Books like 'Max the Mighty'
Readers who enjoyed Max the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary action / adventure mystery realistic friendship children family male-mc high-school coming-of-age
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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 coming-of-age family friendship male-mc realistic action-adventure -
![Home for the Holidays by Heather Vogel Frederick]()
Home for the Holidays by Heather Vogel Frederick
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThis Christmas season, join the girls of the mother-daughter book club for a variety of holiday-themed adventures! Becca, Megan, Emma, Cassidy and Jess have plenty of reading material to bring on their trips, too, because the book club is tackling the Betsy-Tacy series before their next meeting on New Year’s Eve. But unfortunately, nothing goes quite as planned for any of the girls...Categorized as:
children coming-of-age family friendship high-school realistic 21st-century action-adventure -
![The Law of Finders Keepers by Sheila Turnage]()
The Law of Finders Keepers by Sheila Turnage
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsPirates, family, and the truth about Mo's Upstream Mother collide in the conclusion to the Newbery Honor and New York Times bestselling Three Times Lucky When the Colonel and Miss Lana share the clues about Mo's watery origins that they've been saving, it seems the time is finally right for the Desperado Detectives (aka Mo, Dale, and Harm) to tackle the mystery of Mo's Upstream Mother...Categorized as:
children coming-of-age family friendship realistic action-adventure animals audiobook -
![The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey by Trenton Lee Stewart]()
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 coming-of-age family friendship high-school realistic action-adventure -
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![Payback by Gordon Korman]()
Payback by Gordon Korman
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsFrom the master of middle grade, Gordon Korman, comes the final book in the bestselling Masterminds series — about a group of kids who discover they were cloned from the DNA of some of the greatest criminal masterminds in history.After a serious betrayal from one of their former friends, the clones of Project Osiris are on the run again... -
![Restart by Gordon Korman]()
Restart by Gordon Korman
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsThe amazing New York Times bestseller about what you can do when life gives you a second chance.Chase's memory just went out the window.Chase doesn't remember falling off the roof. He doesn't remember hitting his head. He doesn't, in fact, remember anything. He wakes up in a hospital room and suddenly has to learn his whole life all over again . . . starting with his own name.He knows he's Chase... -
![Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics by Chris Grabenstein]()
Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics by Chris Grabenstein
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsWelcome, boys and girls, readers of all ages, to the first-ever Library Olympiad! Kyle and his teammates are back, and the world-famous game maker, Luigi Lemoncello, is at it again! This time Mr. Lemoncello has invited teams from all across America to compete in the first ever LIBRARY OLYMPICS. Will it be fun? Like the commercials say. . -
![The Recruit by Robert Muchamore]()
The Recruit by Robert Muchamore
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 44 ratingsCHERUB agents are highly trained, extremely talented--and all under the age of seventeen. For official purposes, these agents do not exist. They are sent out on missions to spy on terrorists, hack into crucial documents, and gather intel on global threats—all without gadgets or weapons... -
![Mr. Lemoncello's Great Library Race by Chris Grabenstein]()
Mr. Lemoncello's Great Library Race by Chris Grabenstein
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 18 ratings#1 New York Times bestselling author Chris Grabenstein is back with the third fantastically fun, puzzle-packed MR. LEMONCELLO adventure!On your marks. Get set. Lemon, cello, GO!Everyone's favorite game maker, Mr... -
![A Gallagher Wedding by Ally Carter]()
A Gallagher Wedding by Ally Carter
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 18 ratings...Categorized as:
coming-of-age family friendship high-school realistic action-adventure boarding-school book -
![Runaway Twin by Peg Kehret]()
Runaway Twin by Peg Kehret
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThirteen-year-old Sunny runs away from her current foster parent in search of her twin sister, from whom she was separated ten years earlier. On the way, shell face a tornado, bullies, and a stray dog and the fact that her sister may not be who Sunny hoped she would be...Categorized as:
