Adventure
The last mapmaker
Christina Soontornvat
jFICTION Soontornvat, Christina
Adventure, Fiction, Fantasy, Kids
A high-seas adventure set in a Thai-inspired fantasy world. This is the story of a young woman's struggle to unburden herself of the past and chart her own destiny in a world of secrets. As assistant to Mangkon's most celebrated mapmaker, twelve-year-old Sai plays the part of a well-bred young lady with a glittering future. In reality, her father is a conman - and in a kingdom where the status of one's ancestors dictates their social position, the truth could ruin her. Sai seizes the chance to join an expedition to chart the southern seas, but she isn't the only one aboard with secrets. When Sai learns that the ship might be heading for the fabled Sunderlands - a land of dragons, dangers, and riches beyond imagining - she must weigh the cost of her dreams. Vivid, suspenseful, and thought-provoking, this tale of identity and integrity is as intricate as the maps of old.
Dungeon academy : no humans allowed!
Roux, Madeleine, 1985- writer.
jFICTION Dungeon
Fantasy, Adventure
"When Zellidora "Zelli" Stormclash seeks answers to her true lineage, she embarks on a dangerous adventure"--
Added by Casey
The queen in the cave
Júlia Sardà
jE Sarda
Picture Books, Fantasy, Adventure
Once upon a time there were three sisters: Franca, Carmela, and Tomasina. This is their story of adventure and discovery. A tale of hidden mysteries and new wonders, of finding a strange world beyond home and unlocking the secrets inside themselves.
I cannot wait to share this ethereal long-form picture book at home. Look for this title on an upcoming list of great gift books! -Casey
Expedition backyard : exploring nature from country to city
Rosemary Mosco
jGRAPHIC NOVEL Mosco
Graphic Novels, Nature, Adventure, Fantasy
Mole and Vole always venture out into the world to see what nature they can find, but after an accidental move from the country to the city, the best friends have to learn to discover new plants and animals in their new environment.
Onward adventurers! This adorable graphic novel is perfect for the season, newly independent readers, and family sharing. Simply lovely! -Casey
Endlessly ever after : pick your path to countless fairy tale endings! : a story of Little Red Riding Hood, Jack, Hansel, Gretel, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, a wolf, a witch, a goose, a grandmother, some pigs, and endless variations
Laurel Snyder
jFICTION Snyder Laurel
Picture Books, Classics, Adventure, Humor
In this rhyming mash-up of many fairy tales, the reader is invited to follow Rosie down the many possible paths which may lead to a sleeping maiden, a hungry wolf, a girl locked in a tower, or a goose that lays golden eggs--but with some luck, and some smart choices, Rosie may save herself and her fellow fairy tale characters.
What next, Rosie? Choose this title for endless fairy tale fun! -Casey
Star wars : lost stars
Claudia Gray
YOUNG ADULT FICTION Star Wars
Adventure, Science Fiction, Fantasy
The arrival of the Galactic Empire to their planet allows Thane and Ciena to bond over a love of flying, but once Thane witnesses the horrors of the Empire and joins the Rebellion, Ciena is forced to choose between her love and her allegiance.
Lost Stars is fascinating in several ways. It's a wonderful look into the lives of two people, Luke Skywalker's age, as they grow up under the indoctrination of the Empire. It's also a whirlwind view of the original series from the Empire's view. -Mykle
Akiko on the Planet Smoo
Mark Crilley
Diverse Characters, Adventure, Early Chapter Books, Fantasy
Akiko Series, Book 1 When this fourth-grader comes home from school one day, she finds an envelope waiting for her with no stamp and no return address. The message inside reads Dear Akiko: We are coming to get you. Meet us outside your bedroom window tonight at 8:00. Don't forget your toothbrush. How could anyone meet her outside her window? She lives on the 17th floor, for goodness sake. But that evening, as Akiko is preparing to study for tomorrow's geography test, she finds a small spacecraft hovering outside her window with two odd little men inside. They have been sent to whisk Akiko off to the Planet Smoo where she will lead a team enlisted to find the King of Smoo's kidnapped son, Prince Froptoppit. Akiko, the leader of a rescue mission? She's too timid to be on the school's safety patrol! So begins Akiko's adventure across the land of Smoo to find a prince and become a leader.
