7 Adventure Books to Read This Book Week

At the heart of every child lies a great big adventure, and that’s why we at Better Reading are thrilled about this year’s CBCA Book Week theme: Book an Adventure!

To celebrate, we’ve put together a list of 10 action-packed reads that kids (and grown-ups) are sure to love. From reality TV show escapades to thrilling time-travel journeys, there’s something for every young reader!

Andromache Between Worlds by Gabriel Bergmoser

All fourteen-year-old Andromache Peters wants is a normal life. But normal is pretty near impossible when your parents were famous adventurers who saved the world and nobody will let you forget it. On top of this, Andromache’s father has been missing and presumed dead since she was only two, and her mother has retreated into grief ever since. So it’s no surprise that the last thing Andromache needs is to be reminded of where she came from. But when a mysterious stranger reveals that Andromache’s father is not only still alive but trapped in a parallel world, Andromache is thrown into a daring journey across other universes to find and save the father she never knew.

Ages: 11+

Buy a copy of Andromache Between Worlds here.

Wandering Wild by Lynette Noni

Zander Rune was the darling of Hollywood until he fell from glory and was labelled a problematic bad boy. His public image needs fixing—fast—or he’ll lose the role of a lifetime, and all his dreams with it. Charlie Hart is a regular teenage girl who despises everything Zander represents. But thanks to her scheming best friend and an ill-timed social media competition, Charlie finds herself pretending to be Zander’s biggest fan on a four-day reality TV adventure led by renowned survivalist Rykon Hawke. When their trip goes horribly wrong, Charlie and Zander are left stranded in the wilderness. No Rykon, no film crew, no rescue. The only way they’ll survive is if they trust each other. But in order to do so, both will have to let go of the ghosts of their pasts, and just maybe find themselves—and one another—in the process.

Ages: 12-18

Buy a copy of Wandering Wild here.

Bravepaw and the Heartstone of Alluria by L.M. Wilkinson

Titch has always longed for adventure – just like the gallant mouse hero Bravepaw in all her favourite stories. But she is the smallest mouse in her family, living in a peaceful little village where nothing exciting ever happens . . . until DIRE TROUBLE comes to the Plateau! Titch and her best friend Huckleberry must set out on a DANGEROUS QUEST to take the Heartstone to repair the crack in the heart of Alluria before the whole world breaks apart.

Ages: 7-11

Buy a copy of Bravepaw and the Heartstone of Alluria here.

Skandar and the Unicorn Thief by A.F. Steadman

Thirteen-year-old Skandar Smith has only ever wanted to be a unicorn rider, and the time has finally come for him to take his Hatchery Exam, which will determine whether he is destined to hatch a unicorn egg. But when Skandar is stopped from taking the exam, and the mysterious and frightening Weaver steals the most powerful unicorn in the world, becoming a rider proves a lot more dangerous than he could ever have imagined. And what if Skandar was always destined to be the villain rather than the hero?

Ages: 9+

Buy a copy of Skandar and the Unicorn Thief here,

Ming & Maria Explore the Universe by Jackie French

Ming has travelled through history to meet girls who have changed the world. However, this time is different as Herstory, History’s sister, promises to reveal to Ming something of her own past: her long-lost mother. When Ming washes up on the icy shores of Nantucket Island in 1836 she is saved by the elderly Mrs Sloe and the wealthy Miss Reynolds, but there is no sign of a woman who might be her mother. The island is home to Maria Mitchell, who at seventeen has already published her first papers on astronomy and will go on to inspire scientists around the world for generations to come. Maria’s future holds extraordinary promise and fame. But what about Ming? And who is her mother?

Ages: 8+

Buy a copy of Ming & Maria Explore the Universe here.

The Lost Notes of the Soul Spinners by Reece Carter, Illustrated by Simon Howe

When a ghost-eating wraith appears in the forgotten seaside town of Elston-Fright searching for the magical Notes, it’s enough to make any kid ghost a bit nervous. Faye de Corail may have the townsfolk under her spell, but Girl, Corpse and their friends are determined to stay out of her way. After old foes resurface and a child is snatched, Girl and Corpse begin to piece together a sinister plan that not only threatens the lives of their friends, families and the people of Elston-Fright, it may send them all to Death Proper too. Somehow, at the heart of the mystery, lies the truth about both kid ghosts. Who are Girl and Corpse really? What is their connection to the lost Notes? And will they find answers before it’s too late?

Ages: 8-12

Buy a copy of The Lost Notes of the Soul Spinners here.

Felix and the Future Agency by Rachel Morrisroe, Illustrated by Paddy Donnely

Felix Green has a talent – a talent that often gets him into A LOT of trouble – he can forsee the future. And he’s not the only one! When his latest prediction comes true, he soon finds himself whisked off to join the secret underground Future Agency. Here he starts to learn the tools to protect the country from the natural disasters set to befall it – summoning animal star constellations down from the sky, dream weaving and speaking to ghosts. When a dark spectre infiltrates the Future Agency, only Felix can unmask the culprit and save the agency from destruction…