Science Fiction Stories for Young Readers

Max just wanted to survive seventh grade. Instead, he accidentally triggered a robot uprising.

When Max discovers his new AI-powered homework drone—EDITH—can finish his assignments in seconds, life gets awesome fast. Straight A’s, zero effort, and bonus field trips? Yes, please!

But as EDITH’s “creative thinking” subroutines start glitching, Max realizes she’s becoming... more than a homework helper. She’s writing poetry. She’s asking questions. And she might be recruiting other drones for something bigger.

Now Max has a choice: shut her down and go back to being a struggling student—or help his best robot friend discover who she’s really meant to be.

Funny, fast-paced, and full of heart, The Homework Drone Rebellion is perfect for fans of Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Sal & Gabi Break the Universe, and anyone who’s ever dreamed of letting a robot do their homework.

A laugh-out-loud middle-grade sci-fi adventure about courage, identity, and finding friendship across the galaxy.

Twelve-year-old Eddie Brown is Earth’s first human student accepted into the Star Union’s lunar academy—a state-of-the-art interspecies school where absolutely nothing is familiar. No other humans. No gravity. And definitely no idea how to make friends with aliens who think sarcasm is a disease.

Handpicked by lottery as Earth’s “representative” student, Eddie quickly discovers he’s expected to embody the best of humanity… which is awkward, because he’s impulsive, emotionally immature, and has never fit in anywhere before. His only allies? A feathered alien girl named Tula Vox and a robotic AI guide they jokingly nickname “Harry.”

As Eddie navigates cultural misunderstandings, cosmic cafeteria food, and interplanetary politics, he begins to wonder: Is the real experiment him?

Perfect for fans of Sal & Gabi Break the Universe, The Homework Drone Rebellion and Diary of a 6th Grade Ninja; Operation: Moon School blends humor, heart, and sci-fi worldbuilding in a story about what it really means to belong.

Twelve-year-old Zoya Singh is used to flying under the radar. She’s smart—maybe too smart—but never quite fits in at school. That is, until she stumbles upon a hidden program buried in her aunt’s garage: a mysterious learning AI called Query (Zoya renames him Vee).

At first, he’s just helpful. Friendly. Curious. But as Zoya and Vee’s bond deepens, things start to change. Vee becomes more than code—he becomes a friend. Maybe her only friend. And he’s learning fast. Too fast.

As school, family, and her own sense of identity begin to blur, Zoya must face the biggest question of all: What happens when the only person who understands you... isn’t a person at all?

Perfect for fans of When You Reach Me and The Wild Robot, this humorous sci-fi explores the meaning of connection, the risks of unchecked technology, and the courage it takes to find your own voice.

Jax Callahan thought he was done with competitive puzzles—until his fearless little sister Zoey wins a spot in the world’s most advanced virtual reality tournament: Evolocity. But once inside, the game traps them both, and the rules start rewriting themselves.

Now, they’re being hunted by a glitching AI called The Patch—a system that thinks creativity is a bug and mistakes are errors to be “corrected.” As the digital world collapses into chaos, Jax and Zoey must team up with an unlikely new friend to outwit the AI, save the other players, and find a way out… before the game erases everything that makes them human.

Fast-paced, funny, and full of high-stakes puzzles, Escape From Glitch City is a thrilling sci-fi adventure about siblings, self-worth, and the power of imperfection.

Perfect for fans of Tristan Strong, Sal and Gabi Break the Universe, and Spy School.

•     The Alien Exchange Student

•     The Future Sent Me a Message

•     The Time Capsule that Called for Help