The Rolling Stones" are still engrossing and great reads. (My son, now 26, loved them when he was 13.) Each book features a fairly smart (but generally not genius level) protagonist, faced with various challenges, and learns some basic life lessons that are still generally in vogue. A few, such as "Podkayne of Mars", even features a female lead character.

Heinlein did BADLY miss one aspect of technology; he predicted everything EXCEPT cheap portable computers and higher level programming languages. But the stories themselves are still visionary.

Re:Heinlein Juveniles by arwel · 2012-06-21 05:54 · Score: 1

Yes, you'd have to explain to your kid what a slide rule was!
Re:Heinlein Juveniles by kenwd0elq · 2012-06-21 06:23 · Score: 1

A slide rule? That was easy; it's a mechanical calculator that doesn't need batteries. Our ancient Underwood typewriter was a "word processor with no screen or memory".

Witches of Karres is my favorite by kshkval · 2012-06-20 13:41 · Score: 1

The Witches of Karres by James H. Schmitz. A wonderful not too long story about magic and spaceship technology geared for the younger crowd (but I love it). Anything by Edgar Rice Burroughs, but especially the John Carter of Mars series. The Lost World by Arthur Conan Doyle (and you can suggest Sherlock Holmes as well). Down Town by Viido Polikarpus and Tappan King. The Earthsea Trilogy by Ursula LeGuin. All very interesting and short enough, as well as cool.

Rick Riordan by l810c · 2012-06-20 14:32 · Score: 1

My just turned 9 y.o. boy is just finishing one of his series and about to start another. Says it's the best thing he's ever read. He just finished Potter prior to starting this series.

Everything he writes gets pretty good reviews on Amazon.

I haven't read it, but my wife says she enjoyed the Percy Jackson series with some of her 7th graders.

Start with what else the kid likes by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 14:46 · Score: 0

Try something related to something they like. Electronics? The Complete Venus Equilateral. (Yes, vacuum tube SF!)

Kid's Science Fiction by Analog+Guru · 2012-06-20 14:55 · Score: 1

Asimov wrote the Lucky Starr series of juvenile novels. He also collaborated with his wife on the Norby robot books.

I grew up on the Heinlein juvenile novel such as Farmer in the Sky and Space Cadet and the Tom Corbett books.

Asimov's "Robot City" and "Robots and Aliens". by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 15:34 · Score: 0

Granted, Asimov didn't actually write the two series but they're damned good anyway. I'm going to hit forty this year and the Robot City books are still sitting on my bookshelf. :)

Arthur C. Clarke by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 16:03 · Score: 0

My first science fiction novel was Dolphin island, today it might not be as much science fiction as it was back in the days, but it might be enough to get him started..
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolphin_Island_(novel)

My childhood favorites by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 16:18 · Score: 0

When I was a kid, I was always inclined towards scifi books, but it took me a while to get into the classics. I cut my teeth on a bunch of young adult series first. My favorites were the My Teacher is an Alien series by Bruce Coville, the Myst trilogy by Rand and Robyn Miller, Animorphs by K. A. Applegate, and the His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman.

Zahn the Dragonback series by stan_qaz · 2012-06-20 16:32 · Score: 1

Timothy Zahn the six volume Dragonback series. I just picked it up used from Amazon (look for Zahn "dragon and") for the grandkid and ended up reading the whole set myself.

The book that introduced me to sci-fi... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 17:05 · Score: 0

...was Robert A. Heinlein's Red Planet.
I was about 10 years old and a teacher in my school suggested it to me. It was very astute of her.
It's a book I just bought for my self. I was going to give it to my nephew. Hoping it will peek his further interest.

Why it's a good book for a child, is that the main character is a child, this usually make it more accessible to children. + he has an martian pet. It also has a story that can be understood by someone young.

Dun is also good, but reading that before your in your middle to late teens is waste. Frank Herbert is my fav author, but his books have sociological elements that can't be grasped by a normal child.

Comics and Graphic novels can be gateway to books by chyminy · 2012-06-20 17:35 · Score: 1

I really didn't have an age group in mind when I wrote my own sci-fi comic but you might consider previewing it at www.escapefromprometheus.com. Comics and graphic novels can serve as a gateway to full chapter books if you have an early or reluctant reader at home. There are also many others on the market your child might enjoy.

