The Giant Print Library

Adventure stories for younger readers Updated October 2012

Any UK member of our library service may borrow up to a maximum of 6 books per service for a 3 month loan period.

Most of the books have been produced by the National Blind Children's Society and are in 24 point type with identical covers to the ordinary print versions of the books.

Please be aware that due to their size, many of the books are split into two or more volumes, and these will have the same covers.

For details on borrowing any of the titles listed or for further information regarding the Giant Print collection please contact Liz Farrell or Hazel Sharrock, Children's Librarians at RNIB National Library Service on 0161 429 1975.

Adventure stories

Aiken, Joan.Go saddle the sea.1978. Suggested reading age 9+. 3v.The start of an adventure trilogy set in the early-19th century. Twelve-year-old orphan Felix is despised by his Spanish relatives and ignored by his

distant grandfather. When he's given a parcel containing a blood-stained letter from his dead father, he sets off in search of his English family.

Aiken, Joan.The wolves of Willoughby Chase. 1962. Suggested reading age 13+. 1v. Book 1 of the wolves of Willoughby Chase series. It's 19th-century England. Even the wolves that surround the great house of Willoughby Chase are not as cruel and merciless as the evil Miss Slighcarp. Bonnie and Sylvia must use all their wits to survive.

Ahlberg, Janet.It was a dark and stormy night. 1998. Suggested reading age 7+. 1v.Antonio, a small boy who has been kidnapped by the Brigands, passes a

dark and stormy night in their cave weaving for them incredible stories of their own exploits and through this actually solves his own problem of how to escape.

Almond, David.Heaven eyes. 2000. Suggested reading age 11+. 1v.Heaven Eyes is the girl who should have drowned at sea, this girl rescued from the mud. This girl with a secret history only Grampa knows. And he isn't telling...

Almond, David.Kit's wilderness. 1999. Suggested age range 11+. 2v. In Stoneygate there was an empty space between the houses and the river where the ancient coal pit had once been. In the wilderness Kit meets Askew, who has a strange

ability to draw other children to his game called Death.

Banks, Lynne Reid.The Indian in the cupboard. Suggested reading age 9+. 1v.Book 1 in the Indian in the Cupboard series (other books in this series are also available). When Omri is given a toy Indian and a small cupboard for his birthday, he has no idea that when he puts the Indian in the cupboard it will come alive, or that his 'toy' is a very small and demanding brave for whose life and safety he must take responsibility.

Bearn, EmilyA circus adventure. 2010. Suggested reading age 7+. 1v.Tumtum and Nutmeg find themselves in a fantastic adventure. Along with their old friend General Marchmouse and the two children, Arthur and Lucy,

the Nutmouses will find themselves at the circus.

Bemis, John Claude.Mystifying medicine show. 2009. Suggested reading age 9+. 2v.Orphan Ray has been separated from his sister. The only clue to finding her is a lodestone, left to him by his father before he vanished. The lodestone tugs Ray towards a train bursting with astounding characters. Soon Ray is hurtling across the Wild West, joining in as they perform their enthralling medicine show. But something dark is following the train. Something that wants to steal people's souls…

Blackman, Malorie.Operation Gadgetman! 1995. Suggested reading age 9+. 1v.Beans calls her dad 'Gadgetman' because of the weird and wonderful gadgets he comes up with. But when

Gadgetman accidentally invents a device that could be used to steal millions of pounds, he is suddenly in terrible danger.

Blyton, EnidAn Enid Blyton collection: The Adventurous Four, and the Adventurous Four again. 1987. Suggested reading age 9+. Stories about four friends who undergo a series of hair-raising adventures.

Blyton, Enid.Five on a treasure island. 1942. Suggested reading age 9+. 1v. (Other books in the Famous Five series are also available.) There is a shipwreck off Kirrin Island, but where has the treasure gone? The Five set off in search of clues, but find they are not alone, for someone else has joined the treasure hunt….

