Great adventure books 9-12

The League of Unexceptional Children: The Kids Who Knew Too Little

Does your child adore adventure? Then these books are sure to keep them entertained.

From an ape getting involved in a murder case to schoolgirl cat burglars and mysteries taking place across the world, there are some brilliant capers out there just waiting to be devoured. 

See our list for 5-8s

See our list for teens

  • Sky Hawk

    Author: Gill Lewis

    Interest level: 10+

    Reading age: 10+

    Flip
  • Sky Hawk

    Author: Gill Lewis

    Interest level: 10+

    Reading age: 10+

    Powerful, evocative writing about landscape and the natural world

    ; Flip
  • The Murderer’s Ape

    Author: Jakob Wegelius Translator: Peter Graves

    Interest level: 8+

    Reading age: 10+

    Flip
  • The Murderer’s Ape

    Author: Jakob Wegelius Translator: Peter Graves

    Interest level: 8+

    Reading age: 10+

    Sally Jones is an engineer and loyal friend to Captain Koskela. She’s also an ape. When Koskela is falsely accused of murder,…

    ; Flip
  • The Wolf Wilder

    Author: Katherine Rundell

    Flip
  • The Wolf Wilder

    Author: Katherine Rundell

    Interest level:

    Reading age:

    When the murderous hostility of the Russian Army threatens her very existence, Feo is left with no option but to go on the run. Wh…

    ; Flip
  • Hilda and the Troll

    Author: Luke Pearson

    Interest level: 6+

    Reading age: 7+

    Flip
  • Hilda and the Troll

    Author: Luke Pearson

    Interest level: 6+

    Reading age: 7+

    Blue-haired explorer Hilda has an uncanny ability to find weird and wonderful adventures and befriend peculiar creatures.

    ; Flip
  • Wings: Flyboy

    Author: Tom Palmer

    Interest level: 7-14

    Reading age: 7+

    Flip
  • Wings: Flyboy

    Author: Tom Palmer

    Interest level: 7-14

    Reading age: 7+

    On the football field and off it, Jatinder always wants to excel, but he always takes the easy option instead of the risky one.

    T…

    ; Flip
  • Codebusters

    Author: Dan Metcalf Illustrator: Gary Cherrington

    Interest level: 7-10

    Reading age: 7-9

    Flip
  • Codebusters

    Author: Dan Metcalf Illustrator: Gary Cherrington

    Interest level: 7-10

    Reading age: 7-9

    This pacey illustrated chapter book for confident young readers highlights the importance of friendship and remaining true to your…

    ; Flip
  • Scales and Scoundrels

    Author: Author Sebastian Girner Illustrator: Galaad and Jeff Powell

    Interest level: 10+

    Reading age: 10-12

    Flip
  • Scales and Scoundrels

    Author: Author Sebastian Girner Illustrator: Galaad and Jeff Powell

    Interest level: 10+

    Reading age: 10-12

    Luvander and her companions go on an expedition to find The Hall of Dreaming Teasures. Their journey is like a cross between India…

    ; Flip
  • Beyond the Bright Sea

    Author: Lauren Wolk

    Interest level: 10-14

    Reading age: 10+

    Flip
  • Beyond the Bright Sea

    Author: Lauren Wolk

    Interest level: 10-14

    Reading age: 10+

    A wonderful tale of trying to find your place within the world, Beyond The Bright Sea transports the reader to a luminous island o…

    ; Flip
  • RailHead

    Author: Philip Reeve

    Interest level: 12+

    Reading age: 8+

    Flip
  • RailHead

    Author: Philip Reeve

    Interest level: 12+

    Reading age: 8+

    A sci-fi adventure about a petty thief who gets in way over his head when he's asked to infiltrate the Emperor's train.

    ; Flip
  • The Kids Who Knew Too Little

    Author: Gitty Daneshvari Illustrator: James Lancett

    Interest level: 8-10

    Reading age: 9+

    Flip
  • The Kids Who Knew Too Little

    Author: Gitty Daneshvari Illustrator: James Lancett

    Interest level: 8-10

    Reading age: 9+

    When Jonathan's parents are framed and arrested by the CIA, he and his fellow spy Shelley will have to pull together to find the r…

    ; Flip
  • The White Darkness

    Author: Geraldine McCaughrean

    Interest level: 12+

    Reading age: 12+

    Flip
  • The White Darkness

    Author: Geraldine McCaughrean

    Interest level: 12+

    Reading age: 12+

    Introspective 14-year-old Symone is obsessed with Antarctica but when her 'Uncle' Victor takes her to the land of ice, t…

    ; Flip
  • Twister

    Author: Juliette Forrest

    Interest level: 10-12

    Reading age: 10+

    Flip
  • Twister

    Author: Juliette Forrest

    Interest level: 10-12

    Reading age: 10+

    Twister's father has gone missing. Her mother is depressed, and people are accusing her father of starting a fatal fire. Even scho…

    ; Flip
  • My Brigadista Year

    Author: Katherine Paterson

    Interest level: 11-14

    Reading age: 10+

    Flip
  • My Brigadista Year

    Author: Katherine Paterson

    Interest level: 11-14

    Reading age: 10+

    Based on real events in post-revolutionary Cuba, this is the story of 13-year-old Lora who volunteers to spend a year in bandit co…

    ; Flip
  • Gita: The Battle of the Worlds

    Author: Sonal Sachdev Patel and Jemma Wayne-Kattan Illustrator: Soumitra Ranade

    Interest level: 9-12

    Reading age: 9-12

    Flip
  • Gita: The Battle of the Worlds

    Author: Sonal Sachdev Patel and Jemma Wayne-Kattan Illustrator: Soumitra Ranade

    Interest level: 9-12

    Reading age: 9-12

    A captivating story, based around the Hindu epic Mahabharata, which explores the inner battle raging within Dev when his father di…

    ; Flip
  • The Explorer

    Author: Katherine Rundell Illustrator: Hannah Horn

    Interest level: 10+

    Reading age: 10+

    Flip
  • The Explorer

    Author: Katherine Rundell Illustrator: Hannah Horn

    Interest level: 10+

    Reading age: 10+

    Fred, Con, Lila and little Max’s plane is on the way to Manaus when it falls out of the sky. Now, lost in the Amazon rainforest, t…

    ; Flip