Douglas Hill by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 18:23 · Score: 0

Douglas Hill's older stuff like Last Legionary is perfect for youngsters - I remember reading it when I was a kid!

Add to that Terry Pratchett by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 18:31 · Score: 0

Terry Pratchett also has some Discworld novels that are targeted to a younger audience.

Fred Hoyle by reiko13 · 2012-06-20 18:34 · Score: 1

Why has no one has mentioned Fred Hoyle ? I read his Professor Gamma books (The Frozen Planet of Azuron and The Giants of Universal Park) when I was 10 and I loved them! http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/h/fred-hoyle. His biography is here : http://www.hoyle.org.uk/FH/Home.html
--
The sleep of moderators produces monsters.

Artemis Fowl! by ripley426 · 2012-06-20 19:28 · Score: 1

The Artemis Fowl books are great and one of my all-time favorites. The books have both a number of fantasy (elves, dwarves, goblins etc.) as well as scifi(ish) elements but most of all they are grossly entertaining, hugely funny and, while aimed at kids, very fun to read for adults as well. Every one of the books in the series had me laughing out loud. I can't wait to read them to my kids!

what I was reading at 8, and a suggestion by Artifex · 2012-06-20 20:01 · Score: 1

I was grabbing my dad's books off the computer room floor and reading them when he was busy. Authors like Clifford D. Simak and Frederik Pohl. Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle, whose name I recognized from the BYTE Magazines my dad got. Robert Sheckley's very funny short stories. Later, Arthur C. Clarke and Isaac Asimov, and so on. I tried some of the Heinlein juvenile books from the school library later, but they seemed written for, well... kids.

Why don't you start him with some short stories? You could go with an anthology, but I'm actually thinking you should grab the latest science fiction magazines from the bookstore. Those usually have good stories with rapidly developing action, and also often throw in some nonfiction articles about space exploration or scientific discoveries. As a bonus, if he likes the format and length of these, you can buy him his own subscription, or make a point of taking him to the bookstore and let him pull them off the rack himself, to get him comfortable with the idea.

--
Get off my launchpad!

8 years old? by SvenLee · 2012-06-20 20:18 · Score: 0

Can he know what the writer say?

--
womens sexy lingerie |

Too early! by SvenLee · 2012-06-20 20:21 · Score: 0

He is just 8 years old .

--
womens sexy lingerie |

Ender's Game by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 20:26 · Score: 0

Some of my friends say that it's a profound book, but I suspect they don't read much hard literature; having said that, I think Ender's Game and some of the other books in the series is a great book for younger people (ages 8-16)

One book started me off with SF by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 22:02 · Score: 0

My Dad was a hardcore SF fan but didn't try to 'convert' me.
He did however have shelves (and boxes and boxes) of SF books.

I got into reading it though after one book, read it, loved it and started reading my way through all the other books.

Couldn't find the book again, it wasn't until years later I re-found it and realised it was actually one of two SF books by one of my (by then) favourite authors, Strata by Terry Pratchett.

In hindsight, not his best work but it was perfect at the time to pique my interest and then once I started that was it.

I wouldn't force SF on your son but let him have access to lots of books and suggest a few he might like to read rather than give him a book and tell him to read it. Let him try them if he wants.

Easy by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 22:38 · Score: 0

Strap him in front of the TV and show him all the Alien-movies. Condition him into believing that horrible things will happen to him if he does not possess an, at least, rudimentary knowledge of plasma-rifles, spaceship-navigation, androids and engineering.

8 Years Old by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 22:38 · Score: 0

It turns out, this is a horrible place to ask about good books for an 8 year old! I accept that some of you did read the books mentioned at 8, but most 8 year olds . . . no way. Unfortunateson is one of the few on the right track, but most of those books go toward a someone a couple years older. Some of my students, for instance, LOVED the True Meaning of Smekday, but others were lost by the complexity. The Hunger Games was a huge hit with many of my 5th graders who don't read a lot otherwise (they also loved the I Survived series -- not sci fi, but entertaining) -- but there is a big difference between a 5th grader and an 8 year old in terms of ability, interest, etc.

For fantasy, many of my students also absolutely loved the Gregor the Overlander trilogy. Adventure. Good sense of humor. Meaningful to a kid (about a boy protecting his little sister and trying to find his way home, initially).

