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Alexander,
Lloyd. Chronicles of Prydain series.
A young pigkeeper has adventures far beyond his station: battling
the Horned King, destroying the Black Cauldron and rescuing
the Princess Eilonwy. Gr. 5-8
Asimov,
Janet. Norby Series. Jeff Wells and his robot friend Norby
find themselves magically transported to distant planets where
they become involved in mysterious and sometimes menacing
situations. Gr. 4-8
Avi.
Bright Shadow. Having used four of the five wishes she
is granted to make on behalf of the hapless citizens of her
country, Morwenna flees the kingdom to decide what to do with
her last wish. Gr. 4-6
Poppy
series. Poppy, the deer mouse, urges her family to move
next to a field of corn big enough to feed them all forever,
but Mr. Ocax, a terrifying owl, has other ideas. Sequels:
Poppy and Rye, Ragweed. Gr. 4-6
Barron,
T.A. The Lost Years of Merlin. A young boy washes
ashore on the coast of Wales with no memory of who he is.
Through a series of adventures he discovers his true identity.
Sequel: The Seven Songs of Merlin. Gr. 4-6
Heartlight.
Kate and her grandfather use one of his inventions to travel
faster than the speed of light on a mission to save the sun
from a premature death. Gr. 4-6
Baum,
Frank. The Wizard of Oz series. After a cyclone transports
her to Oz, Dorothy must seek out the Wizard to help her get
back home again.Sequels: The Marvelous Land of Oz, Ozma of
Oz, Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz, and many more. Gr. 4 and
up
Bellairs,
John. The Dark Secret of Weatherend. Fourteen year old
Anthony Mundy and the town librarian try to prevent an evil
wizard from turning the world into an icy wasteland. Gr. 5-8
Prequel: The Treasure of Alpheus Winterborn. Sequels:The Lamp
from the Warlock's Tomb, The Mansion in the Mist. Gr. 5-8
Doom
of the Haunted Opera. Lewis Barnavelt and Rose Rita Pottinger
are faced with a dilemma when their discovery of an unpublished
opera score unleashes a wicked sorcerer who plans to rule
the world by bringing back the dead. Gr. 5-8
Revenge
of the Wizard's Ghost. While thirteen-year-old Johnny
Dixon lies dying, possessed by an evil spirit, his friends,
an elderly professor and a schoolmate try to find some way
to free him. Sequel: Spell of the Sorcerer's Skull. Gr. 5-8
House
With a Clock in its Walls. A boy goes to live with his
magician uncle in a mansion that has a clock hidden in its
walls that is ticking off the minutes until doomsday. Gr.
5-8
Boston,
Lucy. The Children of Green Knowe. At his great-grandmother's
house, Green Knowe, Tolly finds he has lots of other children
to play with, who had lived in the house a century before.
Gr. 5-8
Cameron,
Eleanor. The Mushroom Planet series. A mystery man inspires
two boys to build a space ship which takes them to the planet
of Basidium to help the Mushroom people. Gr. 3-6
Carey,
Peter. The Big Bazoohly. When his family runs low on money
during a trip to Toronto, nine-year-old Sam allows himself
to be "borrowed" and entered into a contest to find
the Perfect Kiddo, hoping to win $10,000. Gr. 3-5.
Carroll,
Lewis. Alice in Wonderland. A little girl falls down a
rabbit hole and discovers a hidden world of nonsensical characters.
