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STR
Spellbinder Series (age 9-12)
by Helen Stringer
adventure ... fantasy ... school ... spooky
Publisher comments: Belladonna Johnson can see ghosts. It's a trait she's inherited from her mother's side of the family, like blue eyes or straight hair. And it's a trait she could do without, because what twelve-year-old wants to be caught talking to someone invisible? It is convenient, though, after Belladonna's parents are killed in a car accident. They can live with her the same as always, watching the same old TV shows in their same old house. Nothing has changed . . . until everything changes. One night, with no warning, they vanish into thin air—along with every other ghost in the world. It's what some people think ghosts are supposed to do, but Belladonna knows it's all wrong. They may not be living, but they're not supposed to be gone. With the help of her classmate Steve, a master of sneaking and spying, Belladonna is left to uncover what's become of the spirits and to navigate a whole world her parents have kept well-hidden. If she can't find her way, she’ll lose them again—this time for good.
title: Spellbinder
title: The Midnight Gate
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SWI
Wiff and Dirty George: the Z.E.B.R.A. Incident (age 9-12)
by Stephen R. Swinburne
adventure ... humor ... science fiction
Publisher Comments: Blimey! It's the Zipper Extraction Button Removal Atom-smasher! Something bizarre is happening in London's Paddington Station. A powerful gravitational force has taken control of passengers, causing zippers to unzip, buckles to unbuckle, and trousers to fall down, revealing more polka-dotted underwear than ever imagined. Among the victims are Wiff and Dirty George. When a man disguised as a rabbit jumps from the train, the boys give chase. Little do they know they are about to battle Basil King, a master criminal, who leads an army of rabbit-costumed thugs and mad scientists determined to take over Britain. Set in the Beatlemania 1960s, here is the outrageous adventure of Wiff and Dirty George, who must stop one of the most dastardly plots unleashed on England.
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EXQ
The Exquisite Corpse Adventure (age 9-12)
by Exq
authorship ... humor ... adventure ... action ... fantasy
Publisher comments: Take twenty top kids' authors and illustrators. Give them free rein to take turns creating a zany progressive story. What could possibly happen next? It all starts with a train rushing through the night. . . . Well, actually, it starts when Jon Scieszka, former National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, writes a cliff-hanger episode and passes it on to the next member of a cast of celebrated writers and illustrators, who continues the story and passes it on. And what happens between episodes one and twenty-seven? Think werewolves and mad scientists, a talking pig, plenty of explosions, a blue Star Wars lunchbox, two meatballs, a whole army of villains and varmints, and one just plain bad egg. Not to mention our heroes, eleven-year-old twins Nancy and Joe, raised in a circus, who must find the pieces of a Top-Secret Robot in order to rescue their parents before . . . tick, tick, tick!
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CAS
Brass Monkeys (age 9-12)
by Terry Caszatt
fantasy ... school ... adventure ... action
Publisher comments: Bumbling, cowardly Eugene is forced to transfer to a new school in northern Michigan in the middle of the year, and in the middle of a blizzard. Eugene is used to weird things happening in his life, but this new place feels really bad. He has no idea how bad it s going to get until he meets his new English teacher, Ming the Merciless. To save his classmates from a fatal graduation from Ming's School of the Brass Monkeys, Eugene must deliver an unfinished book to a legendary teacher named McGinty, who is hiding in the underworld. With the help of some renegade teachers and his new friends, he begins an epic journey to find McGinty. Will Eugene survive the Cliffs of Notes and the Sea of Hot Lunches? Will he reach McGinty in time to expose Ming's plot?
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CAR
Floors Series (age 9-12)
by Patrick Carman
mystery ... adventure ... fantasy
Publisher comments: Charlie had his chocolate factory. Stanley Yelnats had his holes. Leo has the wacky, amazing Whippet Hotel. The Whippet Hotel is a strange place full of strange and mysterious people. Each floor has its own quirks and secrets. Leo should know most of them - he is the maintenance man's son, after all. But a whole lot more mystery gets thrown his way when a series of cryptic boxes are left for him . . . boxes that lead him to hidden floors, strange puzzles, and unexpected alliances. Leo had better be quick on his feet, because the fate of the building he loves is at stake . . . and so is Leo's own future!
title: Floors
title: Below
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BUC
NERDS Series (age 9-12)
by Michael Buckley
adventure ... action ... humor ... brilliant protagonist
Publisher comments: NERDS combines all the excitement of international espionage with all the awkwardness of elementary school, and the results are hilarious. A group of unpopular fifth graders run a spy network from inside their school. With the help of cutting-edge science, they transform their nerdy qualities into incredible abilities! Their enemies? An array of James Bond–style villains, each with an evil plan more diabolical and more ridiculous than the last.
title: NERDS: National Espionage, Rescue, and Defense Society
title: NERDS 3: The Cheerleaders of Doom
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BRE
Children of Crow Cove Series (age 9-12)
by Bodil Bredsdorff
adventure ... friendship ... voyages/journeys
Publisher comments: Near a little cove where a brook runs out to the sea live a girl and her grandmother. All alone with no neighbors at all, the two lead a peaceful existence. They have a house, dine on sea kale and mussels and sand snails, and build fires from driftwood. But the grandmother is very old. When the time comes that the girl must bury the woman, she makes up a funeral song about the birds she is watching: Two crows never fly alone, and death is never, ever past. The next day the same crows seem to beckon her, and so the Crow-Girl begins her journey, one in which she will meet people both warm and cold, hurt and hurtful. And the Crow-Girl, before she knows it, has the makings before her of a new family.
title: The Crow-Girl: the Children of Crow Cove
title: Eidi
title: Tink
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CHI
The Secret Zoo Series (age 9-12)
by Bryan Chick
adventure ... action ... mystery ... animals
Publisher comments: Noah, his sister Megan, and their best friends, Richie and Ella, live next door to the zoo. Megan is the first to notice the puzzling behavior of some of the animals. One day Megan disappears, and her brother and their friends realize it's up to them to find her. Their only choice is to follow a series of clues and sneak into the zoo. But once inside, will they discover there's much more to the Clarksville City Zoo than they could ever have guessed?
title: The Secret Zoo
title: The Secret Zoo: Secrets and Shadows
title: The Secret Zoo: Riddles and Danger
title: Riddles and Danger
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BES
Arthur and the Minimoys (age 9-12)
by Luc Besson
adventure ... action ... fantasy
Publisher comments: Deep underground, the Minimoys are waiting...for a champion. Arthur's grandfather disappeared four years ago. All he left behind are his notebooks full of stories about little-known African tribes — including the Minimoys, a miniature people who are all less than one inch tall. But the Minimoys can't possibly be real...can they? Arthur is about to find out, as he uncovers a hidden message that catapults him on an adventure wilder than he had ever imagined. In just three days, he must find a way to the land of the Minimoys, recover a stolen treasure, battle an invading force of mosquito-riding warriors, defeat an evil wizard, win the heart of a very independent princess — and somehow get back home again. It seems like an impossible task, but as he'll discover along the way, sometimes the littlest heroes can make the biggest difference.
sequel: Arthur and the Forbidden City
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WIL
Hetty Feather (age 9-12)
by Jacqueline Wilson
adventure ... historical
Publisher comments: London, 1876 and Hetty Feather is just a tiny baby when her mother leaves her at the Foundling Hospital. The Hospital cares for abandoned children -- but Hetty must first live with a foster family until she is big enough to go to school. Life in the countryside is hard but with her 'brothers' Jem and Gideon, she helps in the fields and plays imaginary games. Together they sneak off to visit the travelling circus and Hetty is mesmerised by the show, especially Madame Adeline and her performing horses. But Hetty's happiness is threatened once more when she is returned to the Foundling Hospital. The new life of awful uniforms and terrible food is a struggle for her. But now she has the chance to find her real mother. Could she really be the wonderful Madame Adeline? Or will Hetty find the truth is even more surprising?
