ROBERT A. HEINLEIN: THE JUVENILE NOVELS

Rocket Ship Galileo, Scribner's, 1947
Amateur rocketeers Ross, Art, and Morrie become involved with Morrie's uncle, Dr. Cargraves, and his plan to fly to the moon. Teaming up in building an experimental atomic-powered rocket, the three boys and Cargraves set off for the moon. There they find themselves being attacked by a few Nazis plotting World War III from a secret lunar base. The boys overcome the Nazis, and discover the ruins of a dead lunar civilization. They return to the Earth, become famous by then.

Space Cadet, Scribner's, 1948
The two cadets Matt and Tex undergo training for the Interplanetary Patrol in Colorado, in space, and on actual patrol. Following some violent physical tests to see whether a candidate is able to undergo the rigorous environment of space, the cadets go training in the school ship As a part of their traing, Matt and Tex travel as junior officers in the Venus jungles.

Red Planet, Scribner's, 1949
Jim Marlowe, a teenaged Mars colonist, takes his pet Willis, a Martian bouncer, away to school with him. The principal impounds Willis, since pets are not allowed at school. Jim rescues Willis. He runs away from school with  him and his friend Frank. After a wild cross-country trek which includes a visit to a Martian building, the three are able to thwart a plot to prevent the colonists from making their annual migration. Thanks to Willis's ability to record exactly voices and words he has heard, the colonists revolt against the plan, not wishing to live through an extremely cold Martian winter in high latitudes.

Farmer in the Sky, Scribner's, 1950
Emigration to Ganymede and the opportunity to homestead is the choice of Bill and his family. The flight out is long, and disappointment greets Bill when the colonists discover that land and equipment are not ready. Bill is lucky to be assigned an early plot and begins the process of making soil. In spite of the setback of a massive quake, Bill decides to continue farming rather than return to Earth for further schooling (serialized as SatelliteScout, Boys Life, August, September, October, November 1950.)

Between Planets, Scribner's, 1951
Don's parents suddenly order him to join them on Mars with explicit orders for him to bring an odd plastic ring of no apparent value. He leaves his school on Earth for the space station where's he's to catch his ship. He meets and befriends a Venus 'dragon', Sir Isaac Newton. His ship is intercepted by Venus, and Don finds himself shipped to Venus. There he finds work washing dishes. Several attempts are made to steal the ring. Then Earth armed forces land and pillage the town. Don joins the Venus army and reports to no other but Sir Isaac. The ring contains the clue to a scientific discovery that has been secretely made on Earth. With this knowledge they are able to bulild an ultrafast ship and weapons to force Earth to relinquish control of the planets.(serialized  as Planets in Combat, Blue Book, September, October 1951.)

The Rolling Stones, Scribner's, 1952
The Stone family, at the instigation of the twins, Castor and Pollux, reconditions a spaceship as a family yacht, The Rolling Stone, and embarks on various adventures, including selling used bikes on Mars and flat cats in the asteroids. (serialized as Tramp Space Ship, Boy's Life, September, Ocrober, November, December 1952.)

Starman Jones, Scribner's, 1953
This the story of Max Jones's rise from a hillbilly runaway to an acting captain of a starship. It's a phenomenal memory that retains all the astrogator's tables needed for astro-navigation that makes Max's rise possible, together  witg the cunning of Sam, an older man who befriends the runaway and gets him onboard the Asgard with fake credentials.

The Star Beast, Scribner's, 1954
John Thomas Stuart XI has a pet - Lummox - brought back from a space trip by an ancestor. Lummie began as a tiny pet, but over the generations (by earth's standards) has grown huge, and is always in trouble.  Lummies race locates him and demands his return. Mr. Kiku, Under-Secretary for Spatial Affairs, discovers that Lummox has no wish to leave for his native planet without his pet, John Thomas. He, she rather, has been raising John Thomases for generations, and is not looking forward to a change. (serialized as Star Lummox, The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, May, June, July 1954.)

Tunnel in the Sky, Scribner's, 1955
Stranded on an unknown world, that's where Rod Walker and his classmates find themselves as part of a survival test. They are are forced to make their own laws and rules. By the time the new society is viable and children are born, the group is rescued and returned to Earth, Rod and the others being forced back into teen roles.

Time for the Stars, Scribner's, 1956
Tom and Pat, being identical twins, are found to be telepathically linked when tested by the Long Range Foundation. Tom is the one to go to the stars on a torch ship and keep up mental contact with his brother Pat remaining on Earth. At almost light speed time is slowed enormously on the Lewis & Clark due to time dilatation, as Einstein showed. Tom stays young, Pat grows old. Eventually, Tom can no longer contact his brother, but is able to get in touch with Pat's daughter. Later he contacts Pat's granddaughter, and finally his great-granddaughter Vicki. Tom's ship explores some new world's, but finally can't go on. Tom is rescued by the first faster-than-light ship. Coming back to Earth he meets his old brother Pat, and finds unexpected romance.

Citizen of the Galaxy, Scribner's, 1957
Thorby is a slave, abducted as an infant and suffering a slave's mistreatment for years. On Sargon he is sold to Baslim, a beggar, who treats him well. frees him, adopts him, and teaches him a beggar's tricks. Thorby slowly comes to know that Baslim is an intelligence agent in disguise, in a war against slavery. Baslim's work is discovered, and he is murdered. Thorby finds his way to the Free Traders, according to instructions Baslim put in his mind. He joins them and learns their ways. Then he is taken to the Guard and enlisted. Then he is identified being the lost heir to one of Earth's most powerful and rich families, thus has got the resources to fight slavery.
(serialized in Astounding Science Fiction, September, October, November, December 1957.)

Have Space Suit--Will Travel, Scribner's, 1958
Kip Russell, still at high school, wants to go to the Moon. He wins a second-hand space suit in a contest, and travels the galaxy with the help of extraterrestrials. On his return, he still has not visited the Moon. He is eager to get a good education, and more patient about a visit to the Moon. (serialized in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, August, September, October 1958.)

Podkayne of Mars, Putnam, 1963
Sixteen-year-old Podkayne is a girl from Mars who has always wanted to visit Earth.Her dream comes true, when her uncle invites her and her brother toEarth. Their trip comes to an unexpected end on Venus. Amid the chaos of planetary intrigue, Podkayne debates about her career choices, whether to become a starship captain or a creche engineer. (serialized in If, November 1962; January, March 1963.)


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