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EPS
The Familiars (age 8-11)
by Adam Jay Epstein
animals ... adventure ... fantasy ... magic
Publisher comments: When Aldwyn, a young alley cat on the run, ducks into a mysterious pet shop, he doesn't expect his life to change. But that's exactly what happens when Jack, a young wizard, picks Aldwyn to be his magical familiar. Finally off the tough streets, Aldwyn thinks he's got it made. He just has to convince the other familiars—the know-it-all blue jay Skylar and the friendly tree frog Gilbert—that he's the telekinetic cat he claims to be. But when Jack and two other wizards in training are captured by a terrible evil, it will take all of Aldwyn's street smarts, a few good friends, and a nose for adventure to save the day!
title: The Familiars
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ORR
Rainbow Street Shelter Series (age 8-11)
by Wendy Orr
realistic ... adventure ... animals
Publisher comments: Logan is moving from the farm to the city. He'll miss all the things he's leaving behind, but at least he has Bear. He loves Bear more than anything else in the world, because Bear is his dog. Hannah lives in the city. What she wants, more than anything else in the world, is a dog of her own. At the Rainbow Street Shelter, Logan and Hannah find a talking parrot, an old black Labrador, a three-legged goat, a puppy that looks like a peanut, and a Surprise that just might be the best thing in the world.
title: Lost! a Dog Called Bear
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GAI
Odd and the Frost Giants (age 8-11)
by Neil Gaiman
magic ... adventure ... folklore ... traditions
Publisher comments: In this inventive, short, yet perfectly formed novel inspired by traditional Norse mythology, Neil Gaiman takes readers on a wild and magical trip to the land of giants and gods and back. In a village in ancient Norway lives a boy named Odd, and he's had some very bad luck: His father perished in a Viking expedition; a tree fell on and shattered his leg; the endless freezing winter is making villagers dangerously grumpy. Out in the forest Odd encounters a bear, a fox, and an eagle—three creatures with a strange story to tell. Now Odd is forced on a stranger journey than he had imagined—a journey to save Asgard, city of the gods, from the Frost Giants who have invaded it.
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OCO
The Small Adventure of Popeye and Elvis (age 8-11)
by Barbara Oconnor
realistic ... adventure ... humor
Publisher comments: Nothing ever happens in Fayette, South Carolina. That's what Popeye thinks, anyway. His whole life, everything has just been boring, boring, boring. But things start to look up when the Jewell's Holiday Rambler makes a wrong turn and gets stuck in the mud, trapping Elvis and his five rowdy siblings in Fayette for who knows how long. Popeye has never met anyone like Elvis Jewell. Hes so good at swearing he makes Uncle Dooley look like a harp-strumming angel, and he says "So what?" like he really means it. Then something curious comes floating down the creek, a series of boats with secret messages, and it sends Popeye and Elvis into the big world on the hunt for a small adventure.
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BIR
Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs (age 8-11)
by Betty Birney
family ... identity ... adventure
When Eben McAllister reads about the Seven Wonders of the World, he longs to escape the small farming community of Sassafras Springs and do some exploring o his own. No one else ever seems to want to leave Sassafras even his best pal, Jeb...and so, for now, Eben figures he's stuck on the farm with Pa and Aunt Pretty until he grows up. All that changes when his pa, tired of Eben's moping, challenges him to find Seven Wonders in Sassafras Springs that can stang up to the real Seven Wonders of the World. And if he does? Then Eben will get the adventure he's been craving for ... a trip out West. Eben doesn't reckon he'll have any luck ... he can't think of even one thing that would be called interesting, let alone wonderous, in Sassafras, but he figures he'll give it a try; there's nothing else to do in Sassafras anyway. But what he finds will take him on the adventure of his life.
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COL
Gregor the Overlander Series (age 8-11)
by Suzanne Collins
action ... adventure ... fantasy
Publisher comments: When Gregor falls through a grate in the laundry room of his apartment building, he hurtles into the dark Underland, where spiders, rats, cockroaches coexist uneasily with humans. This world is on the brink of war, and Gregor's arrival is no accident. A prophecy foretells that Gregor has a role to play in the Underland's uncertain future. Gregor wants no part of it...until he realizes it's the only way to solve the mystery of his father's disappearance. Reluctantly, Gregor embarks on a dangerous adventure that will change both him and the Underland forever.
title: Gregor the Overlander
title: Gregor and the Curse of the Warmbloods
title: Gregor and the Marks of Secret
title: Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane
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BUS
Circus of the Wolves (age 8-11)
by Jack Bushnell
adventure ... nature ... animals
Kael, a black timber wolf, is captured and performs for a circus, until he has the opportunity to escape.
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BAN
The Adventures of King Midas (age 8-11)
by Lynne Reid Banks
adventure ... humor ... folklore ... magic
King Midas' obsession with gold takes some unexpected turns in this fun retelling of the classic Greek myth.
