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Lifetime Adventures



Last updated: January 25, 2011

Swashbuckling Adventures

Crocodiles, Camels & Dugout Canoes Crocodiles, Camels & Dugout Canoes by Bo Zaunders
Enjoy eight adventurous episodes that take place in many parts of the world. (gr. 1–4)
Knights of the Kitchen Table Knights of the Kitchen Table by Jon Scieszka
A magic book transports Joe and his two friends to King Arthur's court where they must battle dragons, giants and the Black Knight. This is the first book of the Time Warp Trio series. (gr. 3–5)
The Adventures of Tintin Volume 1 The Adventures of Tintin Volume 1 by Hergé
Whether he’s trolling the high seas for treasure or blasting off for the moon, young reporter-sleuth Tintin and his faithful dog Snowy are sure to find adventure. (gr. 3–7)
The Gate in the Wall The Gate in the Wall by Ellen Howard
In 19th-century England, 10-year-old Emma finds her life completely changed when she gets a job on a canal boat carrying cargoes between several northern towns. (gr. 3–7)
Dealing with Dragons Dealing with Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede
Bored with traditional palace life, a princess goes off to live with a group of dragons and soon becomes involved fighting against some disreputable wizards who want steal away the dragons’ kingdom. (gr. 5–8)
The Squire's Tale The Squire's Tale by Gerald Morris
In medieval England, 14-year-old Terence becomes the squire of the young Gawain of Orkney and accompanies him on a long quest. (gr. 5–9)
The Dark Lord of Derkholm The Dark Lord of Derkholm by Diana Wynne Jones
The wizard Derk and his quirky magical family try to stop the tyrannical tour guide Mr. Chesney from bringing boorish tourists to their world every year. (gr. 7–9)
Pagan's Crusade Pagan's Crusade by Catherine Jinks
In 12th-century Jerusalem, a wisecracking, 16-year-old orphan named Pagan tells how he escapes his life in the streets to become squire for a pious Templar knight, just as Saladin's armies close in on the city. (gr. 7–9)
The Kite Rider: A Novel The Kite Rider: A Novel by Geraldine McCaughrean
In 13th century China, 12-year-old Haoyou takes to the sky as a circus kite rider and ends up meeting the great Mongol ruler Kublai Khan. (gr. 7–10)
Jackaroo Jackaroo by Cynthia Voigt
When hard times among the People revive the old stories of the hero Jackaroo, an innkeeper's daughter follows her own quest to unlock the secret reality behind the legend. (gr. 7–11)

Quests for Adventure

The Field Guide The Field Guide by Tony DiTerlizzi
When the Grace family moves into Great Aunt Lucinda's dilapidated Victorian house, the three kids discover a field guide to faeries. Book one of The Spiderwick Chronicles. (gr. 2–4)
Rowan of Rin Rowan of Rin by Emily Rodda
Rowan and six other villagers climb a mountain to try to restore their water supply as fears of a dragon and other horrors threaten to drive them back. (gr. 3–6)
Gregor the Overlander Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins
When 11-year-old Gregor and his 2-year-old sister are pulled into a strange underground world, they trigger an epic battle involving men, bats, rats, cockroaches and spiders while on a quest foretold by ancient prophecy. (gr. 4–8)
Journey to the River Sea Journey to the River Sea by Eva Ibbotson
Sent with her governess to live with the dreadful Carter family in exotic Brazil in 1910, Maia endures many hardships before fulfilling her dream of exploring the Amazon River. (gr. 5–9)
The Wind Singer: An Adventure The Wind Singer: An Adventure by William Nicholson
Kestrel Hath, her twin brother and a classmate follow an ancient map in quest of the legendary silver voice of the wind singer. (gr. 5–9)
Eragon Eragon by Christopher Paolini
A 15-year-old boy of unknown lineage called Eragon finds a mysterious stone that weaves his life into an intricate tapestry of destiny, magic and power, peopled with dragons, elves and monsters. (gr. 5–9)
The Thief The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner
Gen flaunts his ingenuity as a thief and relishes the adventure that takes him to a remote temple of the gods where he will attempt to steal a precious stone. (gr. 5–9)
East East by Edith Pattou
A young woman journeys to a distant castle on the back of a great white bear who is the victim of a cruel enchantment. (gr. 6–10)
Sabriel Sabriel by Garth Nix
Sabriel must journey into the mysterious and magical Old Kingdom to rescue her father from the Land of the Dead. (gr. 7–11)
The Sword in the Stone The Sword in the Stone by T.H. White
Growing up in Medieval England with knights in armor and fair damsels, foul monsters and evil witches, young Arthur slowly learns the code of being a gentleman. (gr. 9–12)

Oceans of Adventure

When Jessie Came Across the Sea When Jessie Came Across the Sea by Amy Hest
A 13-year-old Jewish orphan reluctantly leaves her grandmother and immigrates to New York City, where she works for three years sewing lace and earning money to bring Grandmother to the United States, too. (gr. 2–4)
Kensuke's Kingdom Kensuke's Kingdom by Michael Morpurgo
When Michael is swept off his family's yacht, he washes up on a desert island, where he struggles to survive — until he finds he is not alone. (gr. 4–7)
Shipwrecked! The True Adventures of a Japanese Boy Shipwrecked! The True Adventures of a Japanese Boy by Rhoda Blumberg
In 1841, rescued by an American whaler after a terrible shipwreck leaves him and his four companions castaways on a remote island, 14-year-old Manjiro learns new laws and customs as he becomes the first Japanese person to set foot in the United States. (gr. 4–8)
Overboard Overboard by Elizabeth Fama
Escaping from a sinking ferry in the waters off Sumatra, 14-year-old Emily fights for survival for herself and a young Indonesian boy, who draws courage from his quiet but firm Islamic faith. (gr. 4–8)
The Young Man and the Sea The Young Man and the Sea by W. R. Philbrick
After his mother's death, 12-year-old Skiff Beaman decides that it is up to him to earn money to take care of himself and his father, so he undertakes a dangerous trip alone out on the ocean off the coast of Maine to try to catch a huge bluefin tuna. (gr. 5–6)
Storm Warriors Storm Warriors by Elisa Carbone
In 1895, after his mother's death, 12-year-old Nathan moves with his father and grandfather to Pea Island off the coast of North Carolina, where he hopes to join the all-black crew at the nearby lifesaving station, despite his father's objections. (gr. 5–9)
The Wanderer The Wanderer by Sharon Creech
Needing to see her grandfather in England, 13-year-old Sophie joins her rather grumpy uncles and cousins on their 45-foot sailboat, The Wanderer, for a perilous trip across the Atlantic, described by Sophie and her cousin Cody in their journals. (gr. 6–10)
Escape from Botany Bay: The True Story of Mary Bryant Escape from Botany Bay: The True Story of Mary Bryant by Gerald Hausman
In 1791, after being transported to Australia in the first shipment of convicts, Mary Bryant, her husband, two children and seven other convicts, unable to endure the terrible conditions of the penal colony, organize a daring escape in an open boat. (gr. 6–10)
Revenge of the Whale: The True Story of the Whaleship Essex Revenge of the Whale: The True Story of the Whaleship Essex by Nathaniel Philbrick
Recounts the 1820 sinking of the whaleship Essex by an enraged sperm whale and how the crew of young men struggled to survive against impossible odds. (gr. 6–10)
Blue Skin of the Sea: A Novel in Stories Blue Skin of the Sea: A Novel in Stories by Graham Salisbury
Growing up in Hawaii between 1953 and 1966, Sonny tries to come to terms with his feelings for his fisherman father and the vast sea that dominates his life. (gr. 6–10)