Books for adventurers young and old

I feel a bit fraudulent putting this out under the How We Homeschool banner, because it is very much not my own work.

I asked on Notes for suggestions for books to read after Hatchet, My Side of the Mountain, and Where the Red Fern Grows: all classic American stories of children surviving in the wilderness. In Britain, these aren’t as well-known as they are in the States, and I wanted to know what books on a similar theme might not have made it onto my radar.

Well, it turns out a lot of people have thoughts on this subject! My online shopping basket is groaning. So because this is the sort of list people will definitely want to refer back to in months or years, and because a post is much easier to find than a note, I’m listing them all here.

They’re pretty much all middle-grade books (8-12), but obviously the nature of these books is that they contain peril and sometimes even death, so do make sure they’re appropriate for your child before handing them out. The books range from frontier adventures to magical mysteries and medieval quests—they’re not all exactly like Hatchet or Red Fern, but they all look like thrilling adventures. I want to read them all. A huge thank you to everyone who replied.

Mostly I’ve just copied the book blurb to give you a quick idea of each book. Of course, please add more suggestions in the Comments!

Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George (1972)

Careful, there’s an attempted rape in it—you can read the relevant page here. GoodReads says: Miyax rebels against a home situation she finds intolerable. She runs away toward San Francisco, toward her pen pal, who calls her Julie. But soon Miyax is lost in the Alaskan wilderness, without food, without even a compass. Slowly she is accepted by a pack of Arctic wolves, and she comes to love them as though they were her brothers. With their help, and drawing on her father’s training, she struggles day by day to survive.

Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell (1960)

Twelve-year-old Karana escapes death at the hands of treacherous hunters, only to find herself totally alone on a harsh desolate island. How she survives in the face of all sorts of dangers makes gripping and inspiring reading.

Swiss Family Robinson by Johann Wyss (1812)

Following a wild and raging storm, the Swiss family Robinson are stranded at sea. But the thundering waves have swept them off to a tropical island, where a new life awaits them. Their ship is laden with supplies and the island is packed with treasures, so they soon adapt and discover new dangers and delights every day…

The Green Book by Jill Paton Walsh (1981)

“The Green Book is a clever and beautifully shaped little combination of future fiction and metafiction. . . It is the record of the exodus of a group of Britons from a dying Earth to a new planet. . . The naïve courage of the children. . . saves the colony.” --Starred, School Library Journal

Ginger Pye by Eleanor Estes (1951)

1951, Newbery Medal winner, not so much a survival book as a beloved-puppy-and-children book.

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg (1967)

New York City girl Claudia, a mere month shy of being a twelve-year-old, has resolved to run away from home with her younger brother, Jamie. She knows that she could never pull off the classic spur-of-the-moment departure without a destination (inevitably involving having to eat outside with the insects, and cupcakes melting in the sun); so she plans everything to perfection, including their destination: the grand, elegant, beautiful, all-encompassing Metropolitan Museum of Art.

However, no sooner have Claudia and Jamie settled into their new home, than they are caught up in the mystery of an angel statue bought by the museum for the bargain price of $225. Is it in fact an as yet undiscovered work by Michelangelo, worth millions? Claudia is determined to find out, and her quest leads her to the remarkable, secretive Mrs. Frankweiler, who sold the statue to the museum - and to some equally remarkable discoveries about herself.

The Great and Terrible Quest by Margaret Lovett (1967)

Set in the late Middle Ages, a quick-witted orphan, abused by his grandfather, risks his life to care for a wounded knight who is on a quest but can't remember what he is searching for.

The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin (1978)

Highly inventive mystery begins when sixteen unlikely people gather for the reading of the very strange will of the very wealthy Samuel W. Westing. They could become millionaires, depending on how they play a game. All they have to do is find the answer - but the answer to what? The Westing Game is tricky and dangerous, but the heirs play on - through blizzards, burglaries, and bombings, Sam Westing may be dead... but that won't stop him from playing one last game!

BDM

says: An interesting high stakes sort of mystery with an almost one hundred percent success rate among fans of these other books.

Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson (1977)

An unforgettable story of friendship and loss by award-winning author Katherine Paterson. Jess Aarons wants to be the fastest boy in the class, but when a girl named Leslie Burke moves into the neighbouring farm his life changes forever. Even though she runs faster than him, Jess begins to think Leslie might be okay - she's clever and funny and not a bit soppy. And it is Leslie who invents Terabithia, the secret country on an island across the creek where he can escape his troublesome family.The only way to reach Terabithia is by rope-swing where Jess and Leslie become King and Queen, defeating giants, sharing stories and dreams, and plotting against their enemies. They are invincible - until tragedy strikes.

