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Star Wars, Jedi Quest Series (age 9-12)
by Jude Watson
war ... science fiction ... adventure ... action
Fourteen-year-old Anakin Skywalker is strong in the ways of the Force. His lightsaber skills are exceptional, and his piloting is legendary. He should be an ideal Jedi apprentice. And yet, there is so much he still has to learn. It is up to Obi-Wan Kenobi to teach him these things. But on a mission to a planet threatened by a toxic disaster, Obi-Wan and Anakin are separated. Anakin and three other apprentices ¿ one of them his rival ¿ must work together in order to survive. Anakin's instincts are clear...but are they right? Anakin Skywalker's destiny will determine the future of a galaxy. These are the events that form his fate.
title: The Way of the Apprentice
title: The Trail of the Jedi
title: The Shadow Trap
title: The False Peace
title: The Final Showdown
Star Wars Series (age 9-12)
war ... science fiction ... adventure ... action
The Jedi Knights battle the forces of evil in these exciting Star Wars novelizations.
title: The Glove of Darth Vader by Paul Davids F DAV
title: Queen of the Empire by Paul Davids F DAV
title: Zorba the Hutt's Revenge by Paul Davids F DAV
title: Prophets of the Dark Side by Paul Davids F DAV
title: The Lost City of the Jedi by Paul Davids F DAV
title: Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones by Patricia Wrede F WRE
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On the Run Series (age 9-12)
by Gordon Korman
realistic ... mystery ... adventure ... action
Publisher comments: Aidan and Meg Falconer are their parents' only hope. The Falconers are facing life in prison -- unless Aidan and Meg can follow a trail of clues to prove their innocence. The problem? Right now they're trapped in a juvenile detention center. Until they escape one night -- and find themselves on the run, both from the authorities and from a sinister attacker t who has his own reason to stop them. The Falconers must use their wits to make it across the country ... with plenty of tests along the way.
title: Now You See Them, Now You Don't
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Three Against the Tide (age 9-12)
by D. Anne Love
war ... adventure ... family ... historical ... voyages/journeys
After her father is called away from their plantation near Charleston, S.C., during the Civil War, twelve-year-old Susanna must lead her brothers on a difficult journey in hopes of being reunited with him.
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The 7 Professors of the Far North (age 9-12)
by John Fardell
science fiction ... brilliant protagonist ... math/science/technology ... adventure ... action
When Sam visits Zara and Ben and their great-uncle, the quirky inventor Professor Ampersand, he never expects to embark on a fantastical adventure, overflowing with suspense and intrigue.
sequel: The Flight of the Silver Turtle
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Peter Pan (age 9-12)
by J. M. Barrie
fantasy ... adventure
Welcome to Neverland! For three lucky children living in London, nothing could seem better than a faraway world where you were free to play all day. In this magical world, there would be no school. And no parents to tell you to brush your teeth. Or to sit up straight, or to eat your vegetables. Best of all, in this make-believe world no one would ever grow up. Children would remain children forever. As Wendy, John, and Michael and are about to discover, this faraway land is not so very far away after all. In fact, it is but a short dream away. On a world within a cloud called Neverland. It truly is a dream come true! But no dream lasts forever. Every child has to grow up eventually. Unless, of course, that child is named Peter Pan.
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Zorgamazoo (age 9-12)
by Robert Paul Weston
adventure ... fantasy ... poetry
Publisher comments: Are You a Believer in Fanciful Things? In Pirates and Dragons and Creatures and Kings? Then sit yourself down in a comfortable seat, with maybe some cocoa and something to eat, and I'll spin you the tale of Katrina Katrell, a girl full of courage (and daring, as well ), who down in the subway, under the ground, saw something fantastical roaming around . . . What was it she saw? I'd rather not say. (Who's ever heard of a Zorgle, anyway?) But if you are curious, clever and brave, if intrepid adventure is something you crave, then open this book and I'll leave it to you to uncover the secret of ZORGAMAZOO.
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Moby Dick (age 9-12)
by Shirley Bogart
voyages/journeys ... adventure
Specially adapted for kids, this book tells the story of a young school teacher who signs up on a whaling ship to seek adventure.
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The Missing Series (age 9-12)
by Margaret Peterson Haddix
adventure ... identity ... science fiction
Publisher comments: Thirteen-year-old Jonah has always known that he was adopted, and he's never thought it was any big deal. Then he and a new friend, Chip, who's also adopted, begin receiving mysterious letters. The first one says, You are one of the missing. The second one says, Beware They're coming back to get you. Jonah, Chip, and Jonah's sister, Katherine, are plunged into a mystery that involves the FBI, a vast smuggling operation, an airplane that appeared out of nowhere, and people who seem to appear and disappear at will. The kids discover they are caught in a battle between two opposing forces that want very different things for Jonah and Chip's lives. Do Jonah and Chip have any choice in the matter? And what should they choose when both alternatives are horrifying?
title: Found
title: Sent
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Sherlock Files Series (age 9-12)
by Tracy Barrett
adventure ... mystery
Publisher comments: Xena and Xander Holmes, an American brother and sister living in London for a year, discover that Sherlock Holmes was their great-great-great grandfather when they are inducted into the Society for the Preservation of Famous Detectives and given his unsolved casebook, from which they attempt to solve the case of a famous missing painting.
title: The Hundred-Year-Old Secret
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Pirates of the Caribbean, the Curse of the Black Pearl (age 9-12)
by Tennant Redbank
action ... adventure
Stories are whispered of a mysterious ship with black sails and the ruthless pirate who captains it--Barbossa. Feared among pirates and sailors alike, Barbossa and his crew are said to be cursed. Elizabeth Swann isn't afraid of pirates, that is, until she is kidnapped and taken aboard the Black Pearl. Now Will Turner must turn to Captain Jack Sparrow to rescue the girl he loves from the evil clutches of Barbossa and the crew of the Black Pearl.
title: Captain Jack's Tale
title: A Pirates Life
The 39 Clues (age 9-12)
historical ... action ... adventure ... mystery
Minutes before she died Grace Cahill changed her will, leaving her decendants an impossible decision: "You have a choice: one million dollars or a clue." Grace is the last matriarch of the Cahills, the world's most powerful family. Everyone from Napoleon to Houdini is related to the Cahills, yet the source of the family power is lost. 39 clues hidden around the world will reveal the family's secret, but no one has been able to assemble them. Now the clues race is on, and young Amy and Dan must decide what's important: hunting clues or uncovering what REALLY happened to their parents.