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WES
The Books of Elsewhere Series (age 9-12)
by Jacqueline West
adventure ... spooky ... fantasy
Publisher comments: When eleven-year-old Olive moves into a crumbling Victorian mansion with her parents, she knows there's something strange about the house - especially the odd antique paintings covering the walls. And when she puts on a pair of old spectacles, she discovers the strangest thing yet: She can travel inside the paintings, to a spooky world that's full of dark shadows. Add to that three talking cats, who live in the house and seem to be keeping secrets of their own, and Olive soon finds herself confronting a dark and dangerous power that wants to get rid of her by any means necessary. It's up to Olive to save the house from the dark shadows, before the lights go out for good.
title: The Shadows
title: Spellbound
title: The Second Spy
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PAT
The Flint Heart: a Fairy Story (age 9-12)
by John Paterson
adventure ... magic ... fantasy
Publisher comments: An ambitious Stone Age man demands a talisman that will harden his heart, allowing him to take control of his tribe. Against his better judgment, the tribe's magic man creates the Flint Heart, but the cruelty of it causes the destruction of the tribe. Thousands of years later, the talisman reemerges to corrupt a kindly farmer, an innocent fairy creature, and a familial badger. Can Charles and his sister Unity, who have consulted with fairies such as the mysterious Zagabog, wisest creature in the universe, find a way to rescue humans, fairies, and animals alike from the dark influence of the Flint Heart?
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MCM
The Unwanteds Series (age 9-12)
by Lisa McMann
adventure ... science fiction ... fantasy
Publisher comments: Quill prevails when the strong survive. Using this notion as the core of their society, the people of Quill partake in a yearly ceremony, wherein children at the age of thirteen are divided into three categories--the Wanteds, the Necessaries, and the Unwanteds. Wanted children will move on to schooling and training to join the Quillitary and fufill their roles in maintaining an efficient life for all, while Necessaries will take on farm work and similar duties. Any child who has shown a propensity toward emotion or creativity is deemed Unwanted, and sent for elimination. Thirteen-year-old Alex tries his hardest to be stoic when his fate is announced as Unwanted, even while leaving behind his twin, Aaron, a Wanted. Upon arrival at the destination where he expected to be eliminated, however, Alex discovers a stunning secret--behind the mirage of the "death farm" there is instead a place called Artime, where every Unwanted child has been welcomed by a man named Mr. Today. Artime is a special place full of art, music, theater, and magic, where each child is taught to cultivate their creative abilities and learn how to use them magically, weaving spells through paintbrushes and musical instruments. Everything Alex has ever known changes before his eyes, and it's a wondrous transformation. But it's a rare, unique occurence for twins to be separated between Wanted and Unwanted, and as Alex and Aaron's bond stretches across their separation, a threat arises for the survival of Artime that will pit brother against brother in an ultimate, magical battle.
title: The Unwanteds
title: Island of Silence
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WIN
The Rise and Fall of Darth Vader (age 9-12)
by Ryder Windham
war ... science fiction ... adventure ... action
The full story of Anakin Skywalker, from his birth in slavery to his death as the powerful Darth Vader ... told for the first time in its entirety. Spans all six Star Wars movies and includes pieces of the story that fill in the gaps.
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WAT
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 Dangerous Games
title: The Master of Disguise
title: The Moment of Fear
title: The Shadow Trap
title: The Moment of Truth
title: The Changing of the Guard
title: The False Peace
title: The Final Showdown
title: The School of Fear
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: Mission from Mount Yoda 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 I: The Phantom Menace by George Lucas F LUC
title: Star Wars. Obi-Wan's Foe: Revenge of the Sith by Jane B. Mason F MAS
title: Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones by Patricia Wrede F WRE
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MEL
Wildwood (age 9-12)
by Colin Meloy
adventure ... fantasy
Pubisher comments: Prue McKeel's life is ordinary. At least until her baby brother is abducted by a murder of crows. And then things get really weird. You see, on every map of Portland, Oregon, there is a big splotch of green on the edge of the city labeled "I.W." This stands for "Impassable Wilderness." No one's ever gone in — or at least returned to tell of it. And this is where the crows take her brother. So begins an adventure that will take Prue and her friend Curtis deep into the Impassable Wilderness. There they uncover a secret world in the midst of violent upheaval, a world full of warring creatures, peaceable mystics, and powerful figures with the darkest intentions. And what begins as a rescue mission becomes something much bigger as the two friends find themselves entwined in a struggle for the very freedom of this wilderness. A wilderness the locals call Wildwood.
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REI
Guns for General Washington: A Story of the American Revolution (age 9-12)
by Seymour Reit
war ... historical ... action ... adventure
Catalog: Frustrated with life under seige in George Washington's army, nineteen-year-old Will Knox and his brother Colonel Henry Knox undertake the task of moving 183 cannons from Fort Ticonderoga to Boston in the dead of winter.
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RYS
Search Behind the Lines (age 9-12)
by E. Ryss
adventure ... historical ... war
Catalog: Two children face the perils of the German occupation of Russia during World War II.
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SNY
The Runaways (age 9-12)
by Zilpha Keatley Snyder
brilliant protagonist ... historical ... adventure
Publisher comments: Three unhappy kids who are stuck in the Nevada desert in 1951 think running away will solve their problems. Dani O'Donnell is stuck in the middle of the desert, in gruesome Rattler Springs. She knows the desert hates her, and she returns the favor in spades. All she wants to do is get back to California, but she and her mother are too broke to move. Just before her 13th birthday, Dani decides to run away. But before she can get anywhere, 9-year-old Stormy decides he's going, too. Now Dani must come up with money for two bus tickets. Dani and Stormy are busy earning money when Pixie moves to town. She is the strangest girl--and the biggest liar--Dani has ever met, but she's also rich. She wants to run away too, and she gets them the money they need. Now they each must face what running away will mean--and why they're really doing it.
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VAN
A Hidden Magic (age 9-12)
by Vivian Vande Velde
humor ... fantasy ... adventure ... princesses
Publisher comments: Once upon a time there was a very nice but very plain princess named Jennifer, who, following proper fairy-tale protocol, fell for a very handsome but very conceited prince named Alexander. When Alexander offends a powerful witch, it falls to Jennifer to save him. In the course of doing so, she meets a wizard and soon wonders if shes such a proper fairy-tale princess after all--a good little princess would love Alexander, but does she?
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MAR
The Time Machine (age 9-12)
by Les Martin
adventure ... science fiction
Catalog: A scientist invents a machine that transports him far into the future where he discovers a changed world inhabited by two unusual races, the Eloi and the Morlocks. Adapted from the H. G. Wells classic novel.
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BOG
The Time Machine (age 9-12)
by Shirley Bogart
adventure ... science fiction
Catalog: A scientist invents a machine that transports him far into the future where he discovers a changed world inhabited by two unusual races, the Eloi and the Morlocks. Adapted from the H. G. Wells classic novel.
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WEL
The Time Machine (age 9-12)
by H. G. Wells
adventure ... science fiction
Catalog: A scientist invents a machine that transports him far into the future where he discovers a changed world inhabited by two unusual races, the Eloi and the Morlocks. Adapted from the H. G. Wells classic novel.
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KOR
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: Chasing the Falconers
title: The Fugitive Factor
title: Now You See Them, Now You Don't
title: The Stowaway Solution
title: Public Enemies
title: Hunting the Hunter
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SHE
The Little Riders (age 9-12)
by Margaretha Shemin
war ... adventure ... historical
Publisher comments: "Take care of the little riders," says Johanna's father to the eleven-year-old when he leaves her with his parents for an extended vacation in their Dutch village. And Johanna does. She loves the twelve metal figures on horseback who ride forth each hour from the clock on the ancient church tower. She would do anything to protect them, anything. And on night she risks her life to prove it. Set during the Second World War when the German army occupied Holland, The Little Riders is an exciting, moving adventure story.
