Action & Adventure Stories

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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.

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	Adam of the Road Puffin Newbery Library by Elizabeth Gray from Puffin Books Historical Fiction for 4th-8th grade 1943 Newbery Medal winner in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV) $8.99
	Adam of the Road Puffin Modern Classics by Elizabeth Gray from Puffin Books Historical Fiction for 3rd-8th grade 1943 Newbery Medal winner in Puffin Classics (Location: FIC-PUF) $8.99
	Adventures of Robin Hood Puffin Classics by Roger Green, illustrated by Arthur Hall from Puffin Books Fairy Tales, Fables, and Legends for 5th-9th grade in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV)
	Adventures of Robin Hood Puffin Classics by Roger Green, illustrated by Arthur Hall from Puffin Books Legends and Folklore for 5th-9th grade in Puffin Classics (Location: FIC-PUF) $8.99
	Art of Keeping Cool by Janet Taylor Lisle from Scholastic Inc. for 4th-8th grade 2001 Scott O'Dell Award in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $2.50 (2 in stock)
	Ben-Hur by Lew Wallace from Dover Publications for 9th-Adult in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19) $7.00
	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
	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 Pearl by Scott O'Dell Reprint from Houghton Mifflin for 4th-6th grade in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV) $9.99
	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
	Education of Patience Goodspeed by Heather Vogel Frederick from Aladdin Paperbacks Historical Fiction for 3rd-6th grade in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV) $6.99
	Ghost in the Tokaido Inn by Dorothy & Thomas Hoobler from Puffin Books for 4th-7th grade in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV) $7.99 $4.50 (2 in stock)
	Gods and Generals by Jeff Shaara from Ballantine Books Historical Fiction for 9th-Adult in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20) $8.99 $5.00 (1 in stock)
	Golden Goblet by Eloise J. McGraw from Puffin Books Historical Fiction for 4th-8th grade 1962 Newbery Honor Book in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV) $8.99
	House of Dies Drear by Virginia Hamilton Reissue from Aladdin Paperbacks for 4th-6th grade in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV) $7.99 $4.00 (4 in stock)
	Indian Captive The Story of Mary Jemison by Lois Lenski from HarperCollins Historical Fiction for 4th-9th grade 1942 Newbery Honor Book in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $9.99 $4.50 (2 in stock)
	Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes Reprint from Sandpiper Books Historical Fiction/Adventure for 5th-9th grade 1944 Newbery Medal winner in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $9.99
	King's Shadow by Elizabeth Alder from Laurel-Leaf Books Historical Fiction for 5th-8th grade in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV) $8.99
	Light in the Forest by Conrad Richter from Vintage Classics Historical Fiction for 5th-8th grade in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV) $7.95
	Man in the Iron Mask Signet Classics by Alexandre Dumas from Signet Classics Historical Fiction/Adventure for 10th-Adult in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19) $7.95
	Mara, Daughter of the Nile by Eloise J. McGraw from Puffin Books Historical Fiction for 4th-8th grade in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $8.99
	Moccasin Trail Puffin Newbery Library by Eloise J. McGraw from Puffin Books Historical Fiction for 4th-8th grade 1953 Newbery Honor Book in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $8.99
	Mr. Tucket Tucket Adventures #1 by Gary Paulsen from Yearling Adventure for 5th-8th grade in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV) $2.80 (1 in stock)
	My Brother Sam Is Dead by James & Christopher Collier from Scholastic Inc. Historical Fiction for 5th-8th grade 1975 Newbery Honor Book in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $7.99 $5.00 (1 in stock)
	Night Journey by Kathryn Lasky from Puffin Books for 4th-6th grade in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
	Perilous Road by William O. Steele from Harcourt for 5th-8th grade in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $9.99 $3.50 (2 in stock)
	Prince and the Pauper (abridged) Puffin Classics by Mark Twain from Puffin Books Historical Fiction for 5th-8th grade in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV) $6.99 $4.00 (2 in stock)
	Red Badge of Courage Puffin Classics by Stephen Crane from Puffin Books for 7th-10th grade in Puffin Classics (Location: FIC-PUF) $7.99 $4.50 (1 in stock)
	Rifles for Watie by Harold Keith from HarperCollins Historical Fiction for 6th-10th grade 1958 Newbery Medal winner in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $15.99
	Sarah Bishop by Scott O'Dell from Scholastic Inc. Historical Fiction for 6th-8th grade in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $3.50 (1 in stock)
	Scaramouche Signet Classics by Rafael Sabatini from Signet Classics Historical Romance for 9th-Adult in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20)
	Scarlet Pimpernel Puffin Classics by Baroness Orczy from Puffin Books Action/Adventure for 6th-10th grade in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV) $5.99
	Scarlet Pimpernel Signet Classics by Baroness Orczy from Signet Classics Action/Adventure for 8th-Adult in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20) $5.95
	Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy from Bantam Books Action/Adventure for 8th-Adult in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20) $5.95
	Stowaway by Karen Hesse from Aladdin Paperbacks Historical Fiction for 6th-8th grade in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $8.99 $3.50 (1 in stock)
	Sword in the Tree by Clyde Robert Bulla from HarperCollins Historical Fiction for 2nd-4th grade in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV) $5.99
	Three Musketeers Signet Classics by Alexandre Dumas from Signet Classics Historical Fiction/Adventure for 10th-Adult in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19) $8.95
	Three Musketeers (abridged) Puffin Classics by Alexandre Dumas from Puffin Books Historical Fiction/Adventure for 8th-10th grade in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV) $6.99
	True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi from HarperTrophy for 4th-6th grade in Clearance: Fiction (Location: ZCLE-FIC) $3.00 (1 in stock)
	Trumpeter of Krakow by Eric P. Kelly from Aladdin Paperbacks Historical Fiction for 6th-9th grade 1929 Newbery Medal winner in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV) $8.99
	Voyage of Patience Goodspeed by Heather Vogel Frederick from Aladdin Paperbacks Historical Fiction for 3rd-6th grade in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV) $8.99 $4.00 (1 in stock)

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