Books like 'The Initiation'
Readers who enjoyed The Initiation by Ridley Pearson also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary fantasy mystery action / adventure retellings children boarding-school classics suspense friendship
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The Enchantress Returns by Chris Colfer
Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars · 59 ratingsAfter decades of hiding, the evil Enchantress who cursed Sleeping Beauty is back with a vengeance.Alex and Conner Bailey have not been back to the magical Land of Stories since their adventures in The Wishing Spell ended... -
The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemma by Trenton Lee Stewart, Del Roy
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsIF YOU FAIL,ALL IS LOST.Join the Mysterious Benedict Society as Reynie, Kate, Sticky, and Constance embark on a daring new adventure that threatens to force them apart from their families, friends, and even each other...Categorized as:
children classics family friendship law-enforcement realistic suspense action-adventure -
Spy School Project X by Stuart Gibbs
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsIn the tenth book in the New York Times bestselling Spy School series, Ben Ripley races against time and across state lines—by car, train, boat, and plane—to avoid his new cyber enemies and track down Murray Hill.Ben Ripley’s longtime nemesis, Murray Hill, has put a price on Ben’s head and accused him of being at the center of a conspiracy on the internet...Categorized as:
children realistic suspense friendship law-enforcement middle-grade mystery espionage -
City of the Dead by James Ponti
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsIn this fourth installment in the New York Times bestselling series from Edgar Award winner James Ponti, the young group of spies go codebreaking in Cairo in another international adventure perfect for fans of Spy School and Mrs. Smith’s Spy School for Girls.Codename Kathmandu, better known as Kat, loves logic and order, has a favorite eight-digit number, and can spot a pattern from a mile away... -
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Forbidden City by James Ponti
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsIn this third “thrilling” (Kirkus Reviews) installment in the New York Times bestselling series from Edgar Award winner James Ponti, the young group of spies help a fellow agent in another international adventure perfect for fans of Spy School and Mrs. Smith’s Spy School for Girls... -
The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict by Trenton Lee Stewart, Diana Sudyka
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsBefore there was a Mysterious Benedict Society, there was simply a boy named Nicholas Benedict. Meet the boy who started it all....Nine-year-old Nicholas Benedict has more problems than most children his age. Not only is he an orphan with an unfortunate nose, but he also has narcolepsy, a condition that gives him terrible nightmares and makes him fall asleep at the worst possible moments...Categorized as:
children classics family friendship law-enforcement realistic action-adventure audiobook -
The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey by Trenton Lee Stewart
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 32 ratingsChildrenYou must not comeSTOPDangerousThe Mysterious Benedict Society is back with a new mission: to go on a mind-bending international scavenger hunt designed to engage their individual talents. As they search for all the clues and riddles Mr...Categorized as:
children classics family friendship law-enforcement realistic suspense action-adventure -
Chasing the Prophecy by Brandon Mull
Rated: 4.37 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsJason and Rachel were not born in Lyrian. They did not grow up in Lyrian. But after all of the battles and losses, the triumphs and adventures, and most of all, the friendships forged in this fantastical world, Lyrian has become home to them in a way they never could have imagined... -
The Candymakers by Wendy Mass
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsFour children have been chosen to compete in a national competition to find the tastiest confection in the country...Categorized as:
children family friendship law-enforcement realistic action-adventure audiobook book -
The Falcon's Feather by Trudi Trueit
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsCruz, Sailor, and Emmett, along with their new ally Bryndis, embark on their first globe-trotting mission aboard the ship Orion. Cruz jumps right back into school and starts using the latest technology in submersible underwater dives, but is soon reminded of the dangers of exploration when his equipment fails and he almost drowns...Categorized as:
children friendship law-enforcement action-adventure book children-books contemporary fiction -
