Children & Teen

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



# Books Author Lists
8 A Camping Spree with Mr. Magee Oars
9 A Nest Is Noisy Science Friday
10 A Series of Very Unfortunate Monsters; Oh The Places They’ll Go Halimah Bint David Goodreads
11 A Series of Very Unfortunate Monsters; Santa Clause, His Elves and A Tooth Fairy Too! Halimah Bint David Goodreads
12 Alex Rider Boxed Set, #1-6 (Alex Rider #1-6) Anthony Horowitz Goodreads
13 Alibi Junior High Greg Logsted Goodreads
14
Animal Architects: Amazing Animals Who Build Their Homes
Science Friday
15 Animal Tracks Activity Book
Adventure Publications
16 Animals Are Delicious Science Friday
17 Assassin? (Jimmy Coates, #1) Joe Craig Goodreads
18 Baby Bear Discovers the World
Adventure Publications
19 Bayou Magic Imagination Soup
20 Bears of Blue River Charles Major Outdoor Life
21 Bears on Hemlock Mountain Alice Dalgliesh Outdoor Life
22 Bird Log Kids
Adventure Publications
23 Blackout (Jimmy Coates, #7) Joe Craig Goodreads
24 Bounty Hunter S.J. Hollis Goodreads
25 BRAT and the Kids of Warriors Michael Joseph Lyons Goodreads
26
Braving It: A Father, a Daughter, and an Unforgettable Journey into the Alaskan Wild
Read Brightly
27 Captains Courageous Rudyard Kipling Goodreads
28 Catnapped! Puppy Pirates Imagination Soup
29 Constellations Activity Book
Adventure Publications
30 Crossing the Line (The Raven Files) Imagination Soup
31 Dangerous Times (Nathan Fox, #1) L. Brittney Goodreads
32 Dark Territory (The Tracks, #1) J. Gabriel Gates Goodreads
33 Darwen Arkwright and The Peregrine Pact A.J. Hartley Barnes And Noble
34 Delilah Dirk and the King’s Shilling Imagination Soup
35 Diary of an 8-Bit Warrior Imagination Soup
36 Dio-Mike and the T.Rex Attack Imagination Soup
37 Downriver Oars
38 Edge of Extinction The Ark Plan Imagination Soup
39 Extreme Adventures series Imagination Soup
40
Ferno the Fire Dragon (Beast Quest #1)
Imagination Soup
41 Floppers & Loppers
Adventure Publications
42 Flying heroes Adrian Schafer Goodreads
43 From The Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler E.L. Konigsburg Barnes And Noble
44 Fromage (Fromage, #1) Kathleen Donovan Goodreads
45 Ghost Crown (The Tracks, #2) J. Gabriel Gates Goodreads
46 Grand Canyon Science Friday
47 Hafren: A Fantasy for the Young at Heart Craig W. Dressler Goodreads
48 High Rhulain (Redwall, #18) Brian Jacques Goodreads
49 I Am the Mission Imagination Soup
50 Inkdeath (Inkworld, #3) Cornelia Funke Goodreads
51 Inkheart (Inkworld, #1) Cornelia Funke Goodreads
52 Inkspell (Inkworld, #2) Cornelia Funke Goodreads
53 Into the Wild Jon Krakauer Goodreads
54 Ivy and Bean Imagination Soup
55 Jake Ransom and the Howling Sphinx James Rollins Goodreads
56 Jake Ransom and the Skull King’s Shadow James Rollins Goodreads
57 Johnny Hangtime Imagination Soup
58 Julie of the Wolves Read Brightly
59 Jungle Book Ruyard Kipling Outdoor Life
60 Just So Stories Rudyard Kipling Goodreads
61 Killer Species Imagination Soup
62 Kim Rudyard Kipling Goodreads
63 Kingdom Keepers series Imagination Soup
64 League of the Lost Fountain Jason Born Goodreads
65 Little Brother (Little Brother, #1) Cory Doctorow Goodreads
66 Lord of the Flies William Golding Outdoor Life
67 Lots: The Diversity of Life on Earth Science Friday
68 M Is for Mama’s Boy (NERDS, #2) Michael Buckley Goodreads
69 Middleworld (Jaguar Stones, #1) J&P Voelkel Goodreads
70 Mr. Tucket (The Tucket Adventures, #1) Gary Paulsen Goodreads