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HIA
Scat (age 9-12)
by Carl Hiaasen
mystery ... adventure ... nature ... humor
Publisher comments: Bunny Starch, the most feared biology teacher ever, is missing. She disappeared after a school field trip to Black Vine Swamp. And, to be honest, the kids in her class are relieved. But when the principal tries to tell the students that Mrs. Starch has been called away on a "family emergency," Nick and Marta just don't buy it. No, they figure the class delinquent, Smoke, has something to do with her disappearance. And he does! But not in the way they think. There's a lot more going on in Black Vine Swamp than any one player in this twisted tale can see. And Nick and Marta will have to reckon with an eccentric eco-avenger, a stuffed rat named Chelsea, a wannabe Texas oilman, a singing substitute teacher, and a ticked-off Florida panther before they really begin to see the big picture. That's life in the swamp, kids.
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HOL
Turtle in Paradise (age 9-12)
by Jennifer Holm
adventure ... growing up ... historical
Publisher comments: Life isn't like the movies, and eleven-year-old Turtle is no Shirley Temple. She's smart and tough and has seen enough of the world not to expect a Hollywood ending. After all, it's 1935, and jobs and money and sometimes even dreams are scarce. So when Turtle's mama gets a job housekeeping for a lady who doesn't like kids, Turtle says goodbye without a tear and heads off to Key West, Florida, to stay with relatives she's never met. Florida's like nothing Turtle has ever seen. It's hot and strange, full of wild green peeping out between houses, ragtag boy cousins, and secret treasure. Before she knows what's happened, Turtle finds herself coming out of the shell she has spent her life building, and as she does, her world opens up in the most unexpected ways.
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TWA
The Prince and the Pauper (age 9-12)
by Mark Twain
adventure ... humor
Publisher comments: Beloved classic follows the thrilling adventures of Tom Canty, a poor beggar boy, and Edward, Prince of Wales, after they exchange identities. Humor, excitement, and a plot that twists and turns track the lives of the changelings until the rightful prince appears to claim his crown.
Choose Your Own Adventure Series (age 9-12)
authorship ... action ... adventure
You decide the outcome of each of these breathtaking adventures.
title: Abominable Snowman by R. A. Montgomery F MON
title: By Balloon to the Sahara by Douglas Terman F TER
title: The Cave of Time by Edward Packard F PAC
title: The Creature from Miller's Pond by Susan Saunders F SAU
title: A Day With the Dinosaurs by Edward Packard F PAC
title: The Deadly Shadow by Richard Brightfield F BRI
title: Escape by R. A. Montgomery F MON
title: The Genie in the Bottle by Jim Razzi F RAZ
title: Gorga, the Space Monster by Edward Packard F PAC
title: The Green Slime by Susan Saunders F SAU
title: Help! You're Shrinking by Edward Packard F PAC
title: Hyperspace by Edward Packard F PAC
title: Indian Trail by R. A. Montgomery F MON
title: Inside UFO 54-40 by Edward Packard F PAC
title: Lost on the Amazon by R. A. Montgomery F MON
title: Mountain Survival by Edward Packard F PAC
title: The Mystery of Chimney rock by Edward Packard F PAC
title: The Mystery of the Highland Crest by Louise Munro Foley F FOL
title: The Phantom Submarine by Richard Brightfield F BRI
title: Prisoner of the Ant People by R. A. Montgomery F MON
title: The Race Forever by R. A. Montgomery F MON
title: The Search for the Champ by Shannon Gilligan F GIL
title: Search for the Mountain Gorillas by Jim Wallace F WAL
title: Secret of the Pyramids by Richard Brightfield F BRI
title: The Secret Treasure of Tibet by Richard Brightfield F BRI
title: Space and Beyond by R. A. Montgomery F MON
title: Space Patrol by Julius Goodman F GOO
title: Spy for George Washington by Jay Leibold F LEI
title: Spy Trap by Edward Packard F PAC
title: Stranded! by Sara Compton F COM
title: Summer Camp by Judy Gitenstein F GIT
title: Sunken Treasure by Edward Packard F PAC
title: Supercomputer by Edward Packard F PAC
title: The Three Wishes by Shannon Gilligan F GIL
title: Treasure Diver by Julius Goodman F GOO
title: Trouble on Planet Earth by R. A. Montgomery F MON
title: Vampire Express by Tony Koltz F KOL
title: You Are a Shark by Edward Packard F PAC
title: You Are Invisible by Susan Saunders F SAU
title: You Can Make a Difference by Anne Bailey F BAI
title: Your Very Own Robot by R. A. Montgomery F MON
title: Secret of the Ninja by Jay Leibold F LEI
title: Terror on the Titanic by Jim Wallace F WAL
title: War With the Evil Power Master by R. A. Montgomery F MON
title: The Lost Jewels of Nabooti by R. A. Montgomery F MON
title: The Brilliant Dr. Wogan by R. A. Montgomery F MON
title: The Abominable Snowman by R. A. Montgomery F MON
title: Tattoo of Death by R. A. Montgomery F MON
title: Return to Atlantis by R. A. Montgomery F MON
title: Race Forever by R. A. Montgomery F MON
title: Journey Under the Sea by R. A. Montgomery F MON
title: House of Danger by R. A. Montgomery F MON
title: Forecast from Stonehenge by R. A. Montgomery F MON
title: Beyond Escape! by R. A. Montgomery F MON
title: The Case of the Silk King by Shannon Gilligan F GIL
title: Struggle Down Under by Shannon Gilligan F GIL
title: Cup of Death by Shannon Gilligan F GIL
title: Inca Gold by Jim Becket F BEC
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LOV
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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WIL
Voyage to the Moon (age 9-12)
by Jay Williams
math/science/technology ... adventure
Based on the classic novel by Jules Verne. Following the involvement of the Gun Club in the Civil War, the members redirect their energies and knowledge of ballistics in order to put an American on the moon.
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SKU
Trapped in the Slickrock Canyon (age 9-12)
by Gloria Skurzynski
adventure ... family ... survival
Usually antagonistic, Gina and Justin, twelve-year-old cousins, come to a better understanding of each other during a night trying to survive a flash flood and other dangers in the western mountains.
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FAR
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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BAB
The Eyes of the Amaryllis (age 9-12)
by Natalie Babbitt
fantasy ... spooky ... adventure
When the brig Amaryllis was swallowed in a hurricane, the captain and all the crew were swallowed, too. For thirty years the captain's widow, Geneva Reade, has waited, certain that her husband will send her a message from the bottom of the sea. But someone else is waiting, too, and watching her, a man called Seward. Into this haunted situation comes Jenny, the widow's granddaughter. The three of them, Gran, Jenny, and Seward, are drawn into a kind of deadly game with one another and with the sea, a game that only the sea knows how to win.
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BAR
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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WES
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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ARM
Looking for Marco Polo (age 9-12)
by Alan Armstrong
adventure ... historical
Publisher comments: Eleven-year-old Mark's anthropologist father has disappeared in the Gobi desert while tracing Marco Polo's ancient route from Venice to China. His mother decides they must go to Venice to petition the agency that sent Mark's father to send out a search party. Anxious about his father and upset about spending Christmas away from home, Mark gets a bad asthma attack in the middle of the night. That's when Doc Hornaday, an old friend of Mark's father, makes a house call, along with a massive black Tibetan mastiff called Boss. To distract Mark from his wheezing and to pass the long Venetian night, the Doc starts to spin for Mark the tale of Marco Polo. Doc describes Marco's travels and the boy finds himself falling under the spell of the story that has transfixed the world for centuries. Marco's journey bolsters Mark's courage and whets his appetite for risk and adventure, and for exposure to life in all its immense and fascinating variety.