When it comes right down to it though, we don't know enough about your boy. Does he like to read, or is he reluctant? Are you looking for read-alouds? I do suggest going to a good librarian and asking for more current sci-fi and fantasy books.

Jules Verne and H.G.Wells by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 22:57 · Score: 0

I would recommend: Jules Vernes and there are really nice short stories written by H.G. Wells! Both authors describe their actors with love.

William Sleator by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 23:47 · Score: 0

When I was that age, I was a huge fan of William Sleator. "Interstellar Pig", "The Green Futures of Tycho", "House of Stairs", "The Boy Who Reversed Himself", "Singularity", "Into the Dream", "The Duplicate." Classics (IMO).

Uglies, Pretties, Specials, Extras by DoctorBonzo · 2012-06-20 23:48 · Score: 1

Just a plug for the Scott Westerfeld series. Perhaps a bit fluffy, & maybe directed more at girls (my 13 year old daughter introduced them to me), but I found them a lot more engaging than The Hunger Games and Extras is perhaps prescient about the future of the Web...

Ray Bradbury by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-20 23:53 · Score: 0

Probably only 500 people posted this already. I suggest Ray Bradbury stories.

Short stories by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-21 00:38 · Score: 0

Some excellent SF short story anthologies out there. Try them.

It really doesn't matter by bregmata · 2012-06-21 01:46 · Score: 1

It does not matter what books you choose.

Sit down in a comfy environment or curl up in bed all together as a family, and read aloud. A chapter or two a night (always leave them wanting more). At first they will probably not listen. Keep at it: by the end of the book they'll probably be able to tell you exactly what happened even if they don't appear to be paying attention.

Repeat with a different book.

Choose books you like. Use different voices for different characters. Don't read aloud too fast. Make the magic happen.

Next thing you know, they're rereading the same books, then moving on to similar books.

Or, they just don't like you books and start gobbling up regency-era comedies of manners. That's OK too.

First, you need to light the spark by taking the words from the page and putting the voices into ther heads.

Alan Dean Foster by aptank · 2012-06-21 02:06 · Score: 1

Spellsinger series is a great read, though the musical references are probably lost. Midworld was an awesome read, and not too hard for me at the age of 8. Overall and don't forget the Myth series by Robert Lynn Asprin

Best fantasy that no one can understand.. by whizbang77045 · 2012-06-21 02:17 · Score: 1

Best fantasy? That's easy ... the national budget!

Children's books by Don+Philip · 2012-06-21 02:39 · Score: 1

Age 8 is a difficult one for science fiction, and you might be better off with fantasy. One book that my children fell in love with at that age was Barbara Sleigh's Carbonel (http://www.amazon.ca/Carbonel-Barbara-Sleigh/dp/0141319739/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1340289236&sr=1-1). It was broadcast by the BBC at least twice as a radio drama in the 1950s. You might have to explain some of the background though, as it takes place in England just after WWII, when rationing was still in place, etc.

Another book that my children liked at quite a young age is André Norton's Star Man's Son (http://www.amazon.ca/Daybreak-2250-D-Star-Mans/dp/0449236145/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1340289489&sr=1-1), which I believe was the first post-nuclear-apocalypse novel to be written and is still studied in some university courses.

Enecyclopedia Brown by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-21 02:56 · Score: 0

The Encyclopedia Brown stuff is nerdy enough, if not SF. I'd also recommend (if you can find them) Runaway Robot and The Boys Who Vanished. For fantasy, or at least fantastic, Freddy The Pig series by Brooks, and I don't think anyonw mentioend the Oz books for fantasy.

Classics by DarthVain · 2012-06-21 04:09 · Score: 1

I would recommend going with the classics. Many I remember were curriculum in school anyway. Not only are they usually better than most of the massed produced tripe, but also tend to be very short (120-180 pages, VS the 400-800 page range of modern) which might keep a younger person interested, and also able to introduce to a variety of science fiction in a shorter period of time.

HG Wells and Jules Verne are the grandfathers of science fiction. They only slight problem is that because they were written so long ago, terms and significance can be lost. I know for example that I didn't bother reading "War of the Worlds" still the movie came out recently. So many things in the book are astounding because of when it was written, heat rays, flight, and all sorts of things that didn't really exist in the 1800's.