Sequel: Through the Looking Glass. Gr. 4 and up
Charnas,
Suzy McKee. The Bronze King. When Valentine starts noticing
odd things are vanishing from NYC, she unknowingly summons
a wizard from Sorcery Hall. He enlists her help in fighting
against the dreaded Monster of Darkness. Gr. 5-8 Sequels:
The Silver Glove, The Golden Thread. Gr 4-6
Chetwin,
Grace. The Riddle and the Rune. Gom sets forth forth to
seek his destiny, discovering he has new powers and a gift
for making friends such as the magnificent horse, Stormfleet,
who accompanies him through many adventures. Gr. 5-8
Clements,
Andrew. Frindle. When he decides to turn his teacher's
love of the dictionary around on her, clever Nick Allen invents
a new word that sets in motion a chain of events that moves
quickly beyond his control. Gr. 5-7
The
Landry News. A fifth grader starts a newspaper with an
editorial that prompts her burnt-out classroom teacher to
really begin teaching again, but he is later threatened with
disciplinary action as a result. Gr. 5-7
Cooper,
Susan. The Dark is Rising series. 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. 5-8
The
Boggart. 12-year-old Emily returns home from a visit to
a castle in Scotland that her family has just inherited, only
to find that she has accidentally brought home with her a
boggart, a mysterious and invisible spirit with a fondness
for practical jokes. Sequel: The Boggart and the Monster.
Gr. 4-6
Coville,
Bruce. The Dragonslayers. A brave squire, an earnest page
and a strong-willed princess set out to slay the dragon created
to carry out a witch's revenge. Gr. 4-6
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
Jeremy
Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher. Small for his age, but artistically
talented, 12-year-old Jeremy unknowingly buys a dragon egg.
Gr. 4-6
Dahl,
Roald. Matilda. Brilliant first-grader Matilda triumphs
over her book-hating parents and Miss Trunchbull, the odious
school principal. Gr.3-7
James
and the Giant Peach. When James escapes from his horrid
aunts inside a giant peach many magical adventures abound.
Gr. 3-6
Charlie
and the Chocolate Factory. Each of five children lucky
enough to find a ticket to Willy Wonka's magical chocolate
factory tries to take advantage of the situation in his own
way. Gr. 3-6
The
Witches. A boy and his grandmother thwart the plans of
England's witches to turn all children into mice. Gr. 4-6
Duane,
Diane. So You Want to be a Wizard. Thirteen year old Nita
finds the help she needs in a library book on wizardry and
is guided into another dimension where she earns her degree
in wizardry. Gr. 5-8 Sequels: Deep Wizardry, High Wizardry,
Wizard Abroad.
Eager,
Edward. Half Magic. Jane, Mark, Katharine and Martha find
a coin that grants half of every wish they make. Gr. 3-6
Knight's
Castle. Four children find their way into a mixed-up medieval
world where they become knights and battle giants. Gr.4-6
Magic
by the Lake. On vacation, siblings find themselves with
a lake full of magic which they must tame and learn how to
handle in order to find a treasure. Gr. 3-6
Magic
or Not? Did the four friends' wishes come true because
of magic, or was it only coincidence? Gr. 4-6 Sequel: The
Well Wishers.
Seven
Day Magic. The main characters in Susan's library book
turn out to be Susan, herself, and the friends who share her
seven magic adventures. Gr. 4-6
The
Time Garden. Four cousins discover a magic thyme garden
from which they embark on a number of adventures in time.
Gr. 4-6
Ende,
Michael. The Neverending Story. Bastian travels through
the aptly-named realm of Fantastica to complete a noble quest.
Gr. 5 - up
Furlong,
Monica. Wise Child. Abandoned by her parents, nine-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
Gardiner,
John. Stone Fox. Little Willie hopes to pay the back taxes
on his grandfather's farm with the award money from a dog
sled race. Gr. 3-5
Ibbotson,
Eva. The Secret of Platform 13. Odge, a young hag, accompanies
an old wizard, a gentle fey, and a giant ogre on their mission
through a magical tunnel to rescue their King's son. Gr. 4-7
Which
Witch? The Great Wizard of Arriman announces a competition
among the witches of Todcaster to see who will be his bride.
