Adventure Books

Hatchet, by Gary Paulsen
After a plane crash, 13-year-old Brian spends 54 days in the wilderness, learning to survive with only the aid of a hatchet given him by his mother -- and learning to survive his parents' divorce.

Brian's Return, by Gary Paulsen
This story is the conclusion to the story begun in Hatchet. Readers find Brian feeling isolated and alienated now that he's back in civilization. The only answer is to "go back in", for only in the wilderness can he discover his true path in life and learn where he belongs.

My Side of the Mountain, by Jean Craighead George
Tired of big-city life, Sam Gribley runs away to the Catskill Mountains to forge a life of his own. A year later, his younger sister Alice joins him. Alone in the mountains, Sam and Alice face great danger - with only the land, their courage, and each other to rely on.

Julie of the Wolves, by Jean Craighead George
While running away from home and an unwanted marriage, a 13-year-old Eskimo girl becomes lost on the North Slope of Alaska and is befriended by a wolf pack.

Survival! Titanic, by Kathleen Duey, Keith Suranna, and Karen A. Bale
During the final hours aboard the ill-fated voyage of the Titanic in 1912, Gavin and Karolina attempt to help others and by so doing learn something about themselves.

The Swiss Family Robinson, by Johann David Wyss
When the Robinson family is shipwrecked and cast away on a desert island, they have only the island's natural resources--and each other--to rely on. Making the most of what they find, they construct an elaborate tree house and struggle against the forces of nature in this treasured family classic.

Snow Treasure, by Marie McSwigan
This book, based on a true story is a daring adventure about a group of Norwegian children who smuggled nine million dollars in gold past Nazi sentries during World War II.

Robinson Crusoe, by Daniel Defoe
This is the classic story of a shipwrecked mariner on a deserted island. Fleeing from pirates, Robinson Crusoe is swept ashore in a storm possessing only a knife, a box of tobacco, a pipe -- and the will to survive. His is the saga of a man alone: a man who overcomes self-pity and despair to reconstruct his life; who painstakingly teaches himself how to fashion a pot, bake bread, build a canoe; and who, after 24 agonizing years of solitude, discovers a human footprint in the sand...

The Adventures of Pippi Longstocking, by Astrid Lindgren
Pippi Longstocking, the girl with upside-down braids and no parents to tell her what to do, has delighted boys and girls alike. This book is a collection of her adventures, Pippi Longstocking, Pippi Goes on Board, and Pippi in the South Seas. The collection is an ideal introduction for anyone discovering Pippi for the first time, while long-time fans will enjoy revisiting their favorite episodes and recalling some they've forgotten.

The Whipping Boy, by Sid Fleischman
A bratty prince and his whipping boy have many adventures when they inadvertently trade places after becoming involved with dangerous outlaws.

Robin's Country, by Monica Furlong A mute orphan boy, with only shadowy recollections of his past, runs away from his cruel master and eventually joins Robin Hood and his followers in their forest hideaway.

Abel's Island, by William Steig
Castaway 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.

Addie Across the Prairie, by Laurie Lawlor
Addie's family is traveling by wagon to homestead on the vast Dakota Territory, and Addie soon learns that she has the pioneer spirit. Her many adventures change her from a timid girl into a brave, resourceful young lady.

Loch, by Paul Zindel
Fifteen-year-old Loch and his younger sister join their father on a scientific expedition searching for enormous prehistoric creatures sighted in a Vermont lake, but soon discover that the expedition's leaders aren't interested in preserving the creatures.

Johnny Tremain , by Esther Forbes
Johnny Tremain tells of the turbulent times in Boston just before the Revolutionary War. Johnny, a young apprentice silversmith, is caught up in a dramatic involvement with Otis, Hancock, and John and Samuel Adams in the exciting currents and undercurrents that lead to the Boston Tea Party and the Battle of Lexington -- and finally, a touching resolution of Johnny's personal life.