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The Best Children’s Adventure Books

“What are the best Childrens Adventure books?” We looked at 180 of the top Kids Adventure books, aggregating and ranking them so we could answer that very question!

The top 7 titles, all appearing on 2 or more “Best Children’s Adventure” book lists, are ranked below by how many lists they appear on. The remaining 150+ titles, as well as the lists we used are in alphabetical order at the bottom of the page.

Happy Scrolling!



Top 7 Best Childrens Adventure Books



7 .) My Side of the Mountain written by Jean Craighead George

My Side of the Mountain

Lists It Appears On:

  • Oars
  • Outdoor Life

A young boy relates his adventures during the year he spends living alone in the Catskill Mountains including his struggle for survival, his dependence on nature, his animal friends, and his ultimate realization that he needs human companionship.




6 .) The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn written by Mark Twain

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Lists It Appears On:

  • Outdoor Life
  • Read Brightly

A feisty young boy fakes his own death to escape his abusive father and heads off down the Mississippi River with his newfound friend Jim, a runaway slave.




5 .) The Jungle Books written by Rudyard Kipling

The Jungle Books

Lists It Appears On:

  • Goodreads
  • Read Brightly

This timeless classic, made world-famous partly by the 1967 animated Disney film adaptation, is now available in a handsome new package featuring a new Afterword. Presents the adventures of Mowgli, a boy reared by a pack of wolves, and the wild animals of the jungle, and includes other short stories set in India.




4 .) Island of the Blue Dolphins written by Scott O’Dell

Island of the Blue Dolphins

Lists It Appears On:

  • Oars
  • Outdoor Life
  • Read Brightly

Records the courage and self-reliance of an Indian girl who lived alone for eighteen years on an isolated island off the California coast when her tribe emigrated and she was left behind.




3 .) Little House in the Big Woods written by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Little House in the Big Woods

Lists It Appears On:

  • Oars
  • Outdoor Life
  • Read Brightly

A year in the life of two young girls growing up on the Wisconsin frontier, as they help their mother with the daily chores, enjoy their father’s stories and singing, and share special occasions when they get together with relatives or neighbors.




2 .) Where the Red Fern Grows written by Wilson Rawls

Where the Red Fern Grows

Lists It Appears On:

  • Oars
  • Outdoor Life
  • Read Brightly

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.




1 .) Hatchet written by Gary Paulsen

Hatchet

Lists It Appears On:

  • Goodreads
  • Oars
  • Outdoor Life
  • Read Brightly

After a plane crash, thirteen-year-old Brian spends fifty-four days in the wilderness, learning to survive initially with only the aid of a hatchet given him by his mother, and learning also to survive his parents’ divorce.