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BLU
Cornelia and the Audacious Escapades of the Somerset Sisters (age 8-11)
by Lesley M. M. Blume
adventure ... authorship ... friendship
Publisher comments: Eleven-year-old Cornelia is the daughter of two world-famous pianists, a legacy that should feel fabulous, but instead feels just plain lonely. She surrounds herself with dictionaries and other books to isolate herself from the outside world. But when a glamorous neighbor named Virginia Somerset moves next door with her servant Patel and a mischievous French bulldog named Mister Kinyatta, Cornelia discovers that the world is a much more exciting place than she had originally thought.
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MAN
The Oscar J. Noodleman Television Network: The Second Strange Thing That Happened to Oscar Noodleman (age 8-11)
by Stephen Manes
adventure ... science fiction
Catalog: Soon after Oscar receives a home video recorder and camera from his mother's eccentric inventor cousin, Oscar's pictures begin to turn up mysteriously on television sets all over town.
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THO
Dragon's Egg (age 8-11)
by Sarah Thomson
adventure ... fantasy ... voyages/journeys ... knights/castles/dragons
It is a rare talent, and only she can care for the Inn's herd. She feeds them, gathers their eggs, and tends to their injuries. But Mella dreams about the dragons of legend, even though hardly anyone believes they still exist. Dragons are small farm animals, not huge fire-breathing monsters. Everyone knows that. Until one day changes everything. A Knight of the Order of Defenders arrives at the Inn. Signs of the mythical dragons have led him there, he says. Then a simple errand takes Mella through the forest, where she stumbles across a dragon's egg...and faces the true, terrifying dragon guarding it. On the spot, Mella vows to get the egg safely to the fabled Hatching Grounds. She must leave her home for the first time, and she finds an unlikely companion in the Defender's squire, Roger. For Mella and Roger, this one day is the beginning of an adventure. Where will it take them?
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BAR
The Magic Half (age 8-11)
by Annie Barrows
adventure ... magic ... family
Magic is just a way of setting things right... Miri is the non-twin child in a family with two sets of them ... older brothers and younger sisters. The family has just moved to an old farmhouse in a new town, where the only good thing seems to be Miri's ten-sided attic bedroom. But when Miri gets sent to her room after accidentally bashing her big brother on the head with a shovel, she finds herself in the same room...only not quite. Without meaning to, she has found a way to travel back in time to 1935 where she discovers Molly, a girl her own age very much in need of a loving family.
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DAY
The Emperor's Panda (age 8-11)
by David Day
magic ... adventure ... fantasy
Relates how the poor young shepherd boy Kung became the Emperor of all China with the help of the Master Panda, the most magical and wisest creature in all the world.
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ENR
Thimble Summer (age 8-11)
by Elizabeth Enright
historical ... adventure ... magic ... animals
When Garnet finds a silver thimble in the sand by the river, she is sure it's magical. But is it magical enough to help her pig, Timmy, win a blue ribbon on Fair Day?
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EDW
Little Bo: the Story of Bonnie Boadicea (age 8-11)
by Julie Edwards
voyages/journeys ... adventure ... animals
After being separated from her brothers and sisters, a very small cat named Bo falls in with a sailor and becomes a ship's cat, having various adventures at sea.
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FIE
Hitty: Her First Hundred Years (age 8-11)
by Rachel Field
historical ... fantasy ... adventure
When Phoebe Preble brings her special doll, Hitty, with her everywhere she goes, Hitty experiences wonderful adventures and makes a lot of new friends.
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FAR
The Warm Place (age 8-11)
by Nancy Farmer
adventure ... fantasy ... animals
When Ruva, a young giraffe, is captured and sent to a zoo in San Francisco, she calls upon two rats, a street-smart chameleon, a runaway boy, and all the magical powers of the animal world to return to the warm place that is home.
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GRI
Dinosaur Habitat (age 8-11)
by Helen Griffith
adventure ... animals ... family
After twelve-year-old Nathan's pesky younger brother Ryan claims to have found a dinosaur fossil, they are suddenly transported into a misty world where Ryan's toy dinosaurs are alive.
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HOB
Sheep (age 8-11)
by Valerie Hobbs
adventure ... animals
After a fire destroys the farm where he was born, a young border collie acquires a series of owners and learns about life as he seeks a home and longs to fulfill his life's purpose of shepherding sheep.
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JOY
Buddy (age 8-11)
by William Joyce
adventure ... historical ... animals
If you happened to be walking down the street in New York City in the 1930s you might have seen a most amazing sight; a beautiful woman with a very well-dressed, four-hundred-pound gorilla sporting a red carnation in the lapel of his jacket. The lady' s name? Gertie Lintz. And the gorilla' s name was Buddy.
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LEV
Fire in the Wind (age 8-11)
by Betty Levin
historical ... family ... adventure ... action
One dry October, with wildfires blazing all across the state of Maine, Meg Yeadon keeps having to put out fires of her own-the fights she gets into defending her "backward" cousin Orin and her shy brother Paul. Separated from the grown-ups, Meg and Paul must rely on Orin to help them survive the inferno bearing down on their farm. But what are they to make of the sight of Orin setting fire to the fields himself?
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LOV
The Puppeteer's Apprentice (age 8-11)
by D. Anne Love
adventure ... the arts ... historical
Mouse, a timid orphan growing up in medieval England, has little happiness in the world. But then, when she comes across a puppeteer so talented that he can make the puppets talk and dance as if they were little humans, Mouse realizes that true happiness is within reach ... and the key is learning how to make the puppets dance! What she doesn't realize, however, is just how much she and her prospective mentor have in common and how much, one day, they will share.
