an easy way to understand this is that people make clothes cool and not the other way around. so our judgement of what looks "good" is often shaped by the cultural capital of various social groups. punks, skaters, hip hop heads, etc look stylish simply bc they are cool. thus money is not a barrier.

Oh and Suradanna and the Sea, how could I forget

A couple I liked this are But Not Too Bold by Hache Pueyo, When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain by Nghi Vo, and This is How You Lose The Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone

To Be Taught If Fortunate, Diamond Age, and Rainbows End are the ones I'd worry about then! Which is a shame because imo they have the most interesting big science ideas

Idk at that age I was really into big idea sciency scifi and also read a ton of ripped from the pages of Nature short stories. Hope she enjoys!

-Bannerless by Carrie Vaughn (postapocalyptic solar punk murder mystery)
-Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson
-The Expert Systems Brother by Adrian Tchaikovsky
-The Strange Case of the Alchemists Daughter by Theodora Goss (Victorian scifiy)
-The Time Machine by HG Wells
-Rainbows End by Venor Vinge

Some of these are "adult" books but without explicit sex or violence iirc and with interesting science I imagine would appeal to a middle schooler, but def make sure they are appropriate for *your* middle schooler lol
-To Be Taught If Fortunate by Becky Chambers
-Binti by Nnedi Okorafor

I've really enjoyed seeing them as you've made them! You have such great style!

How would I even FIND them yo sign up 😭😭😭