Action & Adventure

Publication year 1999

Genre Novel, Fiction

Tags Action / Adventure, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction

John Grisham’s The Testament (1999) is part legal suspense thriller, part adventure story. It begins with the suicide of an elderly billionaire, Troy Phelan. After he leaves his inheritance to an unknown daughter, Rachel, a missionary somewhere in Brazil’s wetlands, his remaining children and their greedy lawyers wage a battle over his inheritance. Meanwhile, Nate O’Riley, a jaded litigator with an alcohol addiction, is sent to track down Rachel, almost losing his life but ultimately... Read The Testament Summary


Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: The Future, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed

Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Action / Adventure, Military / War, Climate Change, Relationships, Futurism, Fantasy, Romance

Published in 2013,The Testing is the first in a dystopian young adult trilogy by Joelle Charbonneau; it is Charbonneau’s first venture into YA fiction. The Testing is often compared to Suzanne Collins’s The Hunger Games due to its dystopian setting and the similarity of the brutal, life-or-death situations to which each series’ teen protagonists are subjected. The Testing received the Anthony Award for Best Children’s/Young Adult Novel in 2014 and was nominated for several other... Read The Testing Summary


Publication year 1996

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Society: Politics & Government

Tags History: World, Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Historical Fiction, Mythology


Publication year 2000

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Friendship, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family

Tags Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Historical Fiction, German Literature, Children's Literature, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Italian Literature

The Thief Lord is a middle-grade fantasy novel originally written and published in German by Cornelia Funke in 2000. Its English translation by Oliver Latsch was reprinted in 2002. The story won many national and international awards, including the Mildred L. Batchelder Award for Outstanding Translated Book, the Zurich Children’s Book Award, the Swiss Youth Literature Award, and the Book Award from the Vienna House of Literature. It’s also a New York Times Notable Book... Read The Thief Lord Summary


Publication year 1992

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Self Discovery, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Mortality & Death

Tags Action / Adventure, Fairy Tale / Folklore, Fantasy, Children's Literature, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Religion / Spirituality


Publication year 1915

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Class

Tags Action / Adventure, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Classic Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction

The Thirty-Nine Steps, an early spy thriller, was published by Scottish author John Buchan in 1915. It was the first of five books to feature protagonist Richard Hannay. Alfred Hitchcock adapted the story to film in 1935, emphasizing the thriller elements and changing most of the secondary characters. A theatrical version, which drew from Hitchcock’s movie but restored the comedic tone of Buchan’s novel, ran in London’s West End for 10 years. Buchan’s story of... Read The Thirty Nine Steps Summary


Publication year 1844

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Relationships: Teams, Life/Time: The Past, Identity: Masculinity, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge

Tags Action / Adventure, Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, French Literature, History: European, Military / War, Love / Sexuality, History: World

The Three Musketeers (1844), by French novelist and playwright Alexandre Dumas, is a novel that borrows tropes from the swashbuckling genre, historical fiction, and romance to recount the adventures of a group of king’s guard who face off against the machinations of nefarious political factions set on destabilizing the monarchy. It was first published through serialization in 1844 to great popularity. Though set in the mid-1600s, the novel connected with the philosophical underpinnings of the... Read The Three Musketeers Summary


Publication year 2011

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos

Tags Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Mythology


Publication year 1895

Genre Novella, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Life/Time: The Future, Society: Class

Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Classic Fiction, Fantasy, Action / Adventure

The Time Machine is a science fiction novel by H. G. Wells published in 1895. The book’s protagonist, who is never named and called only the Time Traveller, is a brilliant Victorian inventor who travels 800,000 years into the future. He finds that humans have evolved into two distinct species, called the Eloi and the Morlocks. The Eloi are peace-loving and childlike simpletons who are farmed and eaten by the brutal Morlocks, who live underground... Read The Time Machine Summary


Publication year 2007

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Natural World: Appearance & Reality

