Anyway! Onto today's topic -- fantasy and sci-fi books for younger teens!
Fantasy and science fiction are two of my all-time favorite genres, but most of my favorite sci-fi and fantasy books are geared towards older audiences -- meaning more complex plotlines, deeper characters, and more mature writing style... but also a lot of blood, language, and even sexual situations not appropriate for preteens or younger teenagers in the thirteen to fifteen age group.
But what if the simple middle grade fantasy and science fiction sections no longer satisfy you... or your kid?
Fortunately, finding good quality fantasy and sci-fi that is a little more toned down in terms of content isn't hard... it's just knowing where to look.
So, without further ado, let me get into my list of fantasy and science fiction that would appeal to younger teens and preteens... without being dumbed down.
Fantasy
Sweep: The Story of a Girl and Her Monster by Johnathan Auxier
Short description: Nan Sparrow was supposed to die in that chimney fire. She never suspected that someone would save her.
This book is phenomenal. It follows the story of a young chimney sweep and her golem in late 19th century London. It's a very simplistic description, but it is definitely a book worth picking up, and while it delves into some hard topics (especially the way the children who worked as sweeps were treated at the time) it keeps everything appropriate for a middle grade audience. Johnathan Auxier's writing is wonderful, and I can say with certainty that the rest of his books are also worth checking out, particularly Sophie Quire and the Last Storyguard.
Short description: Nan Sparrow was supposed to die in that chimney fire. She never suspected that someone would save her.
This book is phenomenal. It follows the story of a young chimney sweep and her golem in late 19th century London. It's a very simplistic description, but it is definitely a book worth picking up, and while it delves into some hard topics (especially the way the children who worked as sweeps were treated at the time) it keeps everything appropriate for a middle grade audience. Johnathan Auxier's writing is wonderful, and I can say with certainty that the rest of his books are also worth checking out, particularly Sophie Quire and the Last Storyguard.
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
Short description: A homebody gets dragged into a quest to reclaim treasure from a dragon.
And now for a classic. This book would definitely not appeal to every young reader, as the vocabulary is difficult at times, and the story moves at quite a slow pace at times, with not much dialogue or action involved. However, if your child is an advanced reader, or enjoys slower paced stories, this fantasy might be right up their alley.
Short description: A homebody gets dragged into a quest to reclaim treasure from a dragon.
And now for a classic. This book would definitely not appeal to every young reader, as the vocabulary is difficult at times, and the story moves at quite a slow pace at times, with not much dialogue or action involved. However, if your child is an advanced reader, or enjoys slower paced stories, this fantasy might be right up their alley.
The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson
Short description: In a world where chalk drawings can literally come to life, a string of mysterious deaths leads a young student to discover some dark secrets about the world he lives in.
This book is by Brandon Sanderson, so you can probably already guess just how much I recommend trying it out! This book was actually the first Sanderson book I read, and I was blown away with the detailed and intriguing magic system, and late 19th century feel to the technology. This book falls in the alternate history/fantasy/steampunk genre.
Fawkes by Nadine Brandes
Short description: Thomas Fawkes is turning to stone. In a desperate bid to save his life, he joins a band of rebels who plan to blow up the king -- and Parliament with him.
I loved this book. The blend of fantasy and historical fiction really intrigued me, and the fact that the plot revolved around the Gunpowder Plot (a fascinating event in British history) just engaged me all the more. This book falls into the Christian YA genre, but is more of an allegory than anything else, and I feel like non-Christian readers could potentially enjoy this book as well.
The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen
Short description: The heir to the throne is dead. So a nobleman hatches a plan to land an impostor on the throne instead.
This is the first book in a current quartet (with the forth book being released some time this year). The False Prince follows Sage, one of the orphans kidnapped by the nobleman Conner and given a chance to pose as the Prince. It's a great story, with some interesting plot twists, but the main appeal of the book comes from Sage himself, whose character and first person narration really makes this book stand out from the crowd.
Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling
Short description: A boy finds out that he's a wizard, and goes to a magic school to learn more about his powers. But not is all as it seems, and being the most famous wizard of all time certainly has its drawbacks.
If your child somehow hasn't read this series already... get it into their hands, ASAP! All seven books are amazing and magical, with great characters and intriguing plots. A must read for any reader.
The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
Short description: The Scorpio Races happen every November -- a brutal, life-threatening charge across the sands on the backs of the capaill uisce -- the Water Horses.
I love this book. The writing style is atmospheric and immersive, the characters are well-drawn, with vivid personalities, and the plot moves at a perfect pace. It features two alternating points of view: Puck Connolley, who never meant to join the Scorpio Races, but is forced to under circumstance, and Sean Kendrick, who has raced for years but suddenly has a larger stake in the race's outcome than he first anticipated. This book falls into the magical realism genre.
Read my review!
City of Ghosts by Victoria Schwab
Short description: Her parents are ghost hunters by profession... but Cassidy Blake can actually see ghosts. And when her parents drag her along with the filming of a documentary series about paranormal activity, Cassidy finds herself in danger.
This book falls into the middle grade horror genre. Which I didn't even know existed until I picked up City of Ghosts, which is the first book in the Cassidy Blake series (book three releasing this year). It's definitely toned down from the author's young adult horror (The Monsters of Verity) but can still be creepy at times. This is a fun and engaging book overall.
Short description: In a world where chalk drawings can literally come to life, a string of mysterious deaths leads a young student to discover some dark secrets about the world he lives in.
This book is by Brandon Sanderson, so you can probably already guess just how much I recommend trying it out! This book was actually the first Sanderson book I read, and I was blown away with the detailed and intriguing magic system, and late 19th century feel to the technology. This book falls in the alternate history/fantasy/steampunk genre.
Fawkes by Nadine Brandes
Short description: Thomas Fawkes is turning to stone. In a desperate bid to save his life, he joins a band of rebels who plan to blow up the king -- and Parliament with him.
I loved this book. The blend of fantasy and historical fiction really intrigued me, and the fact that the plot revolved around the Gunpowder Plot (a fascinating event in British history) just engaged me all the more. This book falls into the Christian YA genre, but is more of an allegory than anything else, and I feel like non-Christian readers could potentially enjoy this book as well.
The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen
Short description: The heir to the throne is dead. So a nobleman hatches a plan to land an impostor on the throne instead.
This is the first book in a current quartet (with the forth book being released some time this year). The False Prince follows Sage, one of the orphans kidnapped by the nobleman Conner and given a chance to pose as the Prince. It's a great story, with some interesting plot twists, but the main appeal of the book comes from Sage himself, whose character and first person narration really makes this book stand out from the crowd.
Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling
Short description: A boy finds out that he's a wizard, and goes to a magic school to learn more about his powers. But not is all as it seems, and being the most famous wizard of all time certainly has its drawbacks.
If your child somehow hasn't read this series already... get it into their hands, ASAP! All seven books are amazing and magical, with great characters and intriguing plots. A must read for any reader.
The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
Short description: The Scorpio Races happen every November -- a brutal, life-threatening charge across the sands on the backs of the capaill uisce -- the Water Horses.
I love this book. The writing style is atmospheric and immersive, the characters are well-drawn, with vivid personalities, and the plot moves at a perfect pace. It features two alternating points of view: Puck Connolley, who never meant to join the Scorpio Races, but is forced to under circumstance, and Sean Kendrick, who has raced for years but suddenly has a larger stake in the race's outcome than he first anticipated. This book falls into the magical realism genre.
Read my review!
City of Ghosts by Victoria Schwab
Short description: Her parents are ghost hunters by profession... but Cassidy Blake can actually see ghosts. And when her parents drag her along with the filming of a documentary series about paranormal activity, Cassidy finds herself in danger.
