Books like 'Guys Read: Heroes & Villains'
Readers who enjoyed Guys Read: Heroes & Villains by Jon Scieszka, Raúl Gonzalez III, Lemony Snicket, Christopher Healy, Sharon Creech, Cathy Camper, Laurie Halse Anderson, Ingrid Law, Pam Muñoz Ryan, Eugene Yelchin, Deborah Hopkinson, Jack Gantos, Michael Curran-Dorsano, J D Cullum, David DeSantos & Lucien Dodge also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
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Boy's Life by Robert McCammon
29 ratingsAn Alabama boy’s innocence is shaken by murder and madness in the 1960s South in this novel by the New York Times–bestselling author of Swan Song. It’s 1964 in idyllic Zephyr, Alabama. People either work for the paper mill up the Tecumseh River, or for the local dairy. It’s a simple life, but it stirs the impressionable imagination of twelve-year-old aspiring writer Cory Mackenson...Categorized as:
children drama family historical-fiction 20th-century action-adventure alabama audiobook -
Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children Boxed Set (Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children #1-3) by Ransom Riggs
18 ratingsThe New York Times #1 best selling series Includes 3 hardcover novels by Ransom Riggs and 12 collectible peculiar photographs. The movie adaptation of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children is in theaters December 2016... -
The Ruins of Gorlan by John Flanagan
41 ratingsThey have always scared him in the past — the Rangers, with their dark cloaks and shadowy ways. The villagers believe the Rangers practice magic that makes them invisible to ordinary people. And now 15-year-old Will, always small for his age, has been chosen as a Ranger's apprentice. What he doesn't yet realize is that the Rangers are the protectors of the kingdom...Categorized as:
children family historical-fiction humor action-adventure audiobook book coming-of-age -
Serafina and the Twisted Staff by Robert Beatty, Lale Günseli Bayır
20 ratingsSerafina's defeat of the Man in the Black Cloak has brought her out of the shadows and into the daylight realm of her home, Biltmore Estate. Every night she visits her mother in the forest, eager to learn the ways of the catamount...Categorized as:
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Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Original Screenplay by J.K. Rowling
41 ratingsJ.K. Rowling's screenwriting debut is captured in this exciting hardcover edition of the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them screenplay.When Magizoologist Newt Scamander arrives in New York, he intends his stay to be just a brief stopover...Categorized as:
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Call of the Wraith by Kevin Sands
14 ratingsChristopher Rowe is back, and there are more puzzles, riddles, and secrets to uncover in this fourth novel of the award-winning Blackthorn Key series.Christopher Rowe has no idea who he is. After being shipwrecked in Devonshire, he wakes up alone, his memories gone. Villagers tell him he was possessed by an unseen evil, and only became conscious after being visited by the local witch...Categorized as:
children historical-fiction humor action-adventure audiobook book children-books fiction -
Pony by R.J. Palacio
16 ratingsA story about a boy on a quest to rescue his father, with only a ghost as his companion, and a mysterious pony as his guide.Twelve-year-old Silas is awoken in the dead of night by three menacing horsemen who take his father away. Silas is left shaken, scared, and alone, except for the presence of his companion, Mittenwool . . . who happens to be a ghost...Categorized as:
children family historical-fiction realistic action-adventure animals anthropomorphism audiobook -
Fly Trap by Frances Hardinge
14 ratingsHaving barely escaped the revolution they had a huge (if accidental) part in causing, sharp-eyed orphan Mosca Mye; her guard goose, Saracen; and their sometimes-loyal companion, the con man Eponymous Clent, must start anew...Categorized as:
children historical-fiction humor action-adventure animals audiobook book children-books -
The Unmapped Sea by Maryrose Wood
16 ratingsFans of Lemony Snicket and the Mysterious Benedict Society books will devour the Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place series, about a governess and her three charges--children who have been raised by wolves.In The Interrupted Tale, the fourth title in the acclaimed and hilarious mystery series, Miss Penelope Lumley's sixteenth birthday is not quite sweet...Categorized as:
