Action & Adventure

Publication year 1963

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Natural World: Environment, Society: Politics & Government, Identity: Indigenous, Natural World: Animals

Tags Science / Nature, Animals, Action / Adventure, Classic Fiction, Biography

Farley Mowat published Never Cry Wolf in 1963. The book is a non-fiction memoir of the 18 months he spent in the Barrens, a treeless area of tundra, studying arctic wolves for the Dominion Wildlife Service. Told that these wolves killed caribou for sport, Farley was surprised to discover that wolves never attacked humans and only culled the deer herds of unhealthy animals. Farley also encountered rampant inefficiency among his government colleagues, which he reports... Read Never Cry Wolf Summary


Publication year 2012

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Society: War, Emotions/Behavior: Grief

Tags Military / War, Realistic Fiction, History: World, Historical Fiction, Action / Adventure

The 2012 novel Never Fall Down is based on the true story of Arn Chorn-Pond, an eleven-year-old Cambodian boy who is taken from his town and becomes a child soldier for the Khmer Rouge, a radical Communist regime that ruled Cambodia from 1975-1979.Arn’s journey takes him from his hometown of Battambang, Cambodia, through four years of forced labor and fighting for the Khmer Rouge as a child soldier, to a refugee camp in Thailand, and... Read Never Fall Down Summary


Publication year 1996

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt

Tags Fantasy, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Action / Adventure

Written by celebrated British fantasy author Neil Gaiman and published in 1997, Neverwhere was originally created as a BBC television series that aired in 1996 and was also written by Gaiman. However, because the practical limitations of the production process necessitated many changes to the original story, Gaiman created the novel to correct and improve upon the series and more fully encapsulate his vision. The novel follows the London-based misadventures of Richard Mayhew, who comes... Read Neverwhere Summary


Publication year 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory

Tags Western, Historical Fiction, History: World, Action / Adventure

Paulette Jiles’s novel, News of the World, tells the tale of 72-year-old Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd and 10-year-old Johanna Leonberger's journey from Wichita, Texas to Castroville, Texas in 1870, and how that journey would forever and drastically change the course of each of their lives.The story begins in Wichita, Texas, in the early spring of 1870, with Captain Kidd hanging posters advertising his reading of the news. He travels the state reading newspapers to people... Read News of the World Summary


Publication year 1984

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Natural World: Environment, Society: Community, Relationships: Family

Tags Realistic Fiction, Natural Disaster, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Historical Fiction, Action / Adventure

SummaryNight of the Twisters is a young adult realistic fiction novel written by award-winning author Ivy Ruckman. The book was the recipient of several awards, including the Golden Sower Award, the Iowa Children’s Choice Award, and the Sequoyah Children’s Book Award. It was also recommended as an Outstanding Science Trade Books for Children by the National Science Teachers Association and Children’s Book Council. A movie of the same name based loosely on the book was... Read Night of the Twisters Summary


Publication year 2015

Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Identity: Sexuality, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil

Tags Fantasy, LGBTQ, Humor, Action / Adventure, Fairy Tale / Folklore

Nimona is a young adult graphic novel created by N. D. Stevenson and published in 2015 by HarperCollins. It is based on Stevenson’s webcomic, also titled Nimona, which was published in 2012 and earned Slate magazine’s 2012 Cartoonist Studio Prize for Best Web Comic of the Year. The graphic novel adaptation also received critical acclaim, earning the 2016 Eisner Award for Best Graphic Album: Reprint and becoming a 2015 National Book Award Finalist.Nimona is a... Read Nimona Summary


Publication year 2010

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family, Natural World: Environment

Tags Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Relationships, Natural Disaster, African American Literature, Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Action / Adventure

Jewell Parker Rhodes’s Ninth Ward is a realistic middle grade novel that follows 12-year-old Lanesha, a resident of New Orleans’s Ninth Ward neighborhood, in the days surrounding Hurricane Katrina, a devastating storm that hit the Gulf Coast in 2005. Lanesha must rely on her resourcefulness, resilience, and fortitude to survive the storm and subsequent flooding of the Ninth Ward. First published in 2010 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, the book earned a School... Read Ninth Ward Summary


Publication year 1970

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Community, Society: Economics, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Relationships: Family, Identity: Masculinity, Self Discovery

Tags Historical Fiction, Great Depression, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Food, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Realistic Fiction, History: World, Action / Adventure, Classic Fiction

No Promises in the Wind is a young-adult historical novel that takes place at the height of the Great Depression. The first-person narrative tells the coming-of-age story of a 15-year-old boy who leaves home with his younger brother because their family doesn’t have enough to eat. Josh and Joey Grondowski use their musical talents to survive on their own as they travel through a country of angry and impoverished people. First published in 1970, the... Read No Promises In The Wind Summary


Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Self Discovery, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Place

Tags Historical Fiction, Action / Adventure, Survival Fiction, Children's Literature, History: World


Publication year 2014

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Place, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Beauty

Tags Sports, Action / Adventure, Animals, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Travel Literature, Biography

No Summit out of Sight (2014) is a young adult memoir written by Jordan Romero and Linda LeBlanc. Jordan Romero is the youngest person to ever climb the Seven Summits. The novel explores themes including The Power of Setting and Achieving Goals, Focusing on a Personal Best, and The Value of Teamwork.This guide uses the 2014 Simon & Schuster edition of the memoir.SummaryFourth grader Jordan Romero gazes at a mural of the Seven Summits (the... Read No Summit Out Of Sight Summary


Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family

Tags Realistic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Action / Adventure, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Natural World: Space & The Universe

Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Action / Adventure


Publication year 2025

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Gender, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Teams, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed

Tags Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction


Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Identity: Mental Health, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Teams, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Tags Fantasy, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Action / Adventure, Narrative / Epic Poem


Publication year 2008

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Disability, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Natural World: Environment, Relationships: Family, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality

Tags Children's Literature, Fantasy, Mythology, Historical Fiction, Action / Adventure


Publication year 2022

Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Place, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger

Tags Animals, Science / Nature, Realistic Fiction, Action / Adventure, Children's Literature


Publication year 2005

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Natural World: Space & The Universe, Society: Colonialism, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology

Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Military / War


Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Gender, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Siblings, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Historical Fiction, Action / Adventure

One Came Home (2013) by Amy Timberlake is a middle grade historical mystery set in 1871 Wisconsin. It follows a 13-year-old girl, Georgie Burkhardt, who is on a search to discover the truth about her older sister, Agatha, after their town declares she is dead. Georgie’s quest challenges her both physically and mentally as she begins to reexamine what she thought she knew about herself, her sister, and her community. One Came Home was awarded a... Read One Came Home Summary


Publication year 2009

Genre Novel, Fiction

Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Military / War, Action / Adventure

One Second After is a 2009 dystopian alternate history novel by Dr. William Forstchen depicting what might happen to a small American town after an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) strike. The book is the first in a trilogy known as the John Matherson series. The remaining titles are One Year After (2015) and The Final Day (2017), and all three books are New York Times bestsellers.Forstchen took his inspiration for One Second After from a 2004... Read One Second After Summary


Publication year 2008

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Courage

Tags Fantasy, Christian literature, Action / Adventure, Children's Literature, Religion / Spirituality