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BAR
The Lost Years of Merlin Series (age 10+)
by T. A. Barron
magic ... identity ... folklore ... adventure ... fantasy
A young boy who has no identity nor memory of his past washes ashore on the coast of Wales. Only after a series of fantastic adventures does he find his true name.
title: The Lost Years of Merlin
title: The Seven Songs of Merlin
title: The Fires of Merlin
title: The Mirror of Merlin
title: The Wings of Merlin
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BER
Magic by the Book (age 10+)
by Nina Bernstein
folklore ... adventure ... spooky ... magic
Publisher comments: Neither Anne nor Emily remembered choosing the book at the library, but when as they read it, the boundary between their world and the one described in the book disappears. Suddenly they are in Sherwood Forest, where they join Robin Hood's band. They had yearned for magic as strong as the spell cast by the stories they loved best. But then an uninvited guest turns up at their parents' garden party. The sinister man snatches the book with the intention of using its powers for evil, and the siblings find themselves engaged in a battle to regain possession of the book.
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AIK
The Wolves of Willoughby Chase (age 10+)
by Joan Aiken
humor ... fantasy ... adventure
Bonnie and her cousin Sylvia don't know the trouble in store for them when Bonnie's parents leave them in the care of the terrible Miss Slighcarp.
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STO
Dracula (age 10+)
by Bram Stoker
fantasy ... adventure
Publisher comments: One of the most popular stories ever told, Dracula (1897) is a Victorian saga, an awesome tale of thrillingly bloodthirsty vampire whose nocturnal atrocities reflect the dark underside of a supremely moralistic age. Above all, Dracula is a quintessential story of suspense and horror, boasting one of the most terrifying characters in literature: centuries-old Count Dracula, whose diabolical passions prey upon the innocent, the helpless, the beautiful. Dracula remains Bram Stoker's most celebrated and enduring work. Even today this Gothic masterpiece has lost none of the spine-tingling impact that makes it a classic of the genre.
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STR
The Bartimaeus Trilogy (age 10+)
by Jonathan Stroud
humor ... adventure ... action ... fantasy ... magic
Nathaniel is a young magician's apprentice, taking his first lessons in the arts of magic. But when a devious hotshot wizard named Simon Lovelace ruthlessly humiliates Nathaniel in front of everyone he knows, Nathaniel decides to kick up his education a few notches and show Lovelace who's boss. With revenge in his mind, he masters one of the toughest spells of all: summoning the all-powerful djinni, Bartimaeus. But summoning Bartimaeus and controlling him are two different things entirely, and when Nathaniel sends the djinni out to steal the powerful Amulet of Samarkand, Nathaniel finds himself caught up in a whirlwind of magical espionage, murder, blackmail, and revolt.
title: The Amulet of Samarkand
title: The Golems Eye
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CHR
The Tripods Series (age 10+)
by John Christopher
adventure ... action ... science fiction
Young Will Parker and his companions make a perilous journey toward an outpost of freedom where they hope to escape from the ruling Tripods, who capture mature human beings and make them docile, obedient servants.
title: The White Mountains
title: The City of Gold and Lead
title: When the Tripods Came
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CHR
A Dusk of Demons (age 10+)
by John Christopher
adventure ... action ... voyages/journeys ... science fiction
Ben, like many others, has heard the stories of the Demons--those being summoned by the Dark One. But they exist only in his nightmares until his father, the Master, dies mysteriously and Ben is told the Demons are responsible. Then the Demons set fire to Ben's home on Old Isle and he and his stepsister must flee their homeland to find their family. Along the way, they face imprisonment, gypies, and terrified countrymen who are seeking a sacrifice to save themselves from the Dark One.
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DEF
Lostman's River (age 10+)
by Cynthia C. DeFelice
adventure ... historical ... nature
Lostman's River is home to Tyler MacCauley and his family, just as it is to thousands of birds and other wildlife that share Nature's piece of the Earth. But greed and profit have brought great danger into the swampland. And when Tyler and his family dare to trust a stranger, they find out, to their horror, that they have jeopardized not only the land and all who live there, but their own future as well.
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DUB
Abenaki Captive (age 10+)
by Muriel Dubois
adventure ... historical
In 1752, nineteen-year-old Abenaki warrior Ogistin is present when a band of his people capture an English trapper, John Stark, and as Stark is carried into captivity in Canada a bond of hate and competition develops between him and Ogistin.
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DUM
The Count of Monte Cristo (age 10+)
by Alexandre Dumas
historical ... adventure
Edmund Dantes, unjustly convicted of aiding the exiled Napoleon, escapes after fourteen years imprisonment and seeks his revenge in Paris.