Blyton, Enid.The sea of adventure. 1948. Suggested reading age 9+. 2v.Book 4 of the Adventure series. Recovering from measles, the children head for the coast of Scotland with Bill to recuperate. Bill soon disappears from the scene, kidnapped by a couple of unknown baddies. Our four heroes are left to fend for themselves.

Blyton, Enid.The secret island. 1938. Suggested reading age 9+. 1v.Book 1 in the Secret series.Running away to Jack's secret island seems like the answer to the children's misery living with their horrible aunt and uncle, but Mike, Peggy and Laura find out that something very mysterious is happening there.

Blyton, Enid.The secret seven. 2006. Suggested age range 7+. 1v. (Other books in the Secret Seven series are also available.) The Secret Seven super-sleuths are on the trail of a mystery! The gang are dressed in disguise, following a lead to a spooky old house in the snow!

Blyton, EnidThe six bad boys. 1951.Suggested reading age 7+. 1v.Three friends from different families live next door to each other and go to the same school. When two of the boys join a gang that meets in a cellar under a derelict house, they soon find that trouble isn't far behind.

Bosch, Pseudonymous.The name of this book is secret. 2008. 2v. Suggested reading age 9+.When investigators Cass and Max-Ernest set out to discover the history of the mysterious Symphony of Smells, they become embroiled in an experiment involving kidnapped children & the secret of eternal youth. Together they must come up with a plan to rescue their classmate from a hideous fate & escape the pyramid of the Midnight Sun.

Bradford, Chris.The way of the warrior. 2008. Suggested reading age 11+. 2v.Book 1 in The Young Samurai series. August 1611. Jack Fletcher is shipwrecked off the coast of Japan. His beloved father and the crew lie slaughtered by ninja pirates. Rescued by the legendary sword master

Masamoto Takeshi, Jack's only hope is to become a samurai warrior. And so his training begins. But life at the samurai school is a constant fight for survival. Jack is singled out by bullies and treated as an outcast. With courage in his heart and his sword held high, can Jack prove himself and face his deadliest rival yet?

Breslin, Theresa. The Medici seal. 2007. Suggested age range 15+. 3v.Set in Romagna, Italy in the year 1502. Matteo - a young boy - is saved from drowning by the companions of Leonardo da Vinci. But Leonardo is employed by Cesare Borgia, and Matteo carries with him a secret - a secret that both the Borgia and Medici families would kill to obtain.

Brown, JudyPortia. 2006. Suggested reading age 7+. 1v. Book 1 of the Pirate Princess series (other books in this series are also available). Portia is a reluctant princess, horrified by her father's idea of marrying her off to a boring prince. So she sells the family jewels, buys a ship and escapes to sea - with her ladies-in-waiting as crew. But her jilted groom is catching up with her…

Buckley-Archer, Linda.Gideon the cutpurse. 2007. Suggested reading age 13+. 3v.Book 1 of the enlightenment of Peter Schock series. An encounter with an anti-gravity machine catapults Peter Schock and Kate Dyer back to the 18th century and sets in motion a calamitous chain of events.

Burne, CristyTakeshita demons. 2010. Suggested reading age 9+. 1v.Miku Takeshita and her family have moved from Japan to live in the UK, but unfortunately the family's enemy demons have followed them! Miku knows she's in trouble when her new supply teacher turns out to be a Nukekubi - a bloodthirsty demon who can turn into a flying head and whose favourite snack is children…

Byars, Betsy.A blossom promise. 2008. Suggested reading age 11+. 1v.It had been raining for fourteen days and the valley was flooded. Secretly Vern Blossom and his friend Michael had been building a raft. But - like other Blossom inventions - the launch of Vern's raft does not go exactly as planned. But a Blossom promise always holds.

Canning, VictorThe runaways. 1978. Suggested reading age 11+. 2v.Story of an encounter between a remand home runaway and a cheetahwhich had escaped from Longleat.

