Best Children's Exploration Fiction

Aspiring wizards can tune in to the age-old wisdom of Merlin with this dazzling compendium of all things magical, unveiling novelty elements throughout.

In the true Romantic spirit, Lady Hestia’s book was not only lavishly illustrated but also boasted many paper crafts and novelties, including a card game featuring the twelve Olympians, an oak-leaf oracle of Zeus, a pop-up Pandora’s box (with hope still inside), a booklet retelling the tale of Odysseus, a piece of the Golden Fleece, a gold OBOLOS coin to pay the ferryman on the River Styx, and many more flaps, foldouts, and other surprises. Featured/recommended. —Napa Valley Register.com.

Find this brave young man’s own account in the lavishly illustrated Oceanology, a tale of an 1866 voyage of discovery that investigates diving bells and shipwrecks; coral reefs and ice canyons; sharks, giant octopi, and luminous sea monsters; underwater volcanoes, and even the legendary island of Atlantis. Wayne Andersen has been illustrating in his colour pencil style for over 40 years and is renowned for his playful imagination and fantastic imagery.

So, though he was the son of the Great Chief of Hikueru, a race of Polynesians who worshipped courage, and he was named Stout Heart, he feared and avoided tha sea, till everyone branded him a coward. The New York Times "Whether this author is telling of clipper ships, of the days of the covered wagon, of the South Sea Islands, he writes always with imagination and integrity. Like all hero legends Mafatu's story has a strength and simplicity that appeals to a wide range in age and it is beautifully told. Mr. Sperry's fine drawings have the same spirit of adventure as the story and enhance the feeling of tropical seas and jungle given in the text.

The complete Dark Is Rising Sequence is now available as one keepsake collection. One of the most celebrated fantasy sequences of all time, The Dark Is Rising is a searing, epic rendering of the eternal conflict between good and evil. She is also the author of Victory , a Booklist Top Ten Historical Fiction for Youth book and a Washington Post Top Ten for Children novel; King of Shadows , a Boston Globe-Horn Book Award Honor book; The Boggart ; Seaward ; Ghost Hawk ; and many other acclaimed novels for young readers and listeners.

Liberty, my wisecracking horse, our old friends Cam, Tommy, Freedom, and I are off to meet some super-brave soldiers in the year 1775. We’ll be on hand to see two lanterns hung in the Old North Church, prevent a British spy from capturing Paul Revere, and grapple with danger at the battles of Lexington, Concord, and Bunker Hill. Visiting with exceptional American heroes like Dr. Joseph Warren and George Washington, racing along after Paul Revere on his midnight ride, and seeing the Declaration of Independence signed make Cam see his own dad in a new and special way. Rush Limbaugh is host of The Rush Limbaugh Show —the nation’s highest-rated talk radio program, with an audience of more than twenty-five million—and the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Rush Revere and the Brave Pilgrims, Rush Revere and the First Patriots, Rush Revere and the American Revolution, Rush Revere and the Star-Spangled Banner, and Rush Revere and the Presidency .

Fans of Fablehaven and City of Ember will devour Michelle Paver’s bestselling fantasy series about one boy’s epic fight against evil and the wolf who guides him. “Torak’s coming-of-age tale will keep the pages turning.” (Publishers Weekly).

When Vesuvius explodes into a cloud of fiery ash and rocks fall from the sky like rain, will they have time to escape -- and survive the epic destruction of Pompeii? Lauren Tarshis is the editor of Scholastic's Storyworks magazine and group editorial director for language arts for Scholastic classroom magazines, in addition to being the author of the I Survived series and the critically acclaimed novels EMMA-JEAN LAZARUS FELL OUT OF A TREE and EMMA-JEAN LAZARUS FELL IN LOVE.

The extraordinary #1 New York Times bestseller that is now a major motion picture, Markus Zusak's unforgettable story is about the ability of books to feed the soul. “Brilliant and hugely ambitious…Some will argue that a book so difficult and sad may not be appropriate for teenage readers…Adults will probably like it (this one did), but it’s a great young-adult novel…It’s the kind of book that can be life-changing, because without ever denying the essential amorality and randomness of the natural order, The Book Thief offers us a believable hard-won hope…The hope we see in Liesel is unassailable, the kind you can hang on to in the midst of poverty and war and violence. Young readers need such alternatives to ideological rigidity, and such explorations of how stories matter. And so, come to think of it, do adults.”. - New York Times, May 14, 2006.

