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2015 Young Explorer's Adventure Guide
24 science fiction short stories for the middle grade reader from Hugo and Nebula winning authors as well as newer writers.
It’s time for a bigger universe.
Sally Ride, first American woman in space and Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient, famously said: “Young girls need to see role models in whatever careers they may choose, just so they can picture themselves doing those jobs someday. You can’t be what you can’t see.”
Girls need to read stories where any number of possible roles are modeled for them. Just as importantly, boys need to read stories where girls are active participants in adventures. And children of all colors and backgrounds need to know the future includes them.
"When I was a child, the school library had a Girls' Section, which included fairy tales, and a Boys' Section, which included all the science fiction. Things have changed, of course, but not enough. There is a strong need for science fiction, as opposed to fantasy, aimed at girls, especially in the middle grades. This anthology is an important contribution to the effort to fill that need, and I'm delighted to be a part of it."
~ Nancy Kress, winner of five Nebulas, two Hugos, a Sturgeon, and the John W. Campbell Memorial Award
Authors in the anthology are:
Marilag Angway
Deanna Baran
Mike Barretta
Eric Del Carlo
Salena Casha
Brigid Collins
Ron Collins
Cory Cone
C.J. Daring
Evan Dicken
Anne E. Johnson
Amy Griswold
Jeanne Kramer-Smyth
Nancy Kress
Wendy Lambert
Vanessa MacLellan
Phoebe North
Angela Penrose
Douglas Smith
Eric James Stone
Sonja Thomas
Deborah Walker
Jeannie Warner
Alvaro Zinos-Amaro
It’s time for a bigger universe.
Sally Ride, first American woman in space and Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient, famously said: “Young girls need to see role models in whatever careers they may choose, just so they can picture themselves doing those jobs someday. You can’t be what you can’t see.”
Girls need to read stories where any number of possible roles are modeled for them. Just as importantly, boys need to read stories where girls are active participants in adventures. And children of all colors and backgrounds need to know the future includes them.
"When I was a child, the school library had a Girls' Section, which included fairy tales, and a Boys' Section, which included all the science fiction. Things have changed, of course, but not enough. There is a strong need for science fiction, as opposed to fantasy, aimed at girls, especially in the middle grades. This anthology is an important contribution to the effort to fill that need, and I'm delighted to be a part of it."
~ Nancy Kress, winner of five Nebulas, two Hugos, a Sturgeon, and the John W. Campbell Memorial Award
Authors in the anthology are:
Marilag Angway
Deanna Baran
Mike Barretta
Eric Del Carlo
Salena Casha
Brigid Collins
Ron Collins
Cory Cone
C.J. Daring
Evan Dicken
Anne E. Johnson
Amy Griswold
Jeanne Kramer-Smyth
Nancy Kress
Wendy Lambert
Vanessa MacLellan
Phoebe North
Angela Penrose
Douglas Smith
Eric James Stone
Sonja Thomas
Deborah Walker
Jeannie Warner
Alvaro Zinos-Amaro
388 pages, Paperback
First published December 26, 2014
7 people are currently reading
51 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
February 26, 2015
I love YA lit and this is middle grade, something that feels like an even rare commodity. Overall I think it's a strong collection of stories. There weren't any stories I didn't like, which is often rare for an anthology. One story, "Where You Belong," referenced Oliver Twist, which I thought was clever. It wasn't hit-you-over-the-head obvious and I got a kick out of it when I figured it out. "The Cliff" was particularly a stand-out for me, it was really beautiful.
I liked the mix of protagonists. Plenty of girls and I think kids will find someone in this book to relate to. There's also a lot of variety in tone. Some stories are fun, some are serious.
If you have middle grade readers or just enjoy YA lit, this collection is for you! It's appropriate for kids, but enjoyable as an adult who likes YA science fiction.
I liked the mix of protagonists. Plenty of girls and I think kids will find someone in this book to relate to. There's also a lot of variety in tone. Some stories are fun, some are serious.
If you have middle grade readers or just enjoy YA lit, this collection is for you! It's appropriate for kids, but enjoyable as an adult who likes YA science fiction.
January 28, 2015
I'm long past being a middle-grade reader, but I enjoyed this anthology tremendously. The stories are wonderful, displaying human ingenuity and a charming youthful viewpoint. Some of the stories made me laugh out loud (Angela Penrose piling complication on complication on a young man with an emerging power in A Smelly Problem), some made me think twice about assumptions ( example: A Universe of Talk from Evan Dicken), and a few made me sniffle, particularly The Rocket Maker from Mike Barretta.
Most of the authors here are new to me, since I've fallen off woefully in my s-f reading, but the TBR list has just grown; there are so many voices here to read more of.
I would put this collection into the hands of any young reader, or young at heart reader.
Most of the authors here are new to me, since I've fallen off woefully in my s-f reading, but the TBR list has just grown; there are so many voices here to read more of.
I would put this collection into the hands of any young reader, or young at heart reader.
April 23, 2015
Like most anthologies, this one is a mixed bag--there are always some stories you'll like better than others--but overall I am happy to give it 5 stars! It deserves the high rating for the sheer volume and breadth of ideas, settings, styles, and young protagonists who fill its pages. This anthology does a wonderful job of living up to its aspiration to make science fiction more accessible, diverse, and representative for all young readers. If you have a young reader (or are an older one) with a keen appreciation for the sense of wonder in science fiction, you should definitely check out this book! Looking forward to next year's volume already.
March 15, 2015
A delightful collection of stories by mostly new-to-me authors. A broad range of styles is on display - if you didn't like one story try the next - odds are it will be different. The stories do a good job of 'just happening to have' female or otherwise diverse protagonists. The stories carry the implicit assumption that adventures can happen to anyone of any gender or any ethnicity. In too many stories where the protagonist is not a boy or not American I feel the author tries to explain why that is the case. That isn't a problem here.I
November 4, 2015
When I was 10 years old I would have stayed up all night reading this book. The stories are varied, from a steampunk mystery to alien pets, from aliens visiting earth to humans visiting space, with families of all ages and types, yet each story is about a young person having an adventure. Standouts are Jeannie Warner's take on Oliver Twist, Eric Del Carlo's post-pandemic survivors, and Deborah Walker's solution to gender imbalance. I loved this anthology, and am looking forward to the 2016 Guide.
February 20, 2017
Great stories. I enjoyed very much
September 7, 2020
This is a collection of several shorts stories by a variety of authors, all of them are science fiction related and their protagonist is a child or teen.
As in all anthologies, the quality of the stories varies greatly, but you can find several good stories among these, and since the purpose is to draw attention to the younger ones, I'm certain they will find many interesting stories.
This was the first volume of the project, and they have continuously published more anthologies year over year.
Recommended for young ones!
As in all anthologies, the quality of the stories varies greatly, but you can find several good stories among these, and since the purpose is to draw attention to the younger ones, I'm certain they will find many interesting stories.
This was the first volume of the project, and they have continuously published more anthologies year over year.
Recommended for young ones!
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
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