Jupiter series by Charles Sheffield, Jerry Pournelle, James P. Hogan (Book 1-6)

So, maybe you know some young adult with promise who could use a little inspiration to get out there (maybe even to the stars!), take on the challenges of a universe that plays tough but fair, and carve a place for him or herself in the cosmos.
Maybe you are one of 'em!
Or maybe you were, and you want to get a taste of that gritty inspiration that made you who you are.
This is the way, the mental fuel that can and will inspire you to reach for the stars. These are tales of rousing adventure full of cutting-edge science, fast-paced action, and characters with whom you can identify. They are books that live up to their heritage in every particular, and are in the process of creating a new legend themselves.

Genre: Young Adult Sci-fi/Fantasy

1. Higher Education by Charles Sheffield
When a misfired practical joke gets him kicked out of school, Rick Luban thinks he has nowhere to go but down. Instead, he gets a second chance--and a whole new life--when he signs up for a career in asteroid mining.
But life in space proves more challenging than Rick expected. Competition is intense and the harsh realties of space allow no room for error. On his way to a brighter future, Rick faces ever more demanding tests, as well as the very real dangers of sabotage and murder.

2. The Billion Dollar Boy by Charles Sheffield
Shelby Cheever V is a spoiled brat. He is also the richest kid in the country. Actually, make that the universe. Bored with his all-the-amusements-money-can-buy life, he decides on a bit of interstellar action, Shelby-style. But it turns out life on a starship is not all fun and games. As part of a crew, Shelby has a few things to learn. Like, how to follow orders instead of simply giving orders. Can Shelby learn how to cooperate with his crewmates?
He may not have a choice. When Shelby becomes the target of a hostage-for-ransom scheme, he'll need all the help he can get.

3. Putting Up Roots by Charles Sheffield
When Josh and his autistic cousin Dawn are sent to the planet Solferino, they join a group of kids already working for an interplanetary conglomerate stationed there. Assured by the bosses that no intelligent life exists on Solferino, Josh and Dawn come to suspect otherwise. Especially when Dawn makes contact with one of the creatures, a creature with whom she shares a mysterious ability to communicate.
With the corporation pressuring them, Josh and Dawn are drawn into a battle to save the creatures. And, it turns out, to save themselves.

4. The Cyborg From Earth by Charles Sheffield
Called "the new Arthur C. Clarke" by The Washington Post Book World and "a scientist with a fine literary sense" by The Denver Post, Charles Sheffield has crafted a an exciting adventure about a frustrated teen who just can't seem to do anything right.Jeff Kopal is heir to a powerful military family. He's got everything going for him. Except one thing: Jeff is a total screw-ups. His family has had it. So when Jeff blows off his naval entrance exams he figures his future is basically kaput. Instead, he is being sent by the navy into deep space to deal with rebellious cyborgs. How did that happen?Jeff will have to find out before it's too late. Otherwise, He may become the pawn in someone else's dangerous-and very deadly-game.

5. Starswarm by Jerry Pournelle
Kit has never known any life but his existence at the protected laboratory compound known as Starswarm Station. And for all that time he has heard the Voice: an artificial intelligence chip implanted in his skull. It guides him and helps protect him from the planet's many dangers, including roaming bands of hostile centaurs and "haters." But the startling discovery of who put the chip in his head - and why - leads Kip to revelations that could threaten the safety of the entire compound.
Luckily, he has friends Marty and Lara to help. But are three kids enough to save an entire planet?

6. Outward Bound by James P. Hogan
Fifteen-year-old Linc Marani is from the wrong side of twenty-second century L.A.'s tracks. Everyone he knows is addicted to dope, booze, and the violence that masquerades as bravado in life on the streets. When a chance at some cold hard cash is offered to him by a slick associate in a fancy Cadillac, Linc jumps at the bait, only to find himself sentenced to a juvenile labor camp when the heist goes sour.
Labor camp, to Linc, means an aching, dawn-to-dusk bootcamp-style grind with no hope of escape or parole. He is about to give up and head out for a precisely regimented and miserable future when a mysterious psychologist offers him the chance of a lifetime. Can Linc overcome one of the worst neighborhoods on Earth by proving his worth on a mission beyond the stars?