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MAH
The Five Sisters (age 8-11)
by Margaret Mahy
adventure
Before Sally's Nana can finish filling in the faces on a row of paper dolls which she has cut out, the five sisters are whisked off on a series of extraordinary adventures.
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MAY
Rock River (age 8-11)
by Bill Maynard
adventure ... family ... illness/loss
Twelve-year-old Luke's summertime adventures along the river are haunted by the memory of his older brother Robert, who died being a daredevil in the same place a year and a half earlier.
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NAY
The Fear Place (age 8-11)
by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
family ... action ... adventure
For Doug's brother, Gordie, the ridge with its spectacular view is a magical, special place, but for Doug, it's The Fear Place. Two years ago, Doug hiked to the ridge during his family's annual camping trip, and he vowed never again to cross the narrow ledge from which the earth dropped away six hundred feet to the canyon below. But now Doug and Gordie are alone in the wilderness. After one of their seemingly endless fights, Gordie has stomped away from their campsite. When Girdle doesn't return, Doug fears the worst. Doug knows he has to go after his brother, and he knows where he will find him. What he can't imagine is the surprising source of the courage to overcome his fears.
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TOW
The Secret Room (age 8-11)
by Hazel Townson
war ... adventure ... historical
When Adam enters a secret cupboard at his school, he is transported through time to 1942, into the middle of a World War II air raid.
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FLE
The Whipping Boy (age 8-11)
by Sid Fleischman
folklore ... humor ... adventure ... growing up
A Prince and a Pauper. Jemmy, once a poor boy living on the streets, now lives in a castle. As the whipping boy, he bears the punishment when Prince Brat misbehaves, for it is forbidden to spank, thrash, or whack the heir to the throne. The two boys have nothing in common and even less reason to like one another. But when they find themselves taken hostage after running away, they are left with no choice but to trust each other.
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EDM
The Matchlock Gun (age 8-11)
by Walter D. Edmonds
war ... adventure ... historical
In 1756, during the French and Indian War in upper New York state, ten-year-old Edward is determined to protect his home and family with the ancient, and much too heavy, Spanish gun that his father had given him before leaving home to fight the enemy.
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KIN
Harry's Mad (age 8-11)
by Dick King-Smith
adventure ... animals
Harry's legacy from his great-uncle, a talking parrot, proves to be a much more exciting gift than he ever imagined.
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YAM
The Call of the Wild (age 8-11)
by Mitsu Yamamoto
historical ... adventure ... nature ... animals
A specially adapted version of Jack London's story of the story of Buck, a young dog snatched away from an easy life in California and transported to the Far North. Buck becomes the strongest and fiercest sled dog in all of Alaska. But deep inside, he feels the urge to be free of man's rule and to heed the call of the wild.
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IBB
The Great Ghost Rescue (age 8-11)
by Eva Ibbotson
humor ... adventure ... spooky
Humphrey is a small ghost with a big problem. His family has lost their home, and they're off to find a new haunting ground. But soon Humphrey and his parents discover that ghosts all over the country are being turned out as dank castles are converted to cheerful tourist hotels. Humphrey knows something must be done to help the homeless ghosts. And with the help of a sympathetic schoolboy named Rick, maybe he can do something to aid all the ghosts of England after all. . . .
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STE
Fergus Crane (age 8-11)
by Paul Stewart
voyages/journeys ... science fiction ... school ... humor ... adventure
Fergus Crane has an almost ordinary life, having lessons taught by rather odd teachers on the school ship Betty Jeanne and helping his mother in the bakery. But then a mysterious flying box appears at the window of his waterfront home and Fergus is plunged headlong into an exciting adventure! The box is followed by a winged mechanical horse that whisks him off to meet his long-lost uncle and his penguin helpers, Finn, Bill, and Jackson. Fergus finds out that his teachers are not quite what they seem ... they're actually pirates! Can Fergus and his winged horse save his schoolmates on the far-off Fire Island? And who else will he find there?
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FIT
The Great Brain Series (age 8-11)
by John D. Fitzgerald
adventure ... humor ... brilliant protagonist ... enterprise
The best con man in the Midwest is only ten years old. Tom, a.k.a., the Great Brain, is a silver-tongued genius with a knack for turning a profit. When the Jenkins boys get lost in Skeleton Cave, the Great Brain saves the day. Whether it's saving the kids at school, or helping out Peg-leg Andy, or Basil, the new kid at school, the Great Brain always manages to come out on top ... and line his pockets in the process.
title: The Great Brain
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CON
Pedros Journal: a Voyage with Christopher Columbus, August 3 1492--February 14 1493 (age 8-11)
by Pam Conrad
adventure ... historical ... voyages/journeys ... letters/journal
Pedro can read and write better than any boy in his small Spanish town. That's why Christopher Columbus signs him on as part of his crew of the Santa Maria. The young Pedro records his adventures in a journal, with sketches of what he has seen. A thrilling and believable re-creation of one boy's account of this epic voyage.