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KAY
The Divide Series (age 10+)
by Elizabeth Kay
humor ... fantasy ... adventure ... illness/loss
When Felix's parents take him to "The Divide" ... a spot in Costa Rica where the waters that run down to the Pacific and Atlantic oceans separate ... Felix finds himself in a bizarre parallel world where mythical creatures and magic are a reality. There, he meets Betony, a tangle child and herbalist who becomes his friend in this strange land. As Felix explores this new world he soon discovers that its mythical beasts and fairy folk think Felix is a legendary creature who uses practical science instead of magic! Will Felix ever find his way back home...and will he want to?
title: The Divide
title: Back to the Divide
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DUM
The Three Musketeers (age 10+)
by Alexandre Dumas
adventure ... historical
In seventeenth-century France, young D'Artagnan initially quarrels with, then befriends, three musketeers and joins them in trying to outwit the enemies of the king and queen.
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DEF
Robinson Crusoe (age 10+)
by Daniel Defoe
historical ... adventure ... survival
This classic story of a shipwrecked mariner on a deserted island is perhaps the greatest adventure in all of English literature. Fleeing from pirates, Robinson Crusoe is swept ashore in a storm possessing only a knife, a box of tobacco, a pipe-and the will to survive. His is the saga of a man alone: a man who overcomes self-pity and despair to reconstruct his life; who painstakingly teaches himself how to fashion a pot, bake bread, build a canoe; and who, after twenty-four agonizing years of solitude, discovers a human footprint in the sand... Consistently popular since its first publication in 1719, Daniel Defoe's story of human endurance in an exotic, faraway land exerts a timeless appeal.
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LON
White Fang (age 10+)
by Jack London
adventure ... nature ... animals
White Fang tells the story of a half-wolf, half-dog nearly destroyed by the vicious cruelty of mankind. Brought to the very brink of his existence, White Fang is lucky enough to experience the one thing that can save him ... human love. Slowly, the ferocious White Fang grows into a creature capable of bravery, loyalty, and affection.
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LEV
The Two Princesses of Bamarre (age 10+)
by Gail Carson Levine
princesses ... adventure ... fantasy ... magic ... illness/loss
When a plague strikes Bamarre, Princess Addie must save her sister. Brave and adventureous, Princess Meryl dreams of fighting dragons and protecting the kingdom of Bamarre. Shy and fearful, Princess Addie is content to stay within the safety of the castle walls. The one thing that the sisters share is their unwavering love for each other. The tables are turned, however, when the Gray Death leaves Meryl fatally ill. To save her sister, meek Princess Addie must find the courage to set out on a dangerous quest filled with dragons, unknown magic, and death itself. Time is running out, and the sisters' lives ... and the future of the kingdom of Bamarre ... hang in the balance.
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MCC
Harper Hall Trilogy (age 10+)
by Anne McCaffrey
folklore ... the arts ... fantasy ... adventure
Forbidden by her father to indulge in music in any way, a girl on the planet Pern runs away, taking shelter with the planet's fire lizards who, along with her music, open a new life for her.
title: Dragonsong
title: Dragonsinger
title: Dragondrums
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HIA
Flush (age 10+)
by Carl Hiaasen
humor ... adventure ... nature
Noahs dad is sure that the owner of a casino boat is flushing raw sewage into the harbor. Now Noah is determined to succeed where his dad had failed, and do whatever it takes to prove that the boat owner is dumping illegally.
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PAO
The Inheritance Series (age 10+)
by Christopher Paolini
adventure ... action ... magic ... fantasy
Fifteen-year-old Eragon believes that he is merely a poor farm boy ... until his destiny as a Dragon Rider is revealed. Gifted with only an ancient sword, a loyal dragon, and sage advice from an old storyteller, Eragon is soon swept into a dangerous tapestry of magic, glory, and power. Now his choices could save ... or destroy ... the Empire.
title: Eragon
title: Eldest
title: Brisingr, or, the Seven Promises of Eragon Shadeslayer and Saphira Bjartskular
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COL
War Comes to Willy Freeman (age 10+)
by James Lincoln Collier
war ... adventure ... historical
Catalog: A free thirteen-year-old black girl in Connecticut is caught up in the horror of the Revolutionary War and the danger of being returned to slavery when her patriot father is killed by the British and her mother disappears.
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COL
Jump Ship to Freedom (age 10+)
by James Lincoln Collier
adventure ... historical
Catalog: In 1787 a fourteen-year-old slave, anxious to buy freedom for himself and his mother, escapes from his dishonest master and tries to find help in cashing the solidier's notes received by his father for fighting in the Revolution.