The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 46 ratings"Are you a gifted child looking for special opportunities?" When this peculiar ad appears in the newspaper, dozens of children enroll to take a series of mysterious, mind-bending tests. (And you, dear reader, can test your wits right alongside them.) But in the end just four very special children will succeed...Categorized as:
boarding-school children classics family friendship law-enforcement realistic suspense -
Thea Stilton and the Legend of the Fire Flowers by Thea Stilton
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsJoin Thea Stilton and the Thea Sisters in this adventure packed with mystery and friendship!The Thea Sisters are in Hawaii to compete in an international hula festival. The mouselets are having a great time -- until they learn that the festival is located on the side of a volcano that is about to erupt! No one else seems know about the danger...Categorized as:
children friendship law-enforcement action-adventure animals anthropomorphism book children-books -
You Have to Stop This by Pseudonymous Bosch
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsThe finale to the New York Times bestselling Secret Series! I always feared this day would come. A secret is meant to stay secret, after all. And now we've come to this: the fifth and final (I swear!) book in my saga of secrets...Categorized as:
children friendship law-enforcement realistic retellings suspense action-adventure audiobook -
Big Trouble in the Big Apple by Thea Stilton, Tea Stilton
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsGeronimo's adventurous sister Thea narrates this fabulous adventure that's packed with action, mystery, and friendship! The Thea Sisters are off to New York City for another fabumouse adventure! Nicky has been training to run the Big Apple Marathon, and her friends are there to support her. While in the city, they all visit Pamela's family and have a delicious dinner at the family's pizzeria...Categorized as:
children friendship law-enforcement action-adventure animals book children-books contemporary -
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This Book Is Not Good for You by Pseudonymous Bosch
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsBetween the pages of this book lies the secret to the best-tasting chocolate in all the world. I promise, your taste buds will tingle. Your palette will sing! Oh no, have I accidentally tempted you to read this book? I will warn you, however, the most delicious things are never good for you..Categorized as:
children family friendship law-enforcement realistic suspense action-adventure animals -
Daughter of the Deep by Rick Riordan
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsAna Dakkar is a freshman at Harding-Pencroft Academy, a five-year high school that graduates the best marine scientists, naval warriors, navigators, and underwater explorers in the world. Ana's parents died while on a scientific expedition two years ago, and the only family's she's got left is her older brother, Dev, also a student at HP...Categorized as:
boarding-school children family friendship law-enforcement retellings action-adventure animals -
Thea Stilton and the Missing Myth by Thea Stilton
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsJoin Thea Stilton and the Thea Sisters on an adventure packed with mystery and friendship! While on vacation in Greece, the Thea Sisters make friends with a company of actors. They are rehearsing for a show that's about to open--and Colette ends up standing in for an actress who falls ill! Suddenly, right before the performance, the lead actor goes missing...Categorized as:
children law-enforcement action-adventure book children-books contemporary fiction middle-grade -
13 Gifts by Wendy Mass
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsWendy Mass turns to another magical birthday: 13!When Tara, a self-proclaimed shrinking violet, steals the school mascot, a goat, in order to make some friends with the popular crowd and gets caught, she gets herself in a heap of trouble... -
Trust No One by Linda Sue Park
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsWhen seven members of their family were kidnapped, thirteen-year-old Dan Cahill and his older sister, Amy, got ready for the fight of their lives. But their enemy, a terrifying group known as the Vespers, remained frustratingly elusive. They stay in the shadows, picking off Cahills one by one...Categorized as:
children family friendship law-enforcement realistic suspense action-adventure audiobook -
Deep and Dark and Dangerous (A Ghost Story) by Mary Downing Hahn
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsJust before summer begins, 13-year-old Ali finds an odd photograph in the attic. She knows the two children in it are her mother, Claire, and her aunt Dulcie...Categorized as:
children family friendship law-enforcement realistic suspense action-adventure audiobook -
Shatterproof by Roland Smith
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsAfter pulling some spectacular heists, Amy and Dan have become two of Interpol's most wanted criminals. So when Vesper One orders them to steal the world's largest diamond, they know they're facing life in prison...or worse. But with the Cahill hostages still in peril, Amy and Dan have no choice but to launch a mission that leads them to an ancient city full of dangerous secrets...Categorized as:
