Read these 50+ amazing adventure chapter books for boys will help get the ball rolling to get kids into reading.
If you’re struggling to get your son into reading, you’re not alone.
Here is an extensive list of amazing adventure chapter stories to tap into their imagination and get them cracking open those books.
You can find these chapter books for boys at your local library or purchase through the affiliate links provided for your convenience.
50+ Amazing Adventure Chapter Books for Boys
It’s a common fact that girls read more than most boys.
Girls also score higher on reading assessments than most boys, too.
So how can we encourage boys to delve into a book and expand their reading?
Finding the right entertaining and engaging books will get them excited about reading!
Adventure Chapter Books for Boys
Westmark (The Westmark Trilogy)
A boy fleeing from criminal charges falls in with a charlatan, his dwarf attendant, and an urchin girl, travels with them about the kingdom of Westmark, and ultimately arrives at the palace where the king is grieving over the loss of his daughter.
The Iron Ring
Inspired by the classic mythology of India, virtuoso storyteller Lloyd Alexander creates dazzling visions of high adventure and deep humanity.
The Remarkable Journey of Prince Jen
Separated from his faithful servant, a prince finds himself fending off murderers, falling prey to trickery, and searching for a village girl who plays a magic flute.
It isn’t until he faces his most challenging personal trial that the heroic traveler fully realizes the astonishing power hidden in each humble gift.
Raleigh’s Page
Meticulously researched and brilliantly crafted, combining fictional characters with historical, Andrew’s tale offers up a vivid look at the cloak-and-dagger politics of the time and a genuine feel for what it must have been like for the first Europeans to set foot on the beautiful, bountiful, savage shores of America.
Peter and the Starcatchers (Peter and the Starcatchers, Book One)
Best-selling authors Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson have turned back the clock and revealed a wonderful story that precedes J. M. Barrie’s beloved Peter Pan.
Chance Fortune in the Shadow Zone
Teeming with supervillains exiled by the Brotherhood of Heroes, the Shadow Zone is a land of nightmares brought to life.
When Psy-Chick, Gothika, Iron Maiden, and Private Justice are kidnapped by the mysterious Shadowmen, Chance knows that he must set aside his doubts in order to save them.
The Name of this Book Is Secret (The Secret Series, Book 1)
When intrepid investigators Cass and Max-Ernest set out to discover the history of the mysterious Symphony of Smells, they become embroiled in a dastardly experiment involving kidnapped children and the secret of eternal youth.
The Telling Pool
Expertly told, The Telling Pool transports young readers to the days of the Crusades, magic sorcery and the land where legends were formed.
A Week in the Woods
The fifth-grade Week in the Woods is a beloved tradition of Hardy Elementary, where Mark Chelmsley (the Fourth) is pretty much killing time before his parents send him off to an exclusive prep school.
Then Mark realizes the Week might be a chance to prove to his teacher that he’s not just another of the slacker rich kids the teacher can’t stand.
Artemis Fowl (Artemis Fowl, Book 1)
Twelve-year-old criminal mastermind Artemis Fowl has discovered a world below ground of armed and dangerous — and extremely high-tech — fairies.
He kidnaps one of them, Holly Short, and holds her for ransom in an effort to restore his family’s fortune.
But he may have underestimated the fairies’ powers.
MVP*: Magellan Voyage Project
Every kid’s dream is to be named as the most valuable player.
How many ever dream that the game is a race around the world (no flying allowed) in just forty days?
The 7 Professors of the Far North
When Sam visits Zara and Ben and their great-uncle, the quirky inventor Professor Ampersand, he never expects to embark on a fantastical adventure.
When Professor Ampersand and his group of professor friends are kidnapped by the evil Professor Murdo, it’s up to Sam, Zara, and Ben to save them.
The Land of the Silver Apples (Richard Jackson Books)
Sometimes magic doesn’t always do what one intends… especially when one is a bard-in-training.
The Sea of Trolls
In the year 793, siblings Jack and Lucy are captured by fearsome Vikings with a thirst for battle and pillaging.
Taken to the court of Ivar the Boneless, Jack and Lucy are sent on a perilous journey – full of dragons and giant spiders – deep into the magical kingdom of the trolls!
My Side of the Mountain
Terribly unhappy in his family’s crowded New York City apartment, Sam Gribley runs away to the solitude-and danger-of the mountains, where he finds a side of himself he never knew.
Getting Air
They can rule the half-pipe, but can they survive being stranded in the middle of nowhere?