Swallows and Amazons (and sequels) by Arthur Ransome (1930)

From BookTrust: It’s the summer holidays, and the Walker children - otherwise known as Captain John, Mate Susan, Able-Seaman Titty and Ship's Boy Roger - are excited to set sail on their boat Swallow and camp on Wild Cat Island. Exploring their new territory, camping in the open skies, swimming in the lake and fishing for their dinner would be adventure enough - but then they meet two fierce Amazon pirates who challenge them to a war.

By the Great Horn Spoon! By Sid Fleischman (1963)

Jack’s aunt is in trouble. Even after she sells her beloved mansion, she still doesn't have enough money to pay off all her debts or, more importantly, to take care of twelve-year-old Jack and his two sisters. Luckily Jack has a plan!

He’s going to strike gold. Setting out from Boston with his stuffy but trusty butler, Praiseworthy, the two of them stow away on a ship bound for California--and the Gold Rush. Along the way they'll meet sailors, miners, outlaws, and wild animals. But will it all be worth it when they strike it rich?

Full of action, danger, and intrigue, this historic adventure paints a vivid picture of the old west, and continues to entertain children of each new generation.

The Great Turkey Walk by Kathleen Kerr (1998)

Missouri 1860: Simon Green is a bad student. His mother is dead and his father has disappeared. But he's daring, and so when he hears that turkeys fetch a higher price in Denver, he borrows his teacher's life savings and buys a herd of a thousand birds. Then he sets off on the thousand-mile trek with his dog and a pair of mules. To survive the odyssey that follows, Simon will need grit, luck and smarts-and a colorful cast of friends.

The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi (1990)

Thirteen-year-old Charlotte Doyle is excited to return home from her school in England to her family in Rhode Island in the summer of 1832.

But when the two families she was supposed to travel with mysteriously cancel their trips, Charlotte finds herself the lone passenger on a long sea voyage with a cruel captain and a mutinous crew. Worse yet, soon after stepping aboard the ship, she becomes enmeshed in a conflict between them! What begins as an eagerly anticipated ocean crossing turns into a harrowing journey, where Charlotte gains a villainous enemy... and is put on trial for murder!

Also recommended by the same author: Crispin: The Cross of Lead. “Asta’s Son” is all he’s ever been called. The lack of a name is appropriate, because he and his mother are but poor peasants in 14th century medieval England. But this thirteen-year-old boy who thought he had little to lose soon finds himself with even less—no home, no family, or possessions. Accused of a crime he did not commit, he may be killed on sight, by anyone. If he wishes to remain alive, he must flee his tiny village. All the boy takes with him is a newly revealed name—Crispin—and his mother’s cross of lead.

On The Far Side of the Mountain and Frightful’s Mountain by Jean Craighead George (1990)

Both sequels to My Side of the Mountain.

Lost on a Mountain in Maine by Don Fendler (1939)

Twelve-year-old Donn Fendler steps away from his Boy Scout troop for only a minute, but in the foggy mountains of Maine, a minute is all it takes. After hours of trying to find his way back, a nervous and tired Donn falls down an embankment, making it impossible for him to be found. One sleepless night goes by, followed by a second . . . and before Donn knows it, almost two weeks have passed, leaving him starving, scared, and delirious.

With rainstorms, black bears, and his fear of being lost forever, Donn’s journey is a physically, mentally, and emotionally charged story told from the point of view of the boy who lived it.

Little House on the Prairie books by Laura Ingalls Wilder (1932 onwards)

I don’t think you need me to tell you about these!

The Yearling by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings (1938)

Pulitzer winner. “An unsentimental, stone-cold classic that should be spoken of in the same breath – and read as religiously – as Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird”—The Times

In the remote, unforgiving landscape of central Florida, Ezra ‘Penny’ Baxter, his wife Ora and their son Jody carve out a precarious existence. Only ever a failed crop away from disaster, life in the Big Scrub is one of lurking danger, wild beauty and the thrill of the hunt.

Jody’s world is transformed when he rescues a starving fawn, who becomes his constant companion. But their bond is threatened when the yearling endangers the family’s survival – and Jody is forced to make a terrible choice that will change him forever.