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APP
The Poisons of Caux Series (age 9-12)
by Susannah Appelbaum
humor ... adventure ... action ... friendship ... fantasy
Publisher comments: There's little joy left in the kingdom of Caux: the evil King Nightshade rules with terrible tyranny and the law of the land is poison or be poisoned. Worse, eleven-year-old Ivy's uncle, a famous healer, has disappeared, and Ivy sets out to find him, joined by a young taster named Rowan. But these are corrupt times, and the children, enemies of the realm, are not alone. What exactly do Ivy and Rowan's pursuers want? Is it Ivy's prized red bettle, which, unlike any other gemstone in Caux, appears impossibly to be hollow? Is it the elixir she concocted, the one with the mysterious healing powers? Or could it be Ivy herself? Told with wry humor, The Hollow Bettle is the first installment in the Poisons of Caux trilogy, an astonishing tale of herbs and magic, tasters and poisoners.
title: The Hollow Bettle
title: The Tasters Guild
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BOG
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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HAD
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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HOR
My One Hundred Adventures (age 9-12)
by Polly Horvath
family ... growing up ... adventure
Publisher comments: Jane is 12 years old, and she is ready for adventures, to move beyond the world of her siblings and single mother and their house by the sea, and step into the "know-not what." And, over the summer, adventures do seem to find Jane, whether it's a thrilling ride in a hot-air balloon, the appearances of a slew of possible fathers, or a weird new friendship with a preacher and psychic wannabe. Most important, there's Jane's discovery of what lies at the heart of all great adventures: that it's not what happens to you that matters, but what you learn about yourself.
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KEL
Tracking Daddy Down (age 9-12)
by Marybeth Kelsey
humor ... adventure ... family
Publisher comments: Billie Wisher's daddy isn't a no-good bank robber . . . is he? Billie's daddy is on the run. If the police catch him, it's off to Pendleton Penitentiary for sure. And she just got him back, after he spent years away in California. She had big plans for the summer, plans that won't be any fun without Daddy. It must all be a mistake. Daddy didn't mean to rob that bank. If Billie finds him before the cops do, she can help him put everything right. She has an idea where he might be holed up. But Mama keeps asking what she's up to, and Billie's new stepfather, Daddy Joe, is always around, poking his nose in her business. With her family at stake, Billie's determined to track Daddy down at all costs, but will anything turn out the way she expects?
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LIS
Highway Cats (age 9-12)
by Janet Taylor Lisle
humor ... adventure ... survival
Catalog: A hard-bitten group of mangy highway cats is changed forever after the mysterious arrival of three kittens.
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MAD
Diving Off the Edge (age 9-12)
by Jake Maddox
sports ... adventure ... action
Publisher comments: Riley and Blake have been best friends forever. That all ends when Blake finds a new group of friends and Riley joins the swim team. But when Blake gets in dangerous trouble, can Riley put the past aside and save his former friend?
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MAD
Shark Attack: a Survive! Story (age 9-12)
by Jake Maddox
sports ... adventure ... action
Catalog: When Brendan arrives at his family's rented summer house, he hears horror stories from the locals about sharks in the water and grows frightened, even though his new friend Alex says the tales are not true.
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MAD
Volcano! (age 9-12)
by Jake Maddox
sports ... adventure ... action
Catalog: Tom and Kevin have to rely on their instincts to survive when a volcano erupts while they are camping and their lives are put in danger by the lava.
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PRI
The Magic Thief (age 9-12)
by Sarah Prineas
adventure ... fantasy ... magic
Publisher comments: In a city that runs on a dwindling supply of magic, a young boy is drawn into a life of wizardry and adventure. Conn should have dropped dead the day he picked Nevery's pocket and touched the wizard's locus magicalicus, a stone used to focus magic and work spells. But for some reason he did not. Nevery finds that interesting, and he takes Conn as his apprentice on the provision that the boy find a locus stone of his own. But Conn has little time to search for his stone between wizard lessons and helping Nevery discover who--or what--is stealing the city of Wellmet's magic.
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BAR
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
title: The Beast of Blackslope
title: The Case That Time Forgot
title: The Missing Heir
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FAR
Phantom Stallion Series (age 9-12)
by Terri Farley
adventure ... animals
Publisher comments: When 13-year-old Samantha returns home to her family's cattle ranch in Nevada, she's worried. She moved away two years ago to recover from a bad fall off her beloved mustang, Blackie, and she's still not sure she can get back in the saddle. Her new colt doesn't seem to like her, and the other ranchers treat her like the boss's spoiled daughter, and Blackie has been missing since that fateful day. But that's just the beginning. When Sam suddenly finds the fate of a mysterious mustang who may or may not be the missing Blackie, resting in her hands, she has to learn to be a real cowgirl, ready or not. The classic theme of a girl and her horse is set against a backdrop of mustangs, tumbleweeds, and a West that's still Wild.
title: The Wild One
title: Mustang Moon
title: Dark Sunshine
title: Gift Horse
title: Free Again
title: The Wildest Heart
title: Rain Dance
title: Moonrise
title: Mountain Mare
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BUR
The Incredible Journey (age 9-12)
by Sheila Every Burnford
nature ... animals ... adventure ... survival
Publisher comments: Instinct told them that the way home lay to the west. And so the doughty young Labrador retriever, the roguish bull terrier and the indomitable Siamese set out through the Canadian wilderness. Separately, they would soon have died. But, together, the three house pets faced starvation, exposure, and wild forest animals to make their way home to the family they love.
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BUR
Tarzan, King of the Apes (age 9-12)
by Edgar Rice Burroughs
animals ... adventure
Catalog: A baby boy, left alone in the African jungle after the deaths of his parents, Lord and Lady Greystoke, is adopted by an ape, whose own infant has died, and raised to manhood without ever seeing another human being. Adapted for young readers from the original classic text.
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GOR
Back to the Titanic! (age 9-12)
by Beatrice Gormley
adventure ... historical ... science fiction
Publisher comments: Using their great-grandfather's invention of a way to travel through time, Matt and Emily, along with Matt's best friend, Jonathan, travel back to the Titanic and try to save the great ship from disaster.
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FEI
Mystery at Manzanar: A WWII Internment Camp Story (age 9-12)
by Eric Fein
adventure ... historical ... mystery
Catalog: Fifteen-year-old Tommy, having been forced into a Japanese internment camp with the rest of his family, investigates when another internee is attacked.
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GUN
Fire and Snow: A Tale of the Alaskan Gold Rush (age 9-12)
by Jessica Gunderson
adventure ... historical
Publisher comments: The rivers of Alaska are flowing with gold, so Ethan and his family leave their comfortable home to seek their fortune. They must brave an avalanche, cross an icy river, and battle a deadly fire before they can decide if the hunt for treasure is worth the risk.
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GUN
Ropes of Revolution: The Tale of the Boston Tea Party (age 9-12)
by Jessica Gunderson
adventure ... historical
Publisher comments: The Sons of Liberty are planning a protest on British taxes. They're going to dump shiploads of British tea into Boston Harbor. Fifteen year old Benjamin and his friend, Joseph, want a part of the action!
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GUN
Secret Weapons: A Tale of the Revolutionary War (age 9-12)
by Jessica Gunderson
adventure ... historical
Publisher comments: The British are coming! Fourteen-year-old Daniel wants to join the militia and fight against the redcoats. His father wants him to stay in Concord, Massachusetts, and help run the blacksmith shop. Daniel thinks the job is pointless, until he finds a secret stash of weapons in the shop's back room. Now, he must protect the weapons from the British, or the American Revolution could be over before it begins.
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GUN
The Last Rider: The Final Days of the Pony Express (age 9-12)
by Jessica Gunderson
adventure ... historical
Publisher comments: Matt Edgars hungers for adventure. The Pony Express is the answer to his dreams. Riding fast, riding far, he brings the mail to settlers scattered across the Nevada and Utah deserts. Matt can handle the punishing sun and the poisonous rattlesnakes, but he's worried about rumors of a war with the Paiute nation. Then someone begins setting the Express stations on fire. Are these the last days for the young riders?
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IBB
Monster Mission (age 9-12)
by Eva Ibbotson
adventure ... fantasy
Catalog: As they get older, three sisters decide that they must kidnap children and bring them to their secluded island home to help with the work of caring for an assortment of unusual sea creatures.