Gr. 4-7
Jacques,
Brian. Redwall Series. A series of adventures in which
a cast of heroic animal characters encounter danger, hairbreadth
escapes, mystery and despicable villains. Sequels: The Bellmaker,
The Great Redwall Feast, Legend of Luke, The Long Patrol,
Mariel of Redwall, Marlfox, Martin the Warrior, Mattimeo,
Mossflower, Outcast of Redwall, Pearls of Lutra, Redwall Winter's
Tale, Salamandastron. Gr. 5-9
Jones,
Diana Wynne. The Dark Lord of Derkholm. An unconventional
wizard and his magical family become involved in a plan to
stop the devastating tours of their world arranged by tyrannical
Mr. Chesney. Gr. 6-9
Howl's
Moving Castle. In the land of Ingary, such things as spells,
invisible cloaks, and seven league boots are everyday things.
Nothing is quite what it seems to be. Gr. 7-12
Witch
Week. Magical chaos fills class 6B when a group of witch
orphans begin playing magic tricks. Gr. 5-7
Juster,
Norton. The Phantom Tollbooth. Milo journeys through a
land where he discovers the importance of words, and number
provide a cure for his boredom. Gr. 4-7
Kaye,
N.M. The Ordinary Princess. At her christening, a princess
is given the gift of 'ordinariness' by a fairy. The consequences
of that eventually take her to a nearby palace where, having
run away to become the fourteenth assistant kitchenmaid, she
meets the prince for her. Gr. 4-6
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.
L'Engle,
Madeline. Time Fantasy series. Members of the Wallace
family travel through space and time to battle against cruelty,
injustice and intolerance in classic struggles between good
and evil. Sequels: A Wrinkle in Time, A Wind in the Door,
A Swiftly Tilting Planet, Many Waters. Gr.4-8
Levine,
Gail. Princess Tales Series. In this series of princess
stories there are fairies, curses and princes. Gr. 4-6 Stories:
Ella Enchanted,The Fairy's Mistake, Princess Sonora and the
Long Sleep, The PrincessTest.
Lewis,
C.S. Chronicles of Narnia Series. Lucy, Peter, Susan and
Edmund enter the magical world of Narnia through a mirrored
wardrobe and find a magical world of fauns, witches, nymphs,
dwarves and talking animals. They fight many battles and eventually
become rulers of the land. Gr. 4-8 Sequels: The Lion the Witch,
and the Wardrobe; Prince Caspian, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader,
The Silver Chair, The Horse and His Boy, The Magician's Nephew,
The Last Battle.
MacDonald,
Betty. Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle series. A grandmotherly person
who lives in an upside-down house, and was once married to
a pirate who left buried treasure in the yard, she is loved
by parents for her magical cures for tattletales, selfishness
and other problems. Gr. 3-6 Sequels: Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle's
Magic, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle's Farm, Hello, Mrs. Piggle Wiggle.
McCaffrey,
Anne. Harper-Hall trilogy. Forbidden by her father to
indulge in music in any way, Menolly of the planet Pern runs
away, taking refuge with the mythical fire lizards, and they,
along with her music open up a whole new world for her. Gr.
6-up
McGraw,
Eloise. The Moorchild. A changeling learns her true identity
and tries to find the human child whose place she has been
given. Gr. 4-8
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
The
Hero and the Crown. Aerlin, with the help of the wizard
Luth and a magic blue sword, wins the birthright due her as
the daughter of a King and a witch. Gr. 6-12
McMullan,
Kate. Dragon Slayers Academy series. Wiglaf, a student
at the Dragon Slayers Academy, and his friends have many adventures
while learning how to become dragon slayers extraordinare.
Gr. 4-7
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 long quest as the squire
to young Gawain of Orkney. Gr. 5-9
Nesbit,
E. Five Children and It. While digging in a sandpit, the
children discover a Psammead - a creature with mysterious
powers who leads the children into adventure and excitement.
Gr. 5-7 Sequels: The Phoenix and the Carpet, The Story of
the Amulet.
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. 5-9
O'Shea,
Pat. The Hounds of the Morrigan. The ancient book Pidge
found brings the evil Queen Morrigan and her two witchlike
assistants to his door, threatening the future of the world.