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BUR
Wrango (age 10+)
by Brian Burks
bigotry ... historical ... adventure
The War Between the States is over, and George McJunkin and his family are among the slaves who've won their freedom. Trouble is, the McJunkins still live in a tiny shack, and the money George's father brings in barely keeps food on the table. George's parents say the times are changing. They say someday in Rogers Prairie, Texas, there will be a school for black children. They say someday the family will own the blacksmith shop where George's father still toils for the man who used to own them. But George isn't so sure about someday. Between 1867 and 1895, more than five thousand black cowboys helped drive ten million cattle up the Chisholm Trail from Texas. One such cowboy was George McJunkin, who set out from Rogers Prairie for the adventure that would change his life.
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BRA
The Halloween Tree (age 10+)
by Ray Bradbury
traditions ... historical ... adventure ... folklore ... spooky
Meet the mysterious Mr. Moonshroud, who leads eight boys on a journey back through the centuries to discover the real meaning of Halloween. Prose of exquisite beauty will send shivers of delight ... and terror ... through readers, who will want to take this trip over and over again, long after the last jack-o'-lantern has gone dark.
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AYR
North by Night: a Story of the Underground Railroad (age 10+)
by Katherine Ayres
letters/journal ... adventure ... historical
Sixteen-year-old Lucy Spencer believes in the work she and her family are doing to help fugitive slaves escape to Canada. Yet, what will Lucy do when asked to make the ultimate sacrifice and leave all she loves behind.
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WIS
Mustang Flats (age 10+)
by G. Clifton Wisler
war ... animals ... historical ... adventure ... family
When his father returns from the war in 1865, fourteen-year-old Alby finds his beloved Pa a changed man and can only hope that they will be friends again.
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TOM
The Forestwife (age 10+)
by Theresa Tomlinson
adventure ... folklore ... historical
In England during the reign of King Richard I, fifteen-year-old Marian escapes from an arranged marriage to live with a community of forest folk that includes a daring young outlaw named Robert.
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STE
Treasure Island (age 10+)
by Robert Louis Stevenson
voyages/journeys ... adventure
While going through the possessions of a deceased guest who owed them money, the mistress of the inn and her son find a treasure map that leads them to a pirate's fortune.
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STE
Kidnapped: the Adventures of David Balfour (age 10+)
by Robert Louis Stevenson
historical ... adventure
A sixteen-year-old orphan is kidnapped by his villainous uncle, but later escapes and becomes involved in the struggle of the Scottish highlanders against English rule.
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SPE
The Bronze Bow (age 10+)
by Elizabeth George Speare
adventure ... folklore
A young boy seeks revenge against the Romans for killing his parents, but is turned away from vengeance by Jesus.
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SKU
Virtual War (age 10+)
by Gloria Skurzynski
war ... adventure ... science fiction
Imagine a life of virtual reality, a childhood contained in a controlled environment, with no human contact. Corgan has been genetically engineered for quick reflexes, high intelligence, and physical superiority. He is unbeatable in battle. But he lives his life in a lonely module. What is a real sunset like? Or a friend? When he meets fellow teens Sharla and Brig, Corgan begins to doubt the Federation, whose decisions he has unquestioningly obeyed. Life outside virtual reality may be for him. His fourteen years of training are about to end as the real challenge approaches. But he can't lose focus now: He must win a virtual war, or the Western Hemisphere will be lost forever.
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PUL
Count Karlstein (age 10+)
by Philip Pullman
humor ... family ... adventure ... spooky
In the mountains of Switzerland the wicked Count Karlstein plots to abandon his two nieces in a hunting lodge as prey for the Demon Huntsman and his ghostly hounds.
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PUL
His Dark Materials (age 10+)
by Philip Pullman
growing up ... spooky ... action ... adventure ... fantasy
Lyra Belaqua is content to run wild among the scholars of Jordan College, with her daemon familiar Pantalaimon always by her side. But the arrival of her fearsome uncle, Lord Asriel, draws her to the heart of a terrible struggle ... a struggle born of Gobblers and stolen children, witch clans and armored bears. And as she hurtles toward danger in the cold, far North, young Lyra never suspects the shocking truth: She alone is destined to win, or to lose, this more-than-mortal battle.
title: The Golden Compass
title: The Subtle Knife
title: The Amber Spyglass
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O'D
The Black Pearl (age 10+)
by Scott O'Dell
nature ... spooky ... adventure
From the depths of a cave in the Vermilion Sea, Ramon Salazar has wrested a black pearl so lustrous and captivating that his father, an expert pearl dealer, is certain Ramon has found the legendary Pearl of Heaven. Such a treasure is sure to bring great joy to the villagers of their tiny coastal town, and even greater renown to the Salazar name. No diver, not even the swaggering Gaspar Ruiz, has ever found a pearl like this! But is there a price to pay for a prize so great? When a terrible tragedy strikes the village, old Luzons warning about El Diablo returns to haunt Ramon. If El Diablo actually exists, it will take all Ramons courage to face the winged creature waiting for him offshore.