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LEM
Captured Off Guard: The Attack on Pearl Harbor (age 9-12)
by Donald B. Lemke
adventure ... historical
Publisher comments: While camping out, Hank and his best friend James hear loud explosions. Pearl Harbor is under attack James wants to hide out, but Hank wants to capture the battle on his trusty camera. Will this he risk his life for the snapshot of a lifetime?
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LOW
The Willoughbys (age 9-12)
by Lois Lowry
family ... adventure ... humor
Publisher comments: Abandoned by their ill-humored parents to the care of an odious nanny, Tim, the twins, Barnaby A and Barnaby B, and their sister, Jane, attempt to fulfill their roles as good old-fashioned children. Following the models set in lauded tales from A Christmas Carol to Mary Poppins, the four Willoughbys hope to attain their proscribed happy ending too, or at least a satisfyingly maudlin one. However, it is an unquestionably ruthless act that sets in motion the transformations that lead to their salvation and to happy endings for not only the four children, but their nanny, an abandoned baby, a candy magnate, and his long-lost son too. Replete with a tongue-in-cheek glossary and bibliography, this hilarious and decidedly old-fashioned parody pays playful homage to classic works of children's literature.
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MOL
The Book of Lies (age 9-12)
by James Moloney
adventure ... fantasy ... identity
Publisher comments: The newest boy at Mrs. Timmins's Home for Orphans and Foundlings awakes at first light with no name and no memory. But a strange girl who hides among the shadows of the orphanage tells him that a mysterious wizard's creation, the Book of Lies, holds the answers, and then gives him one clue: "Your name is Marcel." With that knowledge, and the help of three new friends, Marcel begins a quest to find the truth about his real identity, a truth that is hidden in the Book of Lies. As Marcel learns more about his past, he realizes that truth can change at any moment and can be manipulated by anyone, and he begins to wonder if the old book's so-called magical truth might be the greatest lie of all.
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RED
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: In Too Deep by Jude Watson F WAT
title: Vespers Rising by Rick Riordan F RIO
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
title: Storm Warning by Linda Sue Park F PAR
title: Cahills vs. Vespers: the Medusa Plot by Gordon Korman F KOR
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TRU
Standoff: Remembering the Alamo (age 9-12)
by Lisa Trumbauer
adventure ... historical
While traveling across the Texas countryside, fifteen-year-old Cal and his mother spy thousands of Mexican soldiers approaching, but when they reach the safest place that they can find--the Alamo--Cal worries that such a small group of soldiers will not be able to fight off an entire army.
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YAM
Striking It Rich: Treasures From Gold Mountain (age 9-12)
by Debbie Leung Yamada
adventure ... historical
Christie and Michael are visiting their grandparents' old store outside Oakland, California. For years they've heard stories from Auntie Mei about a mysterious room hidden somewhere in the store, but although they've looked, no one has ever found it. Its just a story. Or so they think, until the day they actually discover the hidden room. Hoping to find treasure, Christie and Michael find that they stumbled across letters written by early Chinese pioneers during the California Gold Rush. The letters offer a treasure that Christie and Michael never imagined.
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KOR
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: Swindle
title: Zoobreak
title: Framed
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HOO
This Time of Darkness (age 9-12)
by H. M. Hoover
adventure ... survival ... science fiction
Although both know it is forbidden, Amy and Axel hope that by following the countless ramps leading upward they can escape from their filthy subterranean world.
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LEV
The Magic Hat of Mortimer Wintergreen (age 9-12)
by Myron Levoy
humor ... voyages/journeys ... magic ... fantasy ... adventure
In 1893, thirteen-year-old Joshua and his eleven-year-old sister, Amy, travel from South Dakota to New York City with the help of the mysterious Mortimer Wintergreen and his unpredictable magic hat.
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SAW
Roller Skates (age 9-12)
by Ruth Sawyer
adventure
The discoveries and adventures of ten-year-old Lucinda, who spends a wonderful year exploring the New York City of the 1890's.
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TOL
The Great Skinner Getaway (age 9-12)
by Stephanie Tolan
adventure ... family ... humor
When fourteen-year-old Jenny Skinner's mother goes on strike for better working conditions in the home, and as a result polarizes much of their community, Jenny, her three younger siblings, and her father come to some surprising conclusions.
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TOL
The Great Skinner Getaway (age 9-12)
by Stephanie Tolan
adventure ... family ... humor
Fifteen-year-old Jennifer recounts more adventures of the Skinner family as they set off on a vacation across the United States in a motor home.
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DOW
Hatching Magic (age 9-12)
by Ann Downer
adventure ... fantasy
Poor Theodora Oglethorpe! Her biologist father has gone off to explore the jungles of Laos without her, her best friends are away on vacation, and a long, hot, lonely Boston summer is all she has to look forward to. Poor Gideon! Wycca, his pet wyvern, has disappeared through a magic hole in time in search of a place to lay her egg. Kobold, Gideon's wizard rival, wants nothing more than to get his hands on Wycca. In a desperate attempt to rescue Wycca from Kobold's evil clutches, Gideon follows her through the magic hole and finds himself transported from thirteenth-century England to the terrifyingly modern world of Boston, Massachusetts, in the twenty-first century. Soon Theodora's involved with a chocoholic baby wyvern, a mysterious wyvern playing card, a couple of desperate wizards, and the summer vacation of her life!
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LOW
Us and Uncle Fraud (age 9-12)
by Lois Lowry
family ... humor ... adventure
Mysterious things begin to happen after Uncle Claude comes to stay with his sister's family. Is Uncle Claude a thief, an imposter, or just a dream weaver?
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RUB
Children of the Seventh Prophecy (age 9-12)
by Amy Kateman Rubin
adventure ... fantasy
Klig, the troll prince, enlists Alice and Bernard to help fight the dark forces which are attempting to bring about the fulfillment of the Seventh Prophecy.
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WIL
Leepike Ridge (age 9-12)
by Nathan Wilson
survival ... action ... adventure
Eleven-year-old Thomas Hammond is in for the ride of his life when he's swept downstream and underground aboard a crumbling raft of Styrofoam. Washing up on a dark subterranean "beach," his only companions are an impulsive dog named Argus and a corpse, from which he takes a flashlight and an all-too-limited supply of batteries. What Tom finds under Leepike Ridge (a castaway, four graves, a tomb, and buried treasure) will answer questions he hadn't known to ask and change his life forever. Now, if he can only find his way home again.
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WHY
The Unvisibles (age 9-12)
by Ian Whybrow
adventure ... friendship ... family ... humor
Two very different boys live next door but have taken pains to avoid each other. Oliver is rowdy and loud and doesn't mind being in constant trouble one bit. Nicky is so quiet and self-effacing that he is nearly invisible. One day Oliver finds himself in desperate need of help from his next-door neighbor.
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WAL
Trapped in Death Cave (age 9-12)
by Bill Wallace
adventure ... mystery
Everybody thinks Gary's grampa died in a fishing accident. But from a note Grampa left, Gary suspects he was murdered. The note tells of a million dollars in gold hidden in a cave and an old Indian curse promising that anyone who touches it will die! Gary and his friend Brian are sure that if they find the gold, they will also find Grampa's killer. But treasure hunting can be deadly. Now they are stuck in a dark cavern full of tangled skeletons, restless Indian spirits, and a murderer out for their blood! Will Brian and Gary ever get out of Death Cave alive?
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TWA
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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TAY
Faeries of Dreamdark (age 9-12)
by Laini Taylor
adventure ... action ... fantasy ... magic
When the ancient evil of the Blackbringer rises to unmake the world, only one determined faerie stands in its way. However, Magpie Windwitch, granddaughter of the West Wind, is not like other faeries. While her kind live in seclusion deep in the forests of Dreamdark, shes devoted her life to tracking down and recapturing devils escaped from their ancient bottles, just as her hero, the legendary Bellatrix, did 25,000 years ago. With her faithful gang of crows, she travels the world fighting where others would choose to flee. But when a devil escapes from a bottle sealed by the ancient Djinn King himself the creator of the worldshe may be in over her head. How can a single faerie, even with the help of her friends, hope to defeat the impenetrable darkness of the Blackbringer?
title: Blackbringer
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TAI
Treasure Island (age 9-12)
by Chris Tait
adventure ... historical
Presents a retelling of Robert Louis Stevenson's original classic about young Jim Hawkins who embarks on an incredible journey to find a pirate treasure.
