“What are the best Childrens Adventure books?” We looked at 180 of the top Kids Adventure books, aggregating and ranking them so we could answer that very question!

The top 7 titles, all appearing on 2 or more “Best Children’s Adventure” book lists, are ranked below by how many lists they appear on. The remaining 150+ titles, as well as the lists we used are in alphabetical order at the bottom of the page.

Happy Scrolling!

Top 7 Best Childrens Adventure Books

7 .) My Side of the Mountain written by Jean Craighead George

Lists It Appears On:

• Oars
• Outdoor Life

A young boy relates his adventures during the year he spends living alone in the Catskill Mountains including his struggle for survival, his dependence on nature, his animal friends, and his ultimate realization that he needs human companionship.

6 .) The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn written by Mark Twain

Lists It Appears On:

• Outdoor Life
• Read Brightly

A feisty young boy fakes his own death to escape his abusive father and heads off down the Mississippi River with his newfound friend Jim, a runaway slave.

5 .) The Jungle Books written by Rudyard Kipling

Lists It Appears On:

• Goodreads
• Read Brightly

This timeless classic, made world-famous partly by the 1967 animated Disney film adaptation, is now available in a handsome new package featuring a new Afterword. Presents the adventures of Mowgli, a boy reared by a pack of wolves, and the wild animals of the jungle, and includes other short stories set in India.

4 .) Island of the Blue Dolphins written by Scott O’Dell

Lists It Appears On:

• Oars
• Outdoor Life
• Read Brightly

Records the courage and self-reliance of an Indian girl who lived alone for eighteen years on an isolated island off the California coast when her tribe emigrated and she was left behind.

3 .) Little House in the Big Woods written by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Lists It Appears On:

• Oars
• Outdoor Life
• Read Brightly

A year in the life of two young girls growing up on the Wisconsin frontier, as they help their mother with the daily chores, enjoy their father’s stories and singing, and share special occasions when they get together with relatives or neighbors.

2 .) Where the Red Fern Grows written by Wilson Rawls

Lists It Appears On:

• Oars
• Outdoor Life
• Read Brightly

A young boy living in the Ozarks achieves his heart’s desire when he becomes the owner of two redbone hounds and teaches them to be champion hunters.

1 .) Hatchet written by Gary Paulsen

Lists It Appears On:

• Goodreads
• Oars
• Outdoor Life
• Read Brightly

After a plane crash, thirteen-year-old Brian spends fifty-four days in the wilderness, learning to survive initially with only the aid of a hatchet given him by his mother, and learning also to survive his parents’ divorce.

The 150+ Additional Best Kids Adventure Books

8 Best Adventure Books For Children Book Sources/Lists