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MYE
The Righteous Revenge of Artemis Bonner (age 10+)
by Walter Dean Myers
enterprise ... historical ... mystery ... adventure
Artemis Bonner wants to set the record straight. He's just arrived in Tombstone, Arizona, to avenge the murder of his uncle Ugly Ned Bonner. And if he happens to stumble across the gold mine his uncle described on his deathbed, then would be just fine, too. The murderous scalawag Catfish Grimes and his equally odious campaignion Lucy Featherdip are on the loose. They're desperate to find the gold mine and claim it for themselves as Artemis and his sidekick, Frolic, chase the pair from Mexico to the Alaskan Territory and back again. Artemis and Catfish are headed for a showdown in front of the Bird Cage Saloon...the exact spot where Uncle Ugly met his Untimely Demise. Here's the whole story; and the Truth as well.
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MOR
Waiting for Anya (age 10+)
by Michael Morpurgo
war ... survival ... adventure ... historical
Jo and Benjamin devise an elaborate escape plan to save a band of Jewish children in Vichy, France during World War II.
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HOB
Far North (age 10+)
by Will Hobbs
adventure ... survival
Fifteen-year-old Texan Gabe flies north into the wild subarctic of Canada to visit his dad who is working at a diamond mine. A tragic accident leaves Gabe and his roommate Raymond stranded in a remote region of Canada. Raymond is forced to recall the wilderness knowledge that he learned in his youth in order to survive, and Gabe must find the inner strength to save them both after Raymond is injured in an icefall.
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HEN
Wish Me Luck (age 10+)
by James Heneghan
war ... voyages/journeys ... historical ... adventure ... survival
While on an ocean voyage to Canada during World War II, to escape the air raids in his Liverpool home, twelve-year-old Jaimie Monaghan faces another kind of life-threatening situation.
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FAV
Through the Wormhole (age 10+)
by Robert J. Favole
science fiction ... historical ... adventure
Action and suspense propel the reader through this time travel adventure. Michael and Kate are modern teens who travel to 1778 to save the 20-year old General Lafayette, and John Banks, Michael's great, great, etc, grandfather, an African American patriot. In the end, the success of their mission, and their very survival, depend on facing off their personal demons.
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FLE
Dragon Chronicles (age 10+)
by Susan Fletcher
knights/castles/dragons ... fantasy ... adventure
In Dragon's Milk, the first of the series, Kaeldra, an outsider adopted by an Elythian family as a baby, possesses the power to understand dragons and uses this power to try to save her younger sister, who needs dragon's milk to recover from an illness.
title: Dragon's Milk
title: Flight of the Dragon Kyn
title: Sign of the Dove
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FLE
Shadow Spinner (age 10+)
by Susan Fletcher
folklore ... adventure ... voyages/journeys ... authorship
Every night, Shahrazad begins a story. And every morning, the Sultan lets her live another day, providing the story is interesting enough to capture his attention. After almost one thousand nights, Shahrazad is running out of tales. And that is how Marjan's story begins.... It falls to Marjan to help Shahrazad find new stories, ones the Sultan has never heard before. To do that, the girl is forced to undertake a dangerous and forbidden mission: sneak from the harem and travel the city, pulling tales from strangers and bringing them back to Shahrazad. But as she searches the city, a wonderful thing happens. From a quiet spinner of tales, Marjan suddenly becomes the center of a more surprising story than she ever could have imagined.
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ECK
Incident at Hawk's Hill (age 10+)
by Allan W. Eckert
animals ... survival ... adventure
Six-year-old Ben is very small for his age, and gets along better with animals than people. One June day in 1870, Ben wanders away from his home on Hawk's Hill and disappears into the waving prairie grass. This is the story of how a shy, lonely boy survives for months in the wilds and forges a bond with a female badger.
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ADA
Watership Down (age 10+)
by Richard Adams
voyages/journeys ... survival ... adventure
This stirring tale of adventure follows the journey of a group of brave creatures from their once-idyllic home to a place they hope will offer them a safer life.
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RIO
Percy Jackson and the Olympians (age 10+)
by Rick Riordan
action ... folklore ... fantasy ... adventure
Percy, expelled from six schools for being unable to control his temper, learns the truth from his mother that his father is the Greek god Poseidon, and is sent to Camp Half Blood where he is befriended by a satyr and the demigod daughter of Athena who join him in a journey to the Underworld to retrieve Zeus's lightning bolt and prevent a catastrophic war.
title: The Lightning Thief
title: The Sea of Monsters
title: The Titan's Curse
title: the Battle of the Labyrinth
title: The Last Olympian
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PAU
Hatchet (age 10+)
by Gary Paulsen
growing up ... survival ... adventure
Thirteen-year-old Brian Robeson is on his way to visit his father when the single engine plane in which he is flying crashes. Suddenly, Brian finds himself alone in the Canadian wilderness with nothing but his clothing, a tattered windbreaker, and the hatchet his mother has given him as a present ¿ and the dreadful secret that has been tearing him apart ever since his parents' divorce. But now Brian has no time for anger, self-pity, or despair ¿ it will take all his know-how and determination, and more courage than he knew he possessed, to survive.