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BRO
The Freddy The Pig Series (age 8-11)
by Walter R. Brooks
adventure ... humor
Adventure and misadventure are in the air when Freddy the Pig joins the action.
title: Freddy and Mr. Camphor
title: Freddy and the Ignormus
title: Freddy Goes Camping
title: Freddy Goes to Florida
title: Freddy Plays Football
title: Freddy the Detective
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BAG
Animal Ark Series (age 8-11)
by Ben Baglio
animals ... adventure
Meet Mandy, the daughter of two veterinarians who own the Animal Ark Veterinary Hospital. Whenever an animal is in trouble, Mandy and the vets at the clinic are there to help.
title: Shetland in the Shed
title: Horse in the House
title: Pony in a Package
title: Mare in the Meadow
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BRI
Caddie Woodlawn (age 8-11)
by Carol Ryrie Brink
family ... identity ... adventure ... historical
Caddie Woodlawn is a real adventurer. She'd rather hunt than sew and plow than bake, and tries to beat her brothers' dares every chance she gets. Caddie is friends with Indians, who scare most of the neighbors...neighbors who, like her mother and sisters, don't understand her at all.
sequel: Magical Melons
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BAL
Thunder on the Sierra (age 8-11)
by Kathy Balmes
voyages/journeys ... adventure ... historical
In 1852, recently orphaned, thirteen-year-old Mateo becomes an "arreiro," or mule driver, bringing supplies to California gold miners and searching for the notorious bandit who stole his horse, but when he learns that Yankee squatters are threatening to take the ranch he grew up on, Mateo heads for home.
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AYR
Silver Dollar Girl (age 8-11)
by Katherine Ayres
voyages/journeys ... historical ... adventure
Valentine Harper's father has been in Colorado for more than a year seeking his fortune in the Silver Rush. But she's tired of waiting for his overdue return. Aunt Margaret is nice, but Uncle Franklin seems unhappy to have an extra person in the house and Cousin Harold's pranks have been getting meaner. Unfortunately, a girl can't get far on her own in America in 1885. But with a haircut, the right clothes, and a big dose of courage, Vallie Harper just might make it on a journey across the country to look for her father, and pull off an adventure that will change her life.
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BAI
Miss Hickory (age 8-11)
by Carolyn Sherwin Bailey
adventure ... friendship
Miss Hickory is very worried. Her owner has moved to Boston, and how can Miss Hickory survive a harsh New Hampshire winter all alone? After all, she is just a doll whose body is an apple-wood twig and whose head is a hickory nut, and whose house is made out of corncobs. But Miss Hickory has ingenuity, and the help of neighbors like Crow, Bull Frog, and Ground Hog to see her through. And near the end of those cold, dark months, something unexpected happens to Miss Hickory--something even more welcome than the coming of spring.
Girlhood Journeys Collection (age 8-11)
adventure ... historical ... family
These stories transport you to different periods of history, looking at life through the eyes of a girl living in that time and place.
title: Kai: a Big Decision, Africa, 1440 by Sharon Shavers Gayle F GAY
title: Kai: the Lost Statue, Africa, 1440 by Sharon Shavers Gayle F GAY
title: Juliet: a Dream Takes Flight, England, 1339 by Anna Kirwan F KIR
title: Juliet: Midsummer at Greenchapel, England, 1340 by Anna Kirwan F KIR
title: Juliet: Rescue at Marlehead Manor, England 1340 by Anna Kirwan F KIR
title: Shannon: Lost and Found, San Francisco, 1880 by Kathleen V. Kudlinski F KUD
title: Shannon: the Schoolmarm Mysteries, San Francisco, 1880 by Kathleen V. Kudlinski F KUD
title: Marie: Summer in the Country, France, 1775 by Jacqueline Dembar Greene F GRE
title: Marie: Mystery at the Paris Ballet, Paris, 1775 by Jacqueline Dembar Greene F GRE
title: Marie: an Invitation to Dance, France, 1775 by Kathleen V. Kudlinski F KUD
title: Isabella: a Wish for Miguel, Peru, 1820 by Shirlee Newman F NEW
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WIS
Christopher Mouse: the Tale of a Small Traveler (age 8-11)
by William Wise
adventure ... friendship ... animals
After being sold to an unscrupulous pet store owner, a young mouse lives with several owners and has many adventures, before ending up with an appreciative family.
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SOR
Miracles on Maple Hill (age 8-11)
by Virginia Sorensen
war ... adventure ... family
After her father returns from the war moody and tired, Marly's family decides to move from the city to Maple Hill Farm in the Pennsylvania countryside where they share many adventures which help restore their spirits and their bond with each other.
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SER
Stinker's Return (age 8-11)
by Pamela F. Service
humor ... adventure ... science fiction
Catalog: Alien agent Tsynq Yr, still inhabiting the body of a skunk, returns to Earth and enlists Jonathan and Karen's help in finding a souvenir from Washington, D.C., for a threatening space despot.
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SCH
When I Left My Village (age 8-11)
by Maxine Rose Schur
adventure ... voyages/journeys
An Ethiopian Jewish family leaves their oppressed mountain village to make a difficult and treacherous journey in the hope of reaching freedom in Israel.