title: The Maze of Bones by Rick Riordan F RIO
title: One False Note by Gordon Korman F KOR
title: The Sword Thief by Peter Lerangis F LER
title: Beyond the Grave by Jude Watson F WAT
title: The Black Circle by Patrick Carman F CAR
title: Into the Gauntlet by Margaret Peterson Haddix F HAD
title: The Viper's Nest by Peter Lerangis F LER
title: The Emperor's Code by Gordon Korman F KOR
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Swindle Series (age 9-12)
by Gordon Korman
adventure ... humor
After a mean collector named Swindle cons him out of his most valuable baseball card, Griffin Bing must put together a band of misfits to break into Swindle's compound and recapture the card. There are many things standing in their way...a menacing guard dog, a high-tech security system, a very secret hiding place, and their inability to drive...but Griffin and his team are going to get back what's rightfully his, even if hijinks ensue.
title: Framed
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The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (age 9-12)
by Mark Twain
adventure ... growing up ... humor
The adventures of a mischievous young boy and his friends growing up in a Mississippi River town in the nineteenth century.
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Elephant Run (age 9-12)
by Roland Smith
adventure ... action ... war ... historical
In 1941, bombs drop from the night skies of London, demolishing the apartment Nick Freestone lives in with his mother. Deciding the situation in England is too unstable, Nick's mother sends him to live with his father in Burma, hoping he will be safer living on the family's teak plantation. But as soon as Nick arrives, trouble erupts in this remote Burmese elephant village. Japanese soldiers invade, and Nick's father is taken prisoner. Nick is stranded on the plantation, forced to work as a servant to the new rulers. As life in the village grows more dangerous for Nick and his young friend, Mya, they plan their daring escape. Setting off on elephant back, they will risk their lives to save Nick's father and Mya's brother from a Japanese POW camp. In this thrilling journey through the jungles of Burma, Roland Smith explores the far-reaching effects of World War II, while introducing readers to the fascinating world of wild timber elephants and their mahouts.
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Igraine the Brave (age 9-12)
by Cornelia Funke
princesses ... knights/castles/dragons ... adventure ... fantasy ... magic
Princess Igraine dreams of becoming a famous knight just like her great grandfather, but the truth is, life at the family castle is rather boring. Until the nephew of the baroness-next-door shows up. He's got a dastardly plan to capture the castle and claim as his own the wonderful singing spell books that belong to Igraine's magician parents. To make matters worse, at the very moment of the siege, her mom and dad botch a spell, turning themselves into pigs! Aided by a Gentle Giant and a Sorrowful Knight, it's up to Igraine to be brave and save the day--and the books!
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Elijah of Buxton (age 9-12)
by Christopher Curtis
bigotry ... adventure ... historical
It's 1860, and eleven-year-old Elijah is a first-generation freeborn child. His Canadian town of Buxton, located just across the border from Detroit, serves as a haven for runaway slaves and their children, where Blacks can live free and govern themselves away from the horrors of pre-emancipation America. When the town's corrupt preacher steals money from a citizen who's been saving to buy his family's freedom, Elijah sets off for Detroit in pursuit. He encounters a group of captured runaway slaves; unable to save them all, he escapes with the youngest--a baby--and returns to Buxton a hero.
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Raleigh's Page (age 9-12)
by Alan Armstrong
adventure ... historical
Andrew has grown up near the Plymouth docks hearing the sailors talk about America. Knowing that Andrew's heart is set on going to the new world, his father sends him up to London to serve as page in the house of Walter Raleigh. In Queen Elizabeth's court, Raleigh's the strongest voice in favor of fighting with Spain for a position in the New World, and everyone knows that it's just a matter of time before Her Majesty agrees to an expedition. Can Andrew prove himself fit to go on an expedition to the New World?
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The Swiss Family Robinson (age 9-12)
by Johann Wyss
family ... adventure ... survival
For six days and nights, a storm tosses the Robinson family's ship around on the sea, before dashing it on the rocks off a deserted island. All the sailors are gone. The family is alone! But nothing can keep the cheerful Swiss family Robinson down for long. The family quickly settles into their new home--mining the shipwreck for supplies, discovering valuable resources on the island and animal friends, and even turning the treetops into their own lofty aerie. Life is a nonstop adventure with the Swiss Family Robinson!
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Gullivers Travels (age 9-12)
by James Dunbar
adventure ... fantasy
The voyages of an eighteenth-century Englishman carry him to such strange places as Lilliput, where people are six inches tall, and Brobdingnag, a land peopled by giants. Special adaptation of Jonathan Swift's classic novel for elementary school students
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I Am the Ice Worm (age 9-12)
by MaryAnn Easley
growing up ... adventure ... survival
While traveling to visit her mother in the Arctic a California girl learns the meaning of hardship and survival when she is taken in by an Inupiat family.
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Only Child (age 9-12)
by H. M. Hoover
growing up ... adventure ... science fiction
Twelve-year-old Cody discovers that the Terran Corporation, in colonizing the planet Patma, is illegally destroying the intelligent native inhabitants, giant insectlike creatures with their own language and religion.
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Thora (age 9-12)
by Gillian Johnson
fantasy ... adventure ... humor
Ten-year-old Thora, daughter of a mermaid mother and a human father, has many adventures at sea until she must return to the English seaside town of Grimli and save her mother who has been captured by the greedy real estate developer, Frooty de Mare.
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The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (age 9-12)
by Diedre Laiken
historical ... adventure
the story of a boy who escapes from his evil, drunken father and befriends a runaway slave. Together they float towards freedom on a raft down the Mississippi River. Adapted from the classic novel by Mark Twain.
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Treasure Island (age 9-12)
by Diedre Laiken
voyages/journeys ... adventure
An innkeeper's son finds a treasure map that leads him to a pirate's fortune. Adapted from the classic novel by Robert Louis Stevenson
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The Three Musketeers (age 9-12)
by Michael Leitch
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. Adapted from the classic novel by Alexandre Dumas.
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Trail Fever: the Life of a Texas Cowboy (age 9-12)
by D. J. Lightfoot
adventure ... historical
A biography of George Saunders, a cowboy who endured cattle drives, stampedes, and skirmishes with Indians on the Texas frontier during and after the Civil War.