The Great Brain series by John Dennis Fitzgerald (1967 onwards)

Set in the small town of Adenville, Utah, between 1896 and 1898, the stories are loosely based on Fitzgerald's childhood experiences. Chronicled by the first-person voice of John Dennis Fitzgerald, the stories mainly center on the escapades of John's mischievous older brother, Tom Dennis Fitzgerald, a.k.a. ‘The Great Brain’.

Gentle Ben by Walt Morey (1965)

The Alaskan wilderness is a lonely place for Mark Andersen, especially after the death of his brother. But Mark finds a friend named Ben, who happens to be an Alaskan brown bear. Ben and Mark form a special bond, but the townspeople are determined to destroy it. It is only through the strength of an enduring friendship that Ben--and Mark--have a chance of being saved.

Big Red by Jim Kjelgaard (1945)

A boy and an Irish setter wander over wilderness trails, hunt together, and fight for their lives against a killer bear.

Incident at Hawk’s Hill by Allan Eckert (1971)

Six-year-old Ben is very small for his age, and gets along better with animals than people. One June day in 1870, Ben wanders away from his home on Hawk’s Hill and disappears into the waving prairie grass. This is the story of how a shy, lonely boy survives for months in the wilds and forges a bond with a female badger.

Wild Robot and sequels by Peter Brown (2016)

When robot Roz opens her eyes for the first time, she discovers that she is alone on a remote, wild island. She has no idea how she got there or what her purpose is - but she knows she needs to survive.

After battling a fierce storm and escaping a vicious bear attack, she realises that her only hope for survival is to adapt to her surroundings and learn from the island's unwelcoming animal inhabitants.

Rascal by Sterling North (1963)

Skunks, woodchucks, a crow named Poe, an absent-minded father, an eighteen foot, half-finished canoe in the living room—welcome to the North home! Nothing’s surprising at the North residence. Not even eleven-year-old Sterling's new pet raccoon. Rascal is only a baby when young Sterling brings him home to join his unusual family. The mischievous raccoon and Sterling are partners and best friends for a perfect year of adventure--swimming, fishing, exploring the countryside together--until the spring day when everything suddenly changes and Sterling realizes he must let Rascal go.

Girl of the Limberlost by Gene Stratton-Porter (1909)

Set amid Indiana’s vast Limberlost Swamp, this treasured children’s classic mixes astute observations on nature with the struggles of growing up in the early 20th century. Harassed by her mother and scorned by her peers, Elnora Comstock finds solace in natural beauty - along with friendship, independence, and romance.

The Wild Folk by Sylvia V. Linsteadt (2018)

When Tin, an orphan City boy with a passion for invention, and curious Country girl Comfrey are visited by two young hares, it is the start of a magical quest. To stop the City from ravaging the Country, they must complete seemingly impossible challenges set by the mystical Wild Folk to find the one who holds the secret to saving their world.

Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner (1924)

Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny are brothers and sisters. They’re orphans too, and the only way they can stay together is to make it on their own. When the children find an abandoned boxcar in the woods, they decide to call it home--and become the Boxcar Children! (Good for younger readers, 7-10 years.)

The Cay by Theodore Taylor (1969)

Tense and compulsive survival story of a young boy and an old man adrift on the ocean, then marooned on a tiny, deserted island. It is also a fascinating study of the relationship between Phillip, white, American, and influenced by his mother’s racial prejudices, and the black man upon whom Phillip’s life depends.

Redwall series by Brian Jacques (1986)

Redwall Abbey, tranquil home to a community of peace-loving mice, is threatened by the evil, one-eyed rat warlord Cluny the Scourge and his battle-hardened horde of predators.

Cluny is certain that Redwall will fall easily to his fearsome army but he hasn't bargained for the courage and strength of the Redwall mice and their loyal woodland friends…

‘Not since Roald Dahl have children filled their shelves so compulsively’—The Times

My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell (1956)

Escaping the ills of the British climate, the Durrell family—acne-ridden Margo, gun-toting Leslie, bookworm Lawrence and budding naturalist Gerry, along with their long-suffering mother and Roger the dog—take off for the island of Corfu.

But the Durrells find that, reluctantly, they must share their various villas with a menagerie of local fauna—among them scorpions, geckos, toads, bats and butterflies.

Recounted with immense humour and charm My Family and Other Animals is a wonderful account of a rare, magical childhood.

(I read some of this aloud earlier this year and found my children were slightly young (at 6 and 8)—there’s some grown-up language, and references to young men flocking around Margot etc. I adore this book, but you may not feel it’s appropriate for young ears.)