Far North
With winter fast approaching, and food running out, this family must all work together to keep from becoming trapped in the howling wilds.
Down the Yukon
As Dawson City goes up in flames, Jason Hawthorn itches to join the new rush for gold in Nome – nearly 2,000 miles away.
When a race to Nome with a $20,000 prize is announced, Jason and the girl he loves decide to attempt the journey together in their canoe.
The Maze
For the past four years, Rick Walker has been shuffled between foster care and group homes.
For Rick, life is a maze full of dead ends.
But when he is threatened at Blue Canyon and runs away, Rick finds himself in a real maze – the enormous rocky expanse of Canyonlands National Park in Utah.
Eagle Strike (Alex Rider Adventure)
Sir Damian Cray is a philanthropist, peace activist, and the world’s most famous pop star.
Trouble is, only Alex Rider recognizes that it’s the world that needs saving from Sir Damian Cray.
Voyage of Slaves (Castaways of the Flying Dutchman Series)
From the the New York Times bestseller author of Redwall and Angels of Command comes another swashbuckling tale about the cast of the Flying Dutchman pirate ship.
Alabama Moon
For as long as ten-year-old Moon can remember, he has lived out in the forest in a shelter with his father.
After his father dies, the spirited and resourceful Moon encounters constables, jails, institutions, lawyers, true friends, and true enemies, he adapts his wilderness survival skills and learns to survive in the outside world, and even, perhaps, make his home there.
The Wreckers (The High Seas Trilogy)
John Spencer is fourteen when his father’s ship, the ill-fated Isle of Skye, is shipwrecked on the coast of Cornwall as she makes for her home port.
When John discovers that his father is alive but being held prisoner, he must try and rescue him — without knowing who can be trusted to help.
The Buccaneers (The High Seas Trilogy)
After 17-year-old John Spencer sets out on his first voyage to foreign lands, he and his crew are wary when they come across a stranger named Horn rowing a lifeboat in the middle of nowhere.
What is the man hiding?
Black Duck
It is spring 1929, and Prohibition is in full swing.
Ruben meets the daring captain of the Black Duck, the most elusive smuggling craft of them all, and it isn’t long before he’s caught in a war between two of the most dangerous prohibition gangs.
The Merchant of Death (Pendragon series)
D.J. MacHale’s New York Times bestselling middle grade fantasy series about Bobby Pendragon, a regular kid about to find himself and his two friends pulled into one epic adventure across worlds!
Tomorrow, When the War Began (The Tomorrow Series #1)
World War III becomes an unstoppable reality in the action-packed first installment of the Tomorrow series.
Shackleton’s Stowaway
Victoria McKernan deftly weaves the hard-to-fathom facts of this famous voyage into an epic, edge-of-your-seat survival novel.
Kensuke’s Kingdom
When Michael is washed up on an island in the Pacific after falling from his parents’ yacht, he struggles to survive on his own.
Following a close-run battle between life and death, the mysterious stranger – Kensuke – allows Michael into his world and they become friends, teaching and learning from each other, until the day of separation becomes inevitable.
The Squire’s Tale
Filled with rapier-sharp wit, jousting jocularity, and chuckleheaded knights, this is King Arthur’s court as never before experienced.
Hatchet
This award-winning contemporary classic is the survival story with which all others are compared — and a page-turning, heart-stopping adventure, recipient of the Newbery Honor.
Hatchet has also been nominated as one of America’s best-loved novels by PBS’s The Great American Read.
Brian’s Winter
From three-time Newbery Honor-winning author Gary Paulsen comes a beloved follow-up to his award-winning classic Hatchet that asks: What if Brian hadn’t been rescued and had to face his deadliest enemy yet–winter?
The Voyage Of The Frog
Fourteen-year-old David Alspeth is the owner of a 22-foot sailboat, an inheritance from his uncle Owen, who recently died of cancer.
On the return trip home he is caught unawares by a freak storm.
Stranded, with no compass, no radio, and only a few cans of food, it seems as if things couldn’t get any worse. But they do.
Swallows and Amazons (Godine Storyteller)
Swallows and Amazons, the book that started it all in 1930, introduces the Walker family, the camp on Wild Cat Island, the able-bodied catboat “Swallow”, and the two intrepid Amazons, plucky Nancy and Peggy Blackett.
The Chaos Code
Matt and his friend Robin traverse the globe, battling terrifying sand creatures and mercenaries alike in their efforts to stop the chaos code from being activated – and dooming the modern world to a catastrophe not seen since the days of Atlantis.