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A Dog's Life: the Autobiography of a Stray (age 9-12)
by Ann Matthews Martin
adventure ... survival ... animals
Squirrel and her brother Bone begin their lives in a toolshed behind a summer house. Their mother nurtures them and teaches them the many skills they will need to survive as stray dogs. But when their mother is suddenly taken from them, the puppies are forced to make their own way in the world, facing humans both gentle and brutal, busy highways, other animals, and the changing seasons. When Bone and Squirrel become separated, Squirrel must fend for herself, and in the process makes two friends who in very different ways define her fate.
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Peter Pan in Scarlet (age 9-12)
by Geraldine McCaughrean
fantasy ... adventure ... action
Peter Pan in Scarlet takes readers flying back to Neverland in an adventure filled with tension, danger, and swashbuckling derring-do!
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MCA
Mistmantle Chronicles (age 9-12)
by M.I. McAllister
fantasy ... adventure
The start of an exciting new trilogy, Urchin of the Riding Stars is an epic, Shakespearian story of murder, treachery and revenge set on the island of Mistmantle, a world of squirrels, otters, and moles.
title: Urchin of the Riding Stars
title: Urchin and the Heartstone
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The Butterfly Lion (age 9-12)
by Michael Morpurgo
animals ... school ... adventure
Trying to run away from boarding school in England, a boy encounters a mysterious old woman who tells him the story of her late husband Bertie and the beautiful white lion cub that he rescued as a boy.
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Gay-Neck: the Story of a Pigeon (age 9-12)
by Dhan Gopal Mukerji
war ... adventure ... animals ... historical
The story of the training of a carrier pigeon and its service during the First World War, revealing the bird's courageous and spirited adventures over the housetops of an Indian village, in the Himalayan Mountains, and on the French battlefield.
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A Journey to the Center of the Earth (age 9-12)
by Howard Schwach
science fiction ... adventure
Adapted from the classic novel by Jules Verne, this tells the story of a group of explorers who travel to the center of the earth through a volcano, encountering storms, pre-historic animals and cavemen.
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Around the World in 80 Days (age 9-12)
by Jules Verne
adventure
In 1872 Phileas Fogg wins a bet by traveling around the world in seventy-nine days, twenty-three hours, and fifty-seven minutes.
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MOR
On to Oregon! (age 9-12)
by Honore Morrow
adventure ... historical
The story of the Sagar family who left their home in 1844 to make a two thousand mile trip by covered wagon to Oregon.
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MCE
The Daydreamer (age 9-12)
by Ian McEwan
adventure ... short stories ... growing up
In these seven exquisitely interlinked episodes, the grown-up protagonist Peter Fortune reveals the secret journeys, metamorphoses, and adventures of his childhood. Living somewhere between dream and reality, Peter experiences fantastical transformations: he swaps bodies with the wise old family cat; exchanges existences with a cranky infant; encounters a very bad doll who has come to life and is out for revenge; and rummages through a kitchen drawer filled with useless objects to discover some not-so-useless cream that actually makes people vanish. Finally, he wakes up as an eleven-year-old inside a grown-up body and embarks on the truly fantastic adventure of falling in love.
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Chancy and the Grand Rascal (age 9-12)
by Sid Fleischman
adventure ... humor
A tall tale about swindlers, liars, and cheats...and optimism that sustains them.
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The Wind in the Willows (age 9-12)
by Kenneth Grahame
adventure ... fantasy
When Mole goes boating with the Water Rat instead of spring-cleaning, he discovers a new world. As well as the river and the Wild Wood, there is Toad's craze for fast travel, which leads him and his friends on a whirl of trains, barges, gipsy caravans and motor cars, and into a lot of trouble.
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The Lion Boy Trilogy (age 9-12)
by Zizou Corder
action ... adventure ... science fiction ... humor
Charlie Ashanti can speak Cat. He takes it for granted - but when his mum and dad go missing, the Cats are the only friends he can turn to. Setting out to find his parents, he stows away on an incredible circus ship bound for Paris. On board he meets six proud, beautiful lions who need his help. With danger close behind and uncertainty ahead, they embark together on the adventure of a lifetime.
title: Lionboy: the First Book in a Trilogy
title: Lion-boy: the Truth
title: The Chase
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FAR
The Black Stallion Series (age 9-12)
by Walter Farley
survival ... adventure ... animals
A shipwreck leaves young Alec stranded on a deserted island with a wild stallion. Dependent on each other for survival, boy and horse learn to trust and love each other as they establish an amazing friendship that lasts a lifetime.
title: The Black Stallion
title: The Island Stallion
title: The Young Black Stallion
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Varjak Paw (age 9-12)
by S. F. Said
adventure ... action ... spooky ... magic
Varjak Paw is a Mesopotamian Blue kitten. He lives high up in an old house on a hill. He's never left home, until his grandfather tells him about the Way ... a secret martial art for cats. Now Varjak must use the Way to survive in a city full of dangerous dogs, cat gangs, and strangest of all, the mysterious Vanishings.
sequel: The Outlaw Varjak Paw
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Tales of Rowan Hood Series (age 9-12)
by Nancy Springer
folklore ... adventure ... fantasy ... identity
Rosemary has nowhere to go when her beloved mother dies. She has never met her father--the outlaw Robin Hood. So she changes her name to Rowan, disguises herself as a boy, and make a perilous journey to Sherwood Forest in search of her lost father.
title: Rowan Hood: Outlaw Girl of Sherwood Forest
title: Outlaw Princess of Sherwood: a Tale of Rowan Hood
title: Rowan Hood Returns: the Final Chapter
title: Wild Boy: a Tale of Rowan Hood
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The Great American Elephant Chase (age 9-12)
by Gillian Cross
voyages/journeys ... identity ... historical ... adventure ... humor
In 1881 fifteen-year-old Tad helps a girl in her attempt to get a mighty Indian elephant to friends in Nebraska, while pursued by two unscrupulous villains who wish to take the elephant from her.
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John Treegate's Musket (age 9-12)
by Leonard Wibberley
adventure ... historical
Peter Treegate, apprentice to a maker of barrel stoves in Boston in 1769, becomes a victim of his fellow apprentices and the uncertain time.
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The Bones in the Cliff (age 9-12)
by James Stevenson
adventure ... friendship ... family
Pete, a lonely and timid eleven-year-old who has just made friends with an adventurous girl named Rootie, hides out on Cutlass Island with his alcoholic father, waiting for the gunman his father fears will kill him.
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Call It Courage (age 9-12)
by Armstrong Sperry
adventure ... survival ... folklore
Relates how Mafatu, a young Polynesian boy whose name means Stout Heart, overcomes his terrible fear of the sea and proves his courage to himself and his people.