children coming-of-age family friendship realistic survival action-adventure animals -
![Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstein]()
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... -
![Cryptid Hunters by Roland Smith]()
Cryptid Hunters by Roland Smith
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsAfter their parents are lost in an accident, thirteen-year old twins Grace and Marty are whisked away to live with their Uncle Wolfe-an uncle that they didn't even know they had! The intimidating Uncle Wolfe is an anthropologist who has dedicated his life to finding cryptids, mysterious creatures believed to be long extinct... -
![The Midnight Children by Dan Gemeinhart]()
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... -
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![Among the Enemy by Margaret Peterson Haddix]()
Among the Enemy by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsHIDE OR FIGHT?Matthias, an illegal third child, is caught in the cross fire between rebels and the Population Police. When he unwittingly saves a Population Police officer, Matthias is brought to Population Police headquarters to train as an officer himself. There he meets Nina, another third-born who enlists his help in a plot to undermine the Population Police...Categorized as:
children coming-of-age family friendship realistic survival action-adventure apocalyptic -
![Among the Brave by Margaret Peterson Haddix]()
Among the Brave by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsA Reluctant HeroTrey may have saved Luke's life, but he still thinks of himself as a coward who can barely stand to be outdoors. Now Trey finds out Luke has been taken prisoner at Population Police headquarters. Trey is terrified, but he knows that if he doesn't rescue his friend, no one will.At police headquarters, Trey impersonates an officer to try getting to Luke... -
![Among the Impostors by Margaret Peterson Haddix]()
Among the Impostors by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsLuke Garner is terrified.Out of hiding for the first time in his life, he knows that any minute one of his new classmates at Hendricks School for Boys could discover his secret: that he's a third child passing as the recently deceased Lee Grant...Categorized as:
children coming-of-age family friendship male-mc realistic survival action-adventure -
![Winterborne Home for Mayhem and Mystery by Ally Carter]()
Winterborne Home for Mayhem and Mystery by Ally Carter
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFive orphans. Two sword-wielding vigilantes. One mansion. No rules. April thought she had her happy ending. After all, she has her new house and new friends and new guardian. But she also has a very big new secret. The kids of Winterborne House are the only ones who know that Gabriel Winterborne—famous billionaire and terrible cook—is really a sword-wielding vigilante... -
![Deep Water by Watt Key]()
Deep Water by Watt Key
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA middle grade survival story about a scuba dive gone wrong and two enemies who must unite to survive.It's the most important rule of scuba diving: If you don't feel right, don't go down.So after her father falls ill, twelve-year-old Julie Sims must take over and lead two of his clients on a dive miles off the coast of Alabama while her father stays behind in the boat... -
![The Light Jar by Lisa Thompson]()
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... -
![Hunting the Hunter by Gordon Korman]()
Hunting the Hunter by Gordon Korman
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsIT'S NOT OVER...Hairless Joe. Aiden and Meg Falconer have known him as a threat. A killer. A madman. But now they've discovered that he holds the key to freeing their parents from prison.The Falconer kids know what they have to do: Hunt the hunter and trap the killer - even if he's armed and very dangerous. It's their only chance, and they're going to take it... and risk everything...Categorized as:
children family realistic survival action-adventure book children-books contemporary -
![Crocodile Tears by Anthony Horowitz]()
Crocodile Tears by Anthony Horowitz
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 43 ratingsNew Year's Eve in Scotland and for once Alex Rider is enjoying a normal life. But then he meets Desmond McCain, the dynamic chief of an international charity, First Aid, and what starts as a simple card game rapidly becomes a duel to the death. Suddenly Alex is in more danger than ever before and his life is threatened without his even knowing why...Categorized as:
children coming-of-age high-school male-mc realistic survival action-adventure audiobook -
![Now You See Them, Now You Don't by Gordon Korman]()
Now You See Them, Now You Don't by Gordon Korman
