Book picks similar to
Into the Sideways World by Ross Welford


adventure
books-for-school
childrens
middle-grade

The Steeplechase Secret


Jeanette Lane - 2018
    She's ready to take it easy and enjoy some downtime with her family, her best friends, and her horse, Raven. But then, Zoe, Becky, and Jade notice some strange things happening at the new steeplechase race track that has the whole town abuzz with excitement. Zoe promised her mom she'd stay out of trouble for once . . . but a little investigating couldn't hurt, right?Includes an 8-page insert packed with photos from the TV show!

Oddity


Eli Brown - 2021
    See to the body before you, he teaches her, but Clover can’t help becoming distracted by bigger things, including the coming war between the US and France, ignited by a failed Louisiana Purchase, and the terrifying vermin, cobbled together from dead animals and spare parts, who patrol the woods. Most of all, she is consumed with interest for Oddities, ordinary objects with extraordinary abilities, such as a Teapot that makes endless amounts of tea and an Ice Hook that freezes everything it touches. Clover’s father has always disapproved of Oddities, but when he is murdered, Clover embarks on a perilous mission to protect the one secret Oddity he left behind. And as she uncovers the truth about her parents and her past, Clover emerges as a powerful agent of history. Here is an action-filled American fantasy of alternate history to rival the great British fantasies in ideas and scope.

Can You Survive the Desert?: An Interactive Survival Adventure (You Choose: Survival)


Matt Doeden - 2012
    Endless hills of sand surround you. You are trying to survive in one of the most dangerous areas in the world the desert. Will you: Struggle to find help in Africa's Sahara Desert after an airplane crash? Attempt to get out of the Sonoran Desert in Mexico after a disastrous hike? Fight for life in Asia's Gobi Desert after your dirt bike breaks down?

Winterborne Home for Vengeance and Valor


Ally Carter - 2020
    But she soon learns that this home isn't like any of the others - especially when she unearths the secret of the missing-and-presumed-dead billionaire, Gabriel Winterborne, who is neither missing nor dead but is actually living in a basement lair, sharpening his swords and looking for vengeance.Now that April knows Gabriel Winterborne is alive, she must turn to the other orphans to keep him that way. As a looming new danger threatens to take Gabriel down once and for all, they must use their individual talents to find a way to make sure this home for misfits isn't lost to them for ever.Because at the Winterborne Home, nothing is what it seems, no one is who they say they are and nowhere is safe. And now a ragtag group of orphans must unravel the riddle of a missing heir, a supposed phantom and a secret key, all without alerting the adults of Winterborne House that trouble is afoot.

The Mark of the Dragonfly


Jaleigh Johnson - 2014
    Which means a reward for Piper if she can get the girl home. The one sure way to the Territories is the 401, a great old beauty of a train. But a ticket costs more coin than Piper could make in a year. And stowing away is a difficult prospect--everyone knows that getting past the peculiar green-eyed boy who stands guard is nearly impossible. Life for Piper just turned dangerous. A little bit magical. And very exciting, if she can manage to survive the journey.

Boris to the Rescue (My Monster #1)


Kaz Campbell - 2014
    It is funny and shows that the good guys win in the end. Your child will love this story. Bobby has a special friend. Don't tell anyone, but it is a monster! His name is Boris and he is red and furry with two golden horns. Boris helps Bobby when he has bad dreams. In Book 1, Boris goes to school with Bobby. He doesn't like the way Jack the Bully treats his friend Bobby. Jack doesn't know that Boris is setting him up for embarrassment. Book 2...Felix - the Naughty Monster! is out now.

Around the World in 80 Days (Graphic Classics)


Rod Espinosa - 2007
    Anyone who comes in contact with it is overcome with greed. For centuries, this treasure has been hoarded deep below the oceans surface. To steal it, one has to get past the creature! One groups quest for the cursed riches is retold in this striking graphic novel adaptation.