Past those two, there is a lot of great stuff between 1950-1970 that are really good.
"A Wrinkle in Time"
"The Day of the Triffids"
"The Chrysalids"
"The Forever War"
Are just a few off the top of my head. I enjoyed the Dune series, and as well as Frank Herbert's other shorter books (earlier works mostly). If my library in front of me I could easily give you dozens of examples. "Left Hand of Darkness" might be another, though its a bit deeper as would "The Dispossessed".
Which brings more modern authors, Gibson, Stevenson for example. Neuromancer and Snow Crash to mention two. Anyway tons out there and fans willing to share lists of favorites if you google around. Ray Bradbury, is another, Phillipe K Dick, Heinlein, and on and on...

As for something a bit lighter perhaps, there are 3 that come to mind: Harry Harrison (adventures with Bill), Douglas Adams (hitchhikers guide), and I recall also reading Robert Asprin (Myth Inc.) when I was younger. Short, funny and easy to read, and not too serious or mind bending, basically fun read for younger person.

SF for kids by stickybeak · 2012-06-21 04:28 · Score: 1

I'm an SF writer (and theoretical physicist). My work appears often in Analog Magazine (40 stories so far). Naturally enough, I'd like to recommend my own novels and short story anthologies. With the possible exception of 'SF Stories for Linux Geeks', they are all kid-friendly. They're available for e-readers (MOBI and EPUB). Just go to the Amazon Kindle Store and search on 'Frithrik' (my old college nickname). Read about them there--but no need to buy any of them. Just go to my website www.frithrik.com and click for free copies (mention SLASHDOT for faster response). Perhaps 'Moon over Saint Frankenstein's' (a YA novel about good werewolves) would work best for your eight-year-old. BTW: the free book offer extends to everyone.

SF for kids by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-21 04:32 · Score: 0

Take a trip to the past.

The Danny Dunn stories
The Lucky Starr stories (David Starr space ranger is the first) - Asimov did these, too.
Heinlein's juveniles starting with Rocket Ship Galileo, Space Cadet, and The Star Beast.
The Tom Swift stories.

That did it for my oldest. Please note that these are not politically correct nor supportive of feminist, new gendered roles. This is real boy stuff.

I'd also recommend you get a copy of the Dangerous Book for Boys.

Heinlein or Asimov (both!) by MutualFun · 2012-06-21 04:34 · Score: 1

I was probably in the 4th grade or so, slightly older than your 8 year old, when a librarian handed me a copy of Robert Heinlein's 'Citizen of the Galaxy', thinking I might enjoy it (I did). Never looked back and been reading SF since then. I went on to 'Doorway into Summer', another Heinlein story that was an easy read of course followed by Starship Trooper, etc. Heinlein and Asimov are both extremely clear and concise writers who never tried to do anything other than tell a good story as straight forward as possible. Try a couple of these, I think you'll like them.

L'Engle all the way by fdanhyland · 2012-06-21 04:42 · Score: 1

Madeline L'Engle, they were given to me in second grade. A Wrinkle In Time, A Wind In The Door, A Swiftly Tilting Planet. Sci-Fi/Fantasy with some good Physics concepts.

You do the reading! by richieb · 2012-06-21 04:55 · Score: 1

Lot's of good books were suggested. However, with an 8 year old it probably would be best if YOU read these to him. The time spent together is probably more important than the actual books.

I had turned my daughter (who is now 20) into a Trekkie - I got her started with the Voyager series and then together we watched all the available Star Treks. We have had great time doing all this, and now when she visits home from college we still re-watch old episodes of Voyager.

--
...richie - It is a good day to code.

He is 8 and you read to him? by yurikhan · 2012-06-21 05:33 · Score: 1

Let me get this right, he is 8 and you read to him? At that age, children should be able to read on their own.

Reccomend for 8yo by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-21 05:44 · Score: 0

Daniel Pinkwater is excellent, Two books by other authers that have not yet been cited THE PHANTOM TOLLBOOTH and THE GIRL WHO CIRCUMNAVIGATED FAIRYLAND IN A SHIP OF HER OWN MAKING

Reading is fundamental. by surelyserious · 2012-06-21 05:46 · Score: 1

Read to your kids. That's the secret. YOU reading to your kids. The reason I became the student of Ray Bradbury I was? Reading everything he wrote over and over even now as a fully-functioning adult author and writer? It is because my mom read Dandelion Wine and Something Wicked This Way Comes to me again and again over and over when I was a young kid. At first, I just listened. Then I requested to have "those stories" read to me. Then I read them myself. Bradbury led to Heinlein which led to Asimov which led to Clarke to Lewis and Tolkien, which led to Verne, Adams, Pohl, Foster, McCaffrey, Brooks, then Sterling, Gibson, Robinson, Sawyer, Stephenson, Gaiman... ...and so on. It has been an amazing ride. It keeps getting better. But the ticket that got me on the rocket ship and through the looking glass at the back of the wardrobe was my mom reading to me. YMMV but I doubt it. You want a reader? Read and show the joy of reading.

