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Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, written by Lewis Carroll, illus. by Robert Ingpen, (Sterling Publishing, 2009), 192p, Ages 10+.
Alice's nonsensical and curious adventures begin when she follows a frantic white rabbit down a hole into a magical world called Wonderland. There she meets a Cheshire Cat, the hookah-smoking Caterpillar, a Mad Hatter, the March Hare, a Doormouse, an absurd Dodo, a Dutchess, a Gryphon, and the bossy Queen of Hearts, with whom she plays a bizarre game of croquet. Through her adventures and predicaments, where the nonsensical become the norm, Alice retains her humor, reason, and sense of justice. Robert Ingpen's artwork is fascinating and memorable. As Alice states, "and what is the use of a bookŠwithout pictures or comments?" Told to a group of children in 1862, this unabridged edition will capture the heart, mind, and imagination of children everywhere.

Alice Through the Looking-Glass, written by Lewis Carroll, illus. by Helen Oxenbury, (Candlewick Press, 2009), 208p, Ages 10+.
In the sequel to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Alice climbs through a mirror on the family's mantel and into a giant chessboard world, where it takes walking backward to get anywhere. In order to become a queen, Alice must move through sequences on the chessboard to reach the other side and return home. On her way, she meets Tweedledee and Tweedledum, Humpty Dumpty, the Lion and the Unicorn, the White and Red Queens, the White Knight, and the oyster-loving Walrus and Carpenter. Throughout all her sideways, upside down, and backward adventures, Alice maintains her sensible and analytical ways. Lewis Carroll also uses clever wordplay, symbolism, and hidden messages for older readers to enjoy.

Emma's Turtle, written by Eve Bunting, illus. by Marsha Winborn, (Boyds Mills Press, 2007), 32p, Ages 4-7.
Listening to his mistress's tales of faraway lands (Africa, Australia, and China), turtle decides to explore those lands beyond his backyard pen. After digging under his pen, he discovers a giant elephant leg (a huge tree stump), a leaping Australian kangaroo (a hopping frog), an Indian tiger (an orange and white striped cat), and an Indian beetle, which suspiciously resembles a U.S. beetle. "It's exciting to have the whole world here in my backyard." Exciting as it might be, turtle begins to worry that he may be lost. When Emma locates him, turtle has only ventured a few yards, but it certainly was a great adventure.

Flight of the Silver Turtle, written/illus. by John Fardell, (G. P. Putnam's Sons, 2006), 212p,
Ages 10-12.
The kids from The 7 Professors of the Far North look forward to a summer helping to build an experimental airplane in an old World War II hanger along the coast of Scotland. Little do they realize that their summer will be filled with danger, mystery, and suspense as it involves learning to fly airplanes, scuba diving, breaking secret codes, and searching for an antigravity machine created in the 1940s. The kids and professors join an aging, eccentric inventor to defeat Noctarna, an international criminal organization intent on locating the antigravity machine, in order to rule the world. Wacky adventures, energetic characters, and fascinating inventions make this book a fun read for children and adults. Some of the intense scenes may not be appropriate for younger children.

Hurricane, written/illus by David Wiesner, (Clarion Books, 2008 Pb/CD), 32p, Ages 4-8.
As the sky grows dark and the winds begin to blow ahead of a hurricane, two boys and their parents wait out the storm inside their house. The next day the boys discover a huge fallen elm in their yard, which, with a little imagination, becomes perfect for exploring jungles, sailing the seven seas, and journeying to other planets. "Sometimes they just sat and enjoyed the view. The tree was a private place, big enough for secret dreams, small enough for shared adventure." When the tree is cut up, the boys are heart broken, but begin dreaming about the next storm on it's way and the remaining elm in their yard. Storms can be disrupting for children, but when imagination takes over, the experience can be quite an adventure.

J. A. Teddy, written/illus. by John A. Rowe, (minedition, 2006), 32p, Ages 4-7.
"Once upon a time there was a fearless Pirate called Captain Scallywag, who lived at number 14 Smith Street with his Mom and Dad." Armed with his faithful sword and trusty bear, J. A. Teddy, the young dreamer sails around the world in search of adventure. When attacked by pirates, J. A. Teddy falls overboard. Hearing all the cries for help, the Queen of Fairies tells of a far away castle, where all lost teddy bears are guarded by a giant ogre. What they find is a room full of every lost teddy bear in the world, each with a tag marked "LOST". Of course, any self-respecting scallywag would set them free. The next morning, the young boy awakes to find a small tag attached to Teddy's leg.

Jingle the Brass, written by Patricia Newman, illus. by Michael Chesworth, (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2004), 32p, Ages 4-8.
For children who love trains, this book is a must. Set in the day of steam locomotion, an engineer teaches a young boy railroad language describing the cars, freight, and people.