The Wadjet Eye
Fast-paced and suspenseful, this compelling historical novel combines page-turning excitement with a well-researched portrait of the ancient world.
The Trap
Johnny’s grandfather has taken far too much time to check his trap lines in the Alaskan snow.
The old man is proud and stubborn, and determined to be as independent as ever.
But Johnny is right to worry – his grandfather has caught his foot in his own trap. Wolves, plummeting temperatures and sheer hunger all menace him.
Does he have enough wilderness craft, strength and survival instinct to stay alive?
Peak (A Peak Marcello Adventure)
After Peak Marcello is arrested for scaling a New York City skyscraper, he’s left with two choices: wither away in Juvenile Detention or go live with his long-lost father, who runs a climbing company in Thailand.
Peak quickly learns that his father’s renewed interest in him has strings attached.
The Sign of the Beaver
Elizabeth George Speare’s Newbery Honor-winning survival story is filled with wonderful detail about living in the wilderness and the relationships that formed between settlers and natives in the 1700s.
Call It Courage
Relates how Mafatu, a young Polynesian boy whose name means Stout Heart, overcomes his terrible fear of the sea and proves his courage to himself and his people.
First Light
This remarkable and acclaimed debut novel by the Newbery-winning author of When You Reach Me introduces readers to a captivating, hidden world below the ice…
Kidnapped
Young David Balfour is cheated out of his inheritance by his uncle, who then has him kidnapped and forced into servitude on a sailing ship bound for a long voyage.
What follows is one of the most spellbinding stories ever written.
The Cay
For fans of Hatchet and Island of the Blue Dolphins comes Theodore Taylor’s classic bestseller and Lewis Carroll Shelf Award winner, The Cay.
Ice Drift
This thrilling new adventure story from bestselling author Theodore Taylor is a moving testament to the bond between brothers–and to the strength of the human spirit.
Blind Mountain
By turns suspenseful and poignant, Blind Mountain is a gripping story of survival.
It will appeal to all readers who enjoy a blend of well-developed characters and nail-biting action.
The Thief (The Queen’s Thief Book 1)
New York Times best-selling author Megan Whalen Turner’s entrancing and award-winning Queen’s Thief novels are rich with political machinations and intrigue, battles lost and won, dangerous journeys, divine intervention, power, passion, revenge, and deception.
Around the World in 80 Days
Take a thrilling whirlwind trip around the world with Phileas Fogg!
When Fogg — a man of habit whose every day is just like the one before — makes a bet that he can circle the globe and be back in his men’s club in just 80 days, the race is on.
The Survivors
Two years ago, the ash started falling like gray snow and the volcanoes erupted.
For Miles and his sister, Sarah, the real disaster started in the violent aftermath — when they were forced to leave their cushy suburban home and flee to the north woods for safety.
Miles got them to a cabin, but now winter is setting in.
Blue Fingers: A Ninja’s Tale
Blue Fingers, a suspenseful, action-packed coming-of-age story set in feudal Japan, offers an up-close look at this noble, fierce way of life.
The Rogues
When the laird brutally evicts all of the people in his Scottish village, Roddy Macallan, determined to get revenge and save his family, embarks on a dangerous quest to find a treasure his mother once told him about and teams up with a Robin Hood-esque rogue who roams the Highlands.
Like these chapter books for boys? Find even more engaging book lists for kids with more than 100 book-themed reading lists!