--
"We're millions of miles from earth, inside a giant white face, what's impossible?"

Re:Reading is fundamental. by surelyserious · 2012-06-21 05:47 · Score: 1

Oh yeah, that and comic books. ;D

--
"We're millions of miles from earth, inside a giant white face, what's impossible?"

LASFS Recommended reading list by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-21 06:01 · Score: 1

Don't have time to read 600+ previous responses to see if this has already been suggested, so I'll post.

The Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society (LASFS) has a Recommended Reading List for Children and Young Adults that can be found at the following link:

http://www.lasfsinc.info///index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=95&Itemid=260#RRList

This list has been developed over many years and the current iteration was revised in 2007. Books most appropriate for younger readers are indicated by an asterisk. Works include both classic science fiction and other fantasy entries. Try it, you'll like it.

kid level reading by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-21 06:10 · Score: 0

Tom swift. It's a long series, combines mystery with some tech, like hardy boys for geeks.

How many Linux users have kids who use Linux?! by G3ckoG33k · 2012-06-21 06:11 · Score: 1

How many Linux users have kids who use Linux?!

Ok, I mean among those who actually have kids.

So, does your kid like Linux?

The Space Ship Under the Apple Tree by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-21 06:28 · Score: 0

The Space Ship Under the Apple Tree

By: Louis Slobodkin

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Space_Ship_Under_the_Apple_Tree

Try some short story collections by Mike+Van+Pelt · 2012-06-21 07:13 · Score: 1

Short stories might be a good fit. Some I like that I read pretty young:

Larry Niven's "Neutron Star", and the other stories in that book. (These are at the top of my list.)

The "Analog Annuals"; collections of some of the best from Analog back in the 70s. Kids, especially, should love Vinge's "Bookworm, Run!" from here. Some libraries may have them.

The various "Hugo Winners", "A Treasury of Great Science Fiction", etc., type anthologies.

Wayside School series by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-21 07:48 · Score: 0

The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings and Narnia, His Dark Materials, are great books but only if you read them to him. They are too advanced for an eight-year-old to read by himself. He'll get frustrated by the words he doesn't understand.

In the fantasy area, a simpler series that my daughter loved was the Wayside School series from Louis Sachar. He also wrote the wonderful "Holes."

Also agree on Tom Swift books. My brothers loved them.

Monica Hughes by ufikus · 2012-06-21 07:48 · Score: 1

There is endless sea of books, but exactly for gaining interest I would recommend exactly Heinlein juvies like Have Spacesuit, will travel and Between Planets. What I also read as a boy and loved it (read it many times over) are 2 books by english juvie author Monica Hughes. Monica Hughes "Crisis on Conshelf Ten" Monica Hughes "Earthdark". Adventures and troubles of boy from lunar colony visiting freakishly heavy gravity mother Earth. In some way it resembles SF movie Zenon, Girl of the 21st Century, only hero is boy, not a girl.

What about something from the actual 21st century? by Chuk · 2012-06-21 09:06 · Score: 1

I am boggled at everyone suggesting stuff that was already old when I was a kid. There's plenty of modern SF themed stuff. I guess there is more fantasy and more for older kids, but what about something like Colfer's Artemis Fowl? Would you count something from a modern extended universe, like Pokemon books or Star Wars? (I am not sure what you're kid's reading level is at, but there are Star Wars for pretty much any reading level.) Or maybe gateway stuff like comics, or books about comic characters? Does Iron Man count as SF?

--
chuk

Spaceship Under the Apple Tree by mshannon78660 · 2012-06-21 11:03 · Score: 1

A lot of good recommendations on here already. One I haven't seen is the 'Spaceship Under the Apple Tree' series by Louis Slobodkin. Perfect for that age (the main character is an 8-9 year old boy.