Little Britches by Ralph Moody (1950)

Ralph was eight years old in 1906 when his family moved from New Hampshire to a Colorado ranch. Through his eyes, the pleasures and perils of ranching in the early twentieth century are experienced... auctions and roundups, family picnics, irrigation wars, tornadoes and wind storms all give authentic color to Little Britches. So do wonderfully told adventures, which equip Ralph for the path his life will take.

The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare (1958)

Kit Tyler is marked by suspicion and disapproval from the moment she arrives on the unfamiliar shores of colonial Connecticut in 1687. Alone and desperate, she has been forced to leave her beloved home on the island of Barbados and join a family she has never met. Kit’s unconventional background and high-spirited ways immediately clash with the Puritanical lifestyle of her uncle’s household, and despite her best efforts to adjust, it seems Kit will never win the favour of those around her.

The Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare (1983)

A popular recommendation. When Matt’s father leaves him on his own to guard their new cabin in the wilderness, Matt is scared but determined to be brave and prove that he can take care of himself. And things are going fine until a white stranger steals his gun, leaving Matt defenseless and unable to hunt for his food.

Then Matt meets Attean, a Native boy from the Beaver tribe, and soon learns that people called the land around him home long before the white settlers ever arrived. As Attean teaches him more about his own culture, Matt must come to terms with what the changing frontier really means.

Call of the Wild and White Fang by Jack London (1903/1906)

The Call of the Wild is the epic tale of a Californian dog’s adventures during the Klondike gold rush.

Born in the wilds of the freezing cold Yukon, White Fang – half-dog, half-wolf – is the only animal in the litter to survive. He soon learns the harsh laws of nature, yet buried deep inside him are the distant memories of affection and love. Will this fiercely independent creature of the wild learn to trust man again?

Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech (1994)

Don’t judge a man until you’ve walked two moons in his moccasins.

What is the meaning of this strange message left on the doorstep? Only Sal knows, and on a roadtrip with her grandparents she tells the bizarre tale of Phoebe Winterbottom, Phoebe’s disappearing mother and the lunatic. But who can help Sal make sense of the mystery that surrounds her own story . . . and her own missing mother?

Also recommended by the same author: Saving Winslow, and Moo.

The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt (2007)

Seventh grader Holling Hoodhood isn't happy. He is sure his new teacher, Mrs. Baker, hates his guts. Throughout the school year, Holling strives to get a handle on the Shakespeare plays Mrs. Baker assigns him to read on his own time, and to figure out the enigmatic Mrs. Baker. At home, Holling's domineering father is obsessed with his business image and disregards his family.

As the Vietnam War turns lives upside down, Holling comes to admire and respect both Shakespeare and Mrs. Baker, who have more to offer him than he imagined. And when his family is on the verge of coming apart, he also discovers his loyalty to his sister, and his ability to stand up to his father when it matters most.

Each month in Holling's tumultuous seventh-grade year is a chapter in this quietly powerful coming-of-age novel set in suburban Long Island during the late ’60s.

Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt (1975)

Winnie Foster is in the woods, thinking of running away from home, when she sees a boy drinking from a spring. Winnie wants a drink too, but before she can take a sip, she is kidnapped by the boy, Jesse Tuck, and his family. She learns that the Tuck family are blessed with - or doomed to - eternal life since drinking from the spring, and they wander from place to place trying to live as inconspicuously as they can. Now Winnie knows their secret. But what does immortality really mean? And can the Tucks help her understand before it's too late?

Baby Island by Carol Ryrie Brink (1937)

10 and 12 year old sisters are shipwrecked in a lifeboat on their way to Australia, along with four bouncing babies. Also Caddie Woodlawn by the same author.

The Haymeadow by Gary Paulson (1992)

Author of Hatchet. Asked to honour an old family tradition, John Barron spends the summer alone with only two horses, four sheepdogs, and a herd of sheep, enduring floods, coyote attacks, and injury to prove his survival skills.

Gavin McKinley

’s wife recommends The Winter Room (possibly for slightly older readers).

Summer of the Monkeys, by Wilson Rawls (1976)

Author of Where the Red Fern Grows. From The Good and the Beautiful: Fourteen-year-old Jay Berry lives on a farm in the Ozarks. When a circus train crashes in his area and all the monkeys escape, a large reward is offered for the monkeys. As Jay and his dog try to track the monkeys down, the reader is taken on a journey of adventure.

