Adventure / Thriller
Adventure stories and thrillers focus on danger, risks, and unknown outcomes. Usually there are twists and turns in the plot, and lots of exciting action. It is fast-paced and often includes memorable characters.
Naturalist John Muir went to Alaska in 1879 to explore the area. He was joined by Rev. Young who had a small black dog named Stickeen. Stickeen was a quiet, independent, and intelligent dog. Early one morning Muir went to explore a nearby glacier. Stickeen followed him, and together they…
Most babies’ first words are something like “Dada” or “Mama” or “ball.” Mine was “Ahoy!” But that was considered normal when you’re born and raised on a pirate ship. My father was the first mate on the fearsome sailing ship known as the Salty Dog. He was the trusted friend…
Alexander pushed with all his might against a huge stone. “I saw a wizard put jewels behind the stone. If we can move it, they’ll be ours. We’ll be rich.” “It’s too heavy for us to move,” said Raja. He leaned against the rock and wiped his forehead. “We can…
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court is the story of Hank Morgan, a 19th century Connecticut man, who suffers a blow to the head and is transported back centuries to the time of King Arthur. Once there he has many adventures while he struggles to apply 19th century American…
This passage is from The Road to Oz, a sequel to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. In this book, Dorothy meets new friends on her way to visit Oz again. The shaggy man is a wandering man that she and her dog, Toto, met in Kansas. Button-Bright is a little…
The Klondike Gold Rush began in 1896 with the discovery of gold in Alaska and Canada. Over 100,000 people hurried to the area in order to find their own fortune of gold. One of these people was May Kellogg Sullivan, who along with her brother and father, went to get…
In the final chapter of Peter Pan, all the Darling children have returned home from their adventures with Peter in Neverland. Mr. and Mrs. Darling have agreed to adopt all the Lost Boys. Peter, however, is still hoping to convince Wendy to return to Neverland with him. ——————————- Mrs. Darling…
Famed naturalist John Muir went with a group of shepherds into the Sierra Nevada mountains in 1869. The shepherds were taking their flock to summer pasture. It was Muir’s first trip into these mountains, and he would return many more times. This passage is from his diary of the trip.…
Dorothy, a Kansas girl, is carried by a tornado to the distant land of Oz. Dorothy wants to go back home. She travels to the Emerald City to ask the Wizard of Oz to help her. Along the way, she meets a tin woodman, who tells his story in this…
Black Beauty is the story of a black horse in England in the 1800s. It tells the story from the horse’s viewpoint. The book covers Black Beauty’s life from the time he is born until his old age. In this passage, Black Beauty has been harnessed to a cart to…