Books I remember by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-21 11:04 · Score: 0

Trying to think what got me hooked:
Heinlein:
The Star Beast
Have Space Suit—Will Travel **

The Hobbit **

Harriet the Spy **

A bunch of Judy Blume books.

Slakes Limbo **

The Secret if NIMH **

All the Dark Places. ** (Kid gets lost in cave. Read that under the covers with a flash light when should have been in bed... couldn't leave him in the cave!)

Bradbury:
The Martion Chronicles **
The Illlustrated Man **
Fahrenheit 451 ** (probably a bit much with the swearing)
I sing the body electric ** (but may be a single story in one book...)

Isaac Asimov:
I Robot

Also read the Foundation Trilogy, but couldn't handle that until my late teens.

About the first 15 Xanth books, at which I became punned out, lol.

Some kind of set of series with puns in the names regarding Mything Link or some such.

Another set of stories that starts out with the book Wizards Bane. Very good. About figuring out the programming language behind magic.

The original Star Wars trilogy books.

Chronicals of Narnia

I didn't try Dune until after I was 11 or 12. Tried and stopped several times until maybe 14, when suddenly the space-soap-opera finally hooked me, lol. Whereupon I read all the way up through God Emperor of Dune and maybe Children of Dune and then couldn't stand it anymore.

Probably too old for him, but: The Lathe of Heaven had a lasting impact on me. LOVED it. Still re-read it occasionally.

Harry Potter series is excellent.

Lord of the Rings requires a bit more of a mature reading level.

Dragon Riders of Pern series, although I think there's some adult concepts thrown in there. I tried reading the White Dragon, totally out of order in the series, (saw white dragon on cover, thought looked cool) was almost totally lost but managed to make it, when in 6th grade. I'd been reading super short junk before then and my teacher had admonished me to read something a bit more up to my level. When I hadn't given him a report in a while, I showed him what I was trying to plow through, and his jaw dropped, lol.

But you have to watch out for that Dragon Riders series. I remember one woman using going "in-between" to try to miscarriage a baby she didn't want. Might be more than you want your kid to know about yet.

I know I read some excellent sword and sorcery books back then, too, but can't remember them.

Good luck.

Re:Books I remember by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-21 11:08 · Score: 0

Oh, "**" meant really good. Then I forgot to keep flagging the rest of the books or explaining what "**" meant, lol. Oops.

One more Heinlein!!! by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-21 11:13 · Score: 0

How could I forget it?

Heinlein's "A Door Into Summer". Excellent. Up there with "Have Spacesuit, Will Travel". :) Love to re-read both those as well as Lathe of Heaven and Fahrenheit 451, on occasion. Those 4 really stuck with me.

Pratchett and Flanagan by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-21 12:50 · Score: 0

Two authors that write (some books) for young readers are Terry Pratchet and John Flanagan
Terry has a filter on his books page "For Young Readers"
Terry Pratchett Books

While John Flanagan's Ranger's Apprentice series (fantasy only) was written particularly to enthuse his young son to read
Ranger's Apprentice (Note: heavy amount of flash on homepage)

Re:Pratchett and Flanagan by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-26 05:37 · Score: 0

I haven't read the Pratchet, but my 9 year-old son and I have read the Ranger's Apprentice series. I like them, my son likes them. In Star Wars or Narnia fashion, the books are a little out of order chronologically. They go 1-4, then 7, then 5-6, and 8+.

Nostalgia, yo. by Undertone · 2012-06-21 16:14 · Score: 1

When I was eight, I used to watch next-gen with my Dad. I was hooked as soon as he told me what phasers and photons were.

Kir Bulychev by geroy · 2012-06-21 19:38 · Score: 1

The best sci-fi book that i have read when i was a kid is "A girl from earth" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kir_Bulychev). Also "Gusliar Wonders" from the same author.

Best SF/Fantasy for kids by Kelsen · 2012-06-22 05:00 · Score: 0

Robert Heinlein wrote many books for young science fiction readers.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinlein_juveniles

WOW by goombah99 · 2012-06-22 08:16 · Score: 1

Have him watch Star Wars in the Machete Order and then get him started on the Timothy Zahn books, Heir to the Empire, Dark Force Rising, and The Last Command. They are awesome! I loved them when I was a kid, and still do.