Carey, Peter.The big bazoohley. 2000. Suggested reading age 9+. 1v.Sam Kellow is nine. His father is a compulsive gambler, forever pursuing the "big bazoohley" - the jackpot to end all jackpots. But it is Sam who sets out to win it, as, against all the odds, he enters the Perfect Kiddo competition.

Carter, Ally.I'd tell you I love you, but then I'd have to kill you. 2010. Suggested reading age 9+. 2v.Gallagher Academy might claim to be a school for geniuses - but it's really a school for spies. Cammie Morgan is fluent in 14 languages and capable of killing a man in seven different ways. But one thing the Gallagher Academy hasn't prepared her for is what to do when she falls for an ordinary boy who thinks she's an ordinary girl.

Cole, StephenZ. Rex. 2009. Suggested reading age 11+. 2v.Z Rex is a living, breathing, man-eating dinosaur who has been brought to life by Adam's dad. He can talk, think - and kill. And, he has no idea why he's here. Zed wants answers, and Adam's dad has them but he's missing. Boy and dinosaur set out to

find Mr Adlar. But there are people desperate to stop them and they seem to be going to extreme lengths to do so.

Colfer, EoinAirman. 2009. Suggested reading age 11+. 3v.Conor Broekhart was born to fly. Or, more accurately, he was born flying. Little wonder he became what he became. In an age of discovery and invention, many dreamed of flying, but for Conor flight was more than just a dream, it was his destiny.

Cope, Andrew.Spy dog. 2005. Suggested reading age 7+. 1v.Book 1 in the Spy Dog series (other books in this series are also available).Lara, or GM451 as she is known by the government, is a highly trained special agent, bred by the British

Secret Service for use on dangerous missions around the world. She is being hunted down by an evil drugs baron, Mr Big.

Corder, ZizouLionboy. 2004. Suggested reading age 11+. 2v. 2004.Charlie Ashanti, the hero of Lionboy, speaks cat - the language of all cats wild and domestic alike. His unusual talent helps him on his quest to find his kidnapped parents who have discovered a cure for asthma.

Cottrell Boyce, Frank.Cosmic. 2008. Suggested reading age 9+. 2v.Liam is very tall for his age. He makes a giant leap for boy-kind by competing with a group of adults for the chance to go into space. Sometimes being big isn't all about being a grown-up.

Cross, Gillian.The great elephant chase. 1994. Suggested age range 11+. 2v.When the elephant came to town, Tad and Cissie went to the show. Little did they know it would change their lives for ever, and they get involved in a chase across America, by train, by flatboat, and steam boat…

Cross, Gillian.A map of nowhere. 1988. Suggested age range 13+. 2v.Nick is surprised by the note he finds in Joseph Fisher's lost wallet, and is determined to join in with the mysterious game, but as he becomes involved, Nick begins to understand the rules the Fishers live by.

Dahl, Roald.James and the giant peach. 1961. Suggested reading age 7+. 1v.James is a poor orphan who lives with his two grotesque spinster aunts. When a giant peach grows in their back garden, James escapes inside it where he discovers some mysterious creatures. The peach rolls away from his unhappy home and James is released into an exciting new life of adventure.

Dickinson, Peter.AK. Suggested reading age 13+. 2v.Paul Kagomi is a child guerilla, orphaned by war and schooled in bloodshed, who places his trust in his AK - his gun. Although set in an imaginary African state, this is a powerful and thought-provoking contemporary story of political corruption and people-power.

Doder, Joshua.A dog called Grk. 2005. Suggested reading age 7+. 2v.Book 1 in the Grk series (other titles in this series are also available). When Tim is followed home by a dog on the street, he's determined to find out who the friendly stray belongs to. Max and Natascha Raffifi, Grk's owners, have been kidnapped with their ambassador parents by the evil Colonel Zinfandel and taken to a prison in Eastern Europe. Tim knows he's about to undertake a mission his parents wouldn't exactly approve of, basically a high-octane, international adventure…

Fardell, JohnThe flight of the silver turtle. Suggested reading age 15+. 2v.Sam and Marcia are back in Edinburgh with Zara, Ben and Professor Ampersand. The friends are helping to

build an amazing electric- powered flying boat when they stumble across an old photograph - a clue that leads them on to the trail of a long-lost secret invention that could change the world.