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The Trespassers (age 9-12)
by Zilpha Keatley Snyder
adventure ... mystery ... spooky
It all starts the summer after Neely finishes fifth grade. She is trying to entertain her little brother, Grub, when they accidentally find a way to sneak into Halcyon House, a magnificent mansion that has been deserted for years. Inside they discover a wonderful surprise, a playroom full of fabulous old-fashioned toys. Despite the spookiness of the house and the rumors about a ghost that haunts it, and despite the fact that they don't belong there, the playroom becomes their secret hideaway.
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Thor's Hammer (age 9-12)
by Will Shetterly
adventure ... fantasy ... folklore
In 1876 San Francisco, three boys from very different backgrounds are rescued from drowning by a magical ship which takes them on a quest to Asgard, home of the Norse gods.
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Weirdos of the Universe, Unite! (age 9-12)
by Pamela F. Service
humor ... adventure ... science fiction ... folklore
Dedicated weirdos Mandy and Owen accidentally summon up five mythological beings, who need their aid in defending Earth from space invaders.
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Where the Red Fern Grows (age 9-12)
by Wilson Rawls
adventure ... animals ... illness/loss
A young boy living in the Ozarks achieves his heart's desire when he becomes the owner of two redbone hounds and teaches them to be champion hunters.
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The Firework-Maker's Daughter (age 9-12)
by Philip Pullman
voyages/journeys ... magic ... adventure
In a country far to the east, Chulak and his talking white elephant Hamlet help Lila seek the Royal sulphur from the sacred volcano so that she can become a master maker of fireworks like her father.
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Soup (age 9-12)
by Robert Newton Peck
humor ... adventure ... friendship
The adventures and misadventures of two boys growing up in a small Vermont town.
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Thunder Rolling in the Mountains (age 9-12)
by Scott O'Dell
adventure ... historical
In the late nineteenth century, a young Nez Perce girl relates how her people were driven off their land by the U.S. Army and forced to retreat north until their eventual surrender.
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Island of the Blue Dolphins (age 9-12)
by Scott O'Dell
survival ... adventure ... historical
In the Pacific, there is an island that looks like a big fish sunning itself in the sea. Around it blue dolphins swim, otters play, and sea birds abound. Karana is the Indian girl who lived alone for years on the Island of the Blue Dolphins. Hers is not only an unusual adventure of survival, but also a tale of natural beauty and personal discovery.
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James Printer: a Novel of Rebellion (age 9-12)
by Paul Samuel Jacobs
war ... adventure ... historical
Although he has lived and worked as a printer's apprentice with the Green family in Cambridge, Massachusetts for many years, James, a Nipmuck Indian, finds himself caught up in the events that lead to a horrible war.
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Seabird (age 9-12)
by Holling C. Holling
historical ... adventure ... nature
An ivory gull carved by Ezra Brown in 1832 when he was a boy on a whaling ship brings luck to him and his descendants as they journey the seven seas.
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Paddle-to-the-Sea (age 9-12)
by Holling C. Holling
historical ... adventure
A toy canoe with an Indian figure is launched in Lake Nipigon and finally travels through the Great Lakes, to the St. Lawrence River, and the Atlantic Ocean.
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HAD
Shadow Children Series (age 9-12)
by Margaret Peterson Haddix
adventure ... family ... science fiction
Luke has never been to school. He's never had a birthday party, or gone to a friend's house for an overnight. In fact, Luke has never had a friend. Luke is one of the shadow children, a third child forbidden by the Population Police. He's lived his entire life in hiding, and now, with a new housing development replacing the woods next to his family's farm, he is no longer even allowed to go outside. Then, one day Luke sees a girl's face in the window of a house where he knows two other children already live. Finally, he's met a shadow child like himself. Jen is willing to risk everything to come out of the shadows; does Luke dare to become involved in her dangerous plan? Can he afford not to?
title: Among the Hidden
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Running Out of Time (age 9-12)
by Margaret Peterson Haddix
science fiction ... adventure ... illness/loss
Believing herself to be a frontier child in 1840, Jessie is shocked when her mother reveals a secret--it's really 1996. After a diphtheria outbreak strikes the village children, Jessie must venture out into the modern world where she faces a wealth of confusing 20th century innovations and the sinister man who will stop at nothing to make sure the village residents remain locked in their 19th century world.
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GIP
Old Yeller (age 9-12)
by Fred Gipson
adventure ... historical ... growing up ... friendship
In the late 1860s in the Texas hill country, a big yellow dog and a fourteen-year-old boy form a close, loving relationship.
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FLE
The Half-A-Moon Inn (age 9-12)
by Paul Fleischman
adventure ... mystery
Lost on wintry roads, mute-born Aaron searches for his mother, who has failed to return from the town market. Nearly half-frozen, he stumbles into the Half-a-Moon Inn, where the wicked proprietor forces him to assist her with picking pockets and prying into people's dreams.
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Ice Drift (age 9-12)
by Theodore Taylor
adventure ... historical ... survival
The year is 1868, and fourteen-year-old Alika and his younger brother, Sulu, are hunting for seals on an ice floe attached to their island in the Arctic. Suddenly they hear the terrible sound of the floe breaking free from land. The boys watch with horror as they start drifting south--away from their home, their family, and everything they've ever known. Throughout their six-month-long journey down the Greenland Strait, the boys face bitter cold, starvation, and vicious polar bears. And yet, in this moving testament to the bond between brothers, Alika and Sulu remain hopeful that one day they'll be rescued.
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The Prince of Tarn (age 9-12)
by Hazel Hutchins
authorship ... fantasy ... adventure
Fred can't believe the Prince is actually standing in his bedroom. Are his mom's stories becoming real? He tries to send the Prince back home to his magical kingdom of Tarn, but in the meantime the Prince barks orders at everyone, including Fred's teacher. It is only when Tarn is being destroyed that they find a way to get there--and in the process each boy finds that the other isn't so bad after all.
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Within a Painted Past (age 9-12)
by Hazel Hutchins
historical ... adventure ... identity
Allison's adventures in the world of one hundred years ago are the biggest test of courage and strength that she has ever faced.
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Qwerty Stevens, Back in Time: the Edison Mystery (age 9-12)
by Dan Gutman
adventure ... humor ... historical ... science fiction
Thirteen-year-ole Robert "Qwerty" Stevens uses the time machine he finds in his backyard to visit Thomas Edison's workshop in 1879 and there helps develop the electric lightbulb, but then needs his sister's help to return to his own time.
