Action & Adventure Stories

Store Location

If pirates, jousting and horseback chases no longer appeal to you, you're too old or too boring. Adventure stories fell out of vogue among 20th century literary types who thought serious fiction had to be boring and depressing, but to those born with fire in their bones, adventure stories are deeply serious.

Not serious like existentialism or keeping a stiff upper lip, but serious like Robin Hood—devoted to protecting the downtrodden, committed to Maid Marian, sworn to fight injustice as long as a soul is in his body, always laughing and ready for a fight or a feast.

G. K. Chesterton wrote adventure stories because they best expressed the eternal joy that supported his generous frame. For those raised on Modern Adventure Stories, joy may seem an inappropriate word for an increasingly dark genre, but the fault lies with those who think adventures are forays into evil rather than romps with Gilbert Keith.

There's nothing evil about a good adventure. There may be bad guys (there ought to be), but if the Good Guy does his job there'll be more of his exploits to talk about than theirs. Because, should he be doing his job, the Hero will be sword-fighting, being clever, wooing, chasing and laughing to the detriment of his enemies on every page.

Average people don't have the adventures Heroes in Books have—they have the adventures of Modern Men in Books. But the way through the prosaic troubles of life isn't to immerse yourself in them, it's to let the Good Guys show The Way Out of Problems, and do your best to imitate them when you meet the less dramatic, but no less real, dangers of everyday existence.

Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he's a husband and father who loves church, good food, and weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur. Read more of his reviews here.

Did you find this review helpful?

Parent Categories

Fiction & Literature

Fiction by Genre

Action & Adventure Stories

44 Items found Print

Active Filters:

Novels,

7th grade (Ages 12-13)

