The Golden Duck Notable Picture Books List

The Aliens Do NOT Want to Go Home by Adam Gustavson. Charlesbridge

The aliens are having so much fun playing on Earth. They plead with their parents to let them stay just a little bit longer. After all, there are still games to play, movies to watch, and messes to clean up!

ARLO by Sophia Gholz, Illustrated by MacKenzie Haley. Sleeping Bear Press

ARLO is a robot who works in a factory and likes to create, but his creations keep getting denied. One day, a storm blows him away and he ends up outside. ARLO uses his creativity to get back to the factory and help the others.

Field Trip to Dinosaur Valley by John Hare. Margaret Ferguson Books

Students climb aboard a yellow time-travel bus and are transported to the Jurassic in this wordless picture book. The now apatosaurus shaped, walking bus allows students a close view of various dinosaurs. When a curious flyer grabs a lunch box, a student gives chase and is separated from the class. Will the student survive encounters with the dinosaurs and make it back to the bus?

I Come From Another Galaxy by James Kwan. Abrams

James is a young human from Earth exploring life on another planet. Life is strange in a new environment with new classmates! James records his discoveries as he investigates his new home. How is life on this new planet different from life on Earth? How is it the same?  

E-I-UFO: Old MacDonald Had a Farm by Zach von Zonk. Illustrated by Benjamin Chaud. Chronicle Books

Old MacDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O! And on that farm he had a . . . spaceship? And so begins a fun and silly picture book that launches a beloved nursery rhyme into outer space. With a ZERP ZAP here and a ZERP ZAP there an alien whisks Old MacDonald’s farm animals aboard a UFO. Old MacMartian suddenly finds himself sharing his spaceship with noisy, hungry, and very messy animals! 

Search for our Cosmic Neighbors by Chloe Savage. Candlewick

A crew and their dog venture into outer space on a mission to discover whether life exists beyond Earth. After ten long years of empty planets and mounting frustrations, they agree to land on one final planet before turning back. On this planet they find friendly aliens proving that life exists, but when it’s time to go are they ready to say goodbye? 

Tate Tuber Space Spud by Michael Slack. Holiday House

A potato in search of adventure trains to be an astronaut and heads into space. Once there he finds that he was brought to be a test tater, not a real astronaut. Still, he is in space, so he makes the most of it. Until one day, his special abilities are needed to save the day.

To Activate Space Portal, Lift Here by Antoinette Portis. Neal Porter Books

Activate a space portal when you open this book. On the other side, you’ll find two brave aliens who want to chat with you! Show them you are not scary by smiling and tell them where you are from, but watch out, there’s only so much power and you might not finish your conversation.

Wait ‘Til You’re Older by Maria Marianayagam, Illustrated by Irina Avgustinovich. Sourcebooks

Reha is done with being told that she is too young to play with her brother’s toys. She decides to build a time machine to jump to when she’s older. This is a picture book about siblings, science, and enjoying the time that you’re in.

The Wild Robot on the Island by Peter Brown. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

When a lone robot named Roz washes up on an island, she learns to survive by watching and emulating the animal inhabitants around her. Roz eventually finds herself the caretaker of an orphaned youngster and discovers opportunities to lean on the help of her fellow islanders. This is a picture book adaptation of the author’s 2016 novel.

The Eleanor Cameron Notable Middle Grade Books List

The AI Incident by J.E. Thomas. Levine Querido

Malcolm will let nothing distract him from being adopted before he turns thirteen. Unfortunately, his checklist doesn’t include being a new kid at Shirley Chisholm Middle School where an up-and-coming AI company is trying out a revolutionary new program to improve standardized test scores. When an AI robot named FRANCIS shows up in his classroom Malcolm has to scramble to stick to his foolproof plan and keep everything on track. 

Deeply Dave by Michael Grover. Henry Holt and Co.

Dave ventures into the deepest, darkest reaches of the ocean in search of his mom. Along the way he meets alien creatures, sea monsters, and other bizarre adventurers. Will he be able to reach his mother in time to save her from the Big Doom?

Encounter at Owl Rock by Rucker Moses. Nancy Paulsen Books

Brothers Cypress and Oakley Young discover an alien plot when Oakley disappears at an abandoned theme park. Together with their friend Jaz, they race around their neighborhood to outrun the sinister Orion Industries, who are intent on taking over their town. What is Orion Industries after, and what is under Owl Rock?

The Experiment by Rebecca Stead. Feiwel & Friends

Nathan and his family have been part of a top-secret experiment his whole life. He can’t tell anyone that he and his parents are really aliens from another planet. But when he unexpectedly grows a tail, his life of expertly disguising himself as a human is suddenly turned upside down. The family must now report back to their mothership, where Nathan must confront questions about his life, his family, and his identity.

The Girl and the Robot by Oz Rodriguez and Claribel A. Ortega. Disney Hyperion

Mimi copes with her father’s deportation by pushing her friends away and focusing on fixing up electronics to support her family. When Dot-E, a robot from space, crashes down in Mimi’s neighborhood, Mimi fixes her up and discovers they have a lot in common. The girl and the robot work together to rebuild friendships, reunite their families, and win an important robotics competition.