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The Wanderer (age 9-12)
by Sharon Creech
identity ... adventure ... family ... illness/loss ... voyages/journeys
"The sea, the sea, the sea. It rolled and rolled and called to me. Come in, it said, come in." Thirteen-year-old Sophie hears the sea calling, promising adventure and a chance for discovery as she sets sail for England with her three uncles and two cousins. Sophie's cousin Cody isn't sure he has the strength to prove himself to the crew and to his father. Through Sophie's and Cody's travel logs, we hear stories of the past and the daily challenges of surviving at sea as The Wanderer sails toward its destination, and its passengers search for their places in the world.
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The Dragonslayers (age 9-12)
by Bruce Coville
princesses ... adventure ... fantasy ... knights/castles/dragons
A brave squire, an earnest page, and a strong-willed princess set out, each for individual reasons, to try to slay the dragon created to carry out a witch's revenge.
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The Land of Elyon Series (age 9-12)
by Patrick Carman
adventure ... magic ... voyages/journeys ... fantasy
Inquisitive twelve-year-old Alexa Daley is spending another summer in the walled town of Bridewell. This year, she is set on solving the mystery of what lies beyond the walls. Legend says the walls were built to keep out an unnamed evil that lurks in the forests and The Dark Hills. But what exactly is it that the townspeople are so afraid of? As Alexa begins to unravel the truth, pushing beyond the protective barrier she's lived behind all her life, she discovers a strange and ancient enchantment, and exposes a danger that could destroy everything she holds dear.
title: The Dark Hills Divide
title: Beyond the Valley of Thorns
title: The Tenth City
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The Treasure of Alpheus Winterborn (age 9-12)
by John Bellairs
adventure ... mystery
After stumbling upon a clue in the public library, Anthony searches for the treasure long rumored to have been hidden by a wealthy, eccentric citizen of their small town.
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The Specter from the Magician's Museum (age 9-12)
by Brad Strickland
magic ... adventure ... spooky
When the evil sorceress Belle Frisson ensnares Rose Rita Pottinger in a magic web in order to steal her life force, Lewis Barnavelt must risk his own life to save his friend.
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AVI
Smuggler's Island (age 9-12)
by Avi
mystery ... adventure
"You're crazy, Shadrach Faherty," Davey called. "Crazy! You're going to get yourself killed!" Shadrach is enraged. Bootleggers have taken over his island home, using it as a base from which to run their illegal operations. The community cooperates because its silence has been bought, and times are hard. But Shadrach can't be bought. Instead, he vows to gather all the information he can to bust the criminals. He succeeds, but then chooses the wrong man to tell.
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COO
The Boggart (age 9-12)
by Susan Cooper
folklore ... humor ... spooky ... adventure
When Emily and Jess Volnik's family inherits a remote, crumbling Scottish castle, they also inherit the Boggart: an invisible, mischievous spirit who's been playing tricks on residents of Castle Keep for generations. Then the Boggart is trapped in a rolltop desk and inadvertently shipped to the Volniks' home in Toronto, where nothing will ever be the same, for the Volniks or the Boggart. In a world that doesn't believe in magic, the Boggart's pranks wreak havoc. And even the newfound joys of peanut butter and pizza and fudge sauce eventually wear thin for the Boggart. He wants to go home, but his only hope lies in a risky and daring blend of modern technology and ancient magic.
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BLA
The Shakespeare Stealer (age 9-12)
by Gary Blackwood
the arts ... adventure ... historical
A young orphan named Widge is sent to the Globe Theater to steal the script of Hamlet from Shakespeare's own company of players. When he becomes friends with the actors, he must decide whether to disobey his sinister master or betray his new friends.
sequel: Shakespeare's Scribe
sequel: Shakespeare's Spy
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NAP
The King of Mulberry Street (age 9-12)
by Donna Jo Napoli
adventure ... enterprise ... survival ... historical
In 1892, nine-year-old Dom's mother puts him on a ship leaving Italy, bound for America. He is a stowaway, traveling alone and with nothing of value except for a new pair of shoes from his mother. In the turbulent world of homeless children in Manhattan's Five Points, Dom learns street smarts, and not only survives, but thrives by starting his own business. A vivid, fascinating story of an exceptional boy, based in part on the author's grandfather.
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KER
Children of the Lamp Series (age 9-12)
by P. B. Kerr
magic ... adventure ... fantasy
Meet John and Philippa Gaunt, twelve-year-old twins who one day discover themselves to be descended from a long line of djinn. All of a sudden, they have the power to grant wishes, travel to extraordinary places, and make people and objects disappear. Luckily, the twins are introduced to their eccentric djinn-uncle Nimrod, who will teach them how to harness their newfound power. And not a moment too soon, since John and Philippa are about to embark on a search to locate a monstrous pharaoh named Akhenaten and his eerie tomb.
title: The Akhenaten Adventure (Children of the Lamp)
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SPE
The Sign of the Beaver (age 9-12)
by Elizabeth George Speare
survival ... adventure
Until the day his father returns to their cabin in the Maine wilderness, twelve-year-old Matt must try to survive on his own. Although Matt is brave, he's not prepared for an attack by swarming bees, and he's astonished when he's rescued by an Indian chief and his grandson, Attean. As the boys come to know each other Attean learns to speak English while Matt becomes a skilled hunter. Though many months have passed, there's no sign of Matt's family. Then Attean asks Matt to join the Beaver tribe and move north. Should Matt abandon his hopes of ever seeing his family again and move on to a new life?
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LIS
How I Became a Writer and Oggie Learned to Drive (age 9-12)
by Janet Taylor Lisle
authorship ... adventure ... family
Anyone anywhere near Garden Street knows to stay away from the Night Riders, and Archie is no different. He and his little brother, Oggie, know the gang is up to no good. When they steal Oggie's prized red wallet and his entire life savings, Archie has to get it back. After all, Archie has been looking out for his little brother ever since their parents separated. But the only way the Night Riders will give the wallet back is if Archie joins the gang to retrieve it. Archie is afraid that he's headed for trouble, but can he really turn back now? It's going to take all of Archie's courage--and creativity--to come out on top.
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WHI
Stuart Little (age 9-12)
by E. B. White
family ... adventure
The debonair mouse, Stuart Little, sets out into the world to seek out his dearest friend. Born to a family of humans, he finds more adventure than he bargains for.
