The capped adults have lost all traces of the personality traits that made them unique human beings. Individuality and free will are strong themes throughout the books. Covers from different editions of The White Mountains Readers may want to start with the prequel since it lays the groundwork for the original series. The series is a collection of four books: When the Tripods Came (prequel - 1988), The White Mountains (1967), The City of Gold and Lead (1967), and The Pool of Fire (1968). It’s important for children to have stories which put them in the driving seat. I think that kids at that age – around 12 or 13 – probably do look at the adults around them resentfully and think of them as hidebound and prejudiced. The whole future of mankind rests in the hands of the young, the age group for which I’m writing. Now in The White Mountains, the whole thing is that at puberty people are brainwashed. I think the successful children’s books are those which appeal to something at a deeper level which the child doesn’t really quite work out. In an interview, author Sam Youd (whose pen name was John Christopher) suggested that the series appeals to pubescent readers precisely because they themselves view the world suspiciously. If the premise sounds rebellious and anti-authoritarian, that’s because it is.

Kids create pockets of resistance in this world of brainwashed adults controlled by an evil alien force. The renegades concentrate on recruiting preteens who haven’t yet been “capped” and who are open to new ideas.

Everyone, that is, except for a small group of holdouts that quietly wage war on the tripods in the hopes that the planet will one day be free again. By installing a cap on each adult’s head, they’re able to control the entire human race through mind control. The books center around the tripods - giant, sinister machines with three legs that rule the Earth. The Tripods ( public library) series of books by John Christopher is intensively captivating and easy to read - perfect for introducing kids ages 9-13 to science fiction. “It’s the history of ideas, the history of our civilization birthing itself.” The deeply creative world of science fiction literature first becomes accessible to children when they turn nine or ten years old. “Science fiction is the most important literature in the history of the world,” mused beloved author Ray Bradbury. First published nearly 50 years ago, The Tripods series remains one of the very best introductions to young adult science fiction literature.

The White Mountains by John Christopher