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PUL
The Scarecrow and His Servant (age 8-11)
by Philip Pullman
adventure ... humor
A scarecrow and his boy servant, Jack, set off on a dangerous adventure as they try to outwit the crooked Buffaloni family and stake their claim to valuable Spring Valley.
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HYA
Coast to Coast With Alice (age 8-11)
by Patricia Rusch Hyatt
letters/journal ... historical ... adventure ... voyages/journeys
Sixteen-year-old Hermine Jahns relates her experiences traveling on the first cross-country automobile trip with a woman driver in 1909.
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AHL
The Better Brown Stories (age 8-11)
by Allan Ahlberg
family ... adventure ... authorship
The Browns are not like other storybook characters; they're bored with their story! So off they go to visit the Writer, demanding more excitement. Less homework. Less housework. No French tests. "We want a better story!" they demand. Instead they get five stories filled with adventure and mayhem.
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AHL
The Bear Nobody Wanted (age 8-11)
by Janet Ahlberg
adventure ... friendship ... growing up
Tells the story of a teddy bear who is too proud and self-centred to be loved. It traces his life and his story of rejection, disaster, friends gained and lost, hurt and love, until eventually, transformed by a remarkable life, he becomes a bear truly deserving of a loving owner.
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HIL
Toughboy and Sister (age 8-11)
by Kirkpatrick Hill
nature ... adventure ... survival
The death of their father strands ten-year-old Toughboy and his younger sister at a remote fishing cabin on the Yukon River near Ruby, Alaska, where they spend a summer trying to cope with dwindling food supplies and hostile wildlife.
sequel: Winter Camp
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DIC
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane (age 8-11)
by Kate Dicamillo
adventure ... friendship ... voyages/journeys
Someone will come for you, but first you must open your heart. Once, in a house on Egypt Street, there lived a china rabbit named Edward Tulane. The rabbit was very pleased with himself, and for good reason: he was owned by a girl named Abilene, who treated him with the utmost care and adored him completely. And then, one day, he was lost. Kate DiCamillo takes us on an extraordinary journey, from the depths of the ocean to the net of a fisherman, from the top of a garbage heap to the fireside of a hoboes' camp, from the bedside of an ailing child to the bustling streets of Memphis. And along the way, we are shown a true miracle, that even a heart of the most breakable kind can learn to love, to lose, and to love again.
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DIC
The Tale of Despereaux (age 8-11)
by Kate Dicamillo
princesses ... adventure ... fantasy ... voyages/journeys
Welcome to the story of Despereaux Tilling, a mouse who is in love with music, stories, and a princess named Pea. It is also the story of a rat called Roscuro, who lives in the darkness and covets a world filled with light. And it is the story of Miggery Sow, a slow-witted serving girl who harbors a simple, impossible wish. These three characters are about to embark on a journey that will lead them down into a horrible dungeon, up into a glittering castle, and, ultimately, into each other's lives. What happens then? As Kate DiCamillo would say: Reader, it is your destiny to find out.
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BAN
Harry the Poisonous Centipede (age 8-11)
by Lynne Reid Banks
animals ... humor ... adventure
Harry is a young centipede longing for adventure and excitement and burning with curiosity about the forbidden "Up-Pipe" and the "no-top" world it leads to. In spite of his mother's dire warnings, Harry and his friend George venture into the dangerous world above, where the dangerous "Hoo-mins" live. Harry's big adventure turns out to be even more terrifying than he thought, in this inventive and entertaining tale.
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AVI
Perloo the Bold (age 8-11)
by Avi
voyages/journeys ... fantasy ... adventure
A scholarly, shy member of the rabbit-like Montmers, Perloo is content sipping myrtle tea and reading his history books in his warm burrow. Until the day Perloo's quiet life is interrupted by a mysterious summons from the Montmer leader. What follows is an incredible journey that will take Perloo over snowy mountains, through underground tunnels, and into enemy territory - and will alter history forever.
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BIR
The Penderwicks Series (age 8-11)
by Jeanne Birdsall
friendship ... adventure
This summer the Penderwick sisters have a wonderful surprise: a holiday on the grounds of a beautiful estate called Arundel. Soon they are busy discovering the summertime magic of Arundel's sprawling gardens, treasure-filled attic, tame rabbits, and the cook who makes the best gingerbread in Massachusetts. But the best discovery of all is Jeffrey Tifton, son of Arundel's owner, who quickly proves to be the perfect companion for their adventures. The icy-hearted Mrs. Tifton is not as pleased with the Penderwicks as Jeffrey is, though, and warns the new friends to stay out of trouble. One thing's for sure: it will be a summer the Penderwicks will never forget.
title: The Penderwicks: a Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy
title: The Penderwicks on Gardam Street
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GLE
Toad Heaven (age 8-11)
by Morris Gleitzman
humor ... nature ... adventure
Limpy is on a quest to find toad heaven. A place where cane toads won't be blown up with bike pumps or bashed over the head with folding chairs. Limpy's determined to find this place if it takes him the rest of his life, but his plans are waylaid when he's kidnapped by some sinister-looking humans and tossed into a bucket. Will Limpy be able to save cane toads? Will he be able to find toad heaven? First he has to get out of the bucket . . . in this hysterically funny sequel to Toad Rage.
sequel: Toad Away
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GLE
Toad Rage (age 8-11)
by Morris Gleitzman
humor ... nature ... adventure
Limpy's family reckons humans don't hate cane toads, but Limpy knows otherwise. He's spotted the signs: the cross looks, the unkind comments, the way they squash cane toads with their cars. Limpy is desperate to save his species from ending up as pancakes. Somehow he must make humans see how fabulous cane toads really are. Risking everything, he sets off on a wart-tinglingly dangerous and daring journey to . . . the Olympics?