71 Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH Robert C. O’Brien Barnes And Noble
72 My First Travel Angelic Airline Adventures Anna Othitis Goodreads
73
Nanny Piggins and the Runaway Lion
Imagination Soup
74 Nature Log Kids
Adventure Publications
75 NERDS: National Espionage, Rescue, and Defense Society (NERDS, #1) Michael Buckley Goodreads
76
Nick and Tesla’s Solar-Powered Showdown
Imagination Soup
77 Nightmares! Imagination Soup
78 Nim’s Island (Nim #1) Wendy Orr Goodreads
79 Nina Beana and the Owenroake Treasure Hunters M.K. McDaniel Goodreads
80
No Summit out of Sight: The True Story of the Youngest Person to Climb the Seven Summits
Oars
81 Oasis Jim Harrison Goodreads
82 Old Yeller Fred Gipson Outdoor Life
83
One Day on our Blue Planet…in the Rainforest
Science Friday
84 Operation Redwood Oars
85 Oracles of Delphi Keep (Oracles of Delphi Keep, #1) Victoria Laurie Goodreads
86 Paddle-to-the-Sea Oars
87 Pathfinder (Pathfinder, #1) Orson Scott Card Goodreads
88 Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes (Peter Nimble #1) Jonathan Auxier Goodreads
89
Pilfer Academy: a School So Bad It’s Criminal
Imagination Soup
90 Power (Jimmy Coates, #6) Joe Craig Goodreads
91 Professor Astro Cat’s Solar System Science Friday
92 Quest for the Secret Keeper (Oracles of Delphi Keep, #3) Victoria Laurie Goodreads
93 Raven Boy (Book 1 & 2) Kateryna Kei Goodreads
94 Recipe for Adventure #1 Naples! Imagination Soup
95 Revenge (Jimmy Coates, #3) Joe Craig Goodreads
96
Ricky Ricotta’s Mighty Robot The Voodoo Vultures from Venus
Imagination Soup
97 Robinson Crusoe Daniel Defoe Outdoor Life
98 Rocket Science for Babies Science Friday
99
Rube Goldberg’s Simple Normal Humdrum School Day
Science Friday
100 Sabotage (Jimmy Coates, #4) Joe Craig Goodreads
101 Seaborne: The Lost Prince Imagination Soup
102 Seefer Elliot and the Darkness Within (Seefer Elliot, #2) Pat Mallon Goodreads
103 Seefer Elliot and the World Aside Ours (Seefer Elliot, #1) Pat Mallon Goodreads
104 Shadow Train (The Tracks, #3) J. Gabriel Gates Goodreads
105 Simon Bloom, The Gravity Keeper (Simon Bloom, #1) Michael Reisman Goodreads
106 Some Babies Are Wild
Adventure Publications
107 Stone Fox John Reynolds Gardiner Outdoor Life
108 Stormbreaker (Alex Rider, #1) Anthony Horowitz Goodreads
109 Stormbreaker: The Graphic Novel (Alex Rider: The Graphic Novels, #1) Antony Johnston Goodreads
110 Surrounded by Sharks Imagination Soup
111 Survival (Jimmy Coates, #5) Joe Craig Goodreads
112 Surviving Desert View (Kids vs. Nature, #2) Karl Steam Goodreads
113 Surviving Horse Island (Kids vs. Nature, #3) Karl Steam Goodreads
114 Surviving Moose Lake (Kids vs. Nature, #1) Karl Steam Goodreads
115 Swiss Family Robinson Johann David Wyss Outdoor Life
116 Target (Jimmy Coates, #2) Joe Craig Goodreads
117 The 5th Wave Imagination Soup
118 The Battle of the Labyrinth (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #4) Rick Riordan Goodreads
119 The Berenstain Bears Blaze a Trail Oars
120 The Black Stallion (The Black Stallion, #1) Walter Farley Goodreads
121 The Book of Wonders Jasmine Richards Goodreads
122 The Bully and the Leprechaun Richard J. Ward Goodreads
123 The Call of the Wild and White Fang Read Brightly
124
The Camping Trip that Changed America
Oars
125 The Cheerleaders of Doom (NERDS, #3) Michael Buckley Goodreads
126 The Cross of Lead (Crispin series #1) Avi Barnes And Noble