Added by Alexander
Sea state : a memoir
Tabitha Lasley
BIOGRAPHY Lasley, Tabitha
Literary Nonfiction, Nonfiction, Memoir, Adventure
"A stunning and brutally honest memoir that shines a light on what happens when female desire conflicts with a culture of masculinity in crisis In her midthirties and newly free from a terrible relationship, Tabitha Lasley quit her job at a London magazine, packed her bags, and poured her savings into a six-month lease on an apartment in Aberdeen, Scotland. She decided to make good on a long-deferred idea for a book about oil rigs and the men who work on them. Why oil rigs? She wanted to see what men were like with no women around. In Aberdeen, Tabitha became deeply entrenched in the world of roughnecks, a teeming subculture rich with brawls, hard labor, competition, and the deepest friendships imaginable. The longer she stayed, the more she found her presence had a destabilizing effect on the men--and her. Sea State is on the one hand a portrait of an overlooked industry: "offshore" is a way of life for generations of primarily working-class men and also a potent metaphor for those parts of life we keep at bay--class, masculinity, the transactions of desire, and the awful slipperiness of a ladder that could, if we tried hard enough, lead us to security. Sea State is on the other hand the story of a journalist whose professional distance from her subject becomes perilously thin. In Aberdeen, Tabitha gets high and dances with abandon, reliving her youth, when the music was good and the boys were bad. Twenty years on, there is Caden: a married rig worker who spends three weeks on and three weeks off. Alone and in an increasingly precarious state, Tabitha dives into their growing attraction. The relationship, reckless and explosive, will lay them both bare"--
This book is in my selection area, and I found my interest piqued each time I came across a review for it. It's one of those "under the radar" reads--worthy of "best of" rankings but not explosively viral like Educated or Atomic Habits. The author's narrative writing style allows a reader to (sea) breeze through the book. Read it if you're in the mood for a true story about living a life in search of something more. -Melody
Solo leveling
author Chugong
MANGA Chugong Solo
Fantasy, Dystopian, Adventure
"The weakest of the weak, E-class hunter Jinwoo Sung has no money, no talent, and no prospects to speak of. And when he enters a hidden dungeon that fateful day, he ends up being left to die in the aftermath of a horrendous tragedy. At death's door, Jinwoo is suddenly invited to be a "player" by a mysterious voice. Desperate to live, Jinwoo jumps at the chance...but what is this strange new leveling system that only he can see?"--
The art is amazing and the story is good. -Mykle
The Beatryce Prophecy
Kate DiCamillo
jFICTION DiCamillo, Kate
Adventure, Early Chapter Books
"We shall all, in the end, be led to where we belong. We shall all, in the end, find our way home. In a time of war, a mysterious child appears at the monastery of the Order of the Chronicles of Sorrowing. Gentle Brother Edik finds the girl, Beatryce, curled in a stall, wracked with fever, coated in dirt and blood, and holding fast to the ear of Answelica the goat. As the monk nurses Beatryce to health, he uncovers her dangerous secret, one that imperils them all--for the king of the land seeks just such a girl, and Brother Edik, who penned the prophecy himself, knows why. And so it is that a girl with a head full of stories--powerful tales-within-the-tale of queens and kings, mermaids and wolves--ventures into a dark wood in search of the castle of one who wishes her dead. But Beatryce knows that, should she lose her way, those who love her--a wild-eyed monk, a man who had once been king, a boy with a terrible sword, and a goat with a head as hard as stone--will never give up searching for her, and to know this is to know everything. With its timeless themes, unforgettable cast, and magical medieval setting, Kate DiCamillo's lyrical tale, paired with resonant black-and-white illustrations by Caldecott Medalist Sophie Blackall, is a true collaboration between masters"--
Kate DiCamillo's work is always magical and this book is no exception. Set in a somewhat Medieval time period, Beatryce, our protagonist wakes up with no memory sleeping on a bed of straw holding the ear of a goat. Slowly, things get revealed to her: she can read, she can write, her name is Beatryce. She finds a band of friends (always slightly a misfit band of friends, the goat for one), and as her memory returns, she goes to try and find her mother. If you have a child who loves adventure, here's their book. Sophie Blackwell's illustrations are beautiful. This is a chapter book, but it is also a good one to read aloud. -Anne M
I recently read a graphic novel by Soontornvat that I enjoyed about cheerleading, and though its a very different genre, I enjoyed both. This is a great adventure story with an element of fantasy and a strong female protagonist! -Mari