Enduring every hardship from loneliness to attack by armed rebels to contact with killer lions and crocodiles, Salva is a survivor, and his story goes on to intersect with Nya’s in an astonishing and moving way. *Starred Review* After 11-year-old Salva’s school in Sudan is attacked by brutal rebel soldiers in 1985, he describes several terrifying years on the run in visceral detail: “The rain, the mad current, the bullets, the crocodiles, the welter of arms and legs, the screams, the blood.” Finally, he makes it to refugee camps in Ethiopia and then Kenya, where he is one of 3,000 young men chosen to go to America. In chapters that alternate with Salva’s story, Nya, a young Sudanese girl in 2008, talks about daily life, in which she walks eight hours to fetch water for her family.

Their adventures take them on a chase through France: they are taken captive by knights, sit alongside a king, and save the land from a farting dragon. On the run to escape prejudice and persecution and save precious and holy texts from being burned, their quest drives them forward to a final showdown at Mont Saint-Michel, where all will come to question if these children can perform the miracles of saints. Join William, an oblate on a mission from his monastery; Jacob, a Jewish boy who has fled his burning village; and Jeanne, a peasant girl who hides her prophetic visions. Told in multiple voices, in a style reminiscent of The Canterbury Tales , our narrator collects their stories and the saga of these three unlikely allies begins to come together. Beloved bestselling author Adam Gidwitz makes his long awaited return with his first new world since his hilarious and critically acclaimed Grimm series. Featuring manuscript illuminations throughout by illustrator Hatem Aly and filled with Adam’s trademark style and humor, The Inquisitor's Tale is bold storytelling that’s richly researched and adventure-packed. “ It’s no surprise that Gidwitz’s latest book has been likened to The Canterbury Tales , considering its central story is told by multiple storytellers. — Wall Street Journal ★ "Gidwitz strikes literary gold with this mirthful and compulsively readable adventure story. ★ "Gidwitz proves himself a nimble storyteller as he weaves history, excitement, and multiple narrative threads into a taut, inspired adventure ." Part of this is because ‘The Inquisitor’s Tale’ is dense with literary and earthy delights, including Hatem Aly’s exquisite illustrations , which wrap around the text as in an illuminated manuscript.”— New York Times Book Review “ Adam Gidwitz mingles earthy humor and high culture in The Inquisitor’s Tale , a medieval story that unfurls Chaucer-style, with revelers in an inn taking turns to explain why the king of France is trying to hunt down three child-saints and their holy dog. )”— Entertainment Weekly , “Best MG Books of 2016” ★ “Gidwitz continues to toy with narrative in a well-researched and rambunctiously entertaining story that has as much to say about the present as it does the past …The tale that comes into focus is one of religious persecution and faith, friendships that transcend difference, and a dangerously flatulent dragon—Gidwitz continues to have no problem mixing high and low.”— Publishers Weekly , starred review. ★ “Gidwitz’s tale of medieval France successfully combines the epic with the personal , aiming for that heartstopping moment when characters readers have come to care about find themselves on a collision course with one of the great woodchippers of history—the Inquisition, agents of which are in hot pursuit of three underdog characters (and one actual dog) from the very start…This book appeals to the heart, to the mind, and to any reader’s appetite for action : read it for the thrilling escapes, the fart jokes, the stinky cheese, or the palace intrigue. In the style of "illuminated" medieval texts, Egyptian-born illustrator Hatem Aly illuminates Gidwitz's story with whimsical black-and-white drawings that enliven this philosophical swashbuckler.”— Shelf Awareness , starred review. And yet, they are funny, intensely real and believably brave …Gid witz and illustrator Hatem Aly breathe life into a tale that you won’t soon forget .”— Chicago Tribune “Gidwitz paints a vivid image of medieval France, and his mix of heart and humor makes this book an utterly magical read . Who else could weave a tale of acceptance, love and hope, complete with farting dragons?”— San Diego Union Tribune “Brimming with action, history, humor and much more, Gidwitz has crafted a masterfully seamless novel that is thought-provokingly relevant , making this selection nothing short of brilliant .”— Books to Borrow, Books to Buy “Whimsical and winding…One of the most interesting parts of this story is the message it teaches: A story is established that brings together three characters from very different backgrounds. Gidwitz is on fire here, making medieval history feel fresh and current .”— Betsy Bird, A Fuse #8 Production “ [An] exciting adventure story …Just as medieval manuscripts had illuminated drawings, great illustrations go hand-in-hand with the story. White Read Aloud Honor Book New York Times Editors' Choice pick Publishers Weekly Flying Start School Library Journal Best Book of the Year. ALA Notable Book. "Unlike any children's book I've ever read .