children family historical-fiction humor action-adventure alpha-mc animals audiobook -
The Interrupted Tale by Maryrose Wood, Katherine Kellgren
18 ratingsFans of Lemony Snicket and the Mysterious Benedict Society books will devour the Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place series, about a governess and her three charges--children who have been raised by wolves. In The Interrupted Tale, the fourth title in the acclaimed and hilarious mystery series, Miss Penelope Lumley's sixteenth birthday is not quite sweet...Categorized as:
children family historical-fiction humor action-adventure alpha-mc animals audiobook -
Haunting the Deep by Adriana Mather
18 ratingsThe Titanic meets the delicious horror of Ransom Riggs and the sass of Mean Girls in this follow-up to the #1 New York Times bestseller How to Hang a Witch, in which a contemporary teen finds herself a passenger on the famous “ship of dreams”—a story made all the more fascinating because the author’s own relatives survived the doomed voyage... -
Peter and the Sword of Mercy by Dave Barry, Ridley Pearson, Jim Dale
24 ratingsThe year is 1902 - it's been twenty-three years since Peter and the Lost Boys returned from Rundoon. Since then, nobody on the island has grown a day older, and the Lost Boys continue their friendship with the Mollusk tribe, and their rivalry with Captain Hook. Meanwhile in London, Molly has married George Darling and is raising three children: Wendy, Michael, and John... -
Peter and the Secret of Rundoon by Dave Barry, Ridley Pearson
26 ratingsIn this action-packed conclusion to the Starcatchers trilogy, Peter and Molly find themselves in the dangerous land of Rundoon, ruled by the evil King Zarboff, who takes great delight in watching his pet snake, Kundalini, consume anyone who displeases him... -
Peter and the Shadow Thieves by Dave Barry, Ridley Pearson
28 ratingsIn this riveting and adventure-packed follow-up to the award-winning New York Times bestseller Peter and the Starcatchers, Peter leaves the relative safety of Mollusk Island - along with his trusted companion, Tinker Bell - for the dark and dangerous streets of London... -
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The Last Musketeer by Stuart Gibbs
14 ratingsThe first book in the thrilling time travel adventure trilogy from New York Times bestselling Spy School author Stuart Gibbs! Before they were legends, they were friends. All for one and one for all!On a family trip to Paris, Greg Rich's parents disappear. They're not just missing from the city—they're missing from the century...Categorized as:
children family historical-fiction humor super-powered action-adventure audiobook book -
The Long-Lost Home by Maryrose Wood
14 ratingsUnhappy Penelope Lumley is trapped in unhappy Plinkst! Even the beets for which Plinkst is inexplicably famous fail to grow in this utterly miserable Russian village... -
The 1000 Year Old Boy by Ross Welford
16 ratingsA heartstopping, poignant, epic adventure story about a boy destined to live forever, who only wants to grow up. Without death, life is just existence.Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live forever? Well, Alfie Monk can tell you...Categorized as:
children family historical-fiction humor realistic action-adventure animals audiobook -
The Emerald Sea by Richelle Mead
18 ratingsThe dazzling conclusion to #1 New York Times bestselling author Richelle Mead's The Glittering Court series.Meet Tamsin, the Glittering Court's hard-angled emerald. Her outsized aspirations make her a fierce competitor, rising to the top of the ranks. But when the ship she boards for the New World is tragically lost at sea, she is quite literally thrown off-course... -
Thick as Thieves by Megan Whalen Turner
24 ratingsDeep within the palace of the Mede emperor, in an alcove off the main room of his master’s apartments,. Kamet minds his master’s business and his own. Carefully keeping the accounts, and his own counsel, Kamet has accumulated a few possessions, a little money stored in the household’s cashbox, and a significant amount of personal power. As a slave, his fate is tied to his master’s...Categorized as:
children family historical-fiction humor 21st-century action-adventure audiobook book -
The Inquisitor's Tale: Or, the Three Magical Children and Their Holy Dog by Adam Gidwitz, Hatem Aly
24 ratings1242. On a dark night, travelers from across France cross paths at an inn and begin to tell stories of three children. Their adventures take them on a chase through France: they are taken captive by knights, sit alongside a king, and save the land from a farting dragon... -
