Alexander, Lloyd
The Book of Three
(Chronicles of Prydain #1)
Taran, would-be hero and Assistant Pig-Keeper, assembles a group of companions
to rescue the oracular pig Hen Wen from the forces of evil. Gr. 4-7.
Sequels: 2. The Black Cauldron, 3. The Castle of Llyr, 4. Taran Wanderer,
5.
The High King
Barron, T.A.
The Lost Years of Merlin
(Lost Years of Merlin #1)
A young boy washes ashore on the coast of Wales with no memory of who he is.
Fantastic adventures lead him to his true identity. Gr. 5-10.
Sequels: 2. The Seven Songs of Merlin, 3. The Fires of Merlin, 4. The
Mirror of Merlin, 5. The Wings of Merlin
Billingsley, Franny
The Folk Keeper
Corinna is a Folk Keeper, feeding the Folk to keep them at bay. She is sent to
Cliffsend, where the Folk are more vicious than ever, and discovers her own
past, the powers she has and those she doesn’t (even if she lies and says she
does). Fr. 5-10.
Calhoun, Dia
Aria of the Sea
In the magical kingdom of Windward, thirteen-year-old Cerinthe arrives at
the Royal Dancing School, where she finds herself torn between the two careers
of dancer and healer. Gr. 5-10.
Colfer, Eoin
Artemis Fowl
When a twelve-year-old evil genius tries to restore his family fortune by
capturing a fairy and demanding a ransom in gold, the fairies fight back with
magic, technology, and a particularly nasty troll. Gr. 5-10.
Sequel: Artemis Foul: The Arctic Incident.
Cooper, Susan
Over Sea, Under Stone
(Dark Is Rising #1)
Three children set out to find King Arthur’s grail, touching off a struggle
between the forces of good and evil, the Light and the Dark. Gr. 5-9.
Sequels: 2. The Dark Is Rising, 3. Greenwitch, 4. The Grey King, 5.
Silver on the Tree
Cooper, Susan
The Boggart
12-year-old Emily returns from a visit to a castle in Scotland, only to find
that she has accidentally brought home a boggart, and invisible spirit with a
fondness for practical jokes. Gr. 4-6.
Sequel: The Boggart and the Monster
Coville, Bruce
Into the Land of the Unicorns
Having jumped into the fantasy land of Luster, Cara joins Lightfoot the
unicorn in the search for Queen Arabella Skydancer. Gr. 4-6.
Sequel: Song of the Wanderer
Coville, Bruce
Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher (Magic Shop Books #1)
Small for his age, but artistically talented, 12-year-old Jeremy unknowingly
buys a dragon egg. Gr. 4-6.
Sequels: Jennifer Murdley’s Toad, The Monster’s Ring, The Skull of Truth
Dahl, Roald
The BFG
Snatched from her bed by a BFG (Big Friendly Giant), Sophie concocts a plan
to save the world from nine other man-gobbling giants. Gr. 3-6
Dahl, Roald
Matilda
Brilliant first-grader Matilda triumphs over her book-hating parents and
Miss Trunchbull, the odious school principal. Gr. 3-7.
Eager, Edward
Half Magic
Jane, Mark, Katharine and Martha find a coin that grants exactly half of
every wish they make! Gr. 3-6.
Edwards, Julie
Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles
With help from an eccentric professor in giving their imaginations special
intensive training, three children succeed in locating the last of the great
Whangdoodles and granting his heart’s desire. Gr. 4-6.
Ende, Michael
The Neverending Story
Bastian travels through the aptly-named realm of Fantastica to complete a
noble quest. Gr. 5-10.
Fletcher, Susan
Dragon’s Milk
(Dragon Chronicles #1)
Kaeldra, adopted by Elythians as a baby, has the ability to understand dragons,
and must use this power to try to save her dying younger sister whom only
dragon’s milk can cure. Gr. 4-9.
Sequels: Flight of the Dragon Kyn, Sign of the Dove
Furlong, Monica
Wise Child
Abandoned by her parents, 9-year-old Wise Child goes to live with the
witch-woman Juniper, who begins to train her in the ways of herbs and magic. Gr.
5-8.
Sequel: Juniper
Ibbotson, Eva
The Secret of Platform 13
Odge Gribble, a young hag, is part of the rescue team including an old wizard, a
gentle fey, and a giant ogre on their mission through a magical tunnel to rescue
their kidnapped prince. Gr. 4-7.
Jarvis, Robin
The Dark Portal
(Deptford Mice #1)
While on a rescue mission, a few daring mice journey below to the sewers to an
evil world populated by rats who peel mice before eating them and worship the
Dark Lord. Gr. 5-8.
Sequels: The Crystal Prison, The Final Reckoning
Jones, Diana Wynne
Charmed Life
When Cat and his sister Gwendolyn are orphaned, Cat finds himself caught in
the middle when Gwendolyn pits her powers against the magical might of
Chrestomanci Castle. Gr. 5-8.
Prequel: The Lives of Christopher Chant
Jones, Diana Wynne
Howl’s Moving Castle
After a disastrous encounter with the Witch of the Waste, Sophie teams up
with the dread Wizard Howl and discovers her own unique talents. Gr. 5-12.
Sequel: Castle in the Air
Jones, Diana Wynne
Witch Week
When a teacher at an English boarding school finds a note on his desk
accusing someone in the class of being a witch, magical chaos fills class 6B and
an Inquisitor is summoned. Gr. 5-7.
Juster, Norton
The Phantom Tollbooth
Milo finds a toy tollbooth sitting in his room. He drives through the
gates into the former Kingdom of Wisdom. Joined by Tock, a watchdog, he
meets the foolish Humbug, the Mathemagician, and the "Which," Faintly Macabre,
who gives Milo the mission of rescuing the princesses Rhyme and Reason. Gr. 4-8.
