Adventure Reads For Kids and Tweens: Recommended by Andrew Hansen and Jessica Roberts

Kids are always in need a bit of adventure and sometimes the best adventures are found between the pages of a great book. Authors Andrew Hansen and Jessica Roberts have shared with us their suggested adventure stories for kids and tweens.

Words | Jessica Roberts and Andrew Hansen

Frankie Fish and the Sonic Suitcase by Peter Helliar

Frankie’s cheeky pranks land him in the unenviable position of being forced to stay with his grandparents as punishment. This cracker of a story blends the fun of school hijinks with the fantasy of time travel.

Castle Hangnail by Ursula Vernon

This is a funny fantasy adventure. Molly, a very polite girl, heads off to a creepy castle to fill a vacancy as their resident wicked witch – despite being poorly suited to the job requirements.

The Knight and the Squire by Terry Jones

There are laughs and surprises aplenty in this tale set in the Middle Ages. Young Tom is sick of digging ditches, but luckily for him he and his new friend Alan get swept up in a bunch of battles and hilarious mishaps on their way to France.

The Accidental Afterlife of Thomas Marsden by Emma Trevayne

When Thomas finds an unmarked grave with what looks like himself lying in it, it’s the start of a gorgeously constructed adventure. Full of fortune tellers and faery folk, this book is a must for lovers of spookiness.

The Wonderful Flight to the Mushroom Planet by Eleanor Cameron

Two kids answer an advert from someone looking for a home-made spaceship, then blast off to an invisible moon – oh, and they’re accompanied by a chicken. This bonkers classic from the 1950s sells itself.

Andrew Hansen is a comedian, actor and musician, best known as a member of Australian comedy group The Chaser, whose TV shows include Media Circus, The Hamster Wheel, The Chaser’s War On Everything and CNNNN. Andrew’s radio work includes shows on Triple M as well as composing and starring in the musical comedy series and album The Blow Parade. On stage Andrew composed and starred in the musical Dead Caesar, did two national tours with The Chaser and two national tours of two-hander comedy shows with Chris Taylor. In print he wrote for the humorous fortnightly newspaper The Chaser, eleven Chaser Annuals and The Chaser Quarterly. He has contributed short stories to Best Australian Comedy Writing and Journey Through Humour. His debut children’s book, Bab Sharkey and the Animal Mummies: The Weird Beard, was released in 2018 by Walker Books Australia.

Jessica Roberts writes, draws and films stories. She has a Bachelor of Visual Arts and Design, and a Foundation Diploma in film studies. Originally from Kyneton, Victoria, Jessica grew up surrounded by an odd collection of pets including dogs, quails, chickens, sheep, goats, rabbits and a donkey. Her stories often involve animals and she uses her childhood memories of growing up in the country as a bank of ideas for storytelling. A trip to Egypt in 2009 inspired the idea for her first book, Bab Sharkey and the Animal Mummies: The Weird Beard, released in 2018 by Walker Books Australia.

Bab Sharkey and the Animal Mummies #4: The Prickly Battle is out this month. Find out more here