children family friendship law-enforcement realistic suspense action-adventure ancient-civilization -
The Candymakers and the Great Chocolate Chase by Wendy Mass, Mark Turetsky
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThe highly-anticipated sequel to the New York Times bestselling novel The Candymakers by beloved author Wendy MassIt has been a few months since the nationwide New Candy Contest, and Logan, Miles, Philip, and Daisy have returned to their regular lives. But when the winning candy bar comes down the conveyor belt at the Life is Sweet candy factory, Logan realizes something's very wrong... -
Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstein
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 32 ratingsA New York Times BestsellerKyle Keeley is the class clown, popular with most kids, (if not the teachers), and an ardent fan of all games: board games, word games, and particularly video games. His hero, Luigi Lemoncello, the most notorious and creative gamemaker in the world, just so happens to be the genius behind the building of the new town library...Categorized as:
children classics family friendship law-enforcement realistic suspense action-adventure -
The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Riddle of Ages by Trenton Lee Stewart, Eric Pollins
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsThe brilliant and beloved gang from the New York Times bestselling series is back! Since The Mysterious Benedict Society debuted twelve years ago, the series has become a modern classic, drawing comparisons to J.K. Rowling and Roald Dahl and selling over three million copies. Some time has passed since the inimitable quartet of Reynie, Sticky, Kate, and Constance have had a mission together...Categorized as:
children friendship law-enforcement realistic action-adventure audiobook book children-books -
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After All the Wreckage by L.J. Evans
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWhat if the future is already written? GageWhen Rory Marlowe Bishop walks out of my past and into my bar, I realize she’s not just a kid anymore. Now she’s hell on wheels and a special kind of temptation. But I can’t afford the distraction, not with the responsibility I’ve inherited... -
The Dead of Night by Peter Lerangis
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsA LIFE ON THE LINEWhen seven members of his family were kidnapped by the Vespers, thirteen-year-old Dan Cahill knew he was in for the fight of his life. He knew he was up against an impossibly powerful enemy. And Dan knew the odds were that some of his family members wouldn't make it.But even as Dan steels himself to accept these facts, the unthinkable happens...Categorized as:
children family friendship law-enforcement realistic suspense action-adventure audiobook -
Smells Like Treasure by Suzanne Selfors
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWhen Homer Pudding receives a mysterious note emblazoned with the letters L.O.S.T., he knows the moment he has been waiting for has arrived. It is time to meet the society of Legends, Objects, Secrets, and Treasures, take his Uncle's place, and become a true adventurer. With his best friend, Dog, at his side, everything seems to be going as planned..Categorized as:
children law-enforcement realistic action-adventure animals book children-books contemporary -
Dark Days by James Ponti
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsMolly’s up against the undead—and the fate of Manhattan is in her hands—in the third and final book of the Dead City trilogy, which Hunger Games author Suzanne Collins says “breathes new life into the zombie genre.”Molly and the Omegas fight to contain the storm unleashed by Operation Blue Moon...Categorized as:
children family friendship law-enforcement action-adventure audiobook book children-books -
A King's Ransom by Jude Watson
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsAmy and Dan are in a race for their lives . . . and the enemy may be even closer than they think.When seven members of their family were kidnapped by a sinister organization known as the Vespers, thirteen-year-old Dan Cahill and his older sister, Amy, vowed they'd stop at nothing to bring the hostages home. But then the ransom comes in and the Vespers demand the impossible... -
If You're Reading This, It's Too Late by Pseudonymous Bosch
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 40 ratingsBeware!Dangerous secrets lie between the pages of this book.OK, I warned you. But if you think I'll give anything away, or tell you that this is the sequel to my first literary endeavor, The Name of This Book is Secret, you're wrong...Categorized as:
children family friendship law-enforcement realistic retellings suspense action-adventure -
Sky Raiders by Brandon Mull