This book falls into the middle grade horror genre. Which I didn't even know existed until I picked up City of Ghosts, which is the first book in the Cassidy Blake series (book three releasing this year). It's definitely toned down from the author's young adult horror (The Monsters of Verity) but can still be creepy at times. This is a fun and engaging book overall.
Science Fiction
The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer
Short description: Four popular fairy tales -- Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, and Snow White -- retold as dystopian sci-fi stories.
These books are so fun! They were actually one of the first series' I read when I started getting into YA, and they're super awesome. Fairy tale retellings are something I absolutely love, and I love the twists that Marissa Meyer spun on some of the classic fairy tale elements (like the pumpkin carriage in Cinderella becomes an orange car.)
Note that the series does become darker the further the books go, but the main series (excluding Fairest, which is definitely not appropriate for younger readers) is still fairly clean and light on gore.
Short description: Four popular fairy tales -- Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, and Snow White -- retold as dystopian sci-fi stories.
These books are so fun! They were actually one of the first series' I read when I started getting into YA, and they're super awesome. Fairy tale retellings are something I absolutely love, and I love the twists that Marissa Meyer spun on some of the classic fairy tale elements (like the pumpkin carriage in Cinderella becomes an orange car.)
Note that the series does become darker the further the books go, but the main series (excluding Fairest, which is definitely not appropriate for younger readers) is still fairly clean and light on gore.
Skyward by Brandon Sanderson
Short description: A girl struggles to become a pilot to fight against the aliens invading her planet.
Another Brandon Sanderson book, this one falling in the YA science fiction category. This book is so good! I loved the main character, Spensa, as well as the side characters, and the plot was well-paced and engaging. The worldbuilding was interesting and never confusing.
This book has zero romance, and focuses on friendship instead, which is another thing I wholeheartedly love about the story. While this is another book that gets a little violent at times, I still feel that younger teens in the 13-15 age range would still like this. (And if you're older than that, you'll like it, too! It's just that good.)
And there you have it! I hope that this list helped you choose out a new book (or a couple) to read. I may write a follow-up post to this one next year with new additions, since I'm always on the lookout for new books that I like!
Have you read any of the books on this list? What did you think about them? Did this list help you find a new book or series for your child (or yourself!) to read? Let me know in the comments!
Short description: A girl struggles to become a pilot to fight against the aliens invading her planet.
Another Brandon Sanderson book, this one falling in the YA science fiction category. This book is so good! I loved the main character, Spensa, as well as the side characters, and the plot was well-paced and engaging. The worldbuilding was interesting and never confusing.
This book has zero romance, and focuses on friendship instead, which is another thing I wholeheartedly love about the story. While this is another book that gets a little violent at times, I still feel that younger teens in the 13-15 age range would still like this. (And if you're older than that, you'll like it, too! It's just that good.)
And there you have it! I hope that this list helped you choose out a new book (or a couple) to read. I may write a follow-up post to this one next year with new additions, since I'm always on the lookout for new books that I like!
Have you read any of the books on this list? What did you think about them? Did this list help you find a new book or series for your child (or yourself!) to read? Let me know in the comments!
I just read False Prince and I love it so much. XD Lunar Chronicles too. I've heard a lot about Scorpio Races, I need to find that and give it a try. I'd assumed it'd have some concerning content based on who was recommending it to me at the time. That's good to hear that it doesn't.
ReplyDeleteThat's understandable, especially considering that some of Stiefvater's other books are not "clean" (according to my brother, I haven't read them myself yet). But yes, Scorpio is very similar to the Lunar Chronicles in terms of content, and has a wonderful storyline and characters as well. :)
DeleteAH YES!!! The Hobbit, The Lunar Chronicles, Fawkes, and The Rithamist are all AMAZING books and series!!! <33 And ooh! All the other books look so cool!!! I'll have to look them up. :-D
ReplyDeleteThey really are, aren't they? <33
DeleteAll of them are very good, if I do say so myself. xD Let me know if you read any of them!