#8 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea by Jules Verne
Three men are the sole survivors of a mission to find out what sea monster is sinking ships around the globe. Instead of a monster, they find the world's most advanced submarine and its captain, a man who calls himself "Nemo" (Latin for "No One"). They become his unwilling crew for about a year, all the while alternatively learning about the marine world in ways they never could have imagined and plotting their escape.
Okay, so this was very, very abridged (Illustrated Classics edition) that we read to the girls (in preparation for a Rick Riordan book that ties into it). Still, it made for a fun and exciting read, and the girls were totally into it.
If you want to read an unabridged version get the US Naval Institute press edition. It was translated by someone that understands French naval terms and added back in all the parts of Nemos story that being anti British empire the UK translators eliminated. So about 25% longer.