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SEA
Barry, Boyhound (age 9-12)
by Andy Searman
adventure ... humor
This is the story of a boy named Barry. Some stuff happens, and overnight like magic he turns into a boyhound. Not a hound, but a boyhound, which means while he may still look like a boy, he is, in fact, a dog. And even in his boyhound brain, Barry knows there are lots of advantages to being a dog. You don't have to clean your room or use dental floss, for example. But things get crazy. He eats something too disgusting to mention. He's attacked by telepathic squirrels. An innocent squashed frog gets involved. Plus, his mother's pretty mad. And that's all before the really bad thing happens. . . .
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SMI
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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SAL
Night of the Howling Dogs (age 9-12)
by Graham Salisbury
folklore ... action ... adventure ... friendship ... survival ... nature
Dylan's scout troop goes camping in Halape, a remote spot below the volcano on the Big Island of Hawaii. The only thing wrong with the weekend on a beautiful, peaceful beach is Louie, a tough older boy. Louie and Dylan just can't get along. That night an earthquake rocks the camp, and then a wave rushes in, sweeping everyone and everything before it. Dylan and Louie must team up on a dangerous rescue mission. The next hours are an amazing story of survival and the true meaning of leadership.
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PEC
The Drift House Chronicles (age 9-12)
by Dale Peck
adventure ... fantasy
In the tradition of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and A Wrinkle in Time comes the first book in an exciting fantasy series about three siblings' adventures on the high sea: the Sea of Time, that is. After 9/11, Susan and her younger brothers, Charles and Murray, are sent to live with their uncle Farley in Canada. Uncle Farley's house looks like a ship perched at the edge of the sea, but it's not until a great flood comes that the house's name, Drift House, starts to make sense. Floating aimlessly on the Sea of Time, the ship-like house begins to yield its many secrets, including a mural that seems to predict the future, a dumbwaiter that enables Murray to travel into the future and back again, and a parrot historian who's also a gifted translator. But when a clan of diabolical mermaids trick the children and their uncle into helping them carry out a plan that will stop time forever, it will take all of Susan's ingenuity, along with some help from a great whale, a band of pirates, and a magic carpet, to set things straight.
title: Drift House: the First Voyage
title: The Lost Cities: a Drift House Voyage
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PAR
Liza, Bill and Jed Mysteries (age 9-12)
by Peggy Parish
action ... adventure ... realistic ... mystery
Who or what is taking the kitchen scraps from the garbage every night? What starts out as a puzzle becomes a mystery. Every night Grandma leaves table scraps in a wrapped plastic bag in the garbage can where, according to plan, the McNellis children pick them up to feed their kittens. But the plan changes when the bag is gone in the morning. The twins, Liza and Bill, and brother Jed decide to investigate the matter. First the children discover Liza's missing red sweater in a part of the woods she hadn't been to before, next they read about runaway children in the newspaper, and then their new puppy is lost. Finally they find a teepee in the woods with what seems to be Indians in warpaint dancing and shooting arrows! The young detectives must put all the clues together and solve the mystery.
title: Key to the Treasure
title: Clues in the Woods
title: Haunted House
title: Key to the Treasure
title: Pirate Island Adventure
title: The Ghosts of Cougar Island
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PAR
Archer's Quest (age 9-12)
by Linda Sue Park
identity ... adventure ... humor
In Dorchester, New York, Kevin is doing his homework when suddenly an arrow comes out of nowhere and pins his baseball cap to the wall. The man who shot the arrow claims he fell off a tiger . . . and wound up in Kevin’s room. It’s not long before Kevin realizes that the man, who calls himself Chu-mong, or Great Archer, is no ordinary burglar, but a traveler from far away in both space and time. A visit to the local museum confirms that there was a king named Chu-mong in ancient Korea who was legendary for many accomplishments, including exceptional skill with bow and arrow. Kevin knows little about his own Korean heritage, but he understands that unless Archer returns to his people and his throne, history will be changed forever. And he’s determined to help Archer go back, no matter what it takes.
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MCC
The Perfect Hamburger and Other Delicious Stories (age 9-12)
by Alexander McCallSmith
humor ... adventure ... short stories
A hilarous book in three courses: "The Perfect Hamburger", "The Spaghetti Tangle", and "The Doughnut Ring".
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LAF
Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos (age 9-12)
by R. L. LaFevers
mystery ... magic ... fantasy ... adventure
Theodosia Throckmorton has her hands full at the Museum of Legends and Antiquities in London. Her father may be head curator, but it is Theo (and only Theo) who is able to see all the black magic and ancient curses that still cling to the artifacts in the museum. When Theo's mother returns from her latest archaeological dig bearing the Heart of Egypt (a legendary amulet belonging to an ancient tomb) Theo learns that it comes inscribed with a curse so black and vile that it threatens to crumble the British Empire from within and start a war too terrible to imagine. Intent on returning the malevolent artifact to its rightful place, Theo devises a daring plan to put things right. But even with the help of her younger brother, a wily street urchin, and the secret society known as the Brotherhood of the Chosen Keepers, it won't be easy . . . she quickly finds herself pursued down dark alleys, across an ocean, through the bustling crowds of Cairo, and straight into the heart of an ancient mystery. Theo will have to call upon everything she's ever learned in order to prevent the rising chaos from destroying her country, and herself!
sequel: Theodosia and the Staff of Osiris
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HUG
The Iron Giant: a Story in Five Nights (age 9-12)
by Ted Hughes
adventure ... science fiction
A mysterious creature stalks the land, eating barbed wire and devouring tractors and plows. The farmers are mystified-and afraid. And then they glimpse him in the night: the Iron Giant, taller than a house, with glowing headlight eyes and an insatiable appetite for metal. Where has he come from? Nobody knows. How was he made? Nobody knows. What they do know is the Iron Giant must be stopped. Only a young boy named Hogarth is brave enough to lead the Iron Giant to a safe home. And only Hogarth knows where to turn when the earth needs a hero--a giant hero--like never before...
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HOL
Babymouse Series (age 9-12)
by Jennifer Holm
humor ... adventure
It's the same thing every day for Babymouse. Where is the glamour? The excitement? The adventure? Nothing ever changes, until...Babymouse hears about Felicia Furrypaws's exclusive slumber party. Will Babymouse get invited? Will her best friend, Wilson, forgive her if she misses their monster movie marathon? Find out in Babymouse: Queen of the World, a graphic novel with attitude!
title: Babymouse: Queen of the World!
title: Babymouse: Beach Babe!
title: Babymouse: Camp Babymouse
title: Babymouse: Heartbreaker
title: Babymouse: Monster Mash
title: Babymouse: Out Hero!
title: Babymouse: Puppy Love
title: Babymouse: Rock Star
title: Babymouse: Skater Girl
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HEL
Horns and Wrinkles (age 9-12)
by Joseph Helgerson
adventure ... humor ... fantasy
How can you tell if a river's under a spell? River trolls, rock trolls, blue-wing fairies--the usual suspects--the stretch of the Mississippi where Claire lives has rumors of them all, not that she's ever spotted any. But then Claire's cousin Duke takes a swim and sprouts a horn--a long, pointy, handsome thing. After that, Claire doesn't have much choice but to believe that something rivery is going on, especially since she's the only one who can help Duke lose his new addition. In the tradition of grand river adventures, Joseph Helgerson's tale is as twisty and unpredictable as the Mississippi River itself, while an unusual cast of characters adds pepper to the pot. Readers of all ages will enjoy getting in--and out of--trouble with Claire and Duke in this nimble, sharp, and funny fantasy.