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AND
M. T. Anderson's Thrilling Tales (age 8-11)
by M. T. Anderson
mystery ... adventure ... humor ... science fiction ... authorship
What sort of madman would unleash an army of stilt-walking, laser-beaming, thoroughly angry whales upon the world? Who cares! All that matters is that his dastardly plan be foiled. Lucky for Lily Gefelty, her two best friends are the intrepid stars of their own middle-grade series novels: Jasper Dash (better know as the Boy Technonaut) and Katie Mulligan (beloved by millions as the heroine of the Horror Hollow series). It's going to take all their smarts to stop this insane, inane plot from succeeding. Start with the first thrilling tale, Whales on Stilts.
title: Whales on Stilts
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WAL
Upchuck and the Rotten Willy (age 8-11)
by Bill Wallace
adventure ... friendship ... animals
Chuck the cat wants to save his friend Willy from getting caught by the dog catcher, but he is afraid that some new cats in the area will be upset when they find out his best friend is a dog.
sequel: The Great Escape: Upchuck and the Rotten Willy
sequel: Running Wild
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YEP
The Imp That Ate My Homework (age 8-11)
by Laurence Yep
adventure ... fantasy ... humor ... family
Jim teams up with his grandfather, who is known as the meanest man in Chinatown, to defeat a powerful demon.
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WRI
The Wish Master (age 8-11)
by Betty Ren Wright
adventure ... family
Catalog: Certain that his grandfather doesn't want him around, Corby is unhappy when he and his mother go to spend the summer in Wisconsin to help take care of his ailing grandmother, until a local boy takes him to the Wish Master.
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WRI
The Ghost of Popcorn Hill (age 8-11)
by Betty Ren Wright
adventure ... friendship ... spooky
Catalog: Martin and Peter love their family's new cabin until they hear ghostly laughter in their room at night.
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RYA
Riding Freedom (age 8-11)
by Pam Munoz Ryan
adventure ... historical
A fictionalized account of Charley (Charlotte) Parkhurst who ran away to California in the mid-1800s disguised as a man, and who eventually became the first woman to vote in the United States.
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ROD
Deltora Quest Series (age 8-11)
by Emily Rodda
action ... adventure ... fantasy ... magic
In the first book of this series, Forest of Silence, the evil Shadow Lord is plotting to invade the land of Deltora and enslave its people. All that stands against him is the magic Belt of Deltora with its seven stones of great and mysterious power. In secrecy, with only a hand-drawn map to guide them, two unlikely companions set out on a dangerous quest. Determined to find the lost stones and rid their land of the Shadow Lord, they struggle toward their first goal--the sinister Forests of Silence.
title: The Forests of Silence
title: The Lake of Tears
title: The Shifting Sands
title: The Maze of the Beast
title: The Valley of the Lost
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PEN
Dumbstruck (age 8-11)
by Sara Pennypacker
adventure ... family ... humor
When ten-year-old Ivy's parents disappear on the darkest night of the year, she tries to find them with the help of an orphan and her eccentric Aunt Zilpa.
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NAY
The Grand Escape (age 8-11)
by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
humor ... adventure ... animals
It's a scary world out there. If only Marco hadn't read a newspaper article about a ranch and become determined to see one. If only Polo hadn't found himself longing for the mother he barely remembered as a soft-warm-wiggle-purr-milk-tongue. Then the two tabbies might have been content to remain pampered house cats forever. But when their owners leave a door open, Marco and Polo can't resist the temptation to escape to the outside world.
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MOR
Kavik the Wolf Dog (age 8-11)
by Walt Morey
friendship ... nature ... survival ... adventure ... animals
Following instinct alone, a wolf-dog embarks on a fantastic journey over 2000 miles from Washington to Alaska to return to the boy who once saved his life.
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LOT
Wings to Fly (age 8-11)
by Celia Barker Lottridge
identity ... adventure ... historical ... growing up
The Ferrier family moved from the United States to Curlew, Alberta, and built a homestead in the middle of the vast prairie. Now 11-year-old Josie has settled into her new home and she dreams about the future. Will Josie be a teacher like Miss Barnett? Will she be like her new friend Margaret's sad mother, who can't bear to unpack her fine English china in the crude sod house that is her prairie home? Or could she learn to fly airplanes like her heroine, Katherine Stinson? As Josie searches for answers, she learns, all too frighteningly, how brutal a prairie winter can be. See also the prequel, Ticket to Canada.