- Westmark (The Westmark Trilogy)
by Lloyd Alexander
- The Iron Ring
by Lloyd Alexander
- The Remarkable Journey of Prince Jen
by Lloyd Alexander
- Raleigh’s Page
by Alan W. Armstrong
- Peter and the Starcatchers: The Starcatchers Series Books 1-3 by Dave Barry
- Chance Fortune in the Shadow Zone (Adventures of Chance Fortune)
by Shane Berryhill
- The Name of this Book Is Secret (The Secret Series)
by Pseudonymous Bosch
- The Telling Pool
by David Clement-Davies
- A Week in the Woods
by Andrew Clements
- Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer
- MVP: Magellan Voyage Project
by Douglas Evans
- Seven Professors of the Far North
by John Fardell
- The Land of the Silver Apples (Richard Jackson Books) by Nancy Farmer
- The Sea of Trolls (Sea of Trolls Trilogy)
by Nancy Farmer
- My Side of the Mountain (Puffin Modern Classics)
by Jean Craighead George
- Getting Air
by Dan Gutman
- Far North
by Will Hobbs
- Down the Yukon
by Will Hobbs
- The Maze
by Will Hobbs
- Eagle Strike (Alex Rider Adventure)
by Anthony Horowitz
- Voyage of Slaves (Castaways of the Flying Dutchman)
by Brian Jacques
- Alabama Moon
Chasing the Falconers (On the Run, Book 1)
by Watt Key
- The Wreckers (The High Seas Trilogy)
by Iain Lawrence
- The Buccaneers (High Seas Trilogy)
by Iain Lawrence
- Black Duck
by Janet Taylor Lisle
- Pendragon (Boxed Set): by D.J. MacHale
- Tomorrow, When the War Began (The Tomorrow Series #1)
by John Marsden
- Jim Davis
by John Masefield
- Shackleton’s Stowaway
by Victoria McKernan
- Kensuke’s Kingdom
by Michael Morpurgo
- The Squire’s Tale (The Squire’s Tales)
by Gerald Morris
- Count Karlstein
by Philip Pullman
- Hatchet: 20th Anniversary Edition
by Gary Paulsen
- Brian’s Winter
by Gary Paulsen
- The Voyage Of The Frog (Apple signature)
by Gary Paulsen
- Swallows and Amazons (Godine Storyteller)
by Arthur Ransome
- The Chaos Code
by Justin Richards
- The Wadjet Eye
by Jill Rubalcaba
- The Trap
by John E. Smelcer
- Peak
by Roland Smith
- The Sign of the Beaver
by Elizabeth George Speare
- Call It Courage
by Armstrong Sperry
- First Light
by Rebecca Stead
- Kidnapped
by Robert Louis Stevenson
- The Cay
by Theodore Taylor
- Ice Drift
by Theodore Taylor
- Blind Mountain
by Jane Resh Thomas
- The Thief (The Queen’s Thief, Book 1)
by Megan Whalen Turner
- Around the World in 80 Days
by Jules Verne
- The Survivors (Memory Boy)
by Will Weaver
- Blue Fingers: A Ninja’s Tale
by Cheryl Aylward Whitesel
- The Rogues
by Jane Yolen
I love this post. Please link this up on Money Saving Monday so others can find this post! I hope I see you there.
Stephanie
Wow Jenny! This is one serious list! I will definitely check this out. Since I have a boy, And I want him to read!
Any tips on getting a boy reading. i have a library of over 4000 books and in fact have many on that list especially the older ones. No matter what I do I just can’t get a genuine interest out of him, I can tell he’s tring for me but he has no real interest whatsoever. I feel sorry at what pleasure he’s missing, any suggestions would be great, thanks. He’s 10 by the way.
What a nice collection!
Thanks for sharing with us on Pin it Tuesdays! PowerfulMothering.com
Having 2 pre-teen boys, I’m on my way to check out some of these books! Thanks so much for sharing at last week’s All my Bloggy Friends – Linda and I look forward to seeing what you share this week! 🙂
Fab list – looking forward to reading lots of these myself 🙂
I would love for you to link up at this and some of your other book lists at the Mommy Archive – we’re focusing this week on favourite children’s books , Alice x
I invite everyone to look into Tony Abbott’s latest series, The Copernicus Legacy. The first book is entitled, The Forbidden Stone. It is best for ages 10 and up, even though the jacket says 8 and up. It has gotten excellent reviews from Kirkus and PW, and readers are finding it very exciting.
Tony also has many other series that have proven enticing to reluctant readers, including The Secrets of Droon, The Haunting of Derek Stone, Underworlds, and his first series, Danger Guys, which is newly available in e-book format.
He also writes serious, hardcover novels for young readers, including Firegirl, which is being taught in many schools bc it demonstrates compassion toward people who are different than ourselves, and The Postcard, which won the Mystery Writers of America’s Edgar Award in 2009. Read more about Tony Abbott’s many exciting books at http://www.tonyabbottbooks.com and http://www.thecopernicuslegacy.com.
why just boys?
Because you didn’t look for the list for girls…. because as a girl, I wanted to read about strong female characters — not just what the boys were doing.
https://mommyevolution.com/25-great-adventure-chapter-books-girls-2/
Nice list, Jennifer. I am always looking for lists of books for boys to share. We have not read several of these titles so I will show the list to my son to see what he might want to read. Thanks! (pinned)
Guess you have some new reading to do, Sheila! I’m working on some new books to get into the house as well. Can you believe my boys haven’t started the Harry Potter series? Too scary for one of them but I think we’re finally at a good age 🙂