6+ Classic Books That Will Inspire Your Children to Go on Adventures

These classic children’s books are certain to inspire your children to go on a few imaginative adventures!

Were you ever inspired to go on an adventure after reading a book? I have been… especially as a child. Books have this way of magically transporting you to other places and inspiring you to experience new things.

I was reminded of this a couple days ago. My two youngest children had teamed up for chores. My ten-year-old used the broom to sweep the kitchen floor, and my eight-year-old held the dustpan. After their chore was complete, I heard them holler “Now, off to the Quidditch match we go!” as they hopped onto the broomstick handle together and pretended to fly Harry Potter-style across the room to return the broom to its proper storage area. Isn’t it amazing how books can inspire the imagination of children?

Here are a few classic books that just might inspire your children to go on a few adventures of their own.

DISCLOSURE: This post contains Amazon affiliate links. If you make a purchase through any Amazon links in this post, I receive a small commission (at no additional cost to you).

 

Children’s Literature to Inspire Adventures

 

My Father’s Dragon

My Father’s Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett is a lovely little chapter book that will inspire even the youngest of children. Each chapter can serve as a stand-alone tale, but together, they create the ultimate child’s adventure.

 

Narnia Series

Who hasn’t dreamed of finding a magical kingdom of mythical creatures in the back of their closet after reading The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis? And that title is only one book in an entire series of magical adventures.

 

My Side of the Mountain

My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George will leave you making plans to run away from home to live off the land. At least, it had that effect on me when I read it as a child and on my father when he read it as a child, and all three of my children after each of them read it.

 

Tom Sawyer

This classic written by Mark Twain has been inspiring children’s adventures for generations! I had the pleasure of reading The Adventures of Tom Sawyer aloud with my children, and I was delighted to hear my children laugh aloud at Tom’s antics. I knew from my own childhood experiences that my kids would soon be daydreaming of exploring caves and being tricksters.

SIDE NOTE:  Later that same year, I took my children on a trip to Hannibal, Missouri – the small town along the Mississippi River where Mark Twain spent his childhood. It was so fun to watch the kids’ faces glow with recognition as they discovered the real life inspiration for various characters and scenes in the Tom Sawyer book!

 

Treasure Island

Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson is the ultimate adventure tale for children – pirates, treasure and a boy that saves the day. This is the stuff that children have dreamt of for hundreds of years! After reading the book, we enjoyed watching the old Disney movie version. It’s always fun to see a favorite story brought to life on the big screen!

FUN FACT:  Treasure Island in believed to be inspired by a real life Smugglers’ Inn in Savannah, Georgia. This historic old building called The Pirates’ House is still open for business as a restaurant, and it is a really fun place to take the family to eat.

 

The Secret Garden

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett has been inspiring children to search for secret walled gardens for over 100 years. This timeless classic tale will have your children looking for magic amidst your flower beds and trying to make friends with the neighborhood woodland creatures.

 

What Books Inspired Your Imagination as a Child?

There are so many wonderful and adventuresome books for children to read! Other books that inspired my sense of adventure as a child included the The Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder, Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, and White Fang by Jack London.

My own children have also found adventure amidst the pages of Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling, The Adventures of Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey, The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner and the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan.

• What books inspired your imagination as a child?
• What books have inspired your children?

 

SHOP AMAZON NOW

If you make a purchase through any Amazon links in this post, I receive a small commission (at no additional cost to you).

 

YOU MAY ALSO ENJOY READING:

• The Magic of Reading Harry Potter as a Family
• Book Recommendations for Fans of the Little House Series
• Three Non-Traditional Holiday Reads for Children
• Books to Read Before Visiting Universal Orlando