Adventure Begins at Your Library: Independent Readers

These are some books we recommend to elementary-aged readers who want to find adventure in a book this summer!

Updated May 2, 2024
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Explorers of the wild
Atkinson, Cale
Paper Book
Vibrant art shines in this sweet tale of outdoor adventure and unlikely friendship, from the illustrator of Night Night, Groot! Boy and Bear both love to explore the outdoors. There are so many neat things to see, and so many strange things to find. These...
Bad Kitty goes on vacation
Bruel, Nick
Paper Book
Kitty's life is hard. Really, really, really hard. She's always being bothered, Puppy is always in her space (and drooling on her), and her plans for world domination seem to be at a bit of a stand still. So, when she gets the opportunity to go with her very favorite, generous, kind-hearted Uncle...
The Adventurers Guild The Adventurers Guild Trilogy, Book 1
Clark, Zack Loran.
Audiobook
Few ever asked to join the Adventurers Guild. . . . Their members often died young. In one of the last cities standing after the world fell to monsters, best friends Zed Kagari and Brock Dunderfel have high hopes for the future. Zed desperately wishes to join the ranks of the Mages...
The miraculous journey of Edward Tulane
DiCamillo, Kate.
Ebook
The #1 NEW YORK TIMES bestseller -- now in a digest edition (Age 7 and up) Once, in a house on Egypt Street, there lived a china rabbit named Edward Tulane. The rabbit was very pleased with himself, and for good reason: he was owned by a girl named Abilene, who adored him...
The hike
Farrell, Alison
Paper Book
The Hike is a must-have for budding scientists, best friends, and all adventurers in preschool and kindergarten. "These young explorers demonstrate the best principles of time spent in the woods: observing, admiring and learning. And, through...
Fortunately, the milk
Gaiman, Neil.
Ebook
An absolute delight of a madcap story for the young (and young-at-heart) by New York Times bestselling author Neil Gaiman, with equal parts pirates and piranhas, adventure and aliens, oddity and love. "I bought the milk," said my father. "I walked out of the corner shop, and...
The storm dragon
Harrison, Paula
Paper Book
A group of friends set out to save magical creatures from a cruel queen and her wicked soldiers in the first book in the brand-new Secret Rescuers chapter book series. When Sophy finds a little lost dragon named Cloudy, she knows he's in danger. It will take all the courage she...
The ice cream machine
Rubin, Adam
Paper Book
Don't miss the #1 New York Times bestseller everyone is raving about! From the wild and wonderful imagination of the author of Dragons Love Tacos comes this hilarious, irresistible debut collection of six totally different stories with the same exact name. In these...
The map to everywhere
Ryan, Carrie.
Ebook
Grounded : a novel
Saeed, Aisha
Paper Book
When a thunderstorm grounds all flights following a huge Muslim convention, four unlikely kids are thrown together. Feek is stuck babysitting his younger sister, but he'd rather be writing a poem that's good enough for his dad, a famous poet and rapper. Hanna is intent on finding a lost cat in the...
The adventures of Beekle : the unimaginary friend
Santat, Dan
Paper Book
Winner of the Caldecott Medal #1 New York Times bestselling and award-winning creator Dan Santat combines classic storytelling with breathtaking art in an unforgettable tale about friendship, imagination, and the courage to find one's place in...
Bessie the motorcycle queen
Smith, Charles R., Jr.
Paper Book
Hop on the bike with Bessie Stringfield, the motorcycle queen of Miami, in this powerful picture book from Coretta Scott King medalist Charles R. Smith, Jr. and debut picture book illustrator Charlot Kristensen. The folks they lined up to meet the Motorcycle Queen, seated...
The adventures of a girl called Bicycle
Uss, Christina
Paper Book
Selected for the 2019-2020 Texas Bluebonnet Award Master List A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year A determined 12-year-old girl bikes across the country in this quirky and charming debut middle grade novel. Introverted Bicycle has lived...

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