Gr. 6-9
Pierce,
Tamora. The Circle of Magic series. Four young outcasts
discover their magic powers. While still learning how to control
them they must battle deadly threats. Gr. 5-9
The
Immortals series. Dain accepts her gift of wild magic
and learns how valuable her powers will be to the kingdom's
future. Gr. 6-10
The
Lioness series. Alanna decides to ignore her magical powers
and disguises herself as a boy in order to train as a knight.
Gr.6-10
Pope,
Elizabeth. The Perilous Gard. In 1558 a young girl imprisoned
in a remote castle becomes involved in a series of events
that lead to an underground labyrinth where live the last
practitioners of Druid magic. Gr. 5-9
Prelutsky,
Jack. Monday's Troll. A collection of poems about witches,
ogres, wizards, giants, trolls, a yeti, and grubby goblins.
Gr. 3-5
Pullman,
Philip. The Golden Compass. Accompanied by her animal-like
daemon, Lyra tries to prevent her best friend and other kidnapped
children from being the subject of experiments. Gr. 6-10 Sequel:
The Subtle Knife.
Raskin,
Ellen. The Westing Game. The death of an eccentric millionaire
brings together an unlikely assortment of heirs who must uncover
the circumstances of his death before they can receive their
inheritances. Gr. 4-6
Richler,
Mordecai. Jacob Two-Two Meets the Hooded Fang. Unjustly
imprisoned by the Hooded Fang and other big people, Jacob
awaits the aid of Child Power to free him and 200 other children.
Gr. 3-5 Sequels: Jacob Two-Two and the Dinosaur, Jacob Two-Two's
First Spy Case.
San
Souci, Robert D. Young Merlin. The story of the life of
Merlin from his miraculous birth through the age of 17, before
he met King Arthur. Gr.4-8.
Sciezka,
Jon. The Time Warp Trio Series. Joe's uncle gives him
a book for his birthday that is really a time machine. It
envelops Joe and his friends in a green fog, twists them out
of shape, and lands them in any time they ask for. Gr. 3-6
Sequels: Knights of the Kitchen Table, The Not-So-Jolly Roger,
The Good the Bad and the Goofy, Your Mother Was a Neanderthal,
2095, Tut Tut, Summer Reading is Killing Me.
Steig,
William. Dominic. Dominic the dog finds many exciting
adventures and great danger fighting the Doomsday Gang when
he decides to go and see the world. Gr. 4-6
Strickland,
Brad. The Bell, the Book, and the Spellbinder. When Fergie
falls under the spell of an evil sorcerer, Johnny Dixon and
Professor Childermass risk their own lives to save him. Gr.
4-6
Thesman,
Jean. The Other Ones. High school sophomore Bridget Raynes
has to decide whether to accept her powers of witchcraft,
or abandon them and try to fit in as an ordinary teenager.
Gr. 6-8
Tolkien,
J. R. The Hobbit. Bilbo Baggins is a hobbit who lives
comfortably in his hobbit-hole until the wizard Gandalf comes
to take him on an adventure from which he may never return.
Gr. 6-up
Travers,
P.L. Mary Poppins. The wind brings a magical nanny to
two English children, and she introduces them to many interesting
people and places. Gr. 4-6
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. 4-6 Sequel: The Battle
for the Castle.
Wrede,
Patricia. The Enchanted Forest series. Princess Cimorene
would rather be eaten by a dragon than marry a dull prince
like a proper princess - so she volunteers to be captured
by the powerful dragon Kazul. Gr. 6-9 Sequels: Dealing with
Dragons, Searching for Dragons, Calling on Dragons, Talking
to Dragons.
This
list compiled and annotated by various children's librarians
who post to PUBYAC (Public Young Adult and Children's Librarian
listserv) and edited for Belvedere Tiburon Library by Heather
Anne Lamb. 11/10/99
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