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STO
A Dog on Barkham Street (age 9-12)
by Mary Stolz
growing up ... adventure ... animals
Edward Frost wants a dog of his own. And he doesn't want to be bullied by big, mean Martin Hastings anymore. Neither wish seems very likely to come true, until one day wandering Uncle Josh arrives with a beautiful collie named Argess. Suddenly everything begins to change.
sequel: The Bully of Barkham Street
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SMI
The Captain's Dog: My Journey With the Lewis and Clark Tribe (age 9-12)
by Roland Smith
adventure ... historical ... animals
Born the runt of his litter and gambled away to a rusty old riverman, the Newfoundland pup Seaman doesn't imagine his life will be marked by any kind of glory-beyond chasing down rats. But when he meets Captain Meriwether Lewis, Seaman finds himself on a path that will make history. Sharing the curiosity and strength of spirit of his new master, Seaman proves himself a valuable companion at every turn. This is the thrilling tale of America's greatest journey of discovery, as seen through the keen, compassionate eyes of a remarkable dog.
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RUC
In Care of Cassie Tucker (age 9-12)
by Ivy Ruckman
adventure ... historical ... bigotry
When her teenage cousin moves in with her family on their Nebraska farm in 1899, eleven-year-old Cassie learns a lot, including the depth of religious and racial intolerance, as she witnesses the unfolding of a new century.
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ROW
The Harry Potter Series (age 9-12)
by J. K. Rowling
fantasy ... adventure ... family ... school ... magic
As the first book, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone opens, all Harry Potter knows is a miserable life with the Dursleys, his horrible aunt and uncle, and their abominable son, Dudley, a great big swollen spoiled bully. Harry's room is a closet at the foot of the stairs, and he hasn't had a birthday party in eleven years. But all that is about to change when a mysterious letter arrives by owl messenger: a letter with an invitation to an incredible place that Harry (and anyone who reads about him) will find unforgettable.
title: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
title: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
title: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
title: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
title: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
title: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
title: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
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ROD
Dragons of Deltora Series (age 9-12)
by Emily Rodda
adventure ... fantasy ... knights/castles/dragons
In the first book of this series, Dragon's Nest, the evil Shadow Lord has been banished, but famine still stalks Deltora, and only monsters thrive. As the starving people weaken, Lief, Jasmine and Barda discover a terrible secret. The Enemy left the seeds of death behind him. Four vile creations of sorcery called the Four Sisters are hidden in the land. They are slowly killing it while the Shadow Lord gloats, awaiting his triumphant return. The companions must find the deadly Sisters and destroy them. Their only clue is a fragment of an ancient map. Their only hope of help lies with 7 unlikely allies - the last of Deltora's dragons.
title: Dragons Nest
title: Shadowgate
title: The Sister of the South
title: Isle of the Dead
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ROD
Deltora Shadowlands Series (age 9-12)
by Emily Rodda
adventure ... fantasy ... magic
In the first book of this series, Cavern of Fear, the Shadow Lord's evil tyranny over Deltora has ended. He and the creatures of his sorcery have been driven back across the mountains. But thousands of Deltorans are still enslaved in the Shadowlands, the Enemy's own terrifying and mysterious domain. To rescue them, Lief, Barda and Jasmine, heroes of the quest for the Belt of Deltora, must find a weapon powerful enough to combat the Shadow Lord's magic on his own ground. According to legend, the only thing the Shadow Lord fears is the fabled Pirran Pipe. But does the mysterious Pipe still exist?
title: Cavern of the Fear
title: The Isle of Illusion
title: The Shadowlands
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PAU
Harris and Me (age 9-12)
by Gary Paulsen
identity ... adventure ... friendship
This summer will be different. That's for sure. When an eleven-year-old city boy is dropped off to stay on a farm with relatives, he doesn't know what to expect. His cousin Harris soon takes care of that. Harris is rude and crude and finds trouble at every turn. He leads his city cousin into everything from wrestling slippery pigs to catching mice to a daredevil jump out of a barn loft. And that's not all. There are swimming and cowboy movies and enough good food to fill the boys up for days. Farm life is hard but never lonely. Before long, Harris' cousin has found a place where he belongs. If only summer could last forever.
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O'D
Zia (age 9-12)
by Scott O'Dell
adventure ... historical
A young Indian girl, Zia, caught between the traditional world of her mother and the present world of the Mission, is helped by her aunt Karana whose story was told in ``Island of the Blue Dolphins.''
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O'D
Sing Down the Moon (age 9-12)
by Scott O'Dell
adventure ... historical
On a warm spring day in the Southwest, Bright Morning, a young Navajo, is taking her sheep to pasture. The sky is a deep blue against the red buttes of the canyon, and the fields and orchards promise a good growing season and a rich harvest. Happy at the beauty around her, she gazes across the peaceful valley that her tribe has called home for hundreds of years. Then, lifting her eyes toward the aspen grove, she sees two men. Spanish slavers. They are riding straight toward her.
F
NES
The Story of the Treasure Seekers (age 9-12)
by E. Nesbit
family ... enterprise ... adventure
The Bastable children combine their considerable wit and experience to seek a fortune.
F
LAS
The Journal of Augustus Pelletier: the Lewis and Clark Expedition (age 9-12)
by Kathryn Lasky
adventure ... historical ... letters/journal
A fictional journal kept by twelve-year-old Augustus Pelletier, the youngest member of Lewis and Clark's Corps of Discovery.
F
KEL
The Trumpeter of Krakow (age 9-12)
by Eric Kelley
adventure ... folklore ... historical
A Polish family in the Middle Ages guards a great secret treasure and a boy's memory of an earlier trumpeter of Krakow makes it possible for him to save his father.
F
FOR
Johnny Tremain (age 9-12)
by Ester Forbes
war ... adventure ... historical
A story filled with danger and excitement, Johnny Tremain tells of the turbulent, passionate times in Boston just before the Revolutionary War. Johnny, a young apprentice silversmith, is caught up in a dramatic involvement with James Otis, John Hancock,and John and Samuel Adams in the exciting currents and undercurrents that were to lead to the Boston Tea Party and the Battle of Lexington.
F
FLE
The Ghost in the Noonday Sun (age 9-12)
by Sid Fleischman
adventure ... spooky
Twelve-year-old Oliver tries to escape from pirates who take him to an island to find the ghost and treasure of Gentleman Jack.
