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

Posted by Soulskill on from the getting-them-started-early dept.

Jason Levine writes "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. Thinking that the length of some novels might be off-putting to him, 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. I think the wording of the stories was too advanced and there was too much talking and not enough action. Personally, I love Asimov, but I think much of it just went over his head. Which science fiction and/or fantasy books would you recommend for an 8-year-old? (Either stories he could read himself or that we could read together over the course of a few weeks.)"

12 of 726 comments (clear)

  1. Don't try by crazyjj · · 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.

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    1. Re:Don't try by dkleinsc · · 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.

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    2. Re:Don't try by greenfruitsalad · · 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.

  2. Tripods by Anonymous Coward · · 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.

  3. Jules Verne! by Anonymous Coward · · 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.

  4. Harry Potter in space by fuo · · Score: 5, Informative

    Ender's Game.

  5. Heinlein Juvies. by HornWumpus · · Score: 5, Informative

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

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    1. Re:Heinlein Juvies. by kailSD · · Score: 5, Insightful

      The Star Beast! Kids love Lummox. :)

  6. Hard for 8 Year Olds But Here's a Core Dump by eldavojohn · · 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.

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  7. A Wrinkle in Time by Hatta · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Need I say more?

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  8. Re:Tolkien, of course by Quiet_Desperation · · Score: 5, Funny

    I hope it was the original version where Bilbo stabs first.

  9. The Hobbit by Oxford_Comma_Lover · · 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.

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