Children's Book Suggestions | FantasyUnpublished

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A young boy tends to a menagerie of magical creatures. (Bridging Fiction Grades 2-4)

A traditional fantasy adventure story with a twist: all of the characters are dragons! Next to Percy Jackson, this is our most popular fantasy series for young readers in both chapter book and graphic novel form. (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)

Paula Harrison writes lots of girl-friendly fantasy for this age group! In addition to Secret Rescuers, she also writes the Rescue Princesses and Kitty series. (Bridging Fiction Grades 2-4)

Ten years ago, Jordan Quinn was the only author writing classic fantasy stories for beginning chapter book readers. Now we have several amazing options to choose from! (Bridging Fiction Grades 2-4)

Our most popular fantasy series in this section! A great choice for kids who love the How to Train Your Dragon movies. (Bridging Fiction Grades 2-4)

The book that inspired the movies! There are 12 books in the series. Wizards of Once and Which Way to Anywhere? series are also great choices for chapter book readers. (Children's Fiction Grades 3-5)

A young boy living in New York City discovers that his babysitter is actually a witch when she entrusts him with a bag of baby dragons who need to be delivered to a magical realm. (Children's Fiction Grades 3-5)

A house cat dissatisfied with his domesticated life finds his purpose in a clan of wild cats living in the woods. There is literally a new Erin Hunter book every month, so readers who love Warriors will never run out of new books to read. For more fantasy stories where animals are the protagonists, check out our Animal Fantasy book list. (Children's Fiction Grades 3-5)

A group of kids whose magic doesn't work quite as expected bonds in the Upside Down Magic class at their magical elementary school. A solid choice for kids who love the idea of magic school stories but aren't quite ready for Harry Potter. Kids with IEPs may find Nory and her classmates' experiences especially relateable! (Children's Fiction Grades 3-5)

A fantasy world inspired by the Jewish traditions of eastern Europe. In addition to the Anya sequels, readers should also check out her standalone novel Black Bird, Blue Road. (Children's Fiction Grades 3-5)

Pip Barlett's world is just like ours, except that magical creatures are real--and no one can believe that she can talk to them. Full of illustrations to her updated guide of magical creatures, this chronicles a trip to her aunt's vet clinic for the summer while a plague of fuzzles set everyone's underwear drawers on fire. (Children's Fiction Grades 3-5)

A pair of magical spectacles help a young Black girl solve a mystery as she researches her family history in the early 1960s. (Children's Fiction Grades 3-5)

C.S. Lewis's original fantasy classic! While it's a great choice for readers of all religious traditions, Christian readers will especially appreciate Lewis' references to his own Christian faith. (Children's Fiction Grades 3-5)

Thai author Christina Soontornvat crafts a vibrant fantasy adventure story inspired by the landscapes and traditions of southeast Asia. Her Newbery Honor Book The Last Mapmaker is also a great choice for readers looking for more Asian-inspired fantasy stories. (Children's Fiction Grades 3-5)

A grumpy old dragon grieving the loss of her beloved pet human, Fluffy, finds herself reinvigorated by the friendship of Fluffy's 10-year-old great niece. (Children's Fiction Grades 3-5)

The modern classic that inspired the movie and the recent HBO series. (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)

A brave girl with grand ambitions sets out with her friends to slay a giant and save her dad. (Children's Graphic Novel Grades 3-5)

Kid-friendly heist stories set in a fantasy world in which a group of young circus performers find new ways to use their skills. (Children's Graphic Novel Grades 3-5)

An observant Orthodox Jewish girl defeats a monster and earns her sword in this trilogy opener from popular cartoonist Barry Deutsch. (Children's Graphic Novel Grades 3-5)

Two siblings encounter a slightly sinister magical realm in the basement of their new home in this classic graphic novel fantasy adventure. (Children's Graphic Novel Grades 3-5)

The graphic novel that inspired the Netflix series! A young girl encounters magical creatures in both the wilderness, where she spent her childhood, and her new home in the city. (Children's Graphic Novel Grades 3-5)

A Kingdom of Wrenly graphic novel spinoff series featuring dragons! A great choice for younger Wings of Fire fans as well. (Children's Graphic Novel Grades 3-5)

The author of The Hate U Give makes her middle grade debut with a fantasy adventure story inspired by Black history and folklore. For more Black history inspired fantasy, try Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mbalia. (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)

A fantasy adventure story with vibrant colors and a dreamy illustration style that evoke Hayao Miyazaki's animated classics. (Children's Graphic Novel Grades 3-5)

While most readers are more familiar with the award-winning The Black Cauldron and its movie adaptation, this is the first book in Alexander's classic fantasy series inspired by Welsh history and lore. (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)

An aspiring makeup YouTuber finds her summer plans to grow her channel derailed when she discovers she's a witch and is sent to witch camp in Louisiana. A fantastic choice for readers who share Hasani's love of makeup, fashion, and the ups and downs of middle school friendships. (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)

Three girls who have nothing in common, aside from their failure to be accepted into their town's established covens, must form their own or risk losing their magic. A great choice for fans of Harry Potter or The School for Good & Evil from an award-winning Dominican American author. (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)

A teen girl switches places with her twin brother so she can train to be a knight in Tamora Pierce's fantasy classic. (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)

Is there a fantasy-loving kid today who hasn't read the Percy Jackson books? For kids who've devoured everything Rick Riordan has ever written, try our Mythology & Folklore book list and the Rick Riordan Presents collection of fantasy adventure books inspired by world mythology. (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)

Dragon riders are a popular topic in fantasy for readers of all ages--see Dragonhaven by Robin McKinley for teens and Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey for adults--but the Texas setting and nail-biting race format set this one apart. (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)

The book that changed the game for children's publishing in general and children's fantasy books in particular! A lonely orphan learns he's the child of wizards and enrolls in wizard school (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)

A young Jewish girl comes into her own as a magician while preparing for her bat mitzvah in this tale from Laurel Snyder, best known to young readers as one of the co-authors of Upside Down Magic. (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)

Unicorns have a sparkly, innocent reputation for creatures with a sword protruding from their forehead! This fantasy adventure story takes on the darker side of traditional unicorn tales. (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)

An ordinary girl in a magical small town keeps a diary of her seventh grade year in this graphic novel hybrid. Emma Steinkellner does a great job of blending the fantastical with ordinary. If you like Nell, make sure to check out her Okay Witch graphic novel series! (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)

A Chinese American teen investigates his older brother Jamie's death with the help of Kai, Jamie's fox spirit companion. (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)

The plot of the famous Russian ballet, itself inspired by Slavic folklore, forms the backbone of this fantasy adventure story for young readers. For more stories inspired by fairy tales, try our Fairy Tale book list. (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)

Tired of not fitting in as a "proper" princess, Cimorene runs away and apprentices herself to the dragon Kazul--who, unlike her parents, appreciates her growing skills as a scholar, chef, and magician. (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)

A fast-paced adventure set in a fantasy world inspired by China that will especially appeal to fans of Avatar: The Last Airbender. (Young Teen Graphic Novel Grades 5-7)

A magical fantasy adventure about a girl raised by tree spirits from bestselling teen/adult author Marjorie Liu. (Young Teen Graphic Novel Grades 5-7)