sequel: Brian's Winter
sequel: Brian's Return
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HES
Stowaway (age 10+)
by Karen Hesse
adventure ... voyages/journeys ... historical ... letters/journal
It is known that in the summer of 1768, Captain James Cook sailed from England on H.M.S Endeavour, beginning a three-year voyage around the world on a secret mission to discover an unknown continent at the bottom of the globe. What is less known is that a boy by the name of Nicholas Young was a stowaway on that ship. Newbery winner Karen Hesse re-creates Cook's momentous voyage through the eyes of this remarkable boy, creating a fictional journal filled with fierce hurricanes, warring natives, and disease, as Nick discovers new lands, incredible creatures, and lifelong friends.
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GEO
Vulpes, the Red Fox (age 10+)
by Jean Craighead George
adventure ... nature ... animals
Vulpes is the smartest pup of the litter and he grows into a fast, quick-witted fox whose abilities become legend among the forest's hunters. He leads them on hopeless chases, slipping away at the last moment--then he comes face to face with the hunter who is his greatest enemy.
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GEO
Dipper of Copper Creek (age 10+)
by Jean Craighead George
growing up ... adventure ... nature ... animals
Doug is spending the summer in the Colorado Rockies, prospecting for gold with his grandfather. One day, he comes across the strangest bird he has ever seen--the water ouzel, who nests behind waterfalls. Soon Doug is fascinated with the Dipper of Copper Creek and, after an avalance, finds himself raising an ouzel of his own.
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HUN
Warriors, Power of Three Series (age 10+)
by Erin Hunter
war ... adventure ... fantasy
In a troubled time for the Clans, three young cats, grandchildren of the legendary Firestar, begin their training as warriors and, in the course of many adventures, discover their true destiny.
title: The Sight
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HUN
The Warriors Series (age 10+)
by Erin Hunter
war ... adventure ... fantasy
In the first book, Into the Wild, Rusty starts out as an ordinary house kitten, but his travels deep into the forest involve him in the epic battles of the cat warrior clans who roam (and rule) the wild. With a new name, Firepaw, and a position as a ThunderClan apprentice, our feline hero faces his destiny, struggles with issues of friendship, honour, courage, and betrayal, and learns what it truly means to be a warrior.
title: Into the Wild
title: A Dangerous Path
title: The Darkest Hour
title: Dawn
title: Forest of Secrets
title: Sunset
title: Twilight
title: Midnight
title: Moonrise
title: Rising Storm
title: Starlight
title: Warriors Field Guide: Secrets of the Clans
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AVI
Encounter at Easton (age 10+)
by Avi
adventure ... historical
The doomed flight of two young indentured servants from their unkind master brings together an unlikely assortment of people in a mid-eighteenth-century Pennsylvania town.
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ALE
The Westmark Trilogy (age 10+)
by Lloyd Alexander
adventure ... fantasy
A boy fleeing from criminal charges falls in with a charlatan, his dwarf attendant, and an urchin girl, travels with them about the kingdom of Westmark, and ultimately arrives at the palace where the king is grieving over the loss of his daughter.
title: Westmark
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ALE
The Remarkable Journey of Prince Jen (age 10+)
by Lloyd Alexander
voyages/journeys ... fantasy ... adventure
When Prince Jen volunteers to search for the legendary court of T'ien-kuo, a mysterious old man chooses six gifts for him to bear in homage: a saddle, a sword, a paint box, a bowl, a kite, and a flute. Puzzled by the humbleness of the gifts but full of high spirits and pride, Jen sets off ... but stumbles almost immediately into a series of misfortunes. Only with the help of his faithful servant Mafoo and valiant flute-girl Voyaging moon, and only after a breathtakingly exciting string of adventures, can Jen discover the real meaning of the gifts and face his true destiny.
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ALE
The Vesper Holly Series (age 10+)
by Lloyd Alexander
fantasy ... adventure
Publisher comments: About The Illyrian Adventure, first in the series: It's 1872, and adventurous Vesper Holly and her guardian set out for the tiny country of Illyria on a quest for its legendary treasure. But once Vesper and Brinnie arrive, they are plunged into a fierce struggle between rebel forces--and someone is out to kill the two of them. About The Jedera Adventure: Returning a library book is simple-unless the library is in North Africa and the book is Vesper Holly's! She organizes a library-bound caravan, deals with feuding desert tribes, rough terrain, and slave traders-but then is faced with the evil Dr. Helvitius.
title: The Illyrian Adventure
title: The Jedera Adventure
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ALE
The Arkadians (age 10+)
by Lloyd Alexander
folklore ... fantasy ... adventure
To escape the wrath of the king and his wicked soothsayers, an honest young man joins with a poet-turned-jackass and a young girl with mystical powers on a series of epic adventures.
