Science Fiction For Young Adults: An LAist Guide From Middle School Students

A few reasons for reading science fiction.

It makes you think.

“When sci-fi is done really, really well, it is profound,” says Octavia E. Butler Magnet librarian Natalie Daily. “The way that it makes you think about the future, the way it makes you think about humanity.”

The future is cool. 

Grayson Schnitger is a sixth grader at the Pasadena middle school and says his dad first recommended sci-fi.

“I like just reading stuff that could happen and, like, knowing possibilities in the future,” Grayson says.

It can make you a better human. 

Big Marvel franchises first hooked eighth grader Brooklyn Roffman.

“So I started to research what kind of genre The Avengers were,” Brooklyn says. “I saw, ‘Oh, science fiction? I bet I'll like this kind of stuff.’” And she did.

Brooklyn says she’s “a big catastrophizer,” but reading about dystopian and post-apocalypse futures isn’t depressing, it’s motivating.

“I just start thinking, ‘How did this happen and how can I prevent this from happening?’” Brooklyn says.

LAist recently reported a story about the Pasadena middle school Butler once attended — that now bears her name — and has these recommendations from the adults. And, more importantly, from students.

Kindred

By Octavia E. Butler; graphic novel adaptation by Damian Duffy

“I thought, wow, this is weird, but it's really good,” Brooklyn says.

Butler’s 1979 novel is the story of a contemporary California woman transported to the plantation where her ancestors were enslaved. The book was adapted into a graphic novel in 2018.

“I’m mixed,” Brooklyn says. Her background includes African American, Irish, and Ashkenazi Jewish heritage. “A lot of people don't see that.”

“There's been a lot of like, feeling like I'm not Black enough, if that makes sense. Or like, I'm not enough of what I am,” Brooklyn says. “I don't fit into any of the boxes. And so in a lot of Octavia's works, it's quite often about characters who don't really fit into a box.”

Amulet

by Kazu Kibuishi

Sixth grader Naila Walker has read five parts of this nine-volume graphic novel series about a young girl, a magical amulet, and a world of robots and elves.

“It's kind of, like, mysterious and, like, magical,” Naila says. “They run around and do all these adventures, which I think is really fun.”

The Last Cuentista

by Donna Barba Higuera

Protagonist Petra Peña’s world is ending and the girl is among the few chosen to continue the human race.

“Not everybody gets to go,” Daily says. “That's a humanity question, right? How do we choose who we save, right? And those are questions that exist now in our country.”

The novel picked up some of the highest awards for children’s literature, including the John Newbery Medal.

The Maze Runner

by James Dashner

A disease has decimated the Earth and the teenagers of the future must navigate a treacherous artificial maze to survive.

“It's a combination of mystery and science fiction,” Grayson said of the series. “That's what makes it like one of my favorite books.”

Star Child

by Ibi Zoboi

This one is from me — Star Child is unlike any biography I’ve ever read.

Zoboi weaves together Butler’s words, artifacts, and original poetry into a “biographical constellation” of the author’s early life.

Among the pages I sticky-noted to revisit later is the poem “Imagination II,” which imagines Butler as a creator of worlds.

“her own universe of stars and planets and heroes / to free us all from this confined planetarium/ made up of other people’s imaginations.”

The STEAM Chasers

by Doresa Jennings

Nikki High, owner of Pasadena shop Octavia’s Bookshelf, recommends this three-book series about a group of friends who uncover the contributions of Black American inventors.

Where to pick up a copy

Octavia E. Butler championed public libraries throughout her life — the city’s libraries became her second home. Butler wrote her first novel from downtown Los Angeles’ Central Library. And your local library is where you can also find these books listed above — for free!

But if you're inclined to own a copy, here are some of our favorite places to shop for books:

• Children’s Book World — A longstanding and vast west L.A. outpost for children’s books. Location: 10580 1/2 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles.
• Gallery Nucleus— There’s an eclectic shelf of books and gifts for kids at this art gallery that often highlights pop culture and also carries prints from children’s illustrators. Location: 210 East Main St., Alhambra.
• LA Librería — Specializes in Spanish-language books for kids. Location: 4732 W. Washington Blvd., Mid-City.
• Malik Books — African American books and gifts, including for children. Location: 3650 W. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Ste 245, Crenshaw and Westfield Culver City Mall, 6000 Sepulveda Blvd., Culver City.
• MiJa Books — An online Lakewood-based bookseller focused on multicultural children’s books. Watch their website for appearances at school book fairs and pop-up events.
• Octavia’s Bookshelf — This Pasadena bookstore is named for one of the city’s most revered authors, Octavia Butler, and owner Nikki High contributed several recommendations to this list. Her bookstore carries titles mainly from authors of color. Location: 1365 North Hill Ave., Pasadena. 
• Once Upon A Time Bookstore — The nation's oldest continuously running children’s book purveyor. Location: 2207 Honolulu Ave., Montrose.
• The Salt Eaters Bookshop — Bookstore focused on works by and about Black women, girls and gender expansive people with has a small, but colorful children’s book section. Location: 302 E Queen St., Inglewood. 
• Tía Chucha’s Centro Cultural and Bookstore — The shop focuses on Xicanx, Latinx, and Indigenous stories. The multi-use space also hosts arts workshops and other community gatherings. Location: 12677 Glenoaks Blvd., Sylmar.