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsCATCH THEM...One man holds the key to freeing Aiden and Meg Falconer's parents from prison: a mysterious figure named Frank Lindenauer. Aiden and Meg must cross the country to try to catch him... even as the FBI tries to catch them first.In California, Aiden and Meg fall in with a crowd that already has its share of trouble. They want to believe they've found friends who will help them out...Categorized as:
children family realistic survival action-adventure book children-books contemporary -
![24 Hours in Nowhere by Dusti Bowling]()
24 Hours in Nowhere by Dusti Bowling
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWhen you come from Nowhere, can you ever really make it anywhere? Author Dusti Bowling (Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus) returns to the desert to create a gripping story about friendship, hope, and finding the power we all have within ourselves. Welcome to Nowhere, Arizona, the least livable town in the United States...Categorized as:
children coming-of-age family friendship realistic survival action-adventure arizona -
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![Kalahari by Jessica Khoury]()
Kalahari by Jessica Khoury
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsDeep in the Kalahari Desert, a Corpus lab protects a dangerous secret…But what happens when that secret takes on a life of its own? When an educational safari goes wrong, five teens find themselves stranded in the Kalahari Desert without a guide... -
![This Can't Be Happening at Macdonald Hall! by Gordon Korman]()
This Can't Be Happening at Macdonald Hall! by Gordon Korman
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsIn Gordon Korman's beloved first book, Bruno and Boots team up...and school is never the same!Bruno and Boots are always in trouble. So the Headmaster, aka "The Fish" decides it would be best to separate them. Bruno must now room with ghoulish Elmer Dimsdale, plus his plants, goldfish, and ants. And Boots is stuck with nerdy, preppy, paranoid George Wexford-Smyth III.Of course, this means war...Categorized as:
children classics friendship realistic action-adventure boarding-school book children-books -
![The Fort by Gordon Korman]()
The Fort by Gordon Korman
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsFrom the bestselling author of RESTART, the story of a middle-school "band of brothers" -- five friends who need to stick together after they set up a hideout in an abandoned bomb shelter and discover that the only way to be true friends is to reveal their secrets and help each other out... -
![Eight Keys by Suzanne LaFleur]()
Eight Keys by Suzanne LaFleur
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsElise and Franklin have always been best friends. Elise has always lived in the big house with her loving Uncle and Aunt, because Elise's parents died when she was too young to remember them. There's always been a barn behind the house with eight locked doors on the second floor.When Elise and Franklin start middle school, things feel all wrong. Bullying. Not fitting in... -
![Among the Barons by Margaret Peterson Haddix]()
Among the Barons by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsLuke Garner, an illegal third child, spent his first twelve years in hiding. For the past four months Luke has lived among others, using the identity of Lee Grant, at the Hendricks School for Boys. But just as things are finally starting to go right, Lee's little brother Smits arrives at the school and Luke finds himself caught in a tangle of lies that gets more complex with every passing day... -
![So B. It by Sarah Weeks]()
So B. It by Sarah Weeks
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsNow a major motion picture starring Alfre Woodard, Jessica Collins, John Heard, Jacinda Barrett, Cloris Leachman, and Talitha Bateman—in theaters October 2017!From acclaimed author Sarah Weeks comes a touching coming-of-age story about a young girl who goes on a cross-country journey to discover the truth about her parents, which the New York Times called "a remarkable novel...Categorized as:
children classics coming-of-age family friendship high-school realistic action-adventure -
![Eagle Strike by Anthony Horowitz]()
Eagle Strike by Anthony Horowitz
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 45 ratingsROGUE AGENT!Sir Damian Cray: Millions adore him. He is a philanthropist, peace activist, and the world's most famous vintage pop star. But still it's not enough - not if he is to save the world. Trouble is, only Alex Rider recognizes that it's the world that needs saving from Sir Damian Cray...Categorized as:
children coming-of-age friendship high-school male-mc realistic survival action-adventure -
![Break Us by Jennifer Brown]()
Break Us by Jennifer Brown