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GUT
Getting Air (age 9-12)
by Dan Gutman
action ... adventure ... survival
They can rule the half-pipe, but can they survive this? Jimmy, David, and Henry are psyched. It's summer, school's out, and they are on their way to California, where they will be able to do some major skating. But on the plane, the unthinkable happens: They are hijacked by terrorists. As frightened as they may be, they take action and they succeed. Sort of. They may have beaten the terrorists, but now their plane has crashed in the middle of nowhere and all of a sudden, their summer vacation is about finding food, shelter , and a rescue. Can three normal twelve-year-old boys find a way to get by without fast food and skate parks?
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FUN
Igrain La Valiente (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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FUN
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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FLA
The Ranger's Apprentice Series (age 9-12)
by John Flanagan
fantasy ... adventure ... action
He had always wanted to be a warrior. The Rangers, with their dark cloaks and shadowy ways, made him nervous. The villagers believe the Rangers practice magic that makes them invisible to ordinary people. And now fifteen year-old Will, always small for his age, has been chosen as a Ranger's apprentice. What he doesn't realize yet is that the Rangers are the protectors of the kingdom. Highly trained in the skills of battle and surveillance, they fight the battles before the battles reach the people. And as Will is about to learn, there is a large battle brewing. The exiled Morgarath, Lord of the Mountains of Rain and Night, is gathering his forces for an attack on the kingdom. This time, he will not be denied....
title: The Ruins of Gorlan
title: The Burning Bridge
title: The Icebound Land
title: The Battle For Skandia
title: The Sorcerer of the North
title: The Siege of Macindaw
title: Erak's Ransom
title: The Kings of Clonmel
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DAL
Space Station Rat (age 9-12)
by Michael J. Daley
brilliant protagonist ... science fiction ... adventure
Jeff is the least popular resident on the space station: the son of scientists, he's the only kid on board, and he always seems to be in the way or getting into trouble. Even Nanny, his creepy robot babysitter, resents him. After a rodent damages vital wiring, Nanny is ordered to destroy it, and Jeff is allowed to join the hunt. But Rat isn't just any rodent; she's scientifically modified, highly intelligent, and trained to steal information and formulas. Unbeknownst to Jeff, Rat is also an escapee-stowaway posing as Jeff's pen pal to get information and food.
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CUR
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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CHR
The Sword of the Spirits Trilogy (age 9-12)
by John Christopher
voyages/journeys ... science fiction ... adventure
Thirteen-year-old Luke has no reason to suspect that anything will ever change in the primitive society of the future in which he lives. He will soon find out that he is instrumental in the upheaval to come.
title: The Prince in Waiting
title: Beyond the Burning Lands
title: The Sword of the Spirits
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COL
Medusa Jones (age 9-12)
by Ross Collins
adventure ... humor ... school ... folklore
In ancient Greece lived a little girl called Medusa Jones. Medusa was a Gorgon, but apart from that, pretty normal. So she has snakes for hair instead of gorgeous blond ringlets like Cassandra. So her best friend is half horse. Is that any reason for the popular kids to be SO mean? Medusa's sure the school camping trip is going to be a nightmare. But a rock fall puts the popular kids in peril, and Medusa's the only one who can help. Will she be a hero ... or is her monster side finally going to come out?
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BAC
Ulysses Moore Series (age 9-12)
by Pierdome Baccalario
action ... adventure ... fantasy ... mystery
Eleven-year-old twins Jason and Julia have just moved from London to an old mansion on the English coast. Their new home is filled with twisting tunnels and strange artifacts from around the world, and the twins can't wait to discover all its secrets. Before long, Jason, Julia, and their friend Rick stumble upon a mysterious-looking door hidden behind an old wardrobe. But none of the keys in the house will open it. What lies behind the door? And why has someone tried to conceal it? Jason, Julia, and Rick are determined to find out, no matter what it takes....
title: The Door To Time
title: The Long-Lost Map
title: The House of Mirrors
title: The Isle of Masks
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ARM
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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BRI
Who Knew There'd Be Ghosts? (age 9-12)
by Bill Brittain
adventure ... spooky
Three spunky youngsters join forces with two lively ghosts to save a historic mansion from being destroyed by a crooked antique dealer.
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WYS
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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LOF
The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle (age 9-12)
by Hugh Lofting
animals ... adventure ... fantasy
When his colleague Long Arrow disappears, Dr. Dolittle sets off with his assistant, Tommy Stubbins, his dog, Jip, and Polynesia the parrot on an adventurous voyage over tropical seas to floating Spidermonkey Island.
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LEL
Sallie Fox: the Story of a Pioneer Girl (age 9-12)
by Dorothy Kupcha Leland
adventure ... voyages/journeys ... historical
Fictional account of the historical journey to California of Sallie Fox and her family.
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KJE
Snow Dog (age 9-12)
by Jim Kjelgaard
survival ... adventure ... animals
The steel-gray Husky Chiri was just a puppy when he watched the black wolf kill his mother and two brothers. Left alone inthe snow-covered land of the coyote, caribou, and gizzly, Chiri learned to fend for himself, to hunt and survive by his keen instinct and natural intelligence. Now full-grown and full of courage and cunning, Chiri forms a tentative bond with trapper Link Stevens, the only human he's ever learned to trust. But the Husky knows that one day soon he will have to face the black wolf again--and this time only one of them will survive.
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KEY
Escape to Witch Mountain (age 9-12)
by Alexander Key
spooky ... adventure ... science fiction
Some terrifying experience has blocked Tony and Tia's memory of the past. But because they have supernatural powers, they are sure that they come from another world---and that their people still exist somewhere. Then Tony and Tia find that they must escape from men who want to use their special powers for evil. They begin a desperate search to find their true home---which leads them to the strange and mysterious Witch Mountain.
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DUN
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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EAS
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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HOO
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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JOH
Thora and the Green Sea-Unicorn: a Half-Mermaid Tale (age 9-12)
by Jillian Johnson
fantasy ... adventure ... humor
When an attempt to steal Shirley, a rare sea-unicorn, results in the sinking of their houseboat, ten-year-old Thora, her mermaid mother, and Mr. Walters stay at the estate of old friends and find a solution to the friends' financial troubles, but the would-be thief is still on their trail.
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JOH
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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LAI
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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LAI
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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DOD
The Three Musketeers (age 9-12)
by E. F. Dodd
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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VOG
The Three Musketeers (age 9-12)
by Malvina Vogel
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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LEI
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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LIG
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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MAR
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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MCC
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
title: The Heir of Mistmantle
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MOR
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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MUK
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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ARO
A Journey to the Center of the Earth (age 9-12)
by Billy Aronson
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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SCH
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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VER
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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FLE
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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GRA
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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IBB
Journey to the River Sea (age 9-12)
by Eva Ibbotson
historical ... adventure
Maia, an orphan, is sent from England to live with unfamiliar cousins on a rubber plantation in South America. The brave, curious girl and her fierce but kind governess arrive in their new home, each with secret hopes of adventure. These are immediately quashed by the Carters, who hate their adopted land and its inhabitants. They are obsessed with re-creating England in the forest, right down to the watery puddings. It is only through friendship with a mysterious Indian boy and a runaway child actor that Maia and Miss Minton, her governess, find the excitement they longed for: an unexpected expedition into the heart of the Amazon, in search of a lost tribe and the legendary giant sloth.
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SHA
The Rescuers (age 9-12)
by Margery Sharp
adventure
Miss Bianca, Bernard, and Nils--a trio of mice--set out to rescue a famous poet, help in the dungeon of an impregnable prison. The three display heroism with style.
sequel: Miss Bianca
sequel: Miss Bianca and the Bridesmaid
sequel: Miss Bianca in the Antarctic
sequel: Miss Bianca in the Salt Mines
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VER
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (age 9-12)
by Jules Verne
voyages/journeys ... science fiction ... adventure
A French professor and his two companions sail above and below the world's oceans as prisoners on the fabulous electric submarine of the deranged Captain Nemo.
