Action & Adventure

Publication year 2019

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Natural World: Animals, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Identity: Mental Health

Tags Action / Adventure, Animals, Sports, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Science / Nature, Biography


Publication year 2002

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Environment, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed

Tags Animals, Action / Adventure, Fantasy


Publication year 1997

Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology

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

Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Vol. 1 by Naoko Takeuchi, translated from the original Japanese by Alethea and Athena Nibley, is the first volume in the extensive Sailor Moon manga series. A 1990s cultural juggernaut, Sailor Moon is one of the most popular shōjo, or serial manga aimed at girls and young women, of all time. Additionally, it features a female superhero protagonist, a global rarity in the 1990s. It tells a story about a girl... Read Sailor Moon Summary


Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Life/Time: Mortality & Death

Tags Children's Literature, Fantasy, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Mythology, Humor, Action / Adventure


Publication year 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Historical Fiction, WWII / World War II, Military / War, History: World, Romance, Action / Adventure

Salt to the Sea is a historical young adult novel written by Ruta Sepetys and published in 2016. Sepetys is known for similar young adult historical fiction works, such as I Must Betray You (2022) and Between Shades of Gray (2011). Set during World War II, Salt to the Sea is a coming-of-age story that follows four protagonists as they make and resist the journey to adulthood in a world characterized by war and trauma... Read Salt to the Sea Summary


Publication year 1998

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship

Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Humor, Action / Adventure


Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Survival Fiction, Race / Racism, Immigration / Refugee, Modern Classic Fiction, Fantasy, Action / Adventure


Publication year 1997

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Natural World: Animals, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Self Discovery, Society: Community

Tags Realistic Fiction, Action / Adventure, Relationships


Publication year 2008

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Self Discovery, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Siblings

Tags Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Children's Literature

Savvy, by Ingrid Law, is a fantasy-adventure novel for middle-grade readers about a girl from a psychic family who discovers her mental superpower and tries to master it quickly to use it to save her comatose father. First published in 2008, Savvy was a New York Times bestseller; it won a Newbery Honor and has appeared on more than 30 best book lists. The novel has two sequels, Scumble and Switch. Law’s books have been... Read Savvy Summary


Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Society: Community

Tags Children's Literature, Action / Adventure, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction


Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family, Identity: Disability, Natural World: Animals

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Animals, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Children's Literature


Publication year 2009

Genre Novel, Fiction

Tags Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Animals, Action / Adventure, Humor

Carl Hiaasen’s Scat! is a young adult thriller with a comic tone and an environmental message. Nick Waters and his best friend, Marta Gonzalez, are students at the private Truman School in Naples, Florida. When their biology teacher, Mrs. Bunny Starch, disappears, the two students are drawn into a conflict between a ruthless oil company and an informal band of environmentalists bent on protecting the breeding grounds of an endangered Florida panther and her cub. The... Read Scat Summary


Publication year 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Action / Adventure, Fantasy, Grief / Death, Romance

Neal Shusterman’s 2016 YA science fiction novel Scythe tells the story of two teenagers in the dystopian future who live in a world where death has been defeated. Weighty existential and philosophical questions abound in this first entry of the Arc of the Scythe Series, which has been highly praised for its insight and readability. The second book, Thunderhead, was released in 2018, and 2019’s The Toll completed the trilogy. This first installment explores themes... Read Scythe Summary


Publication year 2008

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Society: Globalization

Tags Historical Fiction, Indian Literature, Asian Literature, Asian Literature, History: World, Chinese Literature, Action / Adventure

Sea of Poppies, a novel by Amitav Ghosh published in 2008, tells the intertwining stories of several people who find themselves aboard the Ibis, a former slave ship, in the early 19th century. The principal characters are aboard the ship under varying and more and less desirable circumstances, and employing varying levels of deception. The novel takes place shortly before the First Opium War, and its major themes are of imperialism and colonialism under a... Read Sea of Poppies Summary


Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Natural World: Space & The Universe

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

See You in the Cosmos, a 2017 middle-grade contemporary novel by Jack Cheng, features 11-year-old Alex Petroski as its main character and narrator. Inspired by scientist Carl Sagan, Alex wants to use a hand-built rocket to send audio recordings about life on Earth to extraterrestrial creatures. Though his quest to communicate with alien life fails, Alex finds himself on a much larger journey toward self-identity and truth. The novel is a Golden Kite Award Winner... Read See You in the Cosmos Summary


Publication year 2015

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil

Tags Fantasy, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Animals, Children's Literature, Historical Fiction, Action / Adventure

Serafina and the Black Cloak is a middle-grade mystery/fantasy by Robert Beatty. First published in 2015, the novel is set in 1899 at the historic Biltmore Estate near Asheville, North Carolina. The story features 12-year-old Serafina, a girl of mysterious origins and many unusual skills who lives secretly in the mansion’s basement. When some of the Biltmore guests’ children go missing, Serafina discovers that an evil intruder—the Man in the Black Cloak—is responsible. Serafina sets... Read Serafina and the Black Cloak Summary


Publication year 1953

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Place, Self Discovery, Society: Nation, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality

Tags Memoir / Autobiography, Travel Literature, History, Action / Adventure, Religion / Spirituality


Publication year 2012

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed

Tags Fantasy, Magical Realism, Action / Adventure, Middle Eastern Literature, Romance, Religion / Spirituality

Shadow and Bone (2012) by Leigh Bardugo is a young adult fantasy adventure and romance novel. It is Bardugo’s debut novel and the first book in her Shadow and Bone trilogy, also called the Grisha trilogy. Inspired by 19th-century Tsarist Russia, Bardugo creates a darkly magical world characterized by strange armies, extreme wealth and poverty, and personifications of light and shadow. The novel was a New York Times best seller, a Los Angeles Times best... Read Shadow and Bone Summary


Publication year 2004

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Objects, Natural World: Place, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags History: World, WWII / World War II, Action / Adventure, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Military / War, Science / Nature, Biography

Shadow Divers: The True Story of Two Americans Who Risked Everything to Solve One of the Last Mysteries of World War II (2004) by Robert Kurson is a celebrated nonfiction adventure book. Kurson, an adventure journalist whose stories have been featured in Rolling Stone, Esquire, and The New York Times Magazine, is known for his immersive and entertaining style. His first book-length work, Shadow Divers was a New York Times Best Seller and won the... Read Shadow Divers Summary


Publication year 2014

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Relationships: Friendship

Tags Children's Literature, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Action / Adventure