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsNikki Kill doesn’t see the world in black and white. Her synesthesia shades everything in view, transforming numbers, words, and emotions into colorful clues. Which means she’s a dangerous commodity to anyone with something to hide.Nikki has already taken on the Hollises—one of L.A.’s most powerful families—for murdering her half sister, Peyton... -
![Smack Dab in the Middle of Maybe by Jo Watson Hackl]()
Smack Dab in the Middle of Maybe by Jo Watson Hackl
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA Mississippi ghost town and an art mystery combine!How far would you go to find something that might not even exist?All her life, Cricket's mama has told her stories about a secret room painted by a mysterious artist. Now Mama's run off, and Cricket thinks the room might be the answer to getting her to come back. If it exists. And if she can find it...Categorized as:
children coming-of-age family friendship realistic survival action-adventure animals -
![Operation Redwood by S. Terrell French]()
Operation Redwood by S. Terrell French
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratings"Sibley Carter is a moron and a worldclass jerk." When Julian Carter-Li intercepts an angry e-mail message meant for his greedy, high-powered uncle, it sets him on the course to stop an environmental crime!His uncle’s company plans to cut down some of the oldest remaining California redwood trees, and it’s up to Julian and a ragtag group of friends to figure out a way to stop them... -
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![Dime by E.R. Frank]()
Dime by E.R. Frank
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe startling realities of teen prostitution are revealed in this eye-opening, heartbreaking story from the author of "America," which "Booklist "called a piercing, unforgettable novel and "Kirkus Reviews "deemed a work of sublime humanity. As a teen girl in Newark, New Jersey, lost in the foster care system, Dime just wants someone to care about her, to love her. A family...Categorized as:
coming-of-age family friendship high-school realistic survival abuse action-adventure -
![Faker by Gordon Korman]()
Faker by Gordon Korman
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe story of a family of liars... and the son who wants to break the family tradition.Trey knows the routine. His dad gets him into a school full of kids with rich parents. Trey makes friends, and his dad makes connections. Soon, there's the con, where Trey's dad suckers the other parents into investing in one of his schemes... -
![The Stowaway Solution by Gordon Korman]()
The Stowaway Solution by Gordon Korman
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsOUT TO SEA...The FBI is after them. So is a killer. Their parents are in jail. And friends are nowhere to be found. Fugitives far from home, Aiden and Meg Falconer only have each other to trust.But when the chase gets too intense on land and the Falconers stow away on a seabound freighter, things start to fall apart. The crew is suspicious... and a monster storm is on its way...Categorized as:
children family realistic survival action-adventure book children-books contemporary -
![Die fröhlichen Falkenbergs by Jerry West, Gerhart West]()
Die fröhlichen Falkenbergs by Jerry West, Gerhart West
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe adventures for the Hollisters begin as soon as they move into their new house on the shore on Pine Lake in Shoreham. First, the moving van carrying their toys and their father's important new invention disappears. Next, they learn that their house may be haunted, with a treasure hidden somewhere inside! Right away they all set out to solve these mysteries...Categorized as:
children classics family realistic action-adventure book children-books contemporary -
![Runner by Carl Deuker]()
Runner by Carl Deuker
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsFrom the award-winning author of "Night Hoops" and "Painting the Black" comes this suspenseful, psychologically astute novel with themes of terrorism and patriotism, fear and courage... -
![Ivy and Bean and the Ghost That Had to Go by Annie Barrows]()
Ivy and Bean and the Ghost That Had to Go by Annie Barrows
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsBest friends Ivy and Bean are back and looking for adventure in the second installment of this engaging new series. This time they've made an amazing discovery a ghost in the school bathroom! Ivy and Bean can see its cloudy form and its glowing eyes. They can hear its moaning voice. This is the best thing that ever happened at school until the teachers find out... -
![OCDaniel by Wesley King, Roman De Campo]()
OCDaniel by Wesley King, Roman De Campo