The Blackthorn Key by Kevin Sands
24 ratings“Tell no one what I’ve given you.”Until he got that cryptic warning, Christopher Rowe was happy, learning how to solve complex codes and puzzles and creating powerful medicines, potions, and weapons as an apprentice to Master Benedict Blackthorn—with maybe an explosion or two along the way... -
暁の円卓 2情熱の歳月 [Jōnetsu No Saigetsu] by Ralf Isau
6 ratingsBorn in 1900, David Camden lived for 100 years, and this series of four fantasy novels uses his life to recount the achievements of the 20th century through fantasy worlds, ancient myths, sagas, and legends. Camden's life mission is to oppose The Twilight Circlepica de un hombre contra fuerzas antiguas y poderosas...Categorized as:
children historical-fiction action-adventure book children-books fiction heroic-fantasy historical -
Somebody Stop Ivy Pocket by Caleb Krisp
8 ratingsAre you ready for Ivy Pocket? The wickedly funny, completely unreliable maid of no importance returns—this time as a coffin maker’s daughter—in this action-packed sequel to Anyone but Ivy Pocket. School Library Journal says, “Fans of . . . Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events will love Ivy Pocket’s zany adventures...Categorized as:
children family historical-fiction humor action-adventure book children-books comedy -
The Time of the Fireflies by Kimberley Griffiths Little
12 ratingsCritically acclaimed author Kimberley Griffiths Little spins a thrilling story of one girl's race to unravel the curse that has haunted her family for generations. When Larissa Renaud starts receiving eerie phone calls on a disconnected old phone in her family's antique shop, she knows she's in for a strange summer...Categorized as:
children family historical-fiction action-adventure book children-books fiction friendship -
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Rise of the Wolf by Jennifer A. Nielsen
18 ratingsA powerful amulet. A vengeful goddess. A deadly quest.Nic may have escaped enslavement in the mines outside of Rome, but his troubles are far from over. The Praetor War—the battle to destroy Rome from within—is in full force, and Nic is caught in the crossfire. The secretive Praetors are determined to unlock a powerful amulet—one sure to bring the empire to its knees...Categorized as:
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Rise of the Wolf by Jennifer A. Nielsen
18 ratingsA powerful amulet. A vengeful goddess. A deadly quest.Nic may have escaped enslavement in the mines outside of Rome, but his troubles are far from over. The Praetor War—the battle to destroy Rome from within—is in full force, and Nic is caught in the crossfire. The secretive Praetors are determined to unlock a powerful amulet—one sure to bring the empire to its knees...Categorized as:
children family historical-fiction action-adventure ancient-civilization animals audiobook book -
Rise of the Wolf by Jennifer A. Nielsen
18 ratingsNic may have escaped enslavement in the mines outside of Rome, but his troubles are far from over. The Praetor War -- the battle to destroy Rome from within -- is in full force, and Nic is caught in the crossfire. The secretive Praetors are determined to unlock a powerful amulet -- one sure to bring the empire to its knees...Categorized as:
children family historical-fiction action-adventure ancient-civilization animals audiobook book -
Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry, Ridley Pearson
37 ratingsIn an evocative and fast-paced adventure on the high seas and on a faraway island, an orphan boy named Peter and his mysterious new friend, Molly, overcome bands of pirates and thieves in their quest to keep a fantastical secret safe and save the world from evil. Best-selling authors Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson have turned back the clock to reveal the wonderful story that precedes J. M... -
Bridle the Wind by Joan Aiken
6 ratingsHis journey back to Spain interrupted by shipwreck, loss of memory, and a stay in a forbidding French monastery, twelve-year-old Felix finally continues his journey in the company of a mysterious boy that he had rescued from hanging. Sequel to Go saddle the sea...Categorized as:
children historical-fiction action-adventure book children-books fiction historical male-mc -
Der weiße Wanderer by Ralf Isau