Echo Mountain by Lauren Wolk (2020)

When Ellie and her family lose everything, they flee to Echo Mountain. Ellie runs wild, exploring the mountain’s mysteries. But the one she can’t solve is who’s leaving the gifts for her: tiny wooden carvings of animals and flowers, dotted around the mountain for her to find. Then Ellie’s father has a terrible accident. When she sets out to find a cure for him, she discovers Cate, the outcast witch, and Larkin, a wild mountain boy. From them she learns about being a healer, being brave—and how there can be more to a person than first meets the eye.

The Explorer by Katherine Rundell (2017)

Four children survive a plane crash in the Amazon rainforest.

The One and Only Ivan and sequels by Katherine Applegate (2012)

Having spent twenty-seven years behind the glass walls of his enclosure in a shopping mall, Ivan has grown accustomed to humans watching him. He hardly ever thinks about his life in the jungle. Instead, Ivan occupies himself with television, his friends Stella and Bob, and painting. But when he meets Ruby, a baby elephant taken from the wild, he is forced to see their home, and his art, through new eyes.

Moon over Manifest by Claire Vanderpool (2010)

Abilene Tucker feels abandoned. Her father has put her on a train, sending her off to live with an old friend for the summer while he works a railroad job. Armed only with a few possessions and her list of universals, Abilene jumps off the train in Manifest, Kansas, aiming to learn about the boy her father once was.
Having heard stories about Manifest, Abilene is disappointed to find that it's just a dried-up, worn-out old town. But her disappointment quickly turns to excitement when she discovers a hidden cigar box full of mementos, including some old letters that mention a spy known as the Rattler. These mysterious letters send Abilene and her new friends, Lettie and Ruthanne, on an honest-to-goodness spy hunt, even though they are warned to "Leave Well Enough Alone."

Sounder by William H. Armstrong (1969)

Common Sense Media says: Parents need to know that this Newbery Award winner is not a heartwarming dog story, as the title and cover may indicate. Rather, it is the story of a boy’s struggle to find his father, his dog, and his own identity in a racist world that is harsh, lonely, and violent at times. Written in the late ’60s, some of the characterizations seem stereotypical, but the language is simple and strong—almost poetic—and the story is good.

Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen (2001)

After severely injuring Peter Driscal in an empty parking lot, mischief-maker Cole Matthews is in major trouble. But instead of jail time, Cole is given another option: attend Circle Justice, an alternative program that sends juvenile offenders to a remote Alaskan Island to focus on changing their ways. Desperate to avoid prison, Cole fakes humility and agrees to go.

While there, Cole is mauled by a mysterious white bear and left for dead. Thoughts of his abusive parents, helpless Peter, and his own anger cause him to examine his actions and seek redemption—from the spirit bear that attacked him, from his victims, and, most importantly, from himself.

Old Yeller by Fred Gipson (1956)

In the rugged landscape of early frontier Texas, fourteen-year-old Travis is faced with taking over his family's farm and making a painful, important decision

Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes (1943)

Fourteen-year-old Johnny Tremain, an apprentice silversmith with a bright future ahead of him, injures his hand in a tragic accident, forcing him to look for other work. In his new job as a horse-boy, riding for the patriotic newspaper, The Boston Observer, and as a messenger for the Sons of Liberty, he encounters John Hancock, Samuel Adams, and Dr. Joseph Warren. Soon Johnny is involved in the pivotal events shaping the American Revolution from the Boston Tea Party to the first shots fired at Lexington.

The Indians of New Jersey: Dickon Among the Lenapes by MR Harrington (1963)

In presenting the lore and heritage of the Lenapes, Dr. M.R. Harrington does so through the eyes of a shipwrecked English boy who became a captive of the Indians, and was eventually adopted into the tribe. The narrative is lively reading, and the facts on which it is based are accurate. With the accompanying Clarence Ellsworth line drawings, the reader can understand and even reproduce many of the objects the author describes: the Lenape bows and arrows, muccasins and mats, baskets and bowls.

The Light in the Forest by Conrad Richter (1953)

When John Cameron Butler was a child, he was captured in a raid on the Pennsylvania frontier and adopted by the great warrior Cuyloga. Renamed True Son, he came to think of himself as fully Indian. But eleven years later his tribe, the Lenni Lenape, has signed a treaty with the white men and agreed to return their captives, including fifteen-year-old True Son. Now he must go back to the family he has forgotten, whose language is no longer his, and whose ways of dress and behavior are as strange to him as the ways of the forest are to them.