LionBoy, written by Zizou Corder, (Dial Books, 2004), 305p, Ages 10+.
Young Charlie Ashanti returns home to find his parents missing. He sets out from London in search of them, and with the ability to speak the language of cats, Charlie finds himself aboard a circus ship learning to train lions. Unfortunately, he seems to be one step behind his parents. This is the first of three books filled with adventure and suspense.

Louise, the Adventures of a Chicken, written by Kate Di Camillo, illus. by Harry Bliss, (HarperCollins, 2008), 48p, Ages 4-8.
The lure of adventure is so tempting for a farm-raised chicken that Louise runs away and joins the crew of a sailing ship. Captured by pirates, she is destined for the dinner menu until a storm blows in. Washed overboard, she floats to safety and returns home. Wanderlust strikes again, and Louise joins a circus as a high wire walker. By accident she falls off but uses her wings to escape the mouth of a hungry lion. Louise's final adventure finds her in a foreign country where she decides to rescue chickens that are caged against their will. Louise's thirst for adventure is fun filled and farfetched, but this brave and fearless chicken learns that although adventure is alluring, there is no place like home. Louise now lives out her days telling adventure stories to the other chickens.

Max's ABC, written/illus. by Rosemary Wells, (Viking Children's Books, 2006 HC, Puffin Books 2008 PB), 32p, Ages 2+.
In this fun alphabet book, children will enjoy Max and Ruby's latest encounter with ants. As the story begins, "Max's Ants escaped from their Ant farm. They went looking for Max's birthday cake." As the ants devour the cake, they are drenched in the cranberry juice that Max accidentally spills. With sister Ruby, the siblings try various solutions to relieve Max's itchy bites, but "The ants Loved the bath. They Laughed and splashed." Ruby vacuums them up, but the ants keep munching away inside the bag. Nothing works, until the ants become weary, and Max returns them to the ant farm for some ZZZ's. Young children will enjoy the large, bold letters on each page, the bright colors throughout, and the cute story presenting the alphabet.

MVP*: *Magellan Voyage Project, written by Douglas Evans, (Front Street, 2008), 232p, Ages 8-10.
Adam Story, a twelve-year-old computer geek, loner, and palindrome-loving kid, is challenged to play in an international contest by circling the world in forty days, without an adult, to win four million dollars. Recruited by Prince Oh from the kingdom of Babababab and producer of the MVP, Adam discovers that he is one of twenty-four entrants competing to win the Great Global Game. Adam meets all the requirements. "The ideal candidate is someone who has excellent knowledge of the world, someone who is brave but not foolhardy, cunning but not cruel, and cuts a unique path without wandering too far." Adam accepts (mom thinks that he is at summer camp), is supplied with an unlimited credit card, a cell phone, and a Global Positioning System tracking unit. There are a number of rules, danger from capture by one of the twenty-three other teams, tranquilizer darts, and unscrupulous adults. Adam crosses paths with another contestant as well as several colorful adults who are not part of the game. Skypoke Crisp, a fisherman from Finland, takes Adam into Russia along with second-hand clothes for Moscow's homeless children. Pap, a ship's cook, allows Adam passage from Hong Kong to Seattle in return for galley duty. The dastardly Baron von Sheepsbottom is another ex-royal who cheats and breaks rules to win. Adam manages to cross all twenty-four times zones and return to San Francisco with only the clothes is wearing, but does he win? Part adventure, part intrigue, part fantasy, and geography lesson, this fast-paced story and quirky characters make Adam's journey most enjoyable.

Necks Out for Adventure!: The True Story of Edwin Wiggleskin, written/illus. by Timothy Basil Ering, (Candlewick Press, 2008), 48p, Ages 4-8.
Wiggleskins (clams) have always lived by a simple rule: "Necks out to eat and necks in to hide". Unlike the other wiggleskins, Edwin is eager for adventure. When the wiggleskins are scooped up by a mysterious two-footed creature, Edwin finds courage to squeeze out of his shell and float to shore. There he discovers that the captured clams are being prepared for the horny scratcher's dinner. When Edwin is captured, he uses his squirter to escape, free the captives, and catch the next wave home. There is a happy ending for the wiggleskins but not for the nasty creature that is left scratching his head at the empty clamshells. Cheers for Edwin and the brave souls everywhere who dare to stick out their necks to help others. The humorous words (wiggleskins, horny scratcher, red-spotted scrintalberry leaf), quirky illustrations, and clever story will entertain children again and again.