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsOn Halloween below a haunted house, Cole Randolph wanted to have fun (and maybe get to know Jenna Hunt a little better). But he dives after friends whisked away to The Outskirts.The five kingdoms lie in between - wakefulness and dreaming, reality and imagination, life and death. Some people are born there. Some find their way there from other worlds...Categorized as:
children family friendship retellings suspense action-adventure alternate-universe audiobook -
The Second Story by Neil Patrick Harris
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsGrowing up in an orphanage, Leila was bullied for being different. But she turned her hardship into skill by becoming an escape artist—a valuable trait when belonging to a group of magical best friends. When a famous psychic comes to town, however, Leila and her pals won't be able to escape the big mystery heading their way...Categorized as:
children family friendship law-enforcement realistic action-adventure audiobook book -
Princess in Practice by Connie Glynn
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsLottie and Ellie are back! Return to Rosewood Hall with your two favourite princesses in the sequel to Undercover Princess!----------As they return to Rosewood after the dramatic events of their first year, Lottie and Ellie are hoping for a peaceful term.But strange things are happening at Rosewood. Pupils are being poisoned...Categorized as:
boarding-school children family friendship realistic action-adventure audiobook book -
Ghost in the Machine by Patrick Carman
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThe chilling second book in the innovative series from bestselling author Patrick Carman. Strange things are happening in Skeleton Creek...and Ryan and Sarah are trying to find out why. Ryan writes down everything in his journal, and Sarah records everything on her videocam...Categorized as:
children friendship law-enforcement realistic suspense action-adventure book children-books -
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The Mysterious Benedict Society: Mr. Benedict's Book of Perplexing Puzzles, Elusive Enigmas, and Curious Conundrums by Trenton Lee Stewart, Diana Sudyka
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThis exclusive companion book to the bestselling Mysterious Benedict Society series is a mind-bending collection that will put YOU to the test! With full-color artwork throughout, this companion features ingenious new puzzles, riddles, and brainteasers compiled by Mr. Benedict himself, with the help of Reynie, Kate, Sticky, Constance, and other Society associates...Categorized as:
children friendship law-enforcement realistic action-adventure book children-books contemporary -
The Midnight Children by Dan Gemeinhart
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsAn extraordinary story about a family of runaways who take up residence in a small town, and the outcast boy who finds his voice and his people.In the dead of night, a truck arrives in Slaughterville, a small town curiously named after its windowless slaughterhouse... -
Nowhere to Run by Jude Watson
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsThe Cahill family has a secret. For five hundred years, they have guarded the 39 Clues – thirty-nine ingredients in a serum that transforms whomever takes it into the most powerful person on earth. If the serum got into the wrong hands, the disaster would rock the world. So certain Cahills have always made it their mission to keep the serum safe, buried, locked away. Until now... -
"Shouldn't You Be in School?" by Lemony Snicket
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsIs Lemony Snicket a detective or a smoke detector? Do you smell smoke? Young apprentice Lemony Snicket is investigating a case of arson but soon finds himself enveloped in the ever-increasing mystery that haunts the town of Stain'd-by-the-Sea...Categorized as:
children family friendship law-enforcement realistic suspense action-adventure audiobook -
Arcade Catastrophe by Brandon Mull
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 32 ratingsIt will take more than magical candy to win this war!Something fishy is going on over at the new amusement centre in Walnut Hills. The trouble seems linked to the mysterious disappearance of Mozag and John Dart, who have spent their lives policing the magical community...Categorized as:
children family realistic action-adventure audiobook book children-books contemporary -
One Wish by Michelle Harrison
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsHaving the ability to see fairies means that Tanya Fairchild's life has never been easy. After all, real fairies are nothing like the ones in books; ones that grant wishes or leave money for teeth. Real fairies don't like to be talked about, and they cast spells if Tanya steps out of line. The most she's ever received in exchange for one of her teeth is a chewed up toffee...Categorized as:
children friendship law-enforcement retellings action-adventure audiobook book children-books -
The Light Jar by Lisa Thompson