Tags Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Mythology, Ancient Greece, Relationships, Arts / Culture, Military / War, American Literature, Children's Literature

The Titan’s Curse (2007) is the third installment in Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson & the Olympians series, following The Lightning Thief (2005) and The Sea of Monsters (2006) and preceding The Battle of the Labyrinth (2008) and The Last Olympian (2009). The series centers around the adventures of Percy Jackson, a boy who is the son of the Greek god of the sea Poseidon and a mortal woman named Sally Jackson. Percy learns that he... Read The Titan's Curse Summary


Publication year 1971

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Gender, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality

Tags Fantasy, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Action / Adventure

The Tombs of Atuan is the second novel in American author Ursula K. Le Guin’s fantasy series The Earthsea Cycle, originally published in 1970. Each novel in the series has a primarily stand-alone plot, with connections and recurring characters between novels. The Tombs of Atuan’s protagonist, Tenar, is a young girl living in the Kargish Empire. Tenar is taken from her family as a child to become the high priestess of the Nameless Ones, the... Read The Tombs of Atuan Summary


Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Life/Time: Coming of Age

Tags Fantasy, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Action / Adventure, Animals, Magical Realism, Children's Literature


Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Relationships: Fathers, Values/Ideas: Fate

Tags Children's Literature, Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Mythology, LGBTQ


Publication year 1998

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Life/Time: The Future

Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Survival Fiction, Children's Literature

The Transall Saga is a 1998 fantasy/sci-fi novel by author Gary Paulsen, who is best known for his wilderness survival books, such as Hatchet. The plot revolves around young protagonist Mark Harrison, who goes on a weeklong hiking trip and is transported to what appears to be another world—Transall. He must learn to survive among strange vegetation, animals, and people—all in the midst of war—as he tries to find a way home.Other works by this... Read The Transall Saga Summary


Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Self Discovery, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Courage

Tags Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Children's Literature


Publication year 2014

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Relationships: Teams, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Emotions/Behavior: Fear

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Action / Adventure, Survival Fiction

The Troop (2014) is a horror novel by Nick Cutter. Troop 52, consisting of five teenage boy scouts and their Scoutmaster, Dr. Tim Riggs, goes on an annual camping trip to a remote, uninhabited island in the province of Prince Edward Island, Canada. There, a strange, sick man approaches their cabin and introduces them to a deadly, bioengineered virus. Just as dangerous as the virus itself are the crumbling group dynamics and morality once the... Read The Troop Summary


Publication year 1990

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Society: Class, Identity: Gender, Life/Time: Coming of Age

Tags Historical Fiction, Action / Adventure, Children's Literature, Education, Education, History: World, Classic Fiction

Published in 1990, The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle, by children’s book writer Avi, tells the story of a teenage girl who travels from England to America aboard a sailing ship filled with intrigue, mutiny, and murder; she learns to be a sailor, withstands a hurricane, and thwarts the captain’s attempts to kill her. Written for middle-grade readers, the book won several awards, including the Newbery in 1991. Plot SummaryThirteen-year-old Charlotte Doyle, at school in... Read The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle Summary


Publication year 2007

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Society: Colonialism, Society: Nation, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger

Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Humor, Fantasy, Children's Literature, Action / Adventure


Publication year 1954

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Society: War, Natural World: Appearance & Reality

Tags Fantasy, Classic Fiction, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Action / Adventure

The Two Towers (1954) is the second book of the Lord of the Rings trilogy by J. R. R. Tolkien. The Two Towers is a work of fantasy fiction set in the world of Middle-earth, the setting that Tolkien also used in his earlier 1937 novel, The Hobbit. It continues the quest of Frodo and his companions to destroy the One Ring that they set out on in The Fellowship of the Ring, interweaving the... Read The Two Towers Summary


Publication year 2008

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Flora/plants, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Beauty

Tags Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Animals, Science / Nature, Children's Literature