Funke, Cornelia Caroline.The thief lord. 2002. Suggested reading age 9+. 2v.Escaping the aunt who wants to adopt only one of them, two orphaned brothers run away from Hamburg to Venice, finding shelter with a gang of street children and their leader, the thirteen-year-old "Thief Lord," while also eluding the detective hired to return them to Germany.

Gardner, SallyThe Red Necklace. 2008. Suggested reading age 9+. 2v.Book 1 in the French Revolution series (Book 2, The Silver blade, is also available). Paris,1798. While the

aristocracy dine, dance, gossip and gamble their way to disaster, the poor and starving dream of revolution. Enter the boy Yann Margoza, destined to be a hero; Tetu the dwarf, his friend and mentor; Sido, unloved daughter of the foolish Marquis de Villeduval; and the sinister Count Kallivoski. The drama moves from Paris to London and back, as the Revolution gathers momentum.

Garland, Alex.The beach.1997. Suggested reading age 15+. 3v.The Beach is a legend among young travellers in Asia: white sands circling a lagoon hidden from the sea, coral gardens and freshwater falls surrounded by jungle. In this earthly paradise, it is rumoured, a select community lives in blissful innocence. For Richard, haunted by the glamour of Vietnamese war movies, a trek into unknown Thai territory is irresistible.

Golding, Julia.The diamond of Drury Lane. 2006. Suggested reading age 13+. 2v.Book 1 of the Cat Royal series. (other books in this series are also available). Set in 1790's Covent Garden, Cat Royal is an orphan who lives at the back of the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane. This book contains a wonderful colourful cast of characters, and of course the diamond mystery!

Gordon, RoderickTunnels. 2007. Suggested reading age 11+. 3v.Fourteen-year-old Will Burrows lives with his family in London. He has little in common with them except for a passion for digging which he shares with his father. When his father suddenly disappears down an unknown tunnel, Will decides to investigate with his friend Chester.

Soon they find themselves deep underground, where they unearth a dark and terrifying secret - a secret which may cost them their lives.

Green, John.Paper towns. 2010. Suggested reading age 13+. 2v.Quentin Jacobsen has spent a lifetime loving Margo Roth Spiegelman from afar. So when she cracks open a window and climbs into his life - dressed like a ninja and summoning him for an ingenious campaign of revenge - he follows. After their all-nighter ends, Q arrives at school to discover that Margo has disappeared.

Harris, M.G.The Joshua files: Invisible city. 2007. Suggested reading age 11+. 2v.When his archaeologist father goes missing after an air crash in Mexico,

UFO-obsessed Josh suspects alien abduction. But after he discovers his dad was murdered, Josh is caught up in a race to find the legendary Ix Codex - a lost book of the ancient Maya containing a prophecy about the end of the world.

Harrold, A. F.Fizzlebert Stump: the boy who ran away from the circus (and joined the library). 2012. Suggested reading age 9+. 1v.Fizzlebert Stump lives in a travelling circus. But although he gets to hang around with acrobats and put his head in a lion's mouth every night, he's bored. But then Fizz decides to join a library, and life suddenly gets a lot more exciting, when a simple library card application leads to him being kidnapped by a pair of crazed pensioners!

Hawking, Lucy.George's secret key to the universe. 2007. Suggested reading age 9+. 2v.Take a rollercoaster ride through the vastness of space and, in the midst of an exciting adventure, discover the mysteries of physics, science and the universe with George.