F
BAR
Peter and the Starcatchers Series (age 9-12)
by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson
adventure ... magic ... humor
In this fast-paced (and often hilarious) adventure on the high seas and on a faraway island, an orphan boy named Peter and his mysterious new friend, Molly, take on bands of pirates and thieves in their quest to keep a fantastical secret safe and save the world from evil.
title: Peter and the Starcatchers
title: Peter and the Shadow Thieves
F
AVI
The Good Dog (age 9-12)
by Avi
family ... adventure ... animals
McKinley, a malamute, is torn between the domestic world of his human family and the wild world of Lupin, a wolf that is trying to recruit dogs to replenish the dwindling wolf pack. As McKinley and his boy try to save the wolf from a vicious man, no one can foresee what will happen.
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APP
Visser (age 9-12)
by K. A. Applegate
action ... science fiction ... adventure
He's the source of incredible destruction and evil throughout the galaxy. She's the leader of the Yeerk invasion of Earth . . . and Marco's mother. This is their story.
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APP
Animorphs Megamorphs Series (age 9-12)
by K. A. Applegate
action ... growing up ... animals ... science fiction ... adventure
Fans of the original Animorphs series will love these heart-pounding adventures, told from each character's point of view.
title: The Andalite's Gift
title: The Andalite Chronicles
title: The Hork-Bajir Chronicles
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APP
Animorphs Series (age 9-12)
by K. A. Applegate
action ... growing up ... animals ... science fiction ... adventure
This fantastic, unpredictable, edge-of-your-seat series can best be described as an ``X-Files'' for kids--plus a whole lot more! Jake, Rachel, Cassie, Tobias, and Marco are the Animorphs--five kids who can change into any animal they touch.
title: The Invasion
title: The Visitor
title: The Message
title: The Capture
title: The Stranger
title: The Alien
title: The Secret
title: The Android
title: The Forgotten
title: The Reaction
title: The Underground
title: The Decision
title: The Departure
title: The Pretender
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AND
The Game of Sunken Places (age 9-12)
by M. T. Anderson
spooky ... mystery ... adventure
When Brian and Gregory receive an invitation to stay at a distant relative's strange manse . . . well, they should know better than to go, since this is a middle-grade adventure novel. But they go anyway. Why not? Once there, they stumble upon The Game of Sunken Places, a board game that mirrors a greater game in which they have suddenly become players. Soon the boys are dealing with attitudinal trolls, warring kingdoms, and some very starchy britches. Luckily, they have wit, deadpan observation, and a keen sense of adventure on their side.
F
OPP
The Silverwing Trilogy (age 9-12)
by Kenneth Oppel
growing up ... action ... adventure
Shade is a young Silverwing bat, the runt of his colony. But he's determined to prove himself on the long, dangerous winter migration to Hibernaculum, millions of wingbeats to the south. During a fierce storm, he loses the others and soon faces the most incredible journey of his young life. Desperately searching for a way to rejoin his flock, Shade meets a remarkable cast of characters. But which ones are friends and which ones are enemies? In this epic story of adventure and suspense, Shade is going to need all the help he can find, if he hopes to ever see his family again.
title: Sunwing
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LAS
Legends of the Ga'hoole (age 9-12)
by Kathryn Lasky
action ... adventure ... fantasy
It is a time of Legends and a time of chaos. Warlords vie for power and marauding outlaws roam the land. Good King Hrath and his queen, Siv, noble Spotted Owls struggle to keep peace in their kingdom. Grank, noble Spotted Owl, friend and supporter of King Hrath, has exiled himself to Beyond the Beyond, where he has developed his firesight and learns how to work with embers, fire and how to forge metals. He is the First Collier. Deep in a volcano in the farthest reaches of Beyond the Beyond, he discovers a magical Ember but fears its awful powers will be misused and hides it again.
title: The First Collier
title: The Coming of Hoole
title: To Be a King
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LAS
Guardians of the Ga'hoole Series (age 9-12)
by Kathryn Lasky
adventure ... fantasy
In the first book in the Guardians of Ga'Hoole series The Capture, readers meet Soren, a barn owl who discovers a great evil in the owl kingdom which he must work to vanquish.
title: The Capture
title: The Shattering
title: The Burning
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MOR
The Squire's Tale (age 9-12)
by Gerald Morris
folklore ... identity ... adventure ... knights/castles/dragons
In medieval England, fourteen-year-old Terence finds his tranquil existence suddenly changed when he becomes the squire of the young Gawain of Orkney and accompanies him on a long quest, proving Gawain's worth as a knight and revealing an important secret about his own true identity.
F
KON
From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler (age 9-12)
by E. L. Konigsburg
realistic ... the arts ... mystery ... adventure
Claudia knew that she could never pull off the old-fashioned kind of running away...so she decided not to run FROM somewhere, but TO somewhere. And so, after some careful planning, she and her younger brother, Jamie, escaped right into a mystery that made headlines!
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GEO
My Side of the Mountain (age 9-12)
by Jean Craighead George
survival ... animals ... nature ... adventure
Runaway Sam Gribley is surviving in the Catskill Mountains with only a penknife, a ball of cord, 40 dollars, and some flint and steel. Along the way, he learns about courage, danger, and independence during his year in the wilderness, a year that will change his life forever.
sequel: On the Far Side of the Mountain
F
FUN
The Thief Lord (age 9-12)
by Cornelia Funke
family ... adventure
Welcome to the magical underworld of Venice, Italy, where hidden canals and crumbling rooftops shelter runaways and children with incredible secrets. Prosper and Bo are orphans on the run for their cruel aunt and uncle. The brothers decide to hide out in Venice, where they meet a mysterious thirteen-year-old boy who calls himself ``the Thief Lord.''
F
WAL
The Green Book (age 9-12)
by Jill Paton Walsh
science fiction ... adventure ... voyages/journeys
As their small stock of essential supplies dwindles, a group of refugees from Earth struggles to make their strange new planet provide life's necessities.
F
WAL
Cousins in the Castle (age 9-12)
by Barbara Brooks Wallace
adventure ... mystery
A new friend comes to Amelia's rescue when she finds herself the victim of a dastardly villain's fiendish plans.
F
STE
Abel's Island (age 9-12)
by William Steig
voyages/journeys ... survival ... adventure
Cast away on an uninhabited island, Abel, a very civilized mouse, finds his resourcefulness and endurance tested to the limit as he struggles to survive and return to his home.