Operation Red Jericho: The Guild of Specialists Book 1, written by Joshua Mowll, illus. by Joshua Mowll, Julek Heller, Niroot Puttapipat, Benjamin Mowll, (Candlewick Press, 2005), 288p, Ages 13+.
Full of mystery, adventure, intrigue, and science fiction, teenager Rebecca and her younger brother, Doug are sent to live with their uncle following the disappearance of their parents in the remote Sinkiang region of China in 1920. Their tale begins aboard their uncle's research ship, Expedient, and continues through the streets of Shanghai as they encounter Chinese mercenaries, a pirate warlord, a Texan heiress, and a stolen cache of explosives called zoridium. By the end, they have exposed a heinous plot involving their parents and uncovered a secret society hidden from the world for hundreds of years. With cloth binding and a journal-style elastic clasp, there are sidebars, graphics, photos, newspaper clippings, a Morse code chart, diagrams of inventions, and descriptions of vessels, a secret society, and ancient fighting order of the Sujing Quantou. A great adventure novel.

Operation Typhoon Shore: The Guild of Specialists Book 2, written by Joshua Mowll, illus. by Julek Heller, Niroot Puttapipat, (Candlewick Press, 2006), 288p, Ages 11+.
Set in 1920 and continuing their adventures from Operation Red Jericho, Becca, Doug, and their uncle, Captain MacKenzie, find themselves stranded by a typhoon on a volcanic island in the South Pacific. Along with friends, Becca and Doug concentrate on locating a missing gyrolabe, solving the mysteries of the Guild of Specialists, and locating their missing parents. The art, maps, photographs, and appendixes are remarkable in detail and certainly add to the story's appeal. This is a great page-turner for kids who love Jules Verne and Indiana Jones.

Regards to the Man in the Moon, written/illus. by Ezra Jack Keats, (Viking Children's Books, 2009), 40p, Ages 5+.
Friends tease Louis about his father "the junkman," but his father explains that imagination can transform junk into amazing adventures. With help from his parents, Louis transforms junk into a special spaceship called "Imagination I", which Louis and a friend magically fly into outer space. "They floated past strange and wondrous things . . . and on through worlds no one had ever seen before." While gliding through space, they discover two friends, who decide to follow in a converted bathtub. When the friends become frightened during a rock storm, they lose their imagination, and Louis tows them safely home. Reissued for the fortieth anniversary of the first lunar landing, children will learn about the power of dreams and imagination. The paint and collage illustration are marvelous.

Stick, written/illus. by Steve Breen, (Dial Books, 2007, 40p, Ages 4+.
When a hungry young frog with an extremely long tongue zaps a passing dragonfly, he gets more than lunch. With his tongue stuck to the insect, he is pulled over the Mississippi River into New Orleans, dropped on a horse's nose, flicked into the air, made contact with a passing balloon, and asked a passing heron for help in returning home. Back in the country and still hungry, he zaps a firefly instead of a mosquito and begins to glow. With few words, this fast-paced, comical story cautions children that innocent curiosity sometimes may lead to trouble.

Straight to the Pole, written & illus. by Kevin O'Malley, (Walker & Co., 20030),
32p, Ages 4-7.
In lovely melodramatic humor a small child bravely trudges through a snowstorm on his way to the bus stop sign, only to discover that school is closed for the day. It's much nicer to play in the snow anyway.

There's Nothing to Do On Mars, written/illus. by Chris Gall, (Little, Brown and Co., 2008), 32p, Ages 4-7.
When Davy Martin's family moves to Mars in a spaceship resembling an Airstream motor home, Davy complains about nothing to do on the red planet with its freezing nights, dust storms, and no water. One day Davy and his robot dog, Polaris, decide to seek adventure. "Don't bark at the moons and be careful what you sniff-you might overload your circuits." They explore the landscape (similar to the barren Southwest), build a huge fort, and stumble across Martians who smell terrible. Davy and Polaris accidentally find a source of water, which suddenly explodes and sends water gushing through canyons and riverbeds to the oceans, thus changing the planet forever. Everyone was happy to have water, especially the Martians. However, the planet becomes overpopulated as more people arrive, and Davy's parents decide to move to Saturn. This is a great book, especially for children whose families are moving. There is also the excitement and anticipation of unknown adventures in foreign places.

