Between 1947 and 1958, Heinlein wrote a series of juvenile novels, twelve in all, for the publisher Scribner's. Each is an adventure story in which the young protagonist grows up" and finds his or her place in the world. Heinlein never patronizes or confuses his readers, but rather challenges them with historical and literary references. More important, he presents situations that require the reader to question his or her own attitudes. All of these books remain contemporary in their appeal, but a few deserve special note.

Space Cadet still speaks to the aspirations of the young to explore the unknown, but also suggests that a competent elite must guide common people. Mars provides the setting for Red Planet, in which Heinlein develops his theories about a frontier society and rugged individualism. In Tunnel in the Sky, a group of young people is stranded on an isolated planet when...