<p>The Hot Zone is disturbing. My kids read it in middle school as part of a program that combined reading about biological issues (both in non-fiction and fiction) along with taking a high school biology course. They really liked it. I think kids like being scared.</p>
<ol>
<li>Dalemark Quartet by Diana Wynne Jones</li>
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<p>I meant to recommend Diana Wynne Jones before and got distracted. She wrote novels about wizards in school before Harry Potter came out. She’s funny and smart. The Dalemark Quartet is fabulous. Traditional high fantasy, but it takes the story from some medieval time into the modern era. Fun.</p>
<p>[Books</a> Every Geek Should Read to Their Kids | GeekDad | Wired.com](<a href=“http://www.wired.com/geekdad/2012/03/67-books-for-kids/]Books”>http://www.wired.com/geekdad/2012/03/67-books-for-kids/)</p>
<p>Also, John? Connolly’s The Gates, which somehow manages to be hair-raising, interesting, and hilarious. As in laugh-out-loud funny. And don’t overlook biographies…</p>
<p>Maybe that’s it, mathmom. Scared AND grossed out.</p>