127 The Curse of Deadman’s Forest (Oracles of Delphi Keep, #2) Victoria Laurie Goodreads
128 The Cutest Critter
Adventure Publications
129 The Demigod Files Rick Riordan Goodreads
130 The Dragon’s Tooth (Ashtown Burials, #1) N.D. Wilson Goodreads
131 The End of the World Club (Jaguar Stones, #2) Jon Voelkel Goodreads
132 The Fixer Imagination Soup
133 The Grey Ghost: The Shadow that Walks #1 Nicholas Cara Goodreads
134 The Gumazing Gum Girl! Imagination Soup
135 The Hampton Summit Mike Dunbar Goodreads
136 The Haunted Abbey Richard J. Ward Goodreads
137 The Hermit and the Time Machine Richard J. Ward Goodreads
138 The Hobbit or There and Back Again J.R.R. Tolkien Goodreads
139 The Influxitron (Captain Disaster, #1) Del Shannon Goodreads
140 The Invention of Hugo Cabret Brian Selznick Barnes And Noble
141 The Invisible Tower (Otherworld Chronicles, #1) Nils Johnson-Shelton Goodreads
142 The Land of Stories series #1), Barnes And Noble
143 The Last Olympian (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #5) Rick Riordan Goodreads
144 The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #1) Rick Riordan Goodreads
145 The Lord of the Rings (The Lord of the Rings, #1-3) J.R.R. Tolkien Goodreads
146 The Lost Gate (Mither Mages, #1) Orson Scott Card Goodreads
147 The Lost Hero (The Heroes of Olympus, #1) Rick Riordan Goodreads
148 The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane Kate DiCamillo Barnes And Noble
149
The Mouse with the Question Mark Tail
Imagination Soup
150 The Neverending Story Michael Ende Barnes And Noble
151 The Pearls of Lutra (Redwall, #9) Brian Jacques Goodreads
152
The Prisoner of Cell 25 (Michael Vey #1)
Imagination Soup
153 The Red Pyramid (The Kane Chronicles, #1) Rick Riordan Goodreads
154 The Sea of Monsters (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #2) Rick Riordan Goodreads
155 The Secret of Platform 13 Eva Ibbotson Barnes And Noble
156 The Son of Neptune (The Heroes of Olympus, #2) Rick Riordan Goodreads
157 The Star of Kazan Eva Ibbotson Barnes And Noble
158
The Story of Snow: The Science of Winter’s Wonder
Science Friday
159 The Taggerung (Redwall, #14) Brian Jacques Goodreads
160 The Throne of Fire (The Kane Chronicles, #2) Rick Riordan Goodreads
161 The Titan’s Curse (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #3) Rick Riordan Goodreads
162
The Unlikely Adventures of Mabel Jones
Imagination Soup
163 The Wild Robot Oars
164 The Wind in the Willows Read Brightly
165 The Wishing Spell (The Land of Stories series #1) Chris Colfer Barnes And Noble
166 The Yearling Read Brightly
167 The Zombie Chasers Imagination Soup
168 Thunder (Thunder: An Elephant’s Journey, #1) Erik Daniel Shein Goodreads
169 Tiger Rising Read Brightly
170 Tikta’liktak: An Inuit-Eskimo Legend Read Brightly
171 Tikta’ Liktak James M. Houston Outdoor Life
172 To Catch a Cheat Imagination Soup
173 Treasure Island Robert Louis Stevenson Goodreads
174 Tulku Peter Dickinson Goodreads
175 Two Little Savages Oars
176 We’re Going on a Bear Hunt Oars
177
Welcome to Wonderland Home Sweet Motel
Imagination Soup
178 White Fang Jack London Outdoor Life
179 Whose Butt?
Adventure Publications
180
Yellowstone & Grand Teton Activity Book
Adventure Publications


8 Best Adventure Books For Children Book Sources/Lists



Source Article
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
A.M. Anderson

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A.M. Anderson

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