Chapter Book Genres: Science Fiction
So, last month I focused on highlighting genres for our picture book readers, this month I’ll be focusing on newly independent readers and offering up some genre suggestions in the chapter book arena. Let’s start with what is a chapter book. While the term gets thrown around for any book with chapters in it for kids, it’s actually a bit more nuanced than that. Chapter books are actually a group of books that are written typically for the 6-8 year old crowd who have graduated beyond the easy readers and are looking to move up to the next step in their reading skills.
They are typically under 100 pages, have a larger font, lots of white space (think 1.5 or double spaced between lines), and often include a number of illustrations to help readers decode the text. And of course, they have chapters. What many people call chapter books are actually middle grade novels geared toward an older audience (ages 8-12) that are longer, have a lot more text, and may have fewer illustrations.
So, when I talk about chapter books on the blog, these books are what I mean – short, controlled vocabulary, and heavy on the illustrative support. This book focuses on science fiction titles. Books that either take place in teh future, have some sort of time travel, or rely on more on futuristic-style technology. These books are also often adventurous in nature, perfect for kids lookign for something that will make them want to turn the page. And while I try my best not to repeat authors, there are a few authors that are repeated on this list – because they’re great writers and writing in this very niche space.
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Chapter Book Genres: Science Fiction
The Alien Adventures of Finn Caspian: The Fuzzy Apoccalypse by Jonathan Messinger, illustrated by Aleksei Bitskoff
Eight-year-old Finn is the first kid born in space and he spends his days looking for a new planet to call him with his three best friends and his robot, Foggy.
He’s used to wild, galaxy hopping adventures. But when Explorer Troop 301 gets stuck on a planet that’s about to explode, Finn and his friends will have to face giant aliens, a leader with mind control powers, and one evil, fluffy bunny rabbit in order to save the planet . . . and themselves.
Blast off into a brand-new adventure inspired by the popular award-winning kids’ podcast! Like the podcast, the books are sort of like Scooby-Doo meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer in space. The story centers on Finn Caspian, an 8-year-old boy aboard The Famous Marlowe 280 Interplanetary Exploratory Space Station. He and his friends Abigail, Elias, and Vale are Explorers Troop 301, taking off from the Marlowe to explore uncharted planets, help the occasional alien, and solve a mystery that threatens to destroy the Marlowe.
Astro-Nuts by Jon Scieszka, illustrated by Steven Weinberg
A laugh-out-loud tale packed with science, adventure, and a whole lot of fun: AstroWolf, LaserShark, SmartHawk, and StinkBug are animals that have been hybridized to find other planets for humans to live on once we’ve ruined Earth. So off they rocket to the Plant Planet! Will that planet support human life? Or do Plant Planet’s inhabitants have a more sinister plan? AstroNuts Mission One is a can’t-put-it-down page-turner for reluctant readers and fans ready to blast past Wimpy Kid.
Beep and Bob: Too Much Space by Jonathan Roth
Astro Elementary is a school near Saturn attended by the bravest, brightest, most elite kids in the galaxy…and Bob. Bob never wanted to go to fourth grade in dark, dangerous space. He even tried to fail the admissions test by bubbling in “C” for every answer—and turned out to be the only kid on Earth to get a perfect score!
Bob feels he couldn’t be more misplaced at his school—until he meets Beep. Beep is an alien from the planet Orth who was kicked off his home world for being too small. The instant Bob finds him, Beep adopts Bob as his new mother. Soon Bob can’t turn around without bumping into Beep’s squishy little body. Together, they make the perfect team. And Bob logs their adventures on his space blog, or SPLOG, with Beep providing the illustrations.
In their first adventure, Bob is humiliated on a field trip to Pluto when his tongue gets stuck to the ice. Not even Beep can keep Bob from becoming the laughing stock of the school. Bob has to find a way to completely change his personality, just in time for their next treacherous field trip—to the gaping mouth of a super massive black hole!
Geeger the Robot Goes to School by Jarrett Lerner, illustrated by Serge Seidlitz
Geeger the Robot is going to school. But not robot school…a school with kids, the human kind! Geeger isn’t used to human ways, and his zany misunderstandings and overly literal responses to instructions lead to quite a few mishaps. He’s starting to wonder if he can even make it until snack time! Will a bot made of wires, nuts, and bolts fit in with a classroom of kids?
Layla and the Bots: Happy Paws by Vicky Fang, illustrated by Christine Nishiyama
Layla and the Bots are in an awesome rock band! They also use problem-solving and creativity to build cool inventions. When a local amusement park is in danger of shutting down, Layla knows just how to bring in the crowds… build an amusement park for DOGS! But will cool doggie rides like the Rub-a-Dub Mud Slide and the Tummy Rubbing Machine be enough to keep the park open?
The Mad Scientist Mom: Saved by the Smell by Jarrett Lerner
Ari’s life is filled with school, video games, and his pet turtle, Fred: pretty run-of-the mill stuff. But not anywhere near run-of-the-mill is Ari’s mom, who’s a mad scientist. That’s right, a MAD scientist. Sure, she strives to make people’s lives better with her inventions, especially at home. But all of Mom’s inventions seem to go just the slightest bit off kilter. And when she devises a time portal to help deal with the massive mounds of dirty laundry that have taken over their house, she creates a MUCH bigger problem than just stinky clothes, and it’s up to Ari to get them out of a prehistoric mess.
Ricky Ricotta’s Mighty Robot by Dav Pilkey, illustrated by Dan Santat
Meet Ricky Ricotta, a little mouse with a big problem!
Ricky Ricotta lives in Squeakyville with his mom and dad. Ricky has a hard time making friends at school, and the neighborhood bullies are always picking on him. If only Ricky could find someone to be his best buddy and keep those creepy bullies away!
Meanwhile, on the other side of town, a mad scientist named Dr. Stinky McNasty has created a Mighty Robot who is as gentle as he is powerful. Dr. Stinky plans to make the Robot destroy Squeakyville, but there’s one little thing in his way: Ricky Ricotta! When Ricky rescues the Robot, an unlikely friendship begins. And Ricky discovers that a little mouse can be a BIG hero — with some help from his new best friend!
Rover and Speck: This Planet Rocks! by Jonathan Roth
When Rover crash-lands on a rocky planet and finds Speck stranded and in need of a battery charge, the two rovers hardly seem destined to make great teammates. Rover is organized, careful and on a mission to discover all the amazing things in the galaxy. Speck is impulsive, excitable and … not totally sure what his mission is. Their differences are forgotten, however, when they make their first big discovery: they’re not alone on the planet! And, suddenly, their only mission is to escape from the rock creatures that are chasing them!
The Wild Robot by Peter Brown
Can a robot survive in the wilderness?
When robot Roz opens her eyes for the first time, she discovers that she is all alone on a remote, wild island. She has no idea how she got there or what her purpose is–but she knows she needs to survive. After battling a violent storm and escaping a vicious bear attack, she realizes that her only hope for survival is to adapt to her surroundings and learn from the island’s unwelcoming animal inhabitants.
As Roz slowly befriends the animals, the island starts to feel like home–until, one day, the robot’s mysterious past comes back to haunt her.