6 ratingsBorn in 1900, David Camden lived for 100 years, and this series of four fantasy novels uses his life to recount the achievements of the 20th century through fantasy worlds, ancient myths, sagas, and legends. Camden's life mission is to oppose The Twilight Circlepica de un hombre contra fuerzas antiguas y poderosas...Categorized as:
children historical-fiction action-adventure book children-books fiction historical low-fantasy -
Rose and the Silver Ghost by Holly Webb
10 ratingsTime has flown since Rose left the orphanage behind, and she loves her new family at Mr Fountain's magical house. But she still can't help wondering - what happened to her real family? Were they full of magic too, like her? Then Rose discovers a clue to the mystery: a silver mirror which once belonged to her mother. A mirror with a ghost..Categorized as:
children family historical-fiction action-adventure book children-books coming-of-age female-mc -
Quest for a Maid by Frances Mary Hendry
14 ratingsMeg Wright is nine when she hides under a table and hears her sister Inge kill the King of Scotland by witchcraft, setting in motion a treacherous power struggle...Categorized as:
children family historical-fiction action-adventure book coming-of-age female-author fiction -
Who Let the Gods Out? by Maz Evans
14 ratingsA shooting star crashes to earth and changes Elliot's life forever. The star is Virgo - a young Zodiac goddess on a mission. When the pair accidentally unleash the wicked death daemon Thanatos, they turn to the old Olympian gods for help...Categorized as:
children family humor action-adventure ancient-civilization audiobook book children-books -
Tales of Terror from the Black Ship by Chris Priestley, David Roberts
14 ratingsA follow up to Uncle Montague's Tales of Terror, this is another creepy middle grade story collection with a chilling frame. This time, the stories are all tales of the sea: pirates and plagues and storms a plenty..Categorized as:
children drama family historical-fiction 21st-century action-adventure anthologies audiobook -
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Time for Andrew: A Ghost Story by Mary Downing Hahn
16 ratingsAunt Blythe's house gives Andrew the creeps -- full of dark rooms, creaky noises, and the sound of a woman sobbing somewhere in the shadows. Then, in the middle of the night, Andrew awakens to find a boy standing in his room...a boy who is Andrew's double, except he looks as if he's come from the grave. He wants to follow him -- to a place where he will meet the spirits of long-dead ancestors..Categorized as:
children family historical-fiction action-adventure book children-books coming-of-age fiction -
The Sherwood Ring by Elizabeth Marie Pope
16 ratingsNewly orphaned Peggy Grahame is caught off-guard when she first arrives at her family's ancestral estate. Her eccentric uncle Enos drives away her only new acquaintance, Pat, a handsome British scholar, then leaves Peggy to fend for herself. But she is not alone. The house is full of mysteries and ghosts...Categorized as:
children family historical-fiction humor 20th-century action-adventure book classics -
Secrets of the Chocolate House by Paula Brackston
18 ratingsThe second novel in a bewitching series "brimming with charm and charisma" that will make "fans of Outlander rejoice!" (Woman's World Magazine)New York Times bestselling author Paula Brackston’s The Little Shop of Found Things was called “a page-turner that will no doubt leave readers eager for future series installments” (Publishers Weekly)... -
The Unseen Guest by Maryrose Wood
18 ratingsThe third book in the Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place the acclaimed and hilarious Victorian mystery series by Maryrose Wood, perfect for fans of Lemony Snicket and Trenton Lee Stewart has a brand-new look.Since returning from London, the three Incorrigible children and their plucky governess, Miss Penelope Lumley, have been exceedingly busy...Categorized as:
children family historical-fiction humor action-adventure alpha-mc animals audiobook -
The Hidden Gallery by Maryrose Wood
20 ratingsThanks to their plucky governess, Miss Penelope Lumley, Alexander, Beowulf, and Cassiopeia are much more like children than wolf cubs now. They are accustomed to wearing clothes. They hardly ever howl at the moon. And for the most part, they resist the urge to chase squirrels up trees...Categorized as:
children family historical-fiction humor realistic action-adventure animals audiobook -
Princess of Glass by Jessica Day George