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LOT
Ticket to Canada (age 8-11)
by Celia Barker Lottridge
identity ... adventure ... historical ... growing up
It is 1915. Endless stretches of grassland against a boundless sky are all Sam Ferrier sees when he and his father arrive in Curlew, Alberta, to build a new house for their family. He wonders why his restless father would move them to this lonely, barren place, so different from Iowa. But after the house gets built and the family joins them, Sam gradually discovers that there is much more to the prairie than he realized. The tall grasses hide a mysterious collection of gleaming white skulls. Torrential thunderstorms appear with startling swiftness out of a clear-blue sky. And when one day he finds that his little brother has suddenly disappeared, Sam discovers that this new land can be both awesome and terrifying. Also published as Ticket to Curlew. See also the sequel, Wings to Fly.
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HAR
Star in the Storm (age 8-11)
by Joan Hiatt Harlow
adventure ... animals
All non-sheepherding dogs have been outlawed from the rocky coastal village where Maggie lives. Unwilling to give up her beloved Newfoundland, Sirius, Maggie defies the law and hides Sirius away. But when a steamer crashes into the rocks during a violent storm and starts to sink with a hundred passengers on board, Maggie faces a difficult choice. She knows Sirius can help rescue the people trapped on the ship, but bringing him out of hiding would put his own life in jeopardy. Is Maggie's brave dog a big enough hero to save the desperate passengers, and himself?
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FLE
Jim Ugly (age 8-11)
by Sid Fleischman
adventure ... mystery ... animals ... humor
Twelve-year-old Jake is thrown into an uneasy alliance with proud, one-man dog, Jim Ugly, when the dog's owner, Jake's father, suddenly disappears. Confident that Jim Ugly can pick up Jake's father's trail, boy and dog set out on the adventure of their lives.
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AVI
Poppy (age 8-11)
by Avi
survival ... adventure
Poppy, a timid dormouse, is a loyal, obedient subject of Ocax, the hoot owl who rules Dimwood Forest--until she sees Ocax devour her fiance. To prove that the intimidating ruler who promised to protect mice is a phony, Poppy embarks on a dangerous and eye-opening quest, which ends with her one-on-one battle with Ocax.
sequel: Ereth's Birthday
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MAR
The Doll People (age 8-11)
by Ann Matthews Martin
friendship ... adventure ... fantasy
Annabelle Doll is eight years old; she has been for more than a hundred years. Not a lot has happened to her, cooped up in the dollhouse, with the same doll people, day after day, year after year...until one day the Funcrafts move in.
title: The Doll People
title: The Meanest Doll in the World
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STE
Dominic (age 8-11)
by William Steig
voyages/journeys ... adventure
Dominic, the dog, finds many exciting adventures and great danger fighting the Doomsday Gang after he decides to see the world.
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ROD
The Rowan Series (age 8-11)
by Emily Rodda
magic ... fantasy ... adventure ... knights/castles/dragons
Because only he can read the magical map, young, weak and timid Rowan joins six other villagers to climb a mountain and try to restore their water supply, as fears of a dragon and other horrors threaten to drive them back.
title: Rowan of Rin
title: Rowan and the Ice Creepers
title: Rowan and the Keeper of the Crystal
title: Rowan and the Travelers
title: Rowan and the Zebak
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KIN
A Mouse Called Wolf (age 8-11)
by Dick King-Smith
adventure ... enterprise ... the arts
Wolfgang Amadeus Mouse (``Wolf,'' for short) has a big name for such a little mouse. But the name fits. His favorite pastime is listening to Mrs. Honeybee, the lady of the house, play the piano. If only he could sing along to the music! One day, to his surprise, out of his mouth comes a perfect melody. It's not long before Wolf is singing everything he can imagine, all to Mrs. Honeybee's accompaniment. Then an accident leaves Mrs. Honeybee in danger, and it's up to Wolf to save her...the only way he knows how.
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HEN
Misty of Chincoteague (age 8-11)
by Marguerite Henry
enterprise ... adventure ... animals
Nobody could capture the Phantom, the wildest mare on the island. Paul and Maureen had their hearts set on owning her. They worked hard to earn the money she would cost. On Pony Penning Day, Paul not only brings in the Phantom, but her newborn colt as well. Can Paul and Maureen possibly earn enough to buy them both?
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HEN
King of the Wind (age 8-11)
by Marguerite Henry
adventure ... animals
This is the classic story of Sham and his friend, the stable boy Agba. Their adventures take them from the sands of the Sahara to the royal courts of France and, finally, to the green pastures and stately homes of England. For Sham was the renowned Godolphin Arabian, whose blood flows through the veins of almost every superior Thoroughbred. Sham's speed, like his story, has become legendary.
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GAR
Stone Fox (age 8-11)
by John Reynolds Gardiner
adventure ... enterprise
Ten-year-old Willy needs to win the big dogsled race in order to pay the back taxes on his grandfather's farm, but that means beating the huge Indian mountain man, Stone Fox.