The Boy Who Hit Play


Chloe Daykin - 2018
    'For ... It. Me. You. Us. The bench. The zoo. The question. Why?'The only thing that Elvis Crampton Lucas knows about where he's from is that he was found on the bench at a zoo. And that his now father took him home in a Stetson hat, and named him after the first three vinyl he picked off his shelf. But now, on his twelfth 'discovery day', it's time for Elvis to find out who left him at the zoo, and why?On an epic adventure that takes Elvis to an island off the coast of Norway, he will finally discover the truth about his past...

The Darkdeep


Ally Condie - 2018
    only to discover an island hidden in the swirling mists below.Shrouded by dense trees and murky tides, the island appears uninhabited, although the kids can't quite shake the feeling that something about it is off. Their suspicions grow when they stumble upon an abandoned houseboat with an array of curiosities inside: odd-looking weapons, unnerving portraits, maps to places they've never heard of, and a glass jar containing something completely unidentifiable.As the group delves deeper into the unknown, their discoveries – and their lives – begin to intertwine in weird and creepy ways. Something ancient has awakened... and it knows their wishes and dreams – and their darkest, most terrible secrets. Do they have what it takes to face the shadowy things that lurk within their own hearts?

Shipwrecked


D. Stewart - 2017
    The ship he was on with his mom had been caught in a storm and slammed against some rocks. Soaked by the pouring rain and confused by the darkness, Tyler and the other children had jumped into a lifeboat. It was what they’d been taught by the captain their first day on the ship. But the adults had all gotten on a separate lifeboat. When the two crafts hit the water and were battered by the waves, there had been no way to keep them together. 

We are on our own. Just Us Kids

Winterhouse


Ben Guterson - 2018
    Upon arrival, Elizabeth quickly discovers that Winterhouse has many charms―most notably its massive library. It’s not long before she locates a magical book of puzzles that will unlock a mystery involving Norbridge and his sinister family. But the deeper she delves into the hotel’s secrets, the more Elizabeth starts to realize that she is somehow connected to Winterhouse. As fate would have it, Elizabeth is the only person who can break the hotel’s curse and solve the mystery. But will it be at the cost of losing the people she has come to care for, and even Winterhouse itself?Mystery, adventure, and beautiful writing combine in this exciting debut richly set in a hotel full of secrets.

Delphine and the Silver Needle


Alyssa Moon - 2021
    Racing to stay ahead of King Midnight, the fearsome leader of the rats who is bent on harnessing age-old magic, Delphine embarks on an epic quest to uncover the truth about the past. Joined by Alexander, the most pompous noblemouse in the royal court, she travels a perilous route, encountering strange enemies and unlikely allies along the way.Can Delphine uncover the truth and save the kingdom? Or will the evil King Midnight succeed in harnessing the power of the tailor mice? This action-packed novel is sure to be a hit with readers who like magic, adventure, and very tiny heroes with very big hearts.

Sea of Kings


Melissa Hope - 2020
    But staying away from the sea isn't easy on his tropical island home where he's stuck trying to keep up with his dim-witted and overconfident younger brother Dagan--the brawn to Noa's brains. When a vengeful pirate lays siege to their home, Noa and Dagan narrowly escape with their lives. Armed with a stolen ship, a haphazardly assembled crew, and a magical map that makes as much sense as slugs in a salt bath, the brothers set sail for the realm's other kingdoms in search of help. But navigating the sea proves deadlier than Noa's worst fears. To free his home, Noa must solve the map's confusing charts and confront the legendary one-eyed pirate before an evil force spreads across the realm and destroys the very people Noa means to protect.

How I Survived My Summer Vacation


Bruce Coville - 1988
    What the ad doesn’t say is that Camp Haunted Hills is run by Gregory Stevens, the man who makes the world’s scariest movies—and that he plan to try out his special effects on the campers!Expect the unexpected, Stevens says. So Stuart gets used tot he shark rising out of the lake and the witch flying around the campfire. But what about the ghost perched on top of the outhouse? And the giant footsteps leading into the woods? Can it be that the camp is haunted for real?