LeGuin, Ursula K.
A Wizard of Earthsea
A boy grows to manhood while attempting to subdue the evil he unleashed on
the world as an apprentice to the Master Wizard. Gr. 6 and up.
Sequels: The Tombs of Atuan, The Farthest Shore, Tehanu, The Other Wind
Levine, Gail Carson
Ella Enchanted
In this novel based on the story of Cinderella, Ella struggles against the
childhood curse that forces her to obey any order given to her. Gr. 4-10.
Lewis, C.S.
The Magician’s Nephew
(Chronicles of Narnia #1)
When Diggory and Polly try to return the wicked Jadis to her world, the magic
gets mixed up and they all land in Narnia where they witness Aslan blessing the
animals with human speech. Gr. 4-8.
Sequels: 2. The Lion the Witch, and the Wardrobe, 3. Prince Caspian, 4.
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, 5. The Silver Chair, 6. The Horse and His Boy,
7. The Last Battle
McKillip, Patricia
The Forgotten Beast of Eld
A sorceress raises an abandoned baby, only to discover that his real father
is the greatest enemy of the man she loves. Gr. 6 and up.
McKinley, Robin
The Blue Sword
Harry is kidnapped by the King of the Damarians, and comes reluctantly to
realize that they possess the same mysterious powers. Gr. 6-12.
Prequel: The Hero and the Crown
McKinley, Robin
The Hero and the Crown
Aerin, with the help of the wizard Luthe and a magic blue sword, wins the
birthright due her as the daughter of a King and a witch. Gr. 6-12.
Sequel: The Blue Sword
Morris, Gerald
The Squire’s Tale
Fourteen-year-old Terence, living in medieval England, discovers an important
secret about his true identity while on a quest as the squire to Gawain of
Orkney. Gr. 5-10.
Sequels: The Squire, His Knight, and His Lady; The Savage Damsel and the
Dwarf
Nesbit, E.
Five Children and It
While digging in a sandpit, five children discover a Psammead – a creature
with mysterious powers who leads them into adventure and excitement. Gr. 4-7.
Sequels: The Phoenix and the Carpet, The Story of the Amulet
Nicholson, William
The Wind Singer: an Adventure
(The Wind on Fire #1)
After Kestrel Hath rebels against the stifling rules of Amaranth society and is
forced to flee, she, along with her twin brother and a tagalong classmate,
follow an ancient map in quest of the legendary silver voice of the wind singer,
in an attempt to heal Amaranth and its people. Gr. 5-10.
Sequels: Slaves of the Mastery, Firesong
Nix, Garth
Sabriel
Sabriel, daughter of the necromancer Abhorson, must journey into the mysterious
and magical Old Kingdom to rescue her father from the land of the dead.
Gr. 6 and up.
Sequel: Lirael, Abhorsen
Pierce, Tamora
Alanna: The First Adventure
(Song of the Lioness #1)
Alanna decides to ignore her magical powers, and disguises herself as a boy in
order to train as a knight. Gr. 6-10.
Sequels: 2. In the Hand of the Goddess, 2. In the Hand of the
Goddess, 3. The Woman Who Rides Like a Man,
4. Lioness Rampant
Pullman, Philip
The Golden Compass
Accompanied by her animal-like daemon Pantalaimon, Lyra tries to prevent her
best friend and other kidnapped children from being the subject of experiments.
Gr. 6 and up.
Sequels: The Subtle Knife, The Amber Spyglass
Pullman, Philip
I Was a Rat!
A little boy turns life in London upside down when he appears at the house
of a lonely old couple and insists he was a rat. Gr. 4-8.
Smith, Sherwood
Wren to the Rescue
With the help of a prince and an apprentice wizard, Wren strives to rescue
her best friend, a princess named Tess, from the fortress of a wicked king. Gr.
5-9.
Sequels: Wren’s Quest, Wren’s War
Snyder, Zilpha Keatley
Black and Blue Magic
Harry Houdini Marco faces a long, boring summer until he helps Mr. Mazzeeck
move in to his mother’s boarding house, and Mr. Mazzeeck gives Harry magic wings
as thanks. Now, if only he can figure out how to fly without bumping into
everything! Gr. 3-6
Springer, Nancy
I am Morgan Le Fay: A Tale From Camelot
In a war-torn England where her half-brother Arthur will eventually become
king, the young Morgan Le Fay comes to realize that she has magic powers and
links to the faerie world. Gr. 6-12.
Sequel: I am Mordred
Winthrop, Elizabeth
The Castle in the Attic
William is given a toy medieval castle as a gift, and is magically
transported to another world of wizards and dragons. Here he must fight a battle
between good and evil. Gr. 3-6.
Sequel: The Battle for the Castle
Wrede, Patricia C.
Dealing with Dragons
(Enchanted Forest Chronicles #1)
Princess Cimorene would rather be eaten by a dragon than marry a dull prince
like a proper princess – so she volunteers to work for the powerful dragon Kazul.
Gr. 5-12.
Sequels: 2. Searching for Dragons, 3. Calling on Dragons, 4. Talking to
Dragons
Yolen, Jane
Wizard’s Hall
A young apprentice wizard saves the wizard’s training hall by trusting and
believing in himself. Gr. 3-6.
Yolen, Jane
Passager (The Young Merlin Trilogy #1)
Abandoned in the woods of medieval England, an eight-year-old boy begins a
journey of hardship, danger and magic that will one day make him the most famous
wizard of all time. Gr. 3-6.
Sequels: 2. Hobby, 3. Merlin
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