Action & Adventure

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 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 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


Publication year 1990

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Friendship, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Environment

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


Publication year 1955

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness

Tags The Beat Generation, Action / Adventure, Relationships, Love / Sexuality, Absurdism, History: U.S., American Literature, History: World, Travel Literature, Classic Fiction

On the Road, published in 1957, is a novel by prominent Beat Generation writer Jack Kerouac that recalls his cross-country travels across the US in the late 1940s. It explores concepts of society, freedom, and—most of all—friendship.Sal Paradise (Kerouac’s pseudonym) is the story’s protagonist and narrator, while other key characters stand in for fellow Beat luminaries in his circle, including poet Allen Ginsberg (best known for the revolutionary 1956 poem Howl) and writer William S... Read On the Road Summary


Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Society: Community, Identity: Gender, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Tags Western, Action / Adventure, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Historical Fiction, LGBTQ, Gender / Feminism, Love / Sexuality, American Literature, History: World


Publication year 1938

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality

Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Arts / Culture, Christian literature, Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Classic Fiction, Religion / Spirituality

Published in 1938, Out of the Silent Planet is a science fiction novel by author C. S. Lewis, best known for his bestselling fantasy children’s series, The Chronicles of Narnia. It is the first book in Lewis’s Space Trilogy, followed by Perelandra (1943) and That Hideous Strength (1945). With Out of the Silent Planet, Lewis sought to write a narrative that differed from contemporary popular science fiction, which he believed promoted harmful ideas like human... Read Out of the Silent Planet Summary


Publication year 2008

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Music

Tags Realistic Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, Action / Adventure

John Green’s Paper Towns is a coming-of-age story that follows the lives of two childhood friends, the reserved Quentin Jacobsen and the legendary Margo Roth Spiegelman. Quentin says that every human being is graced with one miracle in their lifetime. His miracle is living next door to Margo Roth Spiegelman. He has spent a lifetime obsessing over her, though their friendship has cooled over the years. At the start of the novel, they are in... Read Paper Towns Summary


Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Natural World: Environment, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger

Tags Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Action / Adventure, Survival Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman