hjffkj Posted June 23, 2022 Share Posted June 23, 2022 I'm planning my upcoming 7th graders school year and it will be focused on realistic adventure books, as opposed to fantasy adventures, at her request. So, if anyone would like to help me compile a long list of books to present to her when we sit down to narrow things down that would greatly be appreciated. She doesn't want nonfiction but is willing to give some a chance if they're well written stories. Thanks in advance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caffeineandbooks Posted June 24, 2022 Share Posted June 24, 2022 Can realistic adventure include adventurous historical fiction? * My Side of the Mountain * Tom Sawyer * The Sign of the Beaver * Call it Courage (Armstrong Sperry) * Banner in the Sky (Ullman) * Johnny Tremain * Hatchet 4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hjffkj Posted June 24, 2022 Author Share Posted June 24, 2022 1 hour ago, caffeineandbooks said: Can realistic adventure include adventurous historical fiction? * My Side of the Mountain * Tom Sawyer * The Sign of the Beaver * Call it Courage (Armstrong Sperry) * Banner in the Sky (Ullman) * Johnny Tremain * Hatchet I think so. It can even include things in the story that are fantastical. She just doesn't want the setting to be a fantasy world a la olkein or Lewis. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Dove Posted June 24, 2022 Share Posted June 24, 2022 Far North by Will Hobbs Lost Trail: Nine Days Alone in the Wilderness by Donn Fendler. This is a somewhat short graphic novel. It’s a true story about a kid that was lost in the woods. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Servant4Christ Posted June 24, 2022 Share Posted June 24, 2022 16 hours ago, caffeineandbooks said: Can realistic adventure include adventurous historical fiction? * My Side of the Mountain * Tom Sawyer * The Sign of the Beaver * Call it Courage (Armstrong Sperry) * Banner in the Sky (Ullman) * Johnny Tremain * Hatchet I wondered the same thing. Some of the ones you have listed were big hits for Oldest DS11. More ideas: Swiss Family Robinson Carry On, Mr Bowditch The Captains Dog The Chestry Oak The Switherby Pilgrims Eagle of the Ninth trilogy Heart of a Samarai The King's Fifth 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alisha Posted June 24, 2022 Share Posted June 24, 2022 Some that come to mind that we've done (that aren't in the historical genre as there are lots above) are: Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library Walls Within Walls by Sherry 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Porridge Posted June 24, 2022 Share Posted June 24, 2022 My kids were totally captivated by Endurance (Alfred Lansing). Also the young reader’s versions of Unbroken The Boys in the Boat 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hjffkj Posted June 25, 2022 Author Share Posted June 25, 2022 Thank you all. I will look into all of these books and let her look at them as well. Any other suggestions are welcome. This child has me baffled this year. She truly resists all things school related even when it's tailored entirely to her interests. But at least this year she started tried participating in the school planning conversation hence the need to find realistic books that are adventures. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8filltheheart Posted June 26, 2022 Share Posted June 26, 2022 These are on the younger side, but books my kids have enjoyed in the 10-12 age range The Westing Game My Side of the Mountain Enid Blyton's Adventure Series maybe The Mysterious Benedict Society books, Explorer Academy books (not sure if this fits purely in the "real" category) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori D. Posted June 26, 2022 Share Posted June 26, 2022 (edited) survival realistic adventure The Cay (Taylor) A Long Walk to Water (Park) The Incredible Journey (Burnford) My Side of the Mountain (George)realistic "small adventures" The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate (Kelly) Because of Winn Dixie (DiCamillo) Maniac Magee (Spinelli)historical adventure The Nerviest Girl in the World (Wiley) -- early 1900s silent movie student woman The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle (Avi) - 1800s, sea voyage The Midwife's Apprentice (Cushman) -- Medievalnonfiction adventure Bomb: The Race to Build and Steal the World's Most Dangerous Weapon (Sheinkin) Lincoln's Grave Robbers (Sheinkin)biographies (realistic adventure of real life/character)"Over 25 Biographies That Will Inspire Your Middle School Student" Edited June 26, 2022 by Lori D. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malam Posted June 26, 2022 Share Posted June 26, 2022 Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage The Worst Journey in the World by Apsley Cherry Garrard 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Porridge Posted June 26, 2022 Share Posted June 26, 2022 Warriors Don’t Cry by Melba Patillo Beals A memoir written by one of the Little Rock 9 about the integration of their high school. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
