Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card

This is my husband's favorite book, and I can't believe I haven't read it until now.  What's not to love?  It's a young adult sci-fi book!  To me, it's like The Hunger Games, but without the oppressive government and with aliens.

The book's protagonist is Andrew "Ender" Wiggin, who is about 7 years old when the book begins.  He is sent to Battle School where he is challenged on many levels as the fate of the human race depends on his success.  The world is expecting another Bugger (or alien) invasion, and they only barely defeated them the last time.  Ender's abilities are unmatched by any other.  Will he be strong enough to defeat them again?

What was CRAZY to me was all of the technology in the book.  All of the Battle School students have their own "desks" that seem exactly like iPads or other tablets.  Remember, this was written in the 1970's when a computer took up an entire room!  Bananas.

There are many other books in the Ender's series, and there is even a parallel series that follows another important character from this book, Bean (see Ender's Shadow, the first book).  I am beginning to read Ender's Shadow right now based upon my husband's recommendation.  The second book in the Ender's series is Speaker for the Dead.  I love that I have a new series to keep me busy (and these are all in the FC LMC, too) :)


Card, Orson Scott. Ender's Game. New York: Tom Doherty Associates, 1977.