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COR
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: Lion Boy
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 Black Stallion Returns
title: The Island Stallion
title: The Black Stallion Mystery
title: The Black Stallion and Flame
title: The Black Stallion Challenged
title: The Black Stallion's Blook Bay Colt
title: The Black Stallion's Ghost
title: The Young Black Stallion
title: Son of the Black Stallion
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SAI
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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SPR
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: Lionclaw: a Tale of Rowan Hood
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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BYA
Rama the Gypsy Cat (age 9-12)
by Betsy Cromer Byars
adventure ... animals
He was a young cat, but strong, and in his left ear he wore a tiny golden earring. The gypsy woman had put this in his ear when he was a kitten, just as mothers place earrings in the pierced ears of gypsy babies. ``Now,'' she had said, when his earring was put in place that first night, ``now you are a gypsy. Never forget that. You are Rama the gypsy.''
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CRO
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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WES
Fire in the Valley (age 9-12)
by Tracey West
adventure ... historical
Twelve-year-old Sarah's feelings about life on her family's California farm change when she writes a letter to President Teddy Roosevelt to protest diverting water for the growing city of Los Angeles and when she saves her twin brother from a fire.
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OTI
Toby Tyler, or Ten Weeks With a Circus (age 9-12)
by James Otis
enterprise ... adventure ... the arts
Classic story of a little orphan boy who runs away to join the circus, only to learn, unhappily, that his new employer is a cruel taskmaster.
F
WIB
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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TAN
On Board the Titanic: What it Was Like When the Great Liner Sank (age 9-12)
by Shelley Tanaka
survival ... adventure ... historical
Seventeen-year-old Jack Thayer explores the Titanic and forms a brief friendship with another passenger before experiencing the wreck of the giant ocean liner.
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STE
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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SPE
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.
F
SNY
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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SHE
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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SER
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.
F
RAW
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.
F
PUL
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.
F
PEC
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.
F
O'D
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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O'D
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.
F
JAC
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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HOL
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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HOL
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.
F
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
title: Among the Free
title: Among the Enemy
title: Among the Barons
title: Among the Brave
title: Among the Impostors
title: Among the Betrayed
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HAD
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.
F
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.
F
TAY
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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HUT
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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HUT
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.
F
GUT
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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GUT
Qwerty Stevens, Back in Time With Benjamin Franklin (age 9-12)
by Dan Gutman
adventure ... humor ... historical ... science fiction
One minute Qwerty Stevens is researching a last-minute report on the Internet, and the next minute Benjamin Franklin is sitting on his bed! Thanks to the Anytime Anywhere Machine hooked up to his computer, Qwerty has snatched Franklin from July 4, 1776, the very day the Declaration of Independence was signed. Qwerty and his best friend, Joe, realize they have to get Franklin back in time for the signing, and they can't resist seeing it with their own eyes. Can the boys make sure the Declaration gets signed like history says it should? And can they make it back home?
sequel: Qwerty Stevens, Stuck in Time With Benjamin Franklin
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CRE
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.
F
COV
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.
F
CAR
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
title: Into the Mist
title: Stargazer
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BEL
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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STR
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)
title: The Blue Djinn of Babylon
title: The Cobra King of Kathmandu
title: The Day of the Djinn Warriors
title: The Eye of the Forest
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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 y la Piedra Filosofal, 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. Spanish translations.
title: Harry Potter y la Piedra Filosofal
title: Harry Potter y la Camara Secreta
title: Harry Potter y el Prisionero de Azkaban
title: Harry Potter y el Caliz de Fuego
title: Harry Potter y la Orden del Fenix
title: Harry Potter y el Misterio del Principe
title: Harry Potter y las Reliquias de la Muerte
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
title: Peter and the Secret of Rundoon
title: Peter and the Sword of Mercy
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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: In the Time of Dinosaurs
title: Elfangor's Secret
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 Encounter
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 Change
title: The Unknown
title: The Warning
title: The Underground
title: The Decision
title: The Departure
title: The Pretender
title: The Suspicion
title: The Attack
title: The Exposed
title: The Experiment
title: The Sickness
title: The Reunion
title: The Conspiracy
title: The Separation
title: The Illusion
title: The Proposal
title: The Weakness
title: The Revelation
title: The Predator
title: The Prophecy
title: The Extreme
title: The Escape
title: The Discovery
title: The Solution
title: The Threat
title: The First Journey
title: The Ellimist Chronicles
title: El Visitante
title: El Extrano
title: La Invasion
title: The Arrival
title: The Familiar
title: The Beginning
title: The Absolute
title: The Answer
title: The Diversion
title: The Sacrifice
title: The Ultimate
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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.
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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: Silverwing
title: Sunwing
title: Firewing
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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 Journey
title: The Rescue
title: The Siege
title: The Shattering
title: The Burning
title: The Hatchling
title: The Outcast
title: The Golden Tree
title: The River of Wind
title: Exile
title: The War of Ember
title: A Guide Book to the Great Tree
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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.
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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
sequel: Frightful's Mountain
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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.''
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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.
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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.
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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.
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SNI
The Series of Unfortunate Events (age 9-12)
by Lemony Snicket
illness/loss ... adventure ... humor
After the sudden death of their parents, in The Bad Beginning, the three Baudelaire children must depend on each other and their wits when it turns out that the distant relative who is appointed their guardian is determined to use any means necessary to get their fortune.
sequel: The Bad Beginning
sequel: The Reptile Room
sequel: The Wide Window
sequel: The Miserable Mill
sequel: The Austere Academy
sequel: The Ersatz Elevator
sequel: The Vile Village
sequel: The Hostile Hospital
sequel: The Carnivorous Carnival
sequel: The Slippery Slope
sequel: The Grim Grotto
sequel: The Penultimate Peril
sequel: The End
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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
title: Henry Reed's Think Tank
title: Henry Reed's Big Show
title: Henry Reed's Journey
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RAN
Swallows and Amazons Series (age 9-12)
by Arthur Ransome
friendship ... family ... voyages/journeys ... adventure
To John, Susan, Titty and Roger, simply being allowed to use the boat, ``Swallow'', to go camping on the island is adventure enough. But they soon find themselves under attack from the fierce Amazon Pirates, Nancy and Peggy. And so begins a summer of battles, alliances, exploration and discovery.
sequel: Swallows and Amazons
sequel: Swallowdale
sequel: Winter Holiday
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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
title: The Borrowers Afield
title: The Borrowers Afloat
title: The Borrowers Aloft
title: The Borrowers Avenged
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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 Beast
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
title: Charlie Bone and the Shadow
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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
sequel: RT, Margaret, and the Rats of NIMH by Jane Leslie Conley F CON
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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.
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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
title: Comet in Moominland
title: Moominland Midwinter
title: Moominpappa at Sea
title: Moominpapa's Memoirs
title: Moominsummer Madness
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IBB
The Secret of Platform 13 (age 9-12)
by Eva Ibbotson
adventure ... fantasy
A forgotten door on an abandoned railway platform is the entrance to a magical kingdom--an island where humans live happily with mermaids, ogres, and other wonderful creatures--and is only accessible for nine days every nine years. When the island's prince is captured, it's up to a strange band of rescuers to save him. But can they do it before the door closes for another nine years?
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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.)
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.''
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COL
Serie Infinita (age 9-12)
by Eoin Colfer
math/science/technology ... mystery ... adventure ... science fiction ... brilliant protagonist ... 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: El Cubo B
title: Artemis Fowl: Encuentro en el Artico
title: Artemis Fowl: La Venganza de Opal
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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
title: Artemis Fowl: The Eternity Code
title: Artemis Fowl: The Arctic Incident
title: Artemis Fowl: The Opal Deception
title: Artemis Fowl: The Lost Colony
title: Artemis Fowl: The Time Paradox
title: The Artemis Fowl Files
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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
sequel: An Enemy at Green Knowe
sequel: Treasure of 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.

Sat Aug 25 11:55:25 2012
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