	Adventures of Robin Hood Reader's Digest World's Best Reading by Paul Creswick, illustrated by N. C. Wyeth 1991 Edition from Reader's Digest for 6th-12th grade in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20) $8.00 (3 in stock)
	Adventures of Tom Sawyer Puffin Classics by Mark Twain from Penguin Classics Realistic Fiction for 6th-10th grade in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19) $10.00
	Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne, George M. Towle (Translator) from Bantam Books for 7th-Adult in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19) $5.95 $3.00 (1 in stock)
	Around the World in Eighty Days Sterling Classics by Jules Verne, illustrated by Scott McKowen Unabridged from Sterling Publishing Co. Adventure for 6th-10th grade in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV)
	Around the World in Eighty Days Books of Wonder by Jules Verne, illustrated by Barry Moser from William Morrow & Company Adventure for 6th-10th grade in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV)
	Ben-Hur A Tale of the Christ Signet Classics by Lew Wallace from Signet Classics Historical Fiction for 7th-10th grade in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19) $9.95
	Ben-Hur A Tale of the Christ by Lew Wallace from Heritage Press Historical Fiction for 7th-10th grade in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19)
	Black Arrow A Tale of the Two Roses Scribner Illustrated Classics by Robert Louis Stevenson, illustrated by N.C. Wyeth from Atheneum Historical Fiction for 7th-10th grade in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV)
	Black Arrow Dover Evergreen Classics by Robert Louis Stevenson from Dover Publications Historical Fiction for 7th-10th grade in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV) $5.99
	Black Arrow by Robert Louis Stevenson, illustrated by N. C. Wyeth from SeaWolf Press Historical Fiction for 7th-10th grade in Seawolf Illustrated Classics (Location: FIC-SW) $8.95
	Black Arrow by Robert Louis Stevenson, illustrated by Frances Brundage from Living Book Press Historical Fiction for 7th-10th grade in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
	Call of the Wild Dover Thrift Editions by Jack London from Dover Publications Action/Adventure for 7th-10th grade in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20) $3.00 $2.00 (1 in stock)
	Call of the Wild by Jack London from Heritage Press for 7th-Adult in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
	Captain Blood Penguin Classics by Rafael Sabatini from Penguin Classics Historical Romance for 7th-Adult in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20) $16.00
	David Balfour Scribner Illustrated Classics by Robert Louis Stevenson from Charles Scribner's Sons Action/Adventure for 7th-Adult in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19)
	ECL: Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain, illustrated by Al Davidson from BiblioLife for 4th-8th grade in Educator Classic Library (Location: VIN-ECL)
	ECL: Black Arrow by Robert Louis Stevenson, illustrated by Don Irwin from Classic Press Historical Fiction for 7th-10th grade in Educator Classic Library (Location: VIN-ECL)
	ECL: Call of the Wild Educator Classic Library #11 by Jack London, illustrated by Ron King Complete and Unabridged Edition from Classic Press Action/Adventure for 7th-10th grade in Educator Classic Library (Location: VIN-ECL) $6.00 (1 in stock)
	ECL: The Heroes Educator Classic Library #10 by Charles Kingsley, illustrated by Ron King Complete and Unabridged Edition from Classic Press Action/Adventure for 7th-10th grade in Educator Classic Library (Location: VIN-ECL)
	ECL: Treasure Island Educator Classic Library #1 by Robert Louis Stevenson, illustrated by Don Irwin Complete and Unabridged Edition from Classic Press in Educator Classic Library (Location: VIN-ECL)
	Kidnapped Everyman's Library Children's Classics by Robert Louis Stevenson from Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. Action/Adventure for 4th-8th grade in Everyman's Library Children's Classics (Location: FIC-ELC) $20.00
	Kidnapped Being Memoirs of the Adventures of David Balfour in the Year 1751 Scribner Illustrated Classics by Robert Louis Stevenson, illustrated by N. C. Wyeth from Atheneum Historical Fiction for 7th-10th grade in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV)
	Kidnapped Being Memoirs of the Adventures of David Balfour in the Year 1751 by Robert Louis Stevenson, illustrated by N. C. Wyeth and Graham Oakley from Dilithium Press, Ltd. Historical Fiction for 7th-10th grade in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV)
	Kim Junior Deluxe Editions by Rudyard Kipling, illustrated by Richard M. Powers from Junior Deluxe Editions for 5th-8th grade in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV)
	King Solomon's Mines Reader's Digest World's Best Reading by H. Rider Haggard Reader's Digest ed from Reader's Digest for 7th-Adult in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19)
	King Solomon's Mines by H. Rider Haggard 125th anniversary edition from Great Light Publications for 7th-Adult in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19)
	Lorna Doone (abridged) by R. D. Blackmore, illustrated by Pauline D. Baynes from American Education Publications for 7th-10th grade in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
	Lorna Doone (adapted) by R. D. Blackmore, adapted by Jordan, Berglund & Washburne, illustrated by Alexander Key Reprint from Scott, Foresman & Co. for 7th-10th grade in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19) $4.00 (1 in stock)
	Prince and the Pauper Portland House Illustrated Classics by Mark Twain, illustrated by Franklin Booth from Portland House Historical Fiction for 5th-9th grade in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV)
	Robinson Crusoe Sterling Classics by Daniel Defoe, illustrated by Scott McKowen from Sterling Publishing Co. for 10th-Adult in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV)
	Robinson Crusoe (abridged) by Daniel Defoe, illustrated by N.C. Wyeth and Louis & Frederick Rhead from Dilithium Press, Ltd. for 4th-8th grade in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV)
	Robinson Crusoe (abridged) by Daniel Defoe, illustrated by Frank Godwin from John C. Winston for 5th-8th grade in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC) $16.00 (1 in stock)
	Sackett's Land The Sacketts Book 1 by Louis L'amour from Bantam Books for 7th-Adult in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20) $7.99
	Tom Sawyer Abroad by Mark Twain from Grosset & Dunlap for 7th-Adult in Companion Library (Location: VIN-FIC)
	Tom Sawyer Abroad by Mark Twain from SeaWolf Press for 7th-Adult in Seawolf Illustrated Classics (Location: FIC-SW) $6.95
	Tom Sawyer Abroad and Other Stories by Mark Twain from Grosset & Dunlap for 7th-Adult in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC) $4.00 (1 in stock)
	Treasure Island Whole Story Series by Robert Louis Stevenson, illustrated by Francois Place from Viking Press Action/Adventure for 5th-9th grade in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19)
	Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson, illustrated by Milo Winter from Dilithium Press, Ltd. for 5th-10th grade in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV)
	Treasure Island by Sir Robert Louis Stevenson from Bantam Books for 6th-Adult in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19) $4.95
	Treasure Island Windermere Readers #16 by Robert Louis Stevenson, illustrated by Milo Winter 1954 Edition from Rand McNally for 5th-10th grade in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC) $9.00 (2 in stock)
	Treasure Island Windermere Series 1 by Robert Louis Stevenson, illustrated by Milo Winter from Rand McNally for 5th-10th grade in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
	Treasure Island Windermere Series 2 by Robert Louis Stevenson, illustrated by Milo Winter 1921 printing from Rand McNally for 5th-10th grade in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
	Treasure Island Windermere Series 3 by Robert Louis Stevenson, illustrated by Milo Winter 1924 Printing from Rand McNally for 5th-10th grade in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
	Treasure Island Windermere Series 4 by Robert Louis Stevenson, illustrated by Milo Winter 1939 Edition from Rand McNally for 5th-10th grade in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)

Shop

Support

Hours & Directions

Connect