The 150+ Additional Best Kids Adventure Books



#BooksAuthorLists
8A Camping Spree with Mr. Magee Oars
9A Nest Is Noisy Science Friday
10A Series of Very Unfortunate Monsters; Oh The Places They’ll GoHalimah Bint DavidGoodreads
11A Series of Very Unfortunate Monsters; Santa Clause, His Elves and A Tooth Fairy Too!Halimah Bint DavidGoodreads
12Alex Rider Boxed Set, #1-6 (Alex Rider #1-6)Anthony HorowitzGoodreads
13Alibi Junior HighGreg LogstedGoodreads
14
Animal Architects: Amazing Animals Who Build Their Homes
 Science Friday
15Animal Tracks Activity Book 
Adventure Publications
16Animals Are Delicious Science Friday
17Assassin? (Jimmy Coates, #1)Joe CraigGoodreads
18Baby Bear Discovers the World 
Adventure Publications
19Bayou Magic Imagination Soup
20Bears of Blue RiverCharles MajorOutdoor Life
21Bears on Hemlock MountainAlice DalglieshOutdoor Life
22Bird Log Kids 
Adventure Publications
23Blackout (Jimmy Coates, #7)Joe CraigGoodreads
24Bounty HunterS.J. HollisGoodreads
25BRAT and the Kids of WarriorsMichael Joseph LyonsGoodreads
26
Braving It: A Father, a Daughter, and an Unforgettable Journey into the Alaskan Wild
 Read Brightly
27Captains CourageousRudyard KiplingGoodreads
28Catnapped! Puppy Pirates Imagination Soup
29Constellations Activity Book 
Adventure Publications
30Crossing the Line (The Raven Files) Imagination Soup
31Dangerous Times (Nathan Fox, #1)L. BrittneyGoodreads
32Dark Territory (The Tracks, #1)J. Gabriel GatesGoodreads
33Darwen Arkwright and The Peregrine PactA.J. HartleyBarnes And Noble
34Delilah Dirk and the King’s Shilling Imagination Soup
35Diary of an 8-Bit Warrior Imagination Soup
36Dio-Mike and the T.Rex Attack Imagination Soup
37Downriver Oars
38Edge of Extinction The Ark Plan Imagination Soup
39Extreme Adventures series Imagination Soup
40
Ferno the Fire Dragon (Beast Quest #1)
 Imagination Soup
41Floppers & Loppers 
Adventure Publications
42Flying heroesAdrian SchaferGoodreads
43From The Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. FrankweilerE.L. KonigsburgBarnes And Noble
44Fromage (Fromage, #1)Kathleen DonovanGoodreads
45Ghost Crown (The Tracks, #2)J. Gabriel GatesGoodreads
46Grand Canyon Science Friday
47Hafren: A Fantasy for the Young at HeartCraig W. DresslerGoodreads
48High Rhulain (Redwall, #18)Brian JacquesGoodreads
49I Am the Mission Imagination Soup
50Inkdeath (Inkworld, #3)Cornelia FunkeGoodreads
51Inkheart (Inkworld, #1)Cornelia FunkeGoodreads
52Inkspell (Inkworld, #2)Cornelia FunkeGoodreads
53Into the WildJon KrakauerGoodreads
54Ivy and Bean Imagination Soup
55Jake Ransom and the Howling SphinxJames RollinsGoodreads
56Jake Ransom and the Skull King’s ShadowJames RollinsGoodreads
57Johnny Hangtime Imagination Soup
58Julie of the Wolves Read Brightly
59Jungle BookRuyard KiplingOutdoor Life
60Just So StoriesRudyard KiplingGoodreads
61Killer Species Imagination Soup
62KimRudyard KiplingGoodreads
63Kingdom Keepers series Imagination Soup
64League of the Lost FountainJason BornGoodreads
65Little Brother (Little Brother, #1)Cory DoctorowGoodreads
66Lord of the FliesWilliam GoldingOutdoor Life
67Lots: The Diversity of Life on Earth Science Friday
68M Is for Mama’s Boy (NERDS, #2)Michael BuckleyGoodreads
69Middleworld (Jaguar Stones, #1)J&P VoelkelGoodreads
70Mr. Tucket (The Tucket Adventures, #1)Gary PaulsenGoodreads
71Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMHRobert C. O’BrienBarnes And Noble
72My First Travel Angelic Airline AdventuresAnna OthitisGoodreads
73
Nanny Piggins and the Runaway Lion
 Imagination Soup
74Nature Log Kids 
Adventure Publications
75NERDS: National Espionage, Rescue, and Defense Society (NERDS, #1)Michael BuckleyGoodreads
76
Nick and Tesla’s Solar-Powered Showdown
 Imagination Soup
77Nightmares! Imagination Soup
78Nim’s Island (Nim #1)Wendy OrrGoodreads
79Nina Beana and the Owenroake Treasure HuntersM.K. McDanielGoodreads
80
No Summit out of Sight: The True Story of the Youngest Person to Climb the Seven Summits
 Oars
81OasisJim HarrisonGoodreads
82Old YellerFred GipsonOutdoor Life
83
One Day on our Blue Planet…in the Rainforest
 Science Friday
84Operation Redwood Oars
85Oracles of Delphi Keep (Oracles of Delphi Keep, #1)Victoria LaurieGoodreads
86Paddle-to-the-Sea Oars
87Pathfinder (Pathfinder, #1)Orson Scott CardGoodreads
88Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes (Peter Nimble #1)Jonathan AuxierGoodreads
89
Pilfer Academy: a School So Bad It’s Criminal
 Imagination Soup
90Power (Jimmy Coates, #6)Joe CraigGoodreads
91Professor Astro Cat’s Solar System Science Friday
92Quest for the Secret Keeper (Oracles of Delphi Keep, #3)Victoria LaurieGoodreads
93Raven Boy (Book 1 & 2)Kateryna KeiGoodreads
94Recipe for Adventure #1 Naples! Imagination Soup
95Revenge (Jimmy Coates, #3)Joe CraigGoodreads
96
Ricky Ricotta’s Mighty Robot The Voodoo Vultures from Venus
 Imagination Soup
97Robinson CrusoeDaniel DefoeOutdoor Life
98Rocket Science for Babies Science Friday
99
Rube Goldberg’s Simple Normal Humdrum School Day
 Science Friday
100Sabotage (Jimmy Coates, #4)Joe CraigGoodreads
101Seaborne: The Lost Prince Imagination Soup