Mr. Muffin: Defender of the Stars by Ben Kahn, Illustrated by Georgeo Brooks. Oni Press

The newly empowered intergalactic space hero is a pet corgi, Mr. Muffins. Accompanied by his human, eleven-year-old Reuben, Mr. Muffins must learn how to use his new powers, stop an alien invasion, and end the galactic war.

Oasis by Guojing. Godwin Books

JieJie and her young brother, DiDi, live alone in a barren desert while their mother works in a far away city. When the children find an abandoned robot, they find themselves no longer alone as the robot assumes the duties of a substitute mother. When their real mother returns for a visit, the bonds among mother, children, and robot become strained.

The Space Cat by Nnedi Okorafor, Illustrated by Tana Ford. First Second

Space Cat is a cat’s eye view of the world according to Periwinkle, TheNnedi’s cat. Periwinkle takes us from their home in the US, to a home in Nigeria, where cats are feared. Periwinkle begins a grand adventure, trying to prove the town is actually full of aliens.

Starstuff edited by William Alexander. MIT Kids Press

This anthology of ten stories blends classic science fiction obstacles and dystopian fears while maintaining hope for a brighter future. Stories include a diverse selection of characters from multiple backgrounds and sexual orientations. From the hardships of long-distance space travel to an AI hawk and rabbit, each story offers optimistic promise for the human race.

The Stowaway by Griffin McElroy. Choose Your Own Adventure

You wake up on the military cruiser you had stowed away on. You quickly learn that the crew is gone and the ship is off course, heading towards a gigantic black hole. Will you, a stowaway, be able to survive? Can you get past the malfunctioning drones and robots or will you be the next victim?

Supa Nova by Chanté Timothy. Nosy Crow

Nova is a genius scientist with a super secret lab underneath her parents’ house, and she has a plan to save the oceans from the islands of plastic polluting them. Using her sister, Cassi’s, chewed up gum, she creates Chomp, a creature engineered to eat plastic faster than any microbe ever could. Her experiment is a success until Chomp’s appetite grows as fast as he does and suddenly everything plastic is at risk. Now Nova must find a way to stop the creature she created before there is nothing left to save. 

Time Lions and the Chrono-Loop by Krystal Sutherland and Martin Seneviratne. Nancy Paulsen Books

Twelve-year-old twins Pearl and Patrick are both geniuses. Pearl builds what she believes is the world’s first time machine. During a trip to ancient Egypt, she accidentally alters history and attracts the attention of TIME, a secret organization dedicated to protecting the timeline. Pearl and Patrick must race across centuries and uncover the origins of time travel to set history right.

Unboxing Libby by Steph Cherrywell. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Max is an AI companion robot living on Mars. She’s part of the ‘Libby’ line, but doesn’t feel like she fits in with her fellow Libbies, nor does she necessarily want to. As she makes friends with the other AI companion robots, she figures out what she wants in life and how to achieve it. This book focuses on identity, friendship, and how to find your true self. 

What Fell from the Sky by Adrianna Cuevas. Farrar, Straus and Giroux

In this historical sci fi novel (loosely) based on a real event, Pineda and his friends already have trouble on their hands when their Texas farming town is taken over by a hostile “army” in a supposed training exercise, but then he finds an alien in his barn. Can the friends with very different backgrounds work together to keep the alien safe until she can reunite with her family? 

Zed Moonstein Makes a Friend by Lance Rubin. Clarion Books

Middle school is tough for Zed, especially when his best friend Rishti starts spending time with someone else. When Rishti’s videos go viral Zed is suddenly alone and struggling to make new friends. Enter MonoFriend, the new app promising to “create the perfect friend for you.” Zed is amazed at how real A.I. Matt looks and sounds. They can text, talk, and even screen chat. What can go wrong with an A.I. best friend? 

The Hal Clement Notable Young Adult Books List

Augmented by Kenechi Udogu. Faber & Faber Children’s

“Whatever you do, don’t get augmented.” That is the warning Akaego receives as she steps into her new life as a Mechism, someone gifted with the ability to sing plant life back into a world damaged by climate change. With 133 days left until Augmentation Day, she is navigating a new school, a distant father, and a growing closeness with the mayor’s son. But when a resistance group reveals she and her father are connected to something dangerous, Akaego begins digging for a truth that someone very powerful does not want her to find.  

Best of All Worlds by Kenneth Oppel. Scholastic Press

It was supposed to be a long weekend at the lake with his dad and stepmom, but when Xavier Oak wakes up on the first morning at the cottage, it isn’t where it is supposed to be. The cottage and the land surrounding it have been placed in a dome, with no escape, and no other people. Three years later, another family appears in the dome, bringing discord and suspicion with them and upsetting the carefully tended life that the Oak family has settled into. 