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA story of fear and hope, loneliness and friendship -- full of the heart, engaging characters, and propulsive, page-turning mystery that made The Goldfish Boy so beloved.Nate and his mother are running away. Fleeing from an emotionally abusive situation, they hide out in an abandoned cottage in the middle of a forest. Though it's old and run-down, at least it's a place of their own... -
The Elephant's Girl by Celesta Rimington
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA magical adventure for fans of Katherine Applegate and Jennifer Holm about a girl with a mysterious connection to the elephant who saved her life.An elephant never forgets, but Lexington Willow can't remember her past. Swept away by a tornado as a toddler, she was dropped in a nearby Nebraska zoo, where an elephant named Nyah protected her from the storm...Categorized as:
children family friendship law-enforcement realistic action-adventure animals audiobook -
Beetle Boy by M.G. Leonard
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe glorious start to a middle-grade trilogy about a brilliant boy, his loyal friends, and some amazingly intelligent beetles that brings together adventure, humor, and real science! Darkus Cuttle's dad mysteriously goes missing from his job as Director of Science at the Natural History Museum... -
Winterborne Home for Vengeance and Valor by Ally Carter
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratings“A fast-paced thrill ride of a book. . . it’s Batman meets Annie.” —Stuart Gibbs, New York Times best-selling author of the Spy School series “An adventure-filled read with a twisty mystery and spunky friendships. I loved it!” –Melissa de la Cruz, New York Times best-selling author of The Descendants series April didn't mean to start the fire. She wasn’t the one who broke the vase...Categorized as:
boarding-school children family friendship law-enforcement realistic suspense action-adventure -
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The Book Smugglers by Anna James
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsFourth in the modern-classic and bestselling bookwandering series for ages eight to twelve that celebrates all that is best in life: books, adventure, friendship – and cake.Milo lives on board the Sesquipedalian, or “Quip” – a magical train that uses the power of imagination to travel through both Story and the real world... -
The Key to Extraordinary by Natalie Lloyd
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsEveryone in Emma's family is special. Her ancestors include Revolutionary War spies, brilliant scientists, and famous musicians--every single one of which learned of their extraordinary destiny through a dream. For Emma, her own dream can't come soon enough...Categorized as:
children family friendship law-enforcement realistic retellings action-adventure audiobook -
The Ghosts of Tupelo Landing by Sheila Turnage, Lauren Fortgang
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThe eagerly anticipated followup to the Newbery honor winner and New York Times bestseller, Three Times LuckySmall towns have rules. One is, you got to stay who you are -- no matter how many murders you solve.When Miss Lana makes an Accidental Bid at the Tupelo auction and winds up the mortified owner of an old inn, she doesn't realize there's a ghost in the fine print...Categorized as:
children family friendship law-enforcement realistic suspense action-adventure audiobook -
When Did You See Her Last? by Lemony Snicket
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsI should have asked the question "How could someone who was missing be in two places at once?" Instead, I asked the wrong question -- four wrong questions, more or less. This is the account of the second.In the fading town of Stain'd-by-the-Sea, young apprentice Lemony Snicket has a new case to solve when he and his chaperone are hired to find a missing girl... -
The Girl Who Could Fly by Victoria Forester
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsYou just can't keep a good girl down . . . unless you use the proper methods.Piper McCloud can fly. Just like that. Easy as pie.Sure, she hasn't mastered reverse propulsion and her turns are kind of sloppy, but she's real good at loop-the-loops.Problem is, the good folk of Lowland County are afraid of Piper. And her ma's at her wit's end...Categorized as:
boarding-school children classics family friendship realistic action-adventure audiobook -
The Name of This Book Is Secret by Pseudonymous Bosch
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 33 ratingsWarning: this description has not been authorized by Pseudonymous Bosch. As much as he'd love to sing the praises of his book (he is very vain), he wouldn't want you to hear about his brave 11-year old heroes, Cass and Max-Ernest. Or about how a mysterious box of vials, the Symphony of Smells, sends them on the trail of a magician who has vanished under strange (and stinky) circumstances...Categorized as:
children family friendship law-enforcement realistic retellings suspense action-adventure
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