Henderson, Jan-Andrew.Crash. 2008. Suggested reading age 13+. 2v.A day out with his dad Gordon turns into a nightmare for Bobby when something shocking happens that leaves Dad thinking he's really only 14. Gordon is irrationally convinced that if he can just get to Dundee, everything will be OK - But the east coast of Scotland is about to be hit by a tsunami…

Higson, Charles.Silverfin. 2005. Suggested reading age 11+. 2v.Book 1 of the Young Bond series (other books in this series are also available).The dark waters around a remote Scottish castle hold a sinister secret. One man with a thirst for power will use it - whatever the cost. Silverfin is dangerous and must be destroyed.

Horowitz, Anthony.Stormbreaker. 2000. Suggested reading age 11+. 1v.Book 1 of the Alex Rider series (other books in this series are also available).When his guardian dies in suspicious circumstances, Alex Rider goes from schoolboy to superspy within days as his world is turned upside down.

Hunt, Elizabeth Singer.The puzzle of the missing panda : China. 2007. Suggested reading age 9+. 1v.Book 1 of the Jack Stalwart series.An endangered Giant Panda has been kidnapped from the Wolong Nature Reserve in China. Can Secret Agent Jack Stalwart find the panda and rescue it before the evil Scorpion Gang sells it for profit? Time is running out...

Ibbotson, Eva.The dragonfly pool. 2009. Suggested reading age 9+. 3v. Tally Hamilton is furious to hear she is being sent from London to a stuffy boarding school in the countryside, but an exciting school trip to the beautiful and luscious kingdom of Bergania whisks Tally into an unexpected adventure.

Johnson, CatherineA nest of vipers. 2008. Suggested reading age 9+. 1v.Cato Hopkins is the youngest member of Mother Hopkins' 'family' - a group of skilled fraudsters and pickpockets. But old age is slowing Mother Hopkins down, and she wants to carry out one last con, a con to outdo all the cons that have gone before. And so the gang set about bringing ruin upon Captain Walker, a proud and cruel slave captain, who deserves to be taught a lesson or two.

Kidd, RichardThe giant goldfish robbery. 1999. Suggested reading age 7+. 1v.An adventure story about a little boy who befriends an elderly gentleman who is a collector of Koi Carp, and how he unexpectedly tackles the burglars who try to steal the fish with the help of

the school bully and several hundred alarm clocks.

King, Clive. Stig of the dump. 1962. Suggested reading age 9+. 1v.One glorious day the ground gives way beneath Barney and he lands in a cave in the middle of the rubbish dump; and that's when he meets Stig, a Stone-Age cave-dweller.

Kipling, Rudyard.The jungle book. 1894. Suggested reading age 9+. 2v.Saved from the jaws of the evil tiger Shere Khan, young Mowgli is adopted by a wolf pack and taught the law of the jungle by lovable old Baloo the bear and Bhageera the panther.

Lacey, Josh.Bearkeeper. 2008. Suggested reading age 9+. 2v.A fearless boy with a fierce friend Pip is a blacksmith's apprentice- but he longs to be a famous knife-fighter like his dead father. Alone in London, he meets great danger and two odd allies. One is hairy and hungry. The other is William Shakespeare. Pip's extraordinary adventures have begun.

Lingard, JoanThe eleventh orphan. 2008. Suggested reading age 11+. 2v.Mr and Mrs Bigsby of the Pig and Whistle, Stoke Newington, already look after ten children. When Constable O'Dowd brings them an eleventh orphan he found on the streets, Ma Bigsby is reluctant to take her. But there's something about Elfie, it's the first day of a new century and Ma loves a mystery. Just why does

Elfie possess a little water colour of the Pig and Whistle?

MacPhail, CatherineUnderworld. 2005. Suggested reading age 11+. 2v.A school trip goes disastrously wrong when a visit to local caves turns into something more sinister. Five teenagers are trapped beneath the ground. Their best chance of escape is to stay together. Then a member of the group disappears, and their hopes of getting out alive start to fade.

McCaughrean, Geraldine.The death-defying Pepper Roux. 2009. Suggested reading age 11+. 2v.Pepper Roux has a charmed life, not only because he confounded his mad aunt's prediction that he was going to die at 14 by remaining alive, but also

because he can step into any role he likes and have an adventure.