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsFrom the author of Incredible Space Raiders from Space! comes a brand-new coming-of-age story about a boy whose life revolves around hiding his obsessive compulsive disorder—until he gets a mysterious note that changes everything.Daniel is the back-up punter for the Erie Hills Elephants. Which really means he’s the water boy...Categorized as:
children coming-of-age family friendship high-school realistic action-adventure audiobook -
![Ruby Holler by Sharon Creech]()
Ruby Holler by Sharon Creech
Rated: 4.04 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsAbandoned at birth and brought up by a succession of failing foster parents, Dallas and Florida are the 'Trouble Twins'. But when they're adopted by Tiller and Sairy and brought to the beautiful and mysterious Ruby Holler, all four lives take very different turns... -
![Five Run Away Together by Enid Blyton]()
Five Run Away Together by Enid Blyton
Rated: 4.04 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsJulian, Dick and Anne arrive in Kirrin Cottage to stay with George (real name Georgina) for the holidays. They plan to spend time exploring Kirrin Island but their happiness is spoilt when Aunt Fanny falls ill and has to leave with Uncle Quentin to be treated in a far-off hospital... -
![Pictures of Hollis Woods by Patricia Reilly Giff]()
Pictures of Hollis Woods by Patricia Reilly Giff
Rated: 4.04 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsHollis Woods has been in so many foster homes she can hardly remember them all. When Hollis is sent to Josie, she’ll do everything in her power to make sure they stay together... -
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![I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak]()
I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak
Rated: 4.04 of 5 stars · 67 ratingsprotect the diamondssurvive the clubsdig deep through the spadesfeel the heartsEd Kennedy is an underage cabdriver without much of a future. He's pathetic at playing cards, hopelessly in love with his best friend, Audrey, and utterly devoted to his coffee-drinking dog, the Doorman. His life is one of peaceful routine and incompetence until he inadvertently stops a bank robbery... -
![Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective by Donald J. Sobol]()
Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective by Donald J. Sobol
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsA Civil War sword...A watermelon stabbing...Missing roller skates...A trapeze artist's inheritance...And an eyewitness who's legally blind!Theses are just some of the ten brain-twisting mysteries that Encyclopedia Brown must solve by using his famous computerlike brain...Categorized as:
children classics family friendship realistic 20th-century action-adventure anthologies -
![Ungifted by Gordon Korman]()
Ungifted by Gordon Korman
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsThe word gifted has never been applied to a kid like Donovan Curtis. It's usually more like Don't try this at home. So when the troublemaker pulls a major prank at his middle school, he thinks he's finally gone too far...Categorized as:
children coming-of-age family friendship male-mc realistic action-adventure audiobook -
![Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life by Wendy Mass]()
Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life by Wendy Mass
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsIn one month Jeremy Fink will turn thirteen. But does he have what it takes to be a teenager? He collects mutant candy, he won't venture more than four blocks from his apartment if he can help it, and he definitely doesn't like surprises. On the other hand, his best friend, Lizzy, isn't afraid of anything, even if that might get her into trouble now and then...Categorized as:
children coming-of-age family friendship high-school male-mc realistic action-adventure -
![I'll Be There by Holly Goldberg Sloan]()
I'll Be There by Holly Goldberg Sloan
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsEmily Bell believes in destiny. To her, being forced to sing a solo in the church choir--despite her average voice--is fate: because it's while she's singing that she first sees Sam. At first sight, they are connected.Sam Border wishes he could escape, but there's nowhere for him to run. He and his little brother, Riddle, have spent their entire lives constantly uprooted by their unstable father... -
![Savage Drift by Emmy Laybourne]()
Savage Drift by Emmy Laybourne
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThe stunningly fierce conclusion to Emmy Laybourne's Monument 14 trilogy.The survivors of the Monument 14 have finally made it to the safety of a Canadian refugee camp. Dean and Alex are cautiously starting to hope that a happy ending might be possible.But for Josie, separated from the group and trapped in a brutal prison camp for exposed Type Os, things have gone from bad to worse...
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