26 ratingsHoping to escape the troubles in her kingdom, Princess Poppy reluctantly agrees to take part in a royal exchange program, whereby young princes and princesses travel to each other's countries in the name of better political alliances--and potential marriages... -
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald: The Original Screenplay by J.K. Rowling
28 ratingsAt the end of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, the powerful Dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald was captured in New York with the help of Newt Scamander. But, making good on his threat, Grindelwald escapes custody and sets about gathering followers, most unsuspecting of his true agenda: to raise pure-blood wizards up to rule over all non-magical beings...Categorized as:
children drama historical-fiction 21st-century action-adventure animals book classics -
The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke
43 ratingsImagine a Dickens story with a Venetian setting, and you'll have a good sense of Cornelia Funke's prizewinning novel The Thief Lord, first published in Germany in 2000. This suspenseful tale begins in a detective's office in Venice, as the entirely unpleasant Hartliebs request Victor Getz's services to search for two boys, Prosper and Bo, the sons of Esther Hartlieb's recently deceased sister...Categorized as:
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A Good Night for Ghosts by Mary Pope Osborne
16 ratingsJack and Annie are on their second mission to find—and inspire—artists to bring happiness to millions...Categorized as:
children family historical-fiction action-adventure audiobook book children-books exploration -
Beholding Bee by Kimberly Newton Fusco
16 ratings“Fans of Kate DiCamillo, Jennifer Holm, and Polly Horvath will find this an enjoyable and engrossing read.” —School Library Journal Bee is an orphan who lives with a carnival and sleeps in the back of a truck. Every day she endures taunts for the birthmark on her face, though she prefers to think of it as a precious diamond...Categorized as:
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Rose by Holly Webb
14 ratingsThe grand residence of the famous alchemist, Mr Fountain, is a world away from the dark orphanage Rose has left behind. For the house is positively overflowing with sparkling magic—she can feel it. And it’s not long before Rose realises that maybe, just maybe, she has a little bit of magic in her, too. . . -
The Ghost Belonged to Me by Richard Peck
14 ratings"More death! More, if you do not stop it. Others lost, like me in the black water. Save them!"When Alexander first sees the eerie glow in the dormer window of the barn, it sets his heart pounding. And when he ventures into the barn in the dark of night, his breath catches in his throat. Suddenly Blossom Culp's words come back to him: "You can make contact with the Unseen...Categorized as:
children historical-fiction humor 20th-century action-adventure book children-books classics -
Time's Legacy by Barbara Erskine
14 ratingsBarbara Erskine returns with this beautiful and haunting tale of dark forces and mystical powers. In present-day Cambridge, Abi, a recently ordained priest of the Church of England, is appointed to a notoriously difficult parish. The priest in charge is the charismatic but fundamentalist Kier. He objects to her mysticism, her practice of healing in particular... -
Ghosts I Have Been by Richard Peck
14 ratingsUpon discovering that she has the gift of Second Sight, Blossom also learns that whether glimpsing the future or traveling into the past, one is powerless to alter history...Categorized as:
children family historical-fiction humor 20th-century action-adventure alpha-mc book -
Scritch Scratch by Lindsay Currie
14 ratingsA ghost story about a malevolent spirit, an unlucky girl, and a haunting mystery that will tie the two together. Claire has absolutely no interest in the paranormal. She’s a scientist, which is why she can’t think of anything worse than having to help out her dad on one of his ghost-themed Chicago bus tours...Categorized as:
children family historical-fiction realistic action-adventure audiobook book children-books -
Aunt Dimity and the Buried Treasure by Nancy Atherton
14 ratingsWhile exploring the attic in her cottage near the small English village of Finch, Lori Shepherd makes an extraordinary discovery: a gold and silver bracelet inlaid with gleaming garnets, which she quickly learns belonged to Aunt Dimity. When Lori brings news of the garnet bracelet to Aunt Dimity, it awakens poignant memories of a doomed romance in Aunt Dimity's past...
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