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PAU
The Time Hackers (age 10+)
by Gary Paulsen
adventure ... science fiction ... math/science/technology
You ever open your locker and find that some joker has left something really weird inside? Seventh-grader Dorso Clayman opens his locker door to find a dead body. Thirty seconds later it disappears. It's not the first bizarre thing that has appeared in his locker and then vanished. Something's going on. Somebody has decided to make Dorso and his buddy Frank the target of some strange techno-practical jokes. The ultimate gamesters have hacked into the time line, and things from the past are appearing in the present. Soon, the jokes aren't funny anymore, they're dangerous. Dorso and Frank have got to beat the time hackers at their own game by breaking the code, before they get lost in the past themselves.
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FAR
The Sea of Trolls (age 10+)
by Nancy Farmer
action ... folklore ... fantasy ... adventure ... historical
Jack was eleven when the berserkers loomed out of the fog and nabbed him. ``It seems that things are stirring across the water,'' the Bard had warned. ``Ships are being built, swords are being forged.'' ``Is that bad?'' Jack had asked, for his Saxon village had never before seen berserkers. ``Of course. People don't make ships and swords unless they intend to use them.'' The year is A.D. 793. In the next months, Jack and his little sister, Lucy, are enslaved by Olaf One-Brow and his fierce young shipmate, Thorgil. Nancy Farmer has never told a richer, funnier tale, nor offered more timeless encouragement to young seekers than ``Just say no to pillaging.''
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PRA
The Johnny Maxwell Trilogy (age 10+)
by Terry Pratchett
action ... war ... science fiction ... humor ... adventure
The alien spaceship is in his sights. His finger is on the Fire button. Johnny Maxwell is about to set the new high score on the computer game Only You Can Save Mankind. Suddenly: ``We wish to talk.'' Huh? ``We surrender.'' The aliens aren't supposed to surrender. Now what is Johnny going to do with a fleet of alien prisoners who know their rights under the international rules of war and are demanding safe-conduct? It's hard enough trying to save Mankind from the Galactic Hordes. It's even harder trying to save the Galactic Hordes from Mankind. But it's just a game, isn't it? Isn't it?
title: Only You Can Save Mankind
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WOO
Dear Levi (age 10+)
by Elvira Woodruff
adventure ... historical ... letters/journal
Twelve-year-old Austin Ives writes letters to his younger brother describing his three-thousand-mile journey from their home in Pennsylvania to Oregon in 1851.
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WIS
Mr. Lincoln's Drummer (age 10+)
by G. Clifton Wisler
war ... adventure ... historical
Recounts the courageous exploits of Willie Johnston, an eleven-year-old Civil War drummer, who became the youngest recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor.
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WAT
So Far From the Bamboo Grove (age 10+)
by Yoko Kawashima Watkins
war ... historical ... adventure ... survival
Though Japanese, eleven-year-old Yoko has lived with her family in northern Korea near the border with China all her life. But when the Second World War comes to an end, Japanese on the Korean peninsula are suddenly in terrible danger; the Korean people want control of their homeland and they want to punish the Japanese, who have occupied their nation for many years. Yoko, her mother and sister are forced to flee from their beautiful house with its peaceful bamboo grove. Their journey is terrifying, and remarkable. It's a true story of courage and survival.
sequel: My Brother, My Sister, and I
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SNY
The Egypt Game (age 10+)
by Zilpha Keatley Snyder
spooky ... adventure ... friendship
The first time Melanie Ross meets April Hall, she's not sure they'll have anything in common. But she soon discovers that they both love anything to do with ancient Egypt. When they stumble upon a deserted storage yard behind the A-Z Antiques and Curio Shop, Melanie and April decide it's the perfect spot for Egypt Game. Before long there are six Egyptians instead of two. Everyone thinks it's just a game, until strange things begin happening to the players. Has the Egypt Game gone too far?
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PAU
Tucket Adventures Series (age 10+)
by Gary Paulsen
historical ... adventure ... survival
In the first book, Mr. Tucket, Fourteen-year-old Francis Tucket is heading west on the Oregon Trail with his family by wagon train. When he receives a rifle for his birthday, he is thrilled that he is being treated like an adult. But Francis lags behind to practice shooting and is captured by Pawnees. It will take wild horses, hostile tribes, and a mysterious one-armed mountain man named Mr. Grimes to help Francis become the man who will be called Mr. Tucket.
title: Mr. Tucket
title: Call Me Francis Tucket
title: Tucket's Gold
title: Tucket's Home
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LAW
The Wreckers (age 10+)
by Iain Lawrence
survival ... adventure
In the first book of the High Seas Trilogy, a ship crashes upon the shore of the Isle of Skye. A 14-year-old survivor must continue to fight for his life against the wreckers--a coastal community of murderous people who pillage shipwrecked vessels to feed and cloth themselves and decorate their homes.