Swift Rivers by Cornelia Meigs (1932)

Barred from his family home-stead by his mean-spirited uncle, eighteen-year-old Chris weathers a Minnesota winter in a small cabin with his grandfather. Poverty and the tempting stories of a wandering Easterner convince Chris to harvest the trees on his grandfather's land and float the logs down the spring floodwaters of the Mississippi to the lumber mills in Saint Louis. Filled with stories of raft hands and river pilots, this fast-paced novel has all the momentum of the great Mississippi.

Moccasin Trail by Eloise Jarvis McGraw (1952)

From GoodReads: Jim Keath has lived for six years as a Crow Indian when he learns that his two younger brothers and a sister are journeying west to take up land. Although Jim finds it difficult to fit in with the family he hasn’t seen since childhood, and though they are wary and distrustful of him, Jim feels his duty is at their side. But slowly, as they survive the dangerous trek west, the perils of frontier life, and the kidnapping of their younger brother, Jim and his family realize that the only way to survive is to accept each other and truly reunite the family.

“A first-rate adventure story.”— The New York Times

The Jumping-Off Place by Marian Hurd McNeely (1929)

When Uncle Jim dies, Becky, Dick, Phil, and Joan are left to follow up on his homestead claim. The four orphaned children head for the South Dakota prairie, where they battle drought, squatters, and other challenges. This 1929 Newbery Honor book, inspired by the author’s homesteading years, relates an exciting tale of adventure, resilience, and triumph over adversity.

Wise Child by Monica Furlong (1987)

Abandoned by her parents, Wise Child is taken in by Juniper, a sorceress and healer, but the return of her natural mother, Maeve, a malevolent black witch, threatens her very existence, in a fantasy set in Scotland during the reign of King Arthur.

Also recommended: Juniper by the same author: Though Juniper enjoys the easy life of a medieval princess, she chooses to learn about herbs, healing, and the magic within nature from her strange and difficult godmother. As her training comes to an end, Juniper discovers that her power-hungry aunt is using black magic to seize the throne. Juniper must use her as-yet-untested powers to stop her—before the kingdom is destroyed!

Otto of the Silver Hand by Howard Pyle (1888)

From GoodReads: A rich and engrossing thread of Romance runs through this tale of the motherless son of a valiant robber baron of Medieval Germany. Young Otto, born into a warring household in an age when lawless chiefs were constantly fighting each other or despoiling the caravans of the merchant burghers, is raised in a monastery only to return to his family's domain and become painfully involved in the blood feud between his father and the rival house of Trutz-Drachen.

The Sword in the Tree by Clyde Robert Bulla (1956)

Best-selling author Clyde Robert Bulla's classic, finely-crafted Arthurian tale with its sword fights, dark and dangerous dungeon, roguish knaves, action-packed showdowns and tales of dangerous feats, will appeal to emerging readers who are ready for chapter books and reluctant tween readers alike.

The Door in the Wall by Marguerite de Angeli (1949)

“An enthralling and inspiring tale of triumph.”—The New York Times

Ever since he can remember, Robin, child of Sir John de Bureford, has been told what is expected of him as the son of a nobleman. He must learn the ways of knighthood. But Robin's destiny is changed suddenly when he falls ill and loses the use of his legs. Fearing a plague, his servants abandon him, and Robin is left alone.

A monk named Brother Luke rescues Robin and takes him to the hospice of St. Mark's, where he is taught woodcarving and patience and strength. Says Brother Luke, "Thou hast only to follow the wall far enough and there will be a door in it."

Robin learns soon enough what Brother Luke means. When the great castle of Lindsay is in danger, Robin discovers that there is more than one way to serve his king.

Where the Lillies Bloom, by Vera and Bill Cleaver (1969)

Rural Appalachian orphans struggle to stay in their home. This is one where the movie is equal of the book, says

adrienneep

The House Without Windows by Barbara Newhall Follett (1927)

“An enchanting book. These pages simply quiver with the beauty, happiness and vigour of forests, seas and mountains . . . I can safely promise joy to any reader of it. Perfection” Eleanor Farjeon, Winner of the Carnegie Medal and The Hans Christian Andersen Award

In this extended fantasy, a young girl, Eepersip, runs away from home to live in idyllic Nature (successively, a meadow, the sea, and, finally, the mountains).

The Wolves of Willoughby Chase series by Joan Aiken (1962)

This is a favourite of mine. Don’t be fooled by the opening of the first book, which seems to be about two charming young girls. The series is full of adventure and magic and children who are tough as old boots. It’s so good I read the whole series myself a couple of years ago.

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