F
ROD
Freaky Friday (age 9-12)
by Mary Rodgers
identity ... humor ... adventure ... family
Annabel thinks her mom has the best life. If she were a grown-up, she could do whatever she wanted! Then one morning she wakes up to find she's turned into her mother . . . and she soon discovers it's not as easy as it looks!
sequel: A Billion for Boris
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ROB
Henry Reed Adventures (age 9-12)
by Keith Robertson
realistic ... adventure ... humor ... enterprise
Henry Reed has a talent for making things happen, and with his neighbor Midge in on the action, there's nothing they can't do.
title: Henry Reed, Inc.
title: Henry Reed's Baby-sitting Service
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NOR
The Borrowers Series (age 9-12)
by Mary Norton
fantasy ... adventure ... family
A family of tiny people live underneath the boards of an English home and ``borrow'' what they need.
title: The Borrowers
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NIM
Children of the Red King (Charlie Bone) Series (age 9-12)
by Jenny Nimmo
adventure ... fantasy ... school
This series chronicles Charlie's mysterious adventures at Bloor's Academy.
title: Midnight for Charlie Bone
title: Charlie Bone and the Castle of Mirrors
title: Charlie Bone and the Hidden King
title: Charlie Bone and the Invisible Boy
title: Charlie Bone and the Time Twister
F
O'B
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH (age 9-12)
by Robert C. O'Brien
adventure ... brilliant protagonist
Mrs. Frisby, a widowed mouse with four small children, must move her family to their summer quarters immediately, or face almost certain death. But her youngest son, Timothy, lies ill and must not be moved. Fortunately, she encounters the rats of NIMH, an extraordinary breed of highly intelligent creatures, who come up with a brilliant solution to her dilemma. And Mrs. Frisby in turn renders them a great service.
sequel: Racso and the Rats of NIMH by Jane Leslie Conley F CON
F
LEW
The Chronicles of Narnia (age 9-12)
by C. S. Lewis
war ... family ... fantasy ... adventure
In the first book of this series, ``The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe'', Lucy is the first to find the secret of the wardrobe in the professor's mysterious old house. At first, no one believes her when she tells of her adventures in the land of Narnia. But soon Edmund and then Peter and Susan discover the Magic and meet Aslan, the Great Lion, for themselves. In the blink of an eye, their lives are changed forever.
title: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
title: The Magician's Nephew
title: The Horse and His Boy
title: Prince Caspian
title: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
title: The Silver Chair
title: The Last Battle
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JUS
The Phantom Tollbooth (age 9-12)
by Norton Juster
adventure ... humor
Ten-year-old Milo travels through a magical tollbooth and embarks on a journey to the Kingdom of Wisdom, where he and a ``watch'' dog named Tock try to end the feud between numbers and words.
F
JAN
The Moomintroll Stories (age 9-12)
by Tove Jansson
humor ... fantasy ... adventure ... family
Adventures of the members of this family center around the Hobgoblin's tall black top hat and the Valley of the Moomins.
title: Finn Family Moomintroll
title: Tales From Moominvalley
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IBB
Island of the Aunts (age 9-12)
by Eva Ibbotson
adventure ... fantasy
When the kindly old aunts decide that they need help caring for creatures who live on their hidden island, they know that adults can't be trusted. What they need are a few special children who can keep a secret; a secret as big as a magical island. And what better way to get children who can keep really big secrets, than to kidnap them! (After all, some children just plain need to be kidnapped.)
F
FLE
By the Great Horn Spoon! (age 9-12)
by Sid Fleischman
historical ... adventure ... enterprise
A gentleman's gentleman from Boston flees to the wilds of California during the Gold Rush and becomes a hero.
F
ENR
The Saturdays (age 9-12)
by Elizabeth Enright
adventure ... family
Four New York City siblings decide to pool their resources so that each can do a special thing on the Saturday that is his turn to receive the combined allowances.
F
DEX
The Doll Who Knew the Future (age 9-12)
by Catherine Dexter
adventure ... fantasy
When they become the guardians of a talking doll that is actually the reincarnated Oracle of Delphi, three youngsters soon discover how difficult their task will be.
F
DAH
Danny the Champion of the World (age 9-12)
by Roald Dahl
humor ... adventure ... family
Danny's life seems perfect: his home is a gypsy caravan, he's the youngest car mechanic around, and his best friend is his dad, who never runs out of wonderful stories to tell. And when Danny discovers his father's secret, he's off on the adventure of a lifetime. Here's Roald Dahl's famous story about a 9-year-old boy, his dad, and a daring and hilarious pheasant-snatching expedition. Just as important, it's the story of the love between a boy and his father who, in Danny's own words, is ``the most marvelous and exciting father a boy ever had.''
F
COL
Artemis Fowl Series (age 9-12)
by Eoin Colfer
math/science/technology ... mystery ... adventure ... science fiction ... brilliant protagonist ... adventure ... action ... fantasy
Artemis Fowl, a charming but villainous twelve-year-old, takes on the dangerous world of the Fairy People in this unforgettable story. Full of unexpected twists and turns, Artemis Fowl opens up a riveting world of fantasy and mystery where anything, literally, is possible.
title: Artemis Fowl
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CLE
A Week in the Woods (age 9-12)
by Andrew Clements
identity ... survival ... adventure ... school
The fifth-grade Week in the Woods is a beloved tradition of Hardy Elementary, where Mark Chelmsley (the Fourth) is pretty much killing time before his parents send him off to an exclusive prep school. But then Mark realizes the Week might be a chance to prove to Mr. Maxwell that he's not just another of the slacker kids the teacher can't stand.
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BUR
The Copper Treasure (age 9-12)
by Melvin Burgess
enterprise ... adventure
Jamie, Ten Tons and Davies are mudlarks. To live, they sell bits of coal, rope and copper scavenged from the cold, foul mud of the River Thames. When only they see a valuable piece of copper fall off a ship, Ten Tons comes up with a daring plan to retrieve it. But it is a plan filled with great danger.
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BOS
The Children of Green Knowe (age 9-12)
by L. M. Boston
spooky ... adventure ... fantasy
This is the first thrilling and chilling tale of Green Knowe, a haunted manor deep in an overgrown garden in the English countryside.
sequel: The River at Green Knowe
sequel: A Stranger at Green Knowe
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BAB
Tuck Everlasting (age 9-12)
by Natalie Babbitt
adventure ... fantasy
The Tuck family is confronted with an agonizing situation when they discover that a ten-year-old girl and a malicious stranger now share their secret about a spring whose water prevents one from ever growing any older.

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