9 Globe-Trotting Adventure Books for Middle Grade Readers
by Lindsay Barrett
As a young teacher, I planned a travel adventure each summer break, which gave me many core memories. Five kids later, big trips are more complicated (and expensive) to execute, but even if we can’t roam around the world, my kids and I love living vicariously through reading. Experiencing different landscapes, landmarks, climates, foods, and traditions via book characters is almost as good as the real thing. Unlike major air carriers, books aren’t limited by time or even truth, so the travel possibilities are endless. If your family has the travel bug, check out these captivating globe-trotting adventure books for tweens. They might inspire your next trip or satisfy you while you stay home.
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The (Mostly) True Story of Cleopatra’s Needle
Buy from:Dan Gutman is a go-to author when I recommend books to other families, and my sons consistently call him a favorite. In his fun new title, a savvy mom spins a history lesson about a Central Park statue into a time-hopping tale following Cleopatra’s Needle as it traveled from ancient Egypt to New York City. It’s a great example of how focusing on history's “story” potential can take you on a journey. The easier formatting, reading level, and fast pacing make this book ideal for reluctant readers and those finding independence with chapter books.
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Explorer Academy Series
Buy from:Coronado Cruz gets recruited to attend the exclusive Explorers Academy, a futuristic school that trains kids to complete risky global missions. But he quickly discovers the school and his family have hidden secrets. This series is action-packed and full of cliffhangers. While the plot details are fictional, the places Coronado travels for missions are real. Each book finishes with a “Truth Behind the Fiction” section highlighting the work of actual scientists related to the story. The varied text formatting, including notes, puzzles, illustrations, and color, will appeal to kids who complain that traditional chapter books are boring.
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Stranded Series
Buy from:A newly blended family takes a vacation for everyone to “get to know each other better.” However, their travel goals change when a freak storm shipwrecks the four kids on a remote island in the South Pacific. Now they must figure out how to make it home alive — and getting voted off the island isn’t an option. These books are quick-moving reads for kids to enjoy independently or as read-alouds. The story unfolds across the original trilogy, and then a second trilogy features the same characters on a different harrowing vacation escapade.
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The Last Mapmaker
Buy from:Twelve-year-old Sai jumps at the chance to escape her flawed family and joins an expedition to the South Seas as an assistant to a famous mapmaker. Once aboard, she quickly realizes the expedition is more complex than she expected, and she must decide how brave she’s willing to be. While the South Pacific locations in this story are fictional, it draws inspiration from Thai mythology and transports readers to another place.
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Rick Riordan Presents: Aru Shah and the End of Time – A Pandava Novel Book 1
Buy from:Twelve-year-old Aru Shah’s peers brag about their globe-trotting adventures, and she feels compelled to make up outlandish stories about traveling over summer break. When some classmates call her bluff, she lights a storied lamp from her mom’s museum, which releases an ancient demon and freezes time. This turn of events sends her on a journey wilder than any she could make up. Inspired by a Hindu legend, this is the first title in a popular series presented by middle grade mega-author Rick Riordan. If kids are hesitant to try this series, draw them in with the graphic novel version!
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National Archive Hunters 1: Capitol Chase
Buy from:In this series starter, twins Iris and Carter try to get ahead of a string of art robberies after a mystery girl steals a portrait of George Washington during an event at their mom’s Washington, D.C. museum. They travel up and down the U.S. East Coast, racing to research clues and figure out where the art thieves will strike next. Fun fact: This author is an energetic middle school social studies teacher. In 2025, he will take a break from the classroom to travel the country in an RV with his family, spreading his non-boring take on American history to kids everywhere.
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The Mona Lisa Vanishes
Buy from:Kids might not think of the nonfiction section when looking for their next gripping adventure story, but this title defies expectations. The author takes readers back in time to Paris, to the art heist that made the Mona Lisa famous, and then back further to Florence, Italy, entering the life of painter Leonardo da Vinci. Its take on historical events is both thrilling and funny, setting a new bar for globe-trotting informational text.
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Clara Poole and the Long Way Round
Buy from:This entertaining thriller features an unusual globe-trotting mode: a hot air balloon! After a school project results in a flying lawn chair stunt, Clara Poole gets invited to join an around-the-world balloon race. She forges her dad’s signature on the permission slip and goes for it — with no idea what she’s gotten herself into. The lead aeronaut is a mean old lady who prefers the company of her three pet monkeys. Clara must survive ten legs of the race, including wild adventures in far-flung locations. Plus, someone’s trying to sabotage the competition. Kids will love the satisfying ending. Clara’s zany exploits continue in Clara Poole and the Wrong Way Up.
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Samantha Spinner Series
Buy from:With only a worn old umbrella left behind as a clue, Samantha Spinner and her brother set off to rescue their missing uncle. Using a map concealed in the umbrella, the pair find themselves traveling to France, Italy, and Egypt — all the while being pursued by a band of super stinky ninjas. A lighthearted and imaginative adventure tale filled with action, humor, and puzzles, Spinner is definitely a winner!
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