McCaughrean, Geraldine.Pull out all the stops. 2010. Suggested reading age 11+. 2v.Exhilarating adventures on board the Bright Lights Showboat!

McKenzie, Sophie.The set-up. 2009. 2v.Book 1 in the Medusa Project series (some other titles in this series are also available).14 years ago, scientist William Fox implanted four babies with the Medusa gene - a gene for psychic abilities. But Fox died and the babies were hidden away for years. Now the children are teenagers - and unaware that their psychic powers are about to kick in.

Marks, Graham.Snatched! 2006. Suggested reading age 9+. 2v.Left for dead in a lion's cage, baby Daniel is adopted by Hubble, owner of a travelling circus. 12 years later, his carefree life as a bareback rider is shattered by vivid premonitions.

Marsden, John.Tomorrow, when the war began. 1995. Suggested reading age 13+. 2v.A group of Australian teenagers decide to spend a week in the bush instead of attending the annual fair with their families. At their remote campsite, they notice an unusual number of planes flying overhead but think nothing of it until they return home. There they find their families gone, their pets left to die, and the phones and electricity cut off.

Masefield, JohnThe box of delights. 2008. Suggested reading age 9+. 2v.The strange events of the Christmas holidays begin when Kay meets the travelling Punch and Judy man who gives him the mysterious Box of Delights.

Masefield, John.The midnight folk. 2008. Suggested reading age 9+. 2v.Determined to recover the long-lost family treasure, Kay finds himself in a race against the evil Abner Brown. Abner has his witch friends and his dark magic to help him, but Kay has the very special Midnight Folk. Which side will find the treasure first?

Mayo, SimonItch. 2012. Suggested reading age 9+. 2v.Itchingham Lofte - known as Itch - is 14, and loves science - especially chemistry. He's also an element-hunter: he's decided to collect all the elements in the periodic table. Which has some interesting and rather destructive results in his bedroom. Then, Itch makes a discovery. A new element, never seen before…

Morgan, Nicola.The highwayman's footsteps. 2006. Suggested reading age 13+. 2v.Young William de Lacey is on the run, and has taken up with a highwayman. Despite struggling with his conscience, Will feels free for the first time in his life - and it's all down to the mysterious Bess.

Morpurgo, Michael.Alone on a wide wide sea. 2006. Suggested age range 11+. 2v.When Arthur Hobhouse was shipped to Australia after WWII he lost everything he knew. Now Arthur has built a boat for his daughter that will take her back to England solo, in search of her father's long-lost sister!

Morpurgo, MichaelDear Olly. 2001. Suggested reading age 9+. 1v.'Matt wouldn't look at her as he spoke. I'm going to be a clown, Olly. I mean a real clown. And now I know where I'm going to do it. I'm going where my swallows go. I'm going to Africa.' As Olly waits for her brother's letters, she watches the swallows preparing to leave for the winter. Hero the swallow starts his long journey to Africa, not knowing the terrible dangers he will meet on the way…

Morpurgo, Michael.Kensuke's kingdom. 2000. Suggested reading age 11+. 1v.Washed up on an island in the Pacific, Michael struggles to survive on his own. He can't find food or water. In the end, he curls up to die. When he wakes, there is a plate beside him of fish, fruit, and a bowl of fresh water. He is not alone...

Morpurgo, Michael.Running wild. 2010. Suggested reading age 9+. 2v.For Will and his mother, going to Indonesia isn't just a holiday. It's an escape, a new start and to begin with, it seems to be just what they both needed, but when Will is riding Oona the elephant on the beach, a tsunami wave comes crashing in and Oona begins to run. With nothing on his back but a shirt and nothing to sustain him

but a bottle of water, Will must learn to survive deep in the jungle.

Morpurgo, Michael.Why the whales came. 1994. Suggested reading age 11+. 1v.People say that the birdman of Bryher is mad. He warns Daniel and Grace never to go near Samson Island or the curse will come to them too, but it isn't their fault that they get lost in the fog and drift over there...