Candace, the Universe, and Everything by Sherri L. Smith. G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers

There’s something odd about Locker 235 at Walden Elementary School. It might make pens disappear. It might contain a mysterious notebook that can travel back and forth in time across four decades. And it definitely sometimes has a very strange bird in it. Three generations of Black girls are brought together as Candace, a 13-year-old budding artist, Tracey, a 53-year-old college professor, and Loretta, a 93-year-old quantum physicist, embark on a path of self-discovery, scientific investigation, and unlikely friendship. 

The Celestial Seas by T.A. Chan. Viking Books for Young Readers

This Moby Dick retelling centers on Ishara and her hunt for the legendary space-whale Ballena. After an encounter with the Ballena leads Ishara as the sole survivor of her crew and without her memory, Ishara leads a new crew on the hunt to destroy the whale and prove that the Ballena is more than just her imagination. The hunt will test her new crew and push Ishara to face the truth of her past.

Coldwire by Chloe Gong. Margaret K. McElderry Books

Most humans spend the bulk of their lives in the virtual reality “upcountry” while poorer people try to survive in the world’s harsh remains known as “downcountry.” Told from the alternating perspectives of Lia, a privileged teen living almost entirely in “upcountry”, and Eirale, a new military academy graduate working for the powerful NileCorps “downcountry”. As both Lia and Eirale find themselves on the trail of a rogue programmer, their narratives converge toward a dynamic conclusion.

Echo Nova by Clint Hall. Enclave Escape

Reality entertainment expands in the future when time travel becomes possible. Timestars gain fame and fortune by traveling to the past to participate in legendary battles. When a competition for a new timestar arises, teenager Dash Keane jumps at the opportunity. Dash wants to help his struggling family, but as Dash travels to different times in the past, he begins to suspect that the entertainment industry is keeping secrets. 

Meet Me at Blue Hour by Sarah Suk. Quill Tree Books

Yena Bae is spending the summer in Korea working at her mother’s memory-erasing clinic, trying to find a way out of the depression she has suffered ever since her friend Lucas moved away. One day, Yena runs into Lucas, who is also in Korea and trying to get his grandfather into an experimental memory recovery study. He doesn’t remember Yena, although they have an instant connection. As they spend time together, they begin to unravel the mystery of what happened to drive them apart. 

Sea Change by Susan Fletcher. Harry N. Abrams

After a lifetime separated from her family and the rest of the world, Turtle chooses to have her illegal genetic alterations reversed. No longer a Mer, Turtle struggles to find her place in her new world and maintain her friendships with her Mer friends. Learning that nothing is as she was told, can she bridge the world between Normals and Mers?

The Singular Life of Aria Patel by Samira Ahmed. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

“Where are your roots planted? Where did your wings take you?” These are the first lines of the poem Aria Patel’s science teacher assigns the class to read. How does the poem relate to physics? How does it relate to Aria’s traveling from one reality to the next. Aria’s best friend and her ex are always present, but in some realities her dad is still alive, and in others she has a little sister. What will it take for Aria to figure out the poem and make her way home?

Tectiv Vol. 1: Noirtopia by Richard Ashley Hamilton, illustrated by Marco Matrone, lettered by Dave Sharpe. Maverick

In the post-apocalyptic town of Ellay, in a world without crime, Bingo scavenges ruins for artifacts to sell or upcycle and keeps the “books” she finds for herself (after all she’s the only one who can read them). When her best friend disappears, Bingo takes inspiration from her favorite books and becomes a “tective.” In her search to find out what happened to her friend, she will discover that crime may not be a thing of the past.

This is the Year by Gloria Muñoz. Holiday House

Juli is starting her senior year of high school, without her twin sister. Grappling with the grief of her twin’s death, Juli accepts a position as a trainee with Cometa, a private space program. The book mixes prose and poetry as it addresses themes of immigration, class, grief, and environmentalism.

Time-Tripping Over You by Brennon Lane. Page Street YA

Ever since he was thirteen, Silas Turner has been unpredictably yanked back into his own past, forced to relive moments from his childhood, before he came out as transgender. Now a college freshman studying astrophysics, Silas is determined to uncover the cause of his mysterious time trips. Then he meets Jude who is plagued by the same phenomenon. As the two search for a way to cure their shared affliction, their growing connection becomes impossible to ignore.

Titan of the Stars by E.K. Johnston. Tundra Books

Apprentice engineer Celeste and prominent heir Dominic are drawn to each other as the Titan embarks on its maiden voyage from Earth to Mars. As Celeste and Dominic navigate societal expectations and class differences aboard the extravagant ship, the ancient aliens on board, thought to be long dormant, awaken. The aliens are out for blood regardless of passengers’ wealth or status, and Celeste and Dominic will need both wits and luck to make it off alive.

You and Me on Repeat by Mary Shyne. Henry Holt and Co

Chris O’Brien is stuck in a repeating loop of his high school graduation day. He knows what he needs to do: set up a perfect first kiss for himself and his crush. Before he can get it right, he discovers that his estranged childhood friend Alicia is also stuck in the time loop, and she’s been here for a while. Together the two old friends learn more about themselves, their friendship, and why someone might want to stay in one moment forever.