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FLE
The Midnight Horse (age 8-11)
by Sid Fleischman
adventure ... spooky ... magic
On a coach bound for Cricklewood, the orphan boy Touch caught his first glimpse of the haunt named The Great Chaffalo. According to rumor, he was once a famous magician who could turn a pile of straw into a horse. Now, Touch needs the ghost's help in order to escape his wicked great-uncle. So, with an armload of straw and a determined spirit, Touch makes his plea to The Great Chaffalo, and, magically, a horse appears! But can magic save Touch when his great-uncle's schemes grow even more villainous?
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EAG
Magic or Not? (age 8-11)
by Edgar Eager
magic ... fantasy ... adventure
When the family moves to Connecticut, twins James and Laura make new friends and begin a series of unusual adventures after discovering an old well that seems to be magic in their backyard.
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EAG
The Well-Wishers (age 8-11)
by Edgar Eager
magic ... fantasy ... adventure
Six children relate their experiences with an unpredictable old wishing well that involves them in some magical adventures during an eventful autumn.
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EAG
Seven-day Magic (age 8-11)
by Edgar Eager
magic ... fantasy ... adventure
A seven-day book of magic proves to be fractious for five children, who must learn the book's rules and tame its magic.
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EAG
Half Magic (age 8-11)
by Edgar Eager
knights/castles/dragons ... magic ... fantasy ... adventure
Four children looking forward to an ordinary summer enjoy a series of fantastic adventures by double-wishing on an ancient coin.
sequel: Magic by the Lake
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DUB
The Twenty-One Balloons (age 8-11)
by William Pene Dubois
enterprise ... adventure ... voyages/journeys
Publisher comments: When Prof. William Waterman Sherman was found adrift in the Atlantic clinging to the debris of twenty-one balloons, all America was rocked with curiosity.
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DIT
The Spiderwick Chronicles (age 8-11)
by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black
adventure ... family ... fantasy
Publisher comments: The Grace kids (twins Jared and Simon and their older sister, Mallory) move into their great-aunt's creepy old mansion with their mother. Strange goings-on lead them to an old book filled with pictures of fanstastic creatures. It holds clues to recent odd events, and the key to an even bigger mystery: the disappearance of the children's great-uncle Arthur Spiderwick generations before...
title: The Field Guide
title: The Seeing Stone
title: The Ironwood Tree
title: The Wrath of Mulgarath
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DAH
James and the Giant Peach (age 8-11)
by Roald Dahl
fantasy ... adventure
Publisher comments: When James Henry Trotter accidentally drops some magic crystals by the old peach tree, strange things start to happen. The peach at the top of the tree begins to grow, and before long it's as big as a house. Then James discovers a secret entranceway into the fruit, and when he crawls inside, he meets a bunch of marvelous oversized friends. With a snip of the stem, the peach starts rolling away, and the exciting adventure begins!
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CLE
The Mouse and the Motorcycle (age 8-11)
by Beverly Cleary
adventure
Publisher comments: Ralph the mouse ventures out from behind the piney knothole in the wall of his hotel-room home, scrambles up the telephone wire to the end table, and climbs aboard the toy motorcycle left there by a young guest. Thus begins many awesome adventures.
sequel: Ralph S. Mouse
sequel: Runaway Ralph
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CLE
Henry Huggins (age 8-11)
by Beverly Cleary
adventure ... animals ... realistic
Publisher comments: Henry Huggins feels that nothing very interesting ever happens to him. But from the moment a stray dog in the drugstore begs for a taste of his ice-cream cone and downs it in one gulp, everything is different. Henry names the dog Ribsy and decides to keep him. Before Henry even reaches home with Ribsy he spends all of his money, gets kicked off three buses, and enjoys a hair-raising ride in a police car. And that's only the beginning of Henry's exciting new life! See also the rest of the Henry Huggins series.
sequel: Henry and Beezus
sequel: Henry and Ribsy
sequel: Ribsy
sequel: Henry and the Paper Route
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CHR
The Hockey Machine (age 8-11)
by Matt Christopher
mystery ... survival ... adventure ... sports
Catalog: Abducted by a "fan" and forced to become a member of a professional junior hockey team, thirteen-year-old star center Steve Crandall quickly realizes that he must play not only to win but to survive.
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BAN
The Indian in the Cupboard (age 8-11)
by Lynne Reid Banks
adventure ... magic
Publisher comments: It all starts with a birthday present Omri doesn't even want; a small plastic Indian of no use to him at all. But when an old wooden cupboard and a special key bring the unusual toy to life, Omri's Indian becomes his most important secret: precious, dangerous, wonderful, and above all, magical.
sequel: The Return of the Indian
sequel: The Secret of the Indian
sequel: The Mystery of the Cupboard
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ALE
Time Cat (age 8-11)
by Lloyd Alexander
short stories ... historical ... adventure
Publisher comments: ``Anywhere, any time, any country, any century,'' Gareth tells Jason. And in the wink of a very special cat's eye, they're off. From ancient Egypt to Japan, the land of young Leonardo da Vinci to the town of a woman accused of witchcraft, Jason and Gareth are whisked from place to place and friend to foe. Full of fun, excitement, and a good dose of history, here's a fantastic tale that grabs the imagination and takes it far and wide, on the adventure of not one but nine amazing lifetimes.

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