Adventures
In this book from 1944, four children have a delightful series of adventures. Cousins/siblings George, Julian, Dick, and Anne have an adventure on an island. Smugglers, kidnapping, shipwrecks, and dungeons combine for a vicarious adventure I certainly wish I could have had as a child.
Like a Brit Bobbsey Twins, this series centers on a self-sufficient group of kids that has plenty of adventures and mysteries to solve. Presented in a way that is fun and unthreatening (despite ideas like kidnapping that could be scary if handled a different way), it is also delightfully free of interfering adults.
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This book explores a close father-son relationship. Danny and his father enjoy each other’s company while living an unconventional life. When Danny learns that his father (and many others) secretly poach pheasants, he becomes involved in the adventure.
I like how Danny truly appreciates his father’s character and enjoys his company. The rule breaking (and reveling in it) is standard Roald Dahl.
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I loved this series as a child and was so glad to see that is being reprinted. These two sets of twins, both boy/girl, aged around 6 and 12, have all kinds of adventures in a world where kids could run freely around town and country. In this one, the Bobbsey family sets out on a houseboat adventure, with all kinds of mysteries, mishaps, exploration, and excitement.
Note that these books are old, like 1920’s and 30’s old. The Bobbseys’ black housekeeper, Dinah, sometimes speaks in a stereotypical way that readers might find offensive today. Explaining the context to your child would be helpful.
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I must have checked this record out from the library 30 times when I was a kid. This is such a good read-aloud book, especially with the Centipede’s silly songs (my younger daughter just loves his disgusting food choices).
After his parents are eaten by a rhinoceros, James goes to live with two mean aunts who cruelly mistreat him. The story begins with James, age seven, beginning an adventure involving a giant peach and some abnormally- large insects. Like all of Dahl’s books, there are plenty of fantastic adventures and humor.
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This is a chapter book from the writer of Pete’s a Pizza and Sylvester and the Magic Pebble. Dominic the dog goes off in search of adventure and ends up making much of his own through his friendliness, generosity, and bravery. He enjoys the journey itself, as well as the adventure, which is a useful thing to point out.
There are so many good vocabulary words in this book! I like how Steig stretches the reader with a plethora of unusual and challenging words. I read this to my 7th grade students and it was a great lesson in context clues. I also like how the author adds details particular to the dog world to make the story more genuine, unique, and amusing. This story has fairytale elements presented in a way that will appeal to kids past the fairy tale age.
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Yes, this is the author of the James Bond books. The Pott family of England (including an 8-year-old twin boy and girl) acquires an unusual car. After careful restoration by the quirky Commander Pott, the car takes the family on an exciting, dangerous, and far-fetched adventure across the English Channel.
Both boys and girls will like the action, adventure, gangsters, explosions, and chocolates. Despite the criminal nature of the gangsters, the whole book is presented so lightheartedly that they are not frightening. The author’s approach is similar to Roald Dahl’s—fanciful, aided by parents who have a willing sense of adventure. The book has also been made into a movie with Dick Van Dyke.
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