Tumtum & Nutmeg: Adventures Beyond Nutmouse Hall, written by Emily Bearn, illus. by Nick Price, (Little, Brown & Co., 2009), 512p, Ages 6-9.
In the dilapidated British home of Arthur and Lucky Mildew and their father, reside a pair of non-adventurous mice, Tumtum and Nutmeg. Their residence, in a forgotten broom closet, is as magnificent as the Mildew's house if forlorn. Tumtum and Nutmeg live quietly, until they secretly help put Rose Cottage in order by rewiring heaters, darning socks, reworking Mr. Mildew's non-functioning inventions, patching shoes, and making the dollhouse livable. From then on adventures ensue. In each of the three stories, with the help of the mouse community, they rescue friends, defeat enemies, emerge victorious, and make their world a better place in which to live. On a visit to the Mildews, mouse-hating Aunt Ivy spots the mice, tries to poison even-tempered Tumtum, and a full-scale attack is lead by General Marchmouse and his mouse battalion. Miss Tiptoes and her pogo-bouncing ballerinas help rescue the General and his gerbil cage mates in Arthur's classroom. When greedy rat pirates kidnap Tumtum and Nutmeg, they consume liqueur-filled chocolates provided by Arthur and Lucy as a ransom, and the two escape on the rat's pirate ship. Children will enjoy the delightful details, realize that greed and selfishness has a consequence, appreciate the loyalty and friendship of the mouse community, and hopefully look forward to more adventures of two decidedly unadventurous mice.

The Valley of Secrets, written by Charmian Hussey, illus. by Christopher Crump, (Simon & Schuster, 2003 HC, 2006 PB), 400p, Ages 12+.
Teenager Stephen Lansbury, raised in a London orphanage, receives a letter informing him of an inheritance from his long-lost great-uncle, Theodore. Lansbury Hall, a vast estate in Cornwall, sparks Stephen's inquisitive and curious nature as he begins to explore and question the unusual greenery and seemingly empty mansion. A story within a story commences when the boy examines Theodore's journal of 1911 surrounding an exploration into the Amazon Jungle, friendship with a tribe of Indians, and the discovery of exotic plants and creatures, some of which returned with Theodore. Mixing fantasy, mystery, and ecological elements, this unique tale of finding one's place in the world, friendship, and environmental concerns is recommended for sophisticated and sensitive readers and listeners, but will be well worth the time invested, especially with a cast of bugwomps, tigerwomps, and Murra-yari, the old Amazon Indian caretaker.

We're Going on a Bear Hunt, written by Michael Rosen, illus. by Helen Oxenbury, (McElderry Books, 2009), 40p, Ages 4-8.
To celebrate its 20th anniversary, this classic tells of a brave father, his four children, and pet dog, who find adventure in hunting a bear. "We're going on a bear hunt. /We are going to catch a big one. /What a beautiful day! /we're not scared." Whenever they experience an obstacle, they declare, "We can't go over it. /We cannot go under it. /Oh, no! / We've got to go through it!" Running, climbing, crawling, and trudging through grass (swishy swashy), cold water (splash splosh), mud (squelch squerch), and a snow storm (hoooo wooo), they stumble upon a dark cave, inhabited by an unfriendly bear. Quickly retracing their steps (followed by the bear), they hurry home, bare the door, and hide under the covers, exclaiming no more bear hunts. The final scene depicts the bear tromping home to his cave. Children will love the clever language and good-natured antics of a family determined to experience adventure.

White Star: A Dog on the Titanic, written by Marty Crisp, (Scholastic, Inc., 2006), 112p, Ages 9-12.
A Titanic survival story about Sam Harris, a twelve-year-old traveling to reunite with his mother in America, and Star, the captain's dog. Both form a close friendship and manage to survive in the frigid waters after the ship sinks. Along with historical details, included is a map, a time line, a diagram of the ship, and brief accounts of real passengers. A great story, especially for dog lovers.

The Wizard of Oz, written by L. Frank Baum, illus. by Charles Santore, (Sterling Publishing, 2009), 96p, Ages 7+.
Originally published in 1900, this enduring classic tells of a Kansas cyclone that transports a girl, her dog, and house to a magical land called Oz, where she begins an unforgettable journey to return home to Kansas. When her house lands on the Wicked Witch of the East, her sister, the Wicked Witch of the West, becomes a powerful enemy. Dorothy is advised to traverse the yellow brick road to the City of Emeralds and ask the Great Wizard for help. On her way, she meets three special friends, who also seek help: a stuffed Scarecrow in need of a brain, a rusty Tin Woodsman looking for a heart, and the cowardly Lion searching for courage. Through blue Munchkin land, over poisoned poppy fields, into the sparkling Emerald City, sidetracked by a Wicked Witch of the West and her winged monkeys, Dorothy and friends finally reach the Wizard, only to discover that he cannot help. The story is condensed, rather than adapted or retold, to accommodate Charles Santore's sixty stunning watercolor illustrations. However, the heart, brain, and courage of the story remain for children of another generation to enjoy. The Introduction, written by Michael Patrick Hearn, leading authority on L. Frank Baum, explains the making of this unforgettable classic, which should be an essential addition to all home libraries.

Yikes!!!, written & illus. by Robert Florczak, (The Blue Sky Press, 2003), 32p, Ages 4+.
An adventurous young boy meets some very dangerous but fascinating animals, insects, and spiders in a wide range of habitats. The back of the book contain interesting facts about these creatures.