I would say a wrinkle in time.

I second A Wrinkle in Time.

The Day of the Triffids

Fun list. It's cool to see pieces of my younger self all over it. I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks that anyone could really get into science fiction if they only have the right "gateway."

I voted for the list that worked for me in my younger life. Verne, Wells, Moorcock, and Mary Shelley. I would add to this list some Poe, Robert Howard, and Lewis Carroll(stacks of E.C. ccomics!!!).

I still remember at least some of the books that first captured my imagination as a lad. _The Red Planet_ was not only one of my first science-fiction books, it might also have been the book that started me on the road to becoming a full-fledged liberal. Ironic, in light of Heinlein’s political devolution. I’m amazed anyone would recommend _The Moon is a Harsh Mistress_ for kids, though; I couldn’t get into it even as an adult, and not because of the politics; it was boring. “Andre” Norton was also an early favorite.

I”m disappointed, though, that there is only one short story collection (that I recognize), _The Martian Chronicles_. One of my very first introductions was _The Best Science-Fiction: 1951_, discovered on a bookmobile. I still remember how clever I thought the first story was, “Santa Claus Planet.” I think short stories have an obvious advantage in appealing to kids. They have special merits of their own distinct from novels, as well, and I’m sorry to see the vanishing of short story anthologies in general, a seeming exception to Americans’ diminishing attention span.

The problem with most, though not all, of the first 54 of these is that they are pieces of our teenage years, which means the technology is dated. Most teenagers will come to these in their college years, when they're getting into the roots of science fiction. So far these days new converts are coming from Orson Scott Card, Margaret Peterson Haddix, Timothy Zahn's teen books, and Scott Westerfeld's work. There's a lot of good new teen science fiction being published these days, with up-to-date technology and the issues that young readers are interested in!

A lot of these books aren't exactly gateway sci-fi. they're more like the classics that are to be respected and adored. I think that Little Brother is a fantastic teen sci-fi, as well as all of Scott Westerfeld's novels.

A lot of these books aren't a gentle introduction to science fiction; they are a heave into the deep end. Furthermore, the sex scenes in several of them probably make them unsuitable for children. I suppose a lot depends on what your vision of a "young person" is. I tried to aim my selections for a person 11 to 13.

The hunger games is my favorite book of all time so i say that one

How on earth did "Animal Farm" make it onto a sci-fi list?

The Hunger Games Trilogy
A Wrinkle in Time
Harry Potter Trilogy

The overall list definitely has some choices I wouldn't make. But the first page is pretty darn good. I try to think of what brought me into sf. And then what did my kids like and not like.

Everyone's definition of ya is a little different. I define ya primarily as having a young adult protagonist. I don't think the book has to be ya to be an introduction to sf but it helps.

Looking at the list description it is not clear that fantasy would be on this list. But looking at the tags, fantasy is clearly listed. I'm thinking that making that clear in the description would be a good idea.

LoL LOL LoL
Try Abby .Try.

Of course The Green book is the best book of all.!!!!!

You all our wrong.

This is a boy typing this so LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!#!!!!!!!!!!#!!!!!#!!!!!!#!!!!!!!!

Mitchell wrote: "The overall list definitely has some choices I wouldn't make. But the first page is pretty darn good. I try to think of what brought me into sf. And then what did my kids like and not like.

Every..."

Quite youtube like little girl!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There's some really good books in there but some of them aren't sci-fi

Hilary wrote: "How on earth did "Animal Farm" make it onto a sci-fi list?"

Have you read it?

Many times. It's a bleak allegory of contemporary politics in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Many people assume it's a children's book because it's "all about animals".

It's not science fiction. You might, at a stretch, consider it fantasy because of the animal characterizations.

1984, on the other hand, is most definitely science fiction. Maybe the submitter got confused...

Some of these books, particularly Brave New World, are not appropriate for children, particularly young children.