102Seefer Elliot and the Darkness Within (Seefer Elliot, #2)Pat MallonGoodreads
103Seefer Elliot and the World Aside Ours (Seefer Elliot, #1)Pat MallonGoodreads
104Shadow Train (The Tracks, #3)J. Gabriel GatesGoodreads
105Simon Bloom, The Gravity Keeper (Simon Bloom, #1)Michael ReismanGoodreads
106Some Babies Are Wild 
Adventure Publications
107Stone FoxJohn Reynolds GardinerOutdoor Life
108Stormbreaker (Alex Rider, #1)Anthony HorowitzGoodreads
109Stormbreaker: The Graphic Novel (Alex Rider: The Graphic Novels, #1)Antony JohnstonGoodreads
110Surrounded by Sharks Imagination Soup
111Survival (Jimmy Coates, #5)Joe CraigGoodreads
112Surviving Desert View (Kids vs. Nature, #2)Karl SteamGoodreads
113Surviving Horse Island (Kids vs. Nature, #3)Karl SteamGoodreads
114Surviving Moose Lake (Kids vs. Nature, #1)Karl SteamGoodreads
115Swiss Family RobinsonJohann David WyssOutdoor Life
116Target (Jimmy Coates, #2)Joe CraigGoodreads
117The 5th Wave Imagination Soup
118The Battle of the Labyrinth (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #4)Rick RiordanGoodreads
119The Berenstain Bears Blaze a Trail Oars
120The Black Stallion (The Black Stallion, #1)Walter FarleyGoodreads
121The Book of WondersJasmine RichardsGoodreads
122The Bully and the LeprechaunRichard J. WardGoodreads
123The Call of the Wild and White Fang Read Brightly
124
The Camping Trip that Changed America
 Oars
125The Cheerleaders of Doom (NERDS, #3)Michael BuckleyGoodreads
126The Cross of Lead (Crispin series #1)AviBarnes And Noble
127The Curse of Deadman’s Forest (Oracles of Delphi Keep, #2)Victoria LaurieGoodreads
128The Cutest Critter 
Adventure Publications
129The Demigod FilesRick RiordanGoodreads
130The Dragon’s Tooth (Ashtown Burials, #1)N.D. WilsonGoodreads
131The End of the World Club (Jaguar Stones, #2)Jon VoelkelGoodreads
132The Fixer Imagination Soup
133The Grey Ghost: The Shadow that Walks #1Nicholas CaraGoodreads
134The Gumazing Gum Girl! Imagination Soup
135The Hampton SummitMike DunbarGoodreads
136The Haunted AbbeyRichard J. WardGoodreads
137The Hermit and the Time MachineRichard J. WardGoodreads
138The Hobbit or There and Back AgainJ.R.R. TolkienGoodreads
139The Influxitron (Captain Disaster, #1)Del ShannonGoodreads
140The Invention of Hugo CabretBrian SelznickBarnes And Noble
141The Invisible Tower (Otherworld Chronicles, #1)Nils Johnson-SheltonGoodreads
142The Land of Stories series #1), Barnes And Noble
143The Last Olympian (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #5)Rick RiordanGoodreads
144The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #1)Rick RiordanGoodreads
145The Lord of the Rings (The Lord of the Rings, #1-3)J.R.R. TolkienGoodreads
146The Lost Gate (Mither Mages, #1)Orson Scott CardGoodreads
147The Lost Hero (The Heroes of Olympus, #1)Rick RiordanGoodreads
148The Miraculous Journey of Edward TulaneKate DiCamilloBarnes And Noble
149
The Mouse with the Question Mark Tail
 Imagination Soup
150The Neverending StoryMichael EndeBarnes And Noble
151The Pearls of Lutra (Redwall, #9)Brian JacquesGoodreads
152
The Prisoner of Cell 25 (Michael Vey #1)
 Imagination Soup
153The Red Pyramid (The Kane Chronicles, #1)Rick RiordanGoodreads
154The Sea of Monsters (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #2)Rick RiordanGoodreads
155The Secret of Platform 13Eva IbbotsonBarnes And Noble
156The Son of Neptune (The Heroes of Olympus, #2)Rick RiordanGoodreads
157The Star of KazanEva IbbotsonBarnes And Noble
158
The Story of Snow: The Science of Winter’s Wonder
 Science Friday
159The Taggerung (Redwall, #14)Brian JacquesGoodreads
160The Throne of Fire (The Kane Chronicles, #2)Rick RiordanGoodreads
161The Titan’s Curse (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #3)Rick RiordanGoodreads
162
The Unlikely Adventures of Mabel Jones
 Imagination Soup
163The Wild Robot Oars
164The Wind in the Willows Read Brightly
165The Wishing Spell (The Land of Stories series #1)Chris ColferBarnes And Noble
166The Yearling Read Brightly
167The Zombie Chasers Imagination Soup
168Thunder (Thunder: An Elephant’s Journey, #1)Erik Daniel SheinGoodreads
169Tiger Rising Read Brightly
170Tikta’liktak: An Inuit-Eskimo Legend Read Brightly
171Tikta’ LiktakJames M. HoustonOutdoor Life
172To Catch a Cheat Imagination Soup
173Treasure IslandRobert Louis StevensonGoodreads
174TulkuPeter DickinsonGoodreads
175Two Little Savages Oars
176We’re Going on a Bear Hunt Oars
177
Welcome to Wonderland Home Sweet Motel
 Imagination Soup
178White FangJack LondonOutdoor Life
179Whose Butt? 
Adventure Publications
180
Yellowstone & Grand Teton Activity Book
 
Adventure Publications


8 Best Adventure Books For Children Book Sources/Lists



SourceArticle
Adventure Publications Top 10 Best Children’s Books from Adventure
Barnes And Noble 10 Adventure Books That Should Be In Every Kid’s Library
Goodreads Best Kid’s Action/Adventure Books
Imagination Soup Adventure Books for Kids
Oars 15 of the Best Outdoor Books for Kids
Outdoor Life The 16 Best Fiction Adventure Books Every Outdoor Kid Should Read
Read Brightly 14 Books That Teach Children to Be Adventurous
Science Friday Ten Awesome Science Books For Curious Kids