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BLO
Tangerine (age 10+)
by Edward Bloor
adventure ... humor ... family ... sports
Paul Fisher plays soccer despite the thick glasses he wears because of a mysterious eye injury. When his family moves to Tangerine, Florida, strange things start to happen, but nothing is stranger than the secrets Paul finds out about his older brother, his new friends, and his own dangerous past.
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TAY
The Cay (age 10+)
by Theodore Taylor
voyages/journeys ... friendship ... bigotry ... adventure ... historical
When the freighter on which they are traveling is torpedoed by a German submarine during World War II, an adolescent white boy, blinded by a blow on the head, and an old black man are stranded on a tiny Caribbean island where the boy acquires a new kind of vision, courage, and love from his old companion.
sequel: Timothy of the Cay
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STE
The Edge Chronicles (age 10+)
by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell
action ... identity ... adventure ... fantasy
Young Twig lives in the Deepwoods, among the Woodtrolls, but he isn't one of them. In a brave attempt to find out where he belongs, Twig wanders into the mysterious, dangerous world beyond the Deepwoods.
title: Beyond the Deepwoods
title: Stormchaser
title: Midnight Over Sanctaphrax
title: The Last of the Sky Pirates
title: The Curse of the Gloamglozer
title: Vox
F
PEA
The Sky Is Falling (age 10+)
by Kit Pearson
war ... identity ... adventure ... historical
The experiences of a young girl and her small brother who are evacuated to Canada at the beginning of World War II. They struggle with being strangers in a strange land, even as they come to terms with the evil they left back home.
F
MCK
The Hero and the Crown (age 10+)
by Robin McKinley
fantasy ... adventure
Aerin is the only child of the king of Damar, and should be his rightful heir. But she is also the daughter of a witchwoman of the North, who died when she was born, and the Damarians cannot trust her. But Aerin's destiny is greater than her father's people know, for it leads her to battle with Maur, the Black Dragon, and into the wilder Damarian Hills, where she meets the wizard Luthe.
sequel: The Blue Sword
F
L'E
A Wrinkle in Time / The Time Quintet (age 10+)
by Madeleine L'Engle
adventure ... fantasy ... science fiction
Meg Murry and her friends become involved with unearthly strangers and a search for Meg's father, who has disappeared while engaged in secret study of the fifth dimension of time travel.
title: A Wrinkle in Time / The Time Quintet
title: A Wind in the Door
title: A Swiftly Tilting Planet
title: Many Waters
F
JON
Howl's Moving Castle (age 10+)
by Diana Wynne Jones
humor ... adventure ... fantasy
In the land of Ingary, such things as spells, invisible cloaks, and seven-league boots were everyday things. The Witch of the Waste was another matter. In this giant jigsaw puzzle of a fantasy, people and things are never quite what they seem. Destinies are intertwined, identities exchanged, lovers confused. The Witch has placed a spell on the Wizard Howl. Does the clue to breaking it lie in a famous poem? And what will happen to Sophie Hatter when she enters Howl's castle?
F
JAC
The Redwall Series (age 10+)
by Brian Jacques
fantasy ... humor ... adventure
Each dazzling story in the Redwall series is packed with wit, wisdom, humor, and blood-curdling adventure.
title: Redwall
title: Mossflower
title: Mattimeo
title: Mariel of Redwall
title: Salamandastron
title: Martin the Warrior
title: The Bellmaker
title: Outcast of Redwall
title: Pearls of Lutra
title: The Long Patrol: a Tale from Redwall
title: Marlfox: a Tale of Redwall
title: The Legend of Luke
title: Lord Brocktree
title: Triss: a Tale From Redwall
title: Taggerung: a Tale From Redwall
title: Loamhedge: a Tale From Redwall
title: Rakkety Tam
title: High Rhulain
F
HUG
The Golden Aquarians (age 10+)
by Monica Hughes
nature ... science fiction ... adventure
Walt Elliot goes with the father he hasn't seen for years to the planet Aqua, where he discovers that his father's project threatens the existence of a highly intelligent native species.
F
HUG
Jack Black and the Ship of Thieves (age 10+)
by Carol Hughes
voyages/journeys ... fantasy ... adventure
Jack Black is thrilled when his father, the captain of the largest airship in the world, invites him on the ship's maiden voyage. Once aloft, Jack overhears a plot to sabotage the ship. But before he can tell his father, Jack falls, plummeting through the air to be caught in the sails of a pirate ship. Now Jack must try to convince a crew of thieves to rescue his father.