Muchamore, Robert.The recruit. 2004. Suggested reading age 11+. 2v.Book 1 of the CHERUB series (other books in this series are also available).A terrorist doesn't let strangers into her flat because they might be undercover police, but her children bring their mates home. She doesn't know that a kid has bugged her house. The kid works for CHERUB…..

Palmer, TomDead ball. 2010. Suggested reading age 9+. 1v.Book 2 in the Football Detective series (Foul Play and Offside are also available). Russian billionaire Dmitri Tupolev & a mystery Englishman agree to fix an important match in Russia's favour by intimidating the England goalie, Alex Finn. But Alex goes against their wishes. His punishment is an 'accidental' car crash and now he's out of the return game in Russia.

Patterson, James. The angel experiment. 2006. Suggested reading age 13+. 2v.Book 1 of the Maximum Ride series. The sequel is also available.Max Ride and her five friends grew up in a science lab/prison called the School. They were created as an

experiment. An experiment where they ended up only 98 per cent human.

Paulsen, Gary. Dogsong. 1997. Suggested reading age 13+. 1v.Russel takes a dog team and sled to escape his village. He meets a pregnant Eskimo girl whose life he must save. But first he must kill a vicious polar bear in the ancient way of his people.

Price, Willard.Amazon adventure. 1949. Suggested reading age 9+. 2v.Hal and Roger Hunt are on an exciting trip down the Amazon; it turns into a struggle against hostile Indians, wild animals and the raging flood.

Price, WillardSouth Sea adventure. 1936. Suggested reading age 9+. 2v.Hal and Roger are searching for exotic sea-life and they have a mission to collect pearls from the oyster-beds of a secret lagoon. But do the crew and passengers of Lively Lady know more than they should?

Price, WillardUnderwater adventure. 1954. Suggested reading age 9+. 2v.Hal and Roger are on board "Lively Lady", studying submarine life and searching for the treasure of the "Santa Cruz", sunk three centuries ago. But also on board is an unscrupulous former school-mate of Hal's who is after the treasure himself.

Price, WillardVolcano adventure. 1956. Suggested reading age 9+. 1v.Hal and Roger are helping Dr Dan Adams to research volcanoes in the Pacific. When Mount Myojin erupts, the doctor's strange behaviour endangers them all as they flee an eruption big enough to devastate a city the size of New York.

Pullman, Philip.The firework-maker's daughter. 2004. Suggested reading age 7+. 1v.More than anything else in the world, Lila wants to be a firework-maker. But every firework-maker must make a perilous journey to face the terrifying fire-fiend!

Pullman, PhilipI was a rat!, or, The scarlet slippers /2000. Suggested reading age 9+. 1v.Roger insists he was a rat. But what is he now? A terrifying monster rampaging in the sewers? A money-spinning fairground freak? Or just an ordinary small boy, though a little ratty in his habits? Only three people believe this version of the story. Only one of them knows who Roger really is.

Ransome, Arthur.Swallows and Amazons. 1930. Suggested age range 9+. 3v. Book 1 of the Swallows and Amazons series. To John, Susan, Titty and Roger, simply being allowed to use the boat to go camping on the island is adventure enough. But they soon find themselves under attack from the

fierce Amazon Pirates, Nancy and Peggy.

Rayner, ShooCola power. 2011. 1v. Suggested reading age 5+.Axel Storm's parents are rock stars - and they just want Axel to be a normal boy! But when he goes to stay with his crazy uncles, Axel always ends up stealing the show. Axel's Uncle Telford has invented an amazing new flying machine that could change the world. But does Axel have the super skills and bravery he will need to fly it?

Rees, Celia.Sovay. 2008. Suggested reading age 13+. 3v.Set against the backdrop of the French Revolution and its impact on British politics, Sovay finds that her cosseted life in rural England has not prepared her for life as a highway robber, for

defending the honour of her family or for trying to save herself from corruption and evil.

