Shade's children vs Stand by for Mars!: Which Should You Read?

Both live on shelves: Young Adult, Science Fiction

Cover of Shade's children

Shade's children Garth Nix · 1997 ★★★★☆ 3.9 345 pages · ≈ 6 h 23 m · Easy Find on Amazon

vs

Cover of Stand by for Mars!

Stand by for Mars! Carey Rockwell · 1952 ★★★★☆ 3.8 162 pages · ≈ 3 h 00 m · Light Find on Amazon

The verdict

Ratings are close: 3.9 vs 3.8 — either is a safe pick by score.
Stand by for Mars! is the quicker read — about 3 hours vs 6 for Shade's children.
Shade's children is the easier read (Easy), Stand by for Mars! more demanding (Light).

Side by side