offertree Posted August 19, 2022 Share Posted August 19, 2022 "The adventure of the speckled band" is a great book. It was one of my favs during teenhood. You can check some info about this book on this source https://paperap.com/free-papers/the-adventure-of-the-speckled-band/ (it's an educational site, students often use it to get a new eye on the topics of their abstracts) if you want. I hope she'll enjoy it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lawyer&Mom Posted August 19, 2022 Share Posted August 19, 2022 I was a huge fan of My Side of the Mountain and Hachet as a kid, I think Island of the Blue Dolphins also fits well into this category. Plus a female protagonist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverMoon Posted August 20, 2022 Share Posted August 20, 2022 (edited) We just learned about the Superstition Mountain Mysteries series. It's shaping up to be pretty fun but we haven't finished it yet. It's listed up to grade 7. The Superstition Mountain is a real place and the story is about fictional, modern day kids. Edited August 20, 2022 by SilverMoon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted August 20, 2022 Share Posted August 20, 2022 On 6/25/2022 at 4:09 PM, hjffkj said: Thank you all. I will look into all of these books and let her look at them as well. Any other suggestions are welcome. This child has me baffled this year. She truly resists all things school related even when it's tailored entirely to her interests. But at least this year she started tried participating in the school planning conversation hence the need to find realistic books that are adventures. What about some non fiction survival type manuals? Les Stroud's Survive!: Essential Skills and Tactics to Get You Out of Anywhere - Alive might be good, and watch a bunch of episodes of his show Survivor Man. It's pretty educational! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted August 20, 2022 Share Posted August 20, 2022 On 6/23/2022 at 4:06 PM, hjffkj said: realistic adventure books Did you try googling for "teen adventure books for junior high"? You're getting lots of classics here, but she might also enjoy newer things. This could lean biography (teen biographies) also. You might be able to stretch it a bit. 🙂 https://www.readbrightly.com/middle-grade-adventures-for-tweens-not-ready-for-ya/ My dd enjoyed the Alex Rider books. If someone is pushing against fiction, might be good to explore their social thinking and narrative language to see if there are any issues there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momto6inIN Posted August 20, 2022 Share Posted August 20, 2022 Anything Jules Verne 🙂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JessBurs Posted August 20, 2022 Share Posted August 20, 2022 My daughter has gotten into historical fiction adventure books by Jennifer Nielsen. She loved Words on Fire, which is about a girl who starts working with the Lithuanian resistance fighters against the Russian occupation at the end of the 19th century. She also liked Resistance, about a girl Jewish Polish resistance teenager during WWII who helps smuggle weapons in for the Warsaw Uprising. Books are well researched and accurate, the second one especially has some very sad parts but they are also inspiring. Nielsen also has a few others we haven't read yet, but they are on birthday lists 🙂I personally really like how the books show girls that they really can make a difference without ringing false, if that makes sense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicholas_mom Posted August 26, 2022 Share Posted August 26, 2022 "Swallows and Amazons" by Author Ransome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted August 26, 2022 Share Posted August 26, 2022 Jules Verne's stuff. Our favorite was The Mysterious Island, though if you read that, it's good to have read 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malam Posted September 12, 2022 Share Posted September 12, 2022 Is Holes appropriate here? The text itself shouldn't be challenging for a 7th grader, but the story and characters are pretty deep (pun intended) and have a lot of room for close reading, predicting foreshadowing, and character analysis. (All during the book, as a lot becomes obvious in hindsight) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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