Expand Your Students' Horizons With These Sci-Fi And Fantasy Titles

Science fiction and fantasy seem to be made for the sunny, less-serious days of summer. And what better time to explore these rapidly growing (yet often overlooked) genres than the summer of 2017, which marks the 20th anniversary of the debut--with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone--of J.K. Rowling's blockbuster series about an orphaned wizard-in-training whose destiny is to save the world?

Once derided as “not serious,” speculative fiction--science fiction and fantasy--is now recognized as valuable on many levels: it's a safe way for young readers to explore new ideas and confront important social issues in metaphorical form, to gain insight into minds and cultures different from their own, and--of course--to experience a healthy escape from the day-to-day realities of an often all-too-scary world. This month's lists include plenty of titles, at all levels, for young fiction-lovers; and for budding skeptics and would-be realists, a selection of nonfiction titles on such topics as special effects and the creation of fantasy-based video games. Following is a selection of great books for your students to enjoy--and maybe to learn from, whether they realize it or not!