Richardson, Ellen.Charmed summer. 2012. Suggested reading age 9+. 1v.Book 1 in the Flip-flop club series. When Elly makes two new friends at a super-secret midnight meeting in a tree house, her summer suddenly gets a whole lot sunnier. Along with Tash's cheeky dog, Mojo, the girls explre sunday Island - uncovering a mystery that links their pasts, but threatens their friendship...

Riordan, Rick.Percy Jackson and the lightning thief. 2006. Suggested reading age 9+. 2v.Book 1 in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. (Other books in this series are also available.)

I was just a normal kid. Until I accidentally vaporized my mathsteacher. That's when things started really going wrong. Now I spend my time fighting with swords, battling monsters with my friends, and generally trying to stay alive….

Sachar, Louis.Holes. 2000. Suggested reading age 11+. 2v. (The sequel, Small steps is also available.)A miscarriage of justice sends Stanley Yelnats to Camp Green Lake Juvenile Detention Centre where he is told that his daily labour is to dig a hole and report all he finds therein.

Stevenson, R.L.Treasure Island. 1883. Suggested age range 9+. 2v.Jim Hawkins had no idea, when he picked up the packet from Captain Flint's chest, that here lay the key to

untold wealth - a treasure map. When Jim sails on the Hispaniola, with Long John Silver as ship's cook and the rest of the shifty crew, he embarks on the adventure of his life.

Stewart, Trenton Lee.The mysterious Benedict Society. 2007. Suggested reading age 9+. 3v.Book 1 in The Mysterious Benedict Society series. When a peculiar advertisement appears in the newspaper, children everywhere sit a series of mysterious tests, hoping to be chosen to take part in a secret mission. In the end, just four children succeed.

Stone, RexAttack of the lizard king. 2008. Suggested reading age 7+. 1v.When Jamie moves to Dinosaur Cove with his father he's looking forward to

doing some fossil hunting on the beach. But when he and his friend, Tom, discover a forgotten cave with fossilized dinosaur footprints, it takes them into a world of dinosaurs. In this secret place the boys meet a small, friendly Wannanosaurus.

Thurber, JamesThe wonderful O. 1955. Suggested reading age 7+.A satirical adventure story about two scoundrels, one of whom has a violent dislike of the letter 'O, ' and a search for buried treasure.

Twain, Mark.The adventures of Huckleberry Finn. 1884. Suggested reading age 11+. 3v.When Huckleberry Finn flees from his brutal father, he meets up with an old friend, the slave Jim, who is also running away. Together they travel by

raft down the Mississippi, experiencing amazing adventures, and learning of the strange ways of people in the deep south.

Twain, Mark.The adventures of Tom Sawyer (retold by F H Cornish) 1998 (Heinemann Guided Readers) Suggested reading age 7+. 1v.Tom and his friend, Huckleberry Finn are always in trouble. One night they see a fight between some people…

Walden, Mark.H.I.V.E.: Higher Institute of Villainous Education. 2007. Suggested reading age 11+. 2v.Book 1 in the H.I.V.E. series (Book 2, The Overlord Protocol, is also available). Thirteen-year-old master criminal Otto Malpense has been chosen to attend the top-secret school of villainy. But there is one small catch

- he cannot leave until his training is complete. He must escape! He just needs to figure out how.

Westall, Robert.The kingdom by the sea. 1992. Suggested age range 11+. 1-2v.Harry survives the air raid but his home and parents are gone. He begins an incredible journey, alone except for Don, the dog. Harry is a survivor, but there is one last battle he is not prepared for.

Wynne-Jones, TimThe survival game. 2006. Suggested reading age 11+. 2v.Burl can't take any more bruises from his bullying father, so one day he runs away with just a penknife and a fishing lure in his pocket. Despite his survival skills, Burl knows he won't last long in the frozen Canadian wilderness, so he is filled with hope when he stumbles

across Ghost Lake, and a secret that could save him. But his father is after him and Burl is dragged back into his dangerous games...