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ALE
The Marvelous Misadventures of Sebastian; Grand Extravaganza, Including a Performance by the Entire Cast of the Gallimaufry-Theatricus (age 10+)
by Lloyd Alexander
adventure ... voyages/journeys ... humor ... the arts
When he loses his place as fourth fiddler in a noble household, Sebastian sets out into the world to seek his fortune.
F
TAN
The Arrival (age 10+)
by Shaun Tan
family ... identity ... voyages/journeys
In a heartbreaking parting, a man gives his wife and daughter a last kiss and boards a steamship to cross the ocean. He's embarking on the most painful yet important journey of his life; he's leaving home to build a better future for his family. Shaun Tan evokes universal aspects of an immigrant's experience through a singular work of the imagination. He does so using brilliantly clear and mesmerizing images.
F
CHR
A Dusk of Demons (age 10+)
by John Christopher
adventure ... action ... voyages/journeys ... science fiction
Ben, like many others, has heard the stories of the Demons--those being summoned by the Dark One. But they exist only in his nightmares until his father, the Master, dies mysteriously and Ben is told the Demons are responsible. Then the Demons set fire to Ben's home on Old Isle and he and his stepsister must flee their homeland to find their family. Along the way, they face imprisonment, gypies, and terrified countrymen who are seeking a sacrifice to save themselves from the Dark One.
F
TOL
The Lord of the Rings Series (age 10+)
by J. R. R. Tolkien
voyages/journeys ... fantasy ... adventure
Sauron, the Dark Lord, has gathered to him all the Rings of Power except one ... the One Ring that rules them all ... which has fallen into the hands of the hobbit Bilbo Baggins. Young Frodo Baggins finds himself faced with an immense task when Bilbo entrusts the Ring to his care. Frodo must make a perilous journey across Middle-earth to the Cracks of Doom, there to destroy the Ring and foil the Dark Lord in his evil purpose.
title: The Fellowship of the Ring, Being the First Part of the Lord of the Rings
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LAT
Carry On, Mr. Bowditch (age 10+)
by Jean Lee Latham
brilliant protagonist ... voyages/journeys ... math/science/technology ... historical
Readers today are still fascinated by "Nat," an eighteenth-century nautical wonder and mathematical wizard. Nathaniel Bowditch grew up in a sailor's world ... Salem in the early days, when tall-masted ships from foreign ports crowded the wharves. But Nat didn't promise to have the makings of a sailor; he was too physically small. Nat may have been slight of build, but no one guessed that he had the persistence and determination to master sea navigation in the days when men sailed only by "log, lead, and lookout." Nat's long hours of study and observation, collected in his famous work, The American Practical Navigator (also known as the "Sailors' Bible"), stunned the sailing community and made him a New England hero.
F
STE
Treasure Island (age 10+)
by Robert Louis Stevenson
voyages/journeys ... adventure
While going through the possessions of a deceased guest who owed them money, the mistress of the inn and her son find a treasure map that leads them to a pirate's fortune.
F
PAR
A Single Shard (age 10+)
by Linda Sue Park
the arts ... voyages/journeys ... historical ... enterprise
Tree-ear is an orphan boy in a 12th-century Korean potters' village. For a long time he is content living with Crane-man under a bridge barely surviving on scraps of food. All that changes when he sees master potter Min making his beautiful pottery. Tree-ear sneaks back to Min's workplace and dreams of creating his own pots someday. When he accidentally breaks a pot, he must work for the master to pay for the damage. Though the work is long and hard, Tree-ear is eager to learn. Then he is sent to the King's Court to show the master's pottery. Little does Tree-ear know that this difficult and dangerous journey will change his life forever.
F
TAY
The Cay (age 10+)
by Theodore Taylor
voyages/journeys ... friendship ... bigotry ... adventure ... historical
When the freighter on which they are traveling is torpedoed by a German submarine during World War II, an adolescent white boy, blinded by a blow on the head, and an old black man are stranded on a tiny Caribbean island where the boy acquires a new kind of vision, courage, and love from his old companion.
sequel: Timothy of the Cay
F
CRE
Walk Two Moons (age 10+)
by Sharon Creech
illness/loss ... identity ... growing up ... friendship ... voyages/journeys ... family
As Salamanca travels cross-country with her eccentric grandparents, she tells the story of Phoebe Winterbottom, who received mysterious messages, who met a ``potential lunatic,'' and whose mother disappeared--just like Sal's.

Escondido Elementary School, Sat Aug 25 11:55:29 2012
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