Travel the world or venture into new realms you've only dreamed about. Explore the world with some of our favorite adventure stories for school-age children.
Compiled by:
Children's Services Staff
Bug Boys(Juvenile Graphic Novels - J GN Bug Boys Vol. 1)
Series: Bug Boys
Follow two bug friends, Stag-B and Rhino-B, as they explore their world and share adventures. Recommended for ages 7–10.
Jungle Adventure(Juvenile Nonfiction - J 808.8 Mur)
Series: Let’s Tell A Story
Imagine if you could have an adventure in the jungle. What if you could have MILLIONS of them? With this story-building book, readers can create their own jungle-inspired adventures, over and over again. Just read the question and choose from the vibrant pictures on the page to build the story. Recommended for ages 6–10.
The Collectors(Juvenile Picture Books - Ej Fea)
Winslow and Rosie are collectors who can find nearly anything. Their impressive collection of natural wonders is almost complete—it's just missing one final piece. So the girls pack their gear and set off on a quest through the forest to find something extraordinary. Recommended for ages 3–7.
Mountain Top Mystery(Juvenile Early Readers - J-ER War)
The Alden children and their grandfather are hiking down from Flat Top when a rockslide reveals a cave with a big secret. Recommended for ages 6–10.
Heroes Unite!(Juvenile Early Readers - J-ER Joh)
Edgin and Holga gather their friends to win back their treasure! Recommended for ages 4–8.
The Secret Explorers and the Lost Whales(Juvenile First Chapter Books - J-FC King)
Series: Secret Explorers
The Secret Explorers jump into action to save a pod of humpback whales, but when Connor and Roshini's submarine malfunctions, the explorers could be the ones in trouble. Recommended for ages 7–11.
The Hike(Juvenile Picture Books - Ej Far)
Three friends set out on a hike to explore their local forest, intending to climb to the top of the hill. There, they will plant a flag, read a poem, and release feathers into the wind. Recommended for ages 3–8.
All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys' Soccer Team(Juvenile Nonfiction - J 796.525 Soo)
On June 23, 2018, 12 young players of the Wild Boars soccer team and their coach enter a cave in northern Thailand seeking an afternoon's adventure. But when they turn to leave, rising floodwaters block their path out; the boys are trapped! Recommended for ages 8–12.
Pax(Juvenile Fiction - J Pennypa)
After being forced to give up his pet fox Pax, a young boy named Peter decides to leave home and get his best friend back. Recommended for ages 9–12.
The Atlas Obscura Explorer's Guide for the World's Most Adventurous Kid(Juvenile Nonfiction - J 910.41 Thu)
Use this illustrated guide to discover 100 of the world's wonders, both natural and manmade, in 47 countries and on every continent on earth. Travel the world through common points of interest. Recommended for ages 9–12.
Silverwing(Juvenile Graphic Novels - J-GN Silverwing v. 1)
Series: Silverwing Saga
In this graphic novel edition of a best-selling story, young silverwing bat, Shade, is blown off course during his colony's migration to Hibernaculum, during which he meets other winged loners on his journey back to his family. However, with a long and dangerous flight ahead, he must figure out who he can trust. Recommended for ages 9–12.
The Canyon's Edge(Juvenile Fiction - J Bowling)
A year after the death of her mother in a restaurant shooting, Nora is left struggling to stay alive when a climbing trip with her father goes terribly wrong. Recommended for ages 8–12.
Survival Scout: Lost in the Mountains(Juvenile Graphic Novels - J-GN Survival Scout v. 1)
Stay calm and scout it out! Take inventory of what you have. Find shelter. Make a fire. Signal for help. Secure water and food. Follow Scout's trial through the mountains as she explains how to survive if you ever find yourself lost in the wilderness. Recommended for ages 9–12.
The Cardboard Kingdom(Juvenile Graphic Novels - J-GN Sell Cardboard Kingdom)
Series: Cardboard Kingdom
Follow the adventures of a group of neighborhood children who make costumes from cardboard and use their imagination to create adventures with knights, robots, and monsters! Recommended for ages 9–12.
The Wild Robot(Juvenile Fiction - J Brown)
A robot named Roz discovers that she's alone on a remote, wild island with no memory of where she is from or why she's there. Her only hope of survival is to try to learn about her new environment from the island's hostile inhabitants. Recommended for ages 8–12.
Dactyl Hill Squad(Juvenile Fiction - J Older)
Series: Dactyl Hill Squad
During the Civil War, orphan Magdalys Roca is just trying to survive, but when she receives a letter telling her that her brother Montez is wounded, she is determined to reach him. Her ability to communicate telepathically with dinosaurs may help. Recommended for ages 8–12.
Wildfire (Juvenile Fiction - J Philbri)
13-year-old Sam is at summer camp while his mother is in rehab, but when the camp is evacuated ahead of a fast moving wildfire, he makes the mistake of going back for his phone. Sam finds himself left behind, disoriented, and running for his life—together with a girl, Delphy, from a different camp. Recommended for ages 9–12.
How to Stay Invisible (Juvenile Fiction - J Rudd)
When 12-year-old Raymond and his pup Rosie are abandoned by his family, he uses his wilderness skills to survive in the woods, but as winter comes, he realizes his wits are not enough, and that perhaps it's time he starts trusting others with his secret. Recommended for ages 9–12.
Wildwood (Juvenile Fiction - J Meloy)
Series: Wildwood Chronicles
When her baby brother is kidnapped by crows, 7th-grader Prue McKeel ventures into the forbidden Impassable Wilderness—a dangerous and magical forest in the middle of Portland, Oregon—and soon finds herself involved in a war among the various inhabitants. Recommended for ages 9–12.
Northwind(Juvenile Fiction - J Paulsen)
When sickness decimates his fishing camp, an orphan named Leif flees north in a cedar canoe, journeying along a brutal but beautiful coastline. Recommended for ages 9–12.