F
HOE
Hermux Tantamoq Adventures (age 10+)
by Michael Hoeye
the arts ... mystery ... adventure ... friendship
Hermux Tantamoq is an average mouse who works in his watch shop by day and spends his evenings at home. Nothing extraordinary has ever happened to him, but that changes when Linka Perflinger, daredevil aviatrix, drops off her watch to be repaired and steals his heart. But when a shady-looking rat tries to claim the repaired watch instead of Linka, Hermux knows something's gone wrong. Before long, Hermux is entangled in the convoluted schemes of an eccentric cosmetics tycoon, a sinister plastic surgeon, and a squad of ruthless lab rats. Hermux is caught up in a deadly race against time.
title: Time Stops for No Mouse
title: The Sands of Time: a [new] Hermux Tantamoq Adventure
title: No Time Like Show Time: a Hermux Tantamoq Adventure
F
GIF
Nory Ryan's Song (age 10+)
by Patricia Reilly Giff
survival ... historical ... adventure
As the potato blight that leads to the Irish Famine takes its toll on her family, 12-year-old Nory Ryan must summon the courage and ingenuity to find food, to find hope, and to find a way to help her family survive.
sequel: Maggie's Door
F
GEO
Julie of the Wolves (age 10+)
by Jean Craighead George
identity ... survival ... nature ... adventure
To her small Eskimo village, she is known as Miyax; to her friend in San Francisco, she is Julie. When her life in the village becomes dangerous, Miyax runs away, only to find herself lost in the Alaskan wilderness.
F
FUN
Inkheart Series (age 10+)
by Cornelia Funke
authorship ... magic ... fantasy ... adventure ... action
Publisher comments: One cruel night, Meggie's father reads aloud from a book called Inkheart, and an evil ruler escapes the boundaries of fiction and lands in their living room. Suddenly, Meggie is smack in the middle of the kind of adventure she has only read about in books. Meggie must learn to harness the magic that has conjured this nightmare. For only she can change the course of the story that has changed her life forever.
title: Inkheart
title: Inkspell
F
DUP
The Book of Ember Series (age 10+)
by Jeanne Duprau
survival ... action ... adventure ... fantasy ... science fiction
Publisher comments: Built as an underground refuge for the human race, the city of Ember begins to deteriorate as its lights start to flicker. When Lina finds part of an ancient message, she's sure it holds a secret that will save the city. She and her friend Doon must decipher the message before the lights go out on Ember forever.
title: The City of Ember
title: The People of Sparks
title: The Prophet of Yonwood
F
COO
The Dark Is Rising Series (age 10+)
by Susan Cooper
folklore ... action ... adventure ... fantasy
On holiday in Cornwall, the three Drew children discover an ancient map in the attic of the house that they are staying in. They know immediately that it is special. It is even more than that...the key to finding a grail, a source of power to fight the forces of evil known as the Dark. And in searching for it themselves, the Drews put their very lives in peril. Begin with "Over Sea, Under Stone."
title: Over Sea, Under Stone
title: The Dark is Rising
title: Greenwitch
title: The Grey King
title: Silver on the Tree
F
BYN
Molly Moon Series (age 10+)
by Georgia Byng
identity ... mystery ... magic ... adventure ... friendship ... family
Molly Moon is no ordinary orphan. When she finds a mysterious old book on hypnotism, she discovers she can make people do whatever she wants. But a sinister stranger is watching her every move, and he'll do anything to steal her hypnotic secret...
title: Molly Moon's Incredible Book of Hypnotism
title: Molly Moon Stops the World
title: Molly Moon's Hypnotic Time Travel Adventure
F
AVI
The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle (age 10+)
by Avi
adventure ... historical ... voyages/journeys
Thirteen-year-old Charlotte Doyle, the only passenger aboard a seedy ship on a transatlantic voyage from England to America in 1832, becomes caught up in a feud between the murderous captain and his mutinous crew.
F
AVI
Crispin: The Cross of Lead (age 10+)
by Avi
adventure ... historical
Falsely accused of theft and murder, an orphaned peasant boy in fourteenth-century England flees his village and meets a larger-than-life juggler who holds a dangerous secret.
sequel: Crispin: at the Edge of the World
F
ALE
The Prydain Chronicles (age 10+)
by Lloyd Alexander
folklore ... humor ... fantasy ... adventure
In the first book of the Prydain Chronicles, Taran, Assistant Pig-Keeper to a famous oracular sow, sets out on a hazardous mission to save Prydain from the forces of evil.
title: The Book of Three
title: The Castle of Llyr
title: Taran Wanderer
title: The High King

Barron Park Elementary School, Sat Aug 25 11:55:26 2012
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