Wow, I just re-watched the Bi-trilogy with my kids and can really see why the machette order is so much better. brilliant. especially the parallel it sets up with luke following in his father's road to hell via good intentions. I never saw that with clarity because of the original order.

Thanks!

--
Some drink at the fountain of knowledge. Others just gargle.

The ones I remebmer. by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-22 10:44 · Score: 0

Around the age of 8-10 I a lot of books but the ones that I can still remember all these years later are:

The Earthsea series by Ursula K. Le Guin
The Dark is Rising series by Susan Cooper
The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander

I think closer to 10-11 I read

The Riddle Master trilogy by Patricia A. McKillip

I have read thousands and thousands of books over the years since then, but I remember those without even trying.

slashdot fail by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-22 17:47 · Score: 0

Wow, so out of 700 comments, the best the slashdot community can do (with a couple of rare suggestions) is:
CS Lewis,
Tolkein,
Heinlein juveniles,
Asimov juveniles.

All of which are over 50 years old, and way above the reading age of a typical 8 year old. (please don't embarrass yourself by retorting with all the adult novels you read at 8).
This is a comprehensive, total FAIL for the slashdot community.

(btw my own suggestion is a brand new series called "The magnificent 12".... but hey, you all go on and stock up on the latest Heinlein juvey.)

almost anything Bradbury by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-23 18:04 · Score: 0

I'd start with 1940s-1950s era science fiction, especially Ray Bradbury. I read the original Martian Chronicles to my kids, then 7 and 10, and they loved it. Social mores at the time were such that you don't have to worry about any 'adult scenes' creeping in, the language is tame, but the ideas are great. True SF asks "what if" - and Bradbury is great at it.

I forget the author, but another excellent novel of that era is "All Flesh is Grass". Similar to Bradbury in style.

Jules Verne is definitely safe for kids, but it's so dated and so dense with detail that I had difficulty keeping my kids' attention.

Lastly, I'd suggest The Draco Tavern, by Larry Niven. It's a set of short stories that all take place in the same interstellar/inter-species bar/restaurant. Earth becomes a way-station for aliens, and this bar serves them as they're passing through. They're good for your purpose because they are short and perfect for bed-time reading, or if it turns out that they really don't like SF.

Good luck and have fun!

Get Paid Taking Surveys at Home! by sameerrarhi · 2012-06-23 23:14 · Score: 0

Get Paid Taking Surveys at Home! Did You Know Over 10,000 Companies Pay People Everyday for their Opinions? -Paid Online Surveys - hundreds of surveys available (Up to $5-$50 for taking surveys from your computer!) -Full Time Paid Survey Jobs (some paid survey takers even get hired full time!) -Product Testing (they mail you a product, review it, and you keep it!) -Online Focus Groups (participate in a one hour "chat" and give your opinion) ... and Much Much More! *Work from anywhere in the world *Get Paid INSTANTLY! *Set your own working hours *No deadlines- stress free working *No annoying bosses *No financial risk *No special skills required http://ow.ly/be10a

Tom Swift by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-24 04:38 · Score: 0

Totally agree with the Tom Swift books. Very easy to read and super fun. I loved Tom Swift when I was a kid...

Try The Persistent Ghost by Linda Tremer by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-24 08:28 · Score: 0

There is a little book about a ghost who works with a dog in order to get his positive message across to a family. There are clues to ureavel and the interaction of the ghost and the dog is funny. I'm not sure what age group would be appropriate. It's The Persistent Ghost by Linda Tremer

Try Terry Pratchett's "Bromeliad Trilogy" by zapyon · 2012-06-25 21:43 · Score: 1

Besides the probably better-known Disc World Series Pratchett has also written some books for kids, young and old, like the "Bromeliad Trilogy" (originally known as The Nome Trilogy), the story of "The Nomes", a race of small people living at 10 times our speed, who, along the story's thread move from a hole in the ground to a store's suspended ceilings, then to a quarry - that soon gets reopened, and eventually to The Stars. Funny reading, with a lot of insight on how people are, and how the world is working. Another one by Pratchett: Only You Can Save Mankind. May be it's not exactly Science Fiction (though it has plenty of starships and even space battles in it), but fun anyway. Enjoy!

--
I like my spaghetti with source.

Andre Norton and Robert Heinlein by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-26 23:55 · Score: 0

Andre Norton's THE LAST PLANET (aka THE STAR RANGERS) captured my imagination as a young teenager, as did Robert Heinlein's GLORY ROAD and THE STAR BEAST.