But when his world suddenly interlocks with an eccentric, bookish girl and a bitter old man who runs a toy booth in the station, Hugo's undercover life, and his most precious secret, are put in jeopardy. Book Description: Orphan, clock keeper, and thief, Hugo lives in the walls of a busy Paris train station, where his survival depends on secrets and anonymity. But when his world suddenly interlocks with an eccentric, bookish girl and a bitter old man who runs a toy booth in the station, Hugo's undercover life, and his most precious secret, are put in jeopardy. A cryptic drawing, a treasured notebook, a stolen key, a mechanical man, and a hidden message from Hugo's dead father form the backbone of this intricate, tender, and spellbinding mystery. Fortunately and Thirteen fascinated me in part because, in both books, the very act of turning the pages plays a pivotal role in telling the story. But it wasn’t until I read a book called Edison's Eve: The Quest for Mechanical Life by Gaby Woods that my story began to come into focus. So every time you see Méliès in The Invention of Hugo Cabret , the person you are really looking at is my dear friend Remy Charlip, who continues to inspire everyone who has the great pleasure of knowing him or seeing his work. After I finished this drawing I continued to rewrite, and for various reasons I realized that I needed to move this scene from the camera shop to the French Film Academy, which meant that I had to cut this picture. Here is a true masterpiece—an artful blending of narrative, illustration and cinematic technique, for a story as tantalizing as it is touching.Twelve-year-old orphan Hugo lives in the walls of a Paris train station at the turn of the 20th century, where he tends to the clocks and filches what he needs to survive. Hugo's recently deceased father, a clockmaker, worked in a museum where he discovered an automaton: a human-like figure seated at a desk, pen in hand, as if ready to deliver a message. Selznick hints at the toymaker's hidden identity [...] through impressive use of meticulous charcoal drawings that grow or shrink against black backdrops, in pages-long sequences.

The astounding talent of Laurel Long brings this beloved song to life with breathtaking style. * “Long expertly weaves religious and secular images into a visually arresting interpretation of the traditional carol.” — Publishers Weekly, starred review. “Long’s lyrical and lush oil paintings, reminiscent of Russian icon art, combined with a tricky interactive element, make this version of the traditional carol special.” — School Library Journal.

The nine books in the timeless Little House series tell the story of Laura’s real childhood as an American pioneer, and are cherished by readers of all generations. They offer a unique glimpse into life on the American frontier, and tell the heartwarming, unforgettable story of a loving family. Meet the Ingalls family—Laura, Ma, Pa, Mary, and baby Carrie, who all live in a cozy log cabin in the big woods of Wisconsin in the 1870s. Though many of their neighbors are wolves and panthers and bears, the woods feel like home, thanks to Ma’s homemade cheese and butter and the joyful sounds of Pa’s fiddle. As Laura Ingalls is growing up in a little house in Kansas, Almanzo Wilder lives on a big farm in New York. When Ma, Mary, Laura, Carrie, and baby Grace join him, they become the first settlers in the town of De Smet. With snow piled as high as the rooftops, it’s impossible for trains to deliver supplies, and the townspeople, including Laura and her family, are starving. Laura spends many hours sewing shirts to help Ma and Pa get enough money to send Mary to a college for the blind. The set includes: Little House in the Big Woods, Little House on the Prairie, Farmer Boy, On the Banks of Plum Creek, By the Shores of Silver Lake, The Long Winter, Little Town on the Prairie, These Happy Golden Years, and The First Four Years. In those same woods, Laura lives with Pa and Ma, and her sisters, Mary and Baby Carrie, in a snug little house built of logs. Little House on the Prairie Pa Ingalls decides to sell the little log house, and the family sets out for Indian country! Farmer Boy While Laura Ingalls grows up in a little house on the western prairie, Almanzo Wilder is living on a big farm in New York State. On the Banks of Plum Creek Laura's family's first home in Minnesota is made of sod, but Pa builds a clean new house made of sawed lumber beside Plum Creek. But in the evenings, Laura makes time for a new caller, Almanzo Wilder. And every Friday -- no matter what the weather -- Almanzo Wilder arrives to take Laura home to her family for the weekend. The First Four Years Laura and Almanzo Wilder have just been married!