But nothing after "Starship Troopers", and even that should be read with parental supervision. The writer has a very persuasive voice of such apparent authority that it can be overly influential to adolescent minds. The Heinlein juveniles were written over a half-century ago, and probably are too dated, but they are an excellent introduction to the physics of spaceflight and elementary astronomy. He had an uncanny ability to explain difficult physical concepts and scientific reasoning. On the other hand, he often erred in thinking that type of reasoning could be indiscriminately applied to psychological and social issues. And his teenage protagonists may seem completely alien to modern kids. A lot of the classic (Clarke, Asimov, etc) Golden Age stuff was not written specifically for youngsters, but that's when WE read it! But in my opinion, 8 is normally too young to start, although your child may be ready. That's your call.

SF would be a great way to teach kids about science and nature (and even history and the social sciences) while disguising the lessons with adventure and neat alien landscapes, culture and tech. Science fiction transports the reader into an alien society, or some future time. It is a situation and an environment when all the rules have changed, where our own superstitions and prejudices just don't matter any more. It is the furthest thing from escapism, it allows us to think about what really matters, absolute values and principles, as opposed to our provincial customs and parochial concerns.

Of course, SF can do this, but whether it actually does so is up to the writer, and up to the parent who selects the material for his kids. It is very important to teach kids that what they learn at school, at home, or on the street, is just tribal folkways. But the most effective teacher is the child himself. Let him or her read on their own, and make their own decisions. The Truth, Reality, what's Right, are all subjective, a product of the age, the place, the culture, even social and economic class, religion and political ideology. Science fiction may not necessarily teach us the correct way to look at the world, or even if there is a correct way; but it can show the reader that there are alternatives to choose from.

I don't know if anyone is doing that these days, except maybe a writer called Tom Alan Brosz. I've never read any of his stuff, but I understand it is written with these considerations in mind.