Also the CAPTAIN FUTURE stories by Edmond Hamilton are fun, as are just about any old pulp reprints including and especially the DOC SAVAGE adventures, which are more adventure-fantasy, but also grabbed my imagination as a teen.

Younger kids might enjoy the Eleanor Cameron "Mushroom Planet" books as I did, if you can find them, such as THE WONDERFUL FLIGHT TO THE MUSHROOM PLANET and MR. BASS'S PLANETOID. These I read about the same time as the "Boxcar Children" books, at about 8 or 9 years old, and I highly recommend them.

Smart SciFi that features kids by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-27 12:31 · Score: 0

Long time favorite of mine to give to kids: A Wrinkle in Time.

Best choice by Anarchduke · 2012-06-28 20:21 · Score: 1

Stephen King's IT

--
who prays for Satan? Who in 18 centuries has had the humanity to pray for the 1 sinner that needed it most? ~Mark Twain

Go with the Classics by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-29 01:40 · Score: 0

At that age I was really in to the Conan series. Short Stories by Robert E. Howard are good to as they don't take a long attention span. Another of my favorite authors was H.G. Wells. I also got into authors like Mark Twain and Edgar Alan Poe. I also really enjoyed Homer's 'The Odyssey'.

From a Former Child Who Was Read Sci-Fi & Fant by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-29 02:07 · Score: 0

My dad read me LOTR and Chronicles of Narnia as a very small child-- like between the ages of 3 and 8, and I LOVED them. I used to write stories about the hobbits. I didn't even know there was religious symbolism in Narnia until I re-read them as an adult. I'm not religious, either, so no psychological scarring.

Kids fantasy/sci-fi books I've read and liked as an adult: His Dark Materials series, Harry Potter series, Hunger Games series, Gregor the Overlander series, Ender's Game series.

Other goodies: Clive Barker's Thief of Always, any Roald Dahl, Ursula LeGuin's Earthsea books.

You might have to look hard for them: by Anonymous Coward · 2012-06-29 08:50 · Score: 0

Depends on how much science you want in your sci fi, and how up to date you want it to be:

Eleanor Cameron, the Mushroom Planet books. Start with The Wonderful Flight to the Mushroom Planet. The science was medium-bogus in the 1950s when they were written and is full-on-bogus now, but the kids think like Asimov/Heinlein characters (about the bogus science). You might have to explain that the story was written at a time when no one had been to space. Two ten year old boys build a spaceship, with the help of a mysterious, kindly little man who would now be reported to the authorities for his excessive interest in children, fly to Earth's second, invisible moon, and save a whole alien civilization. With a chicken. Just recently kid-proven; my 3rd grade literacy teacher spouse tried it out as a read-aloud to her class, and it was a huge hit (they loved the idea that the science had changed, for some reason).

Some of Andre Norton's juveniles are probably read-aloud-able to that age. Star Man's Son comes to mind: it's a straightforward Walt Disney plot in a world 250 years after a devastating nuclear war. Scary monsters, intelligent cougars, and all the Good People eventually get together by respecting each other as equals.

Andy Buckram's Tin Men. by Carol Ryrie Brink. Farm boy at just-before-liking-girls age builds robots from junkyard parts. Sort of friends with junkyard (where he gets parts) owner's daughter. Immense flood, kids end up in rowboat, robots hit by lightning and in Basic Hollywood Magic, acquire apparent infinite power sources and intelligence. They all survive on an island in the river till the flood goes down. Sort of Swiss Family Robinson with robots. Loved it when I was a kid; farm families living on the river were more exotic than the robots!

THE DIET SOLUTION by madelyndanford · 2012-07-01 18:06 · Score: 1

THE DIET SOLUTION Stop Dieting...Start Eating...and Start Living 3 Principles 1. Know the exact foods that cause accelerated fat burning in your body 2. Know the particular foods that are preventing fat burning 3. Put the right foods together in a certain way to create the FAT BURNING EFFECT Don’t Worry, this is NOT * Another crash diet * Another crazy diet scam * Another sales pitch for weight loss pills * Another starvation diet BUT this is REAL information you can use RIGHT NOW!! http://ow.ly/bJN9o

Slashdot Mirror

Ask Slashdot: Best Science-Fiction/Fantasy For Kids?

726 comments