Recommended by the Children's Library, Mt. Lebanon Public Library, Pittsburgh, PA
www.mtlebanonlibrary.org

All books are located in juvenile fiction, arranged by the author's last name.
Other copies may be available; please ask a librarian for help.

Richard Adams 
THE WATERSHIP DOWN BOOKS 
(grades 5 and up) 
The legend-filled lives of a group of English  rabbits. 
1. Watership Down      
2. Tales from Watership Down

Lloyd Alexander
THE PRYDAIN CHRONICLES 
(grades 5 and up)
The boy Taran and the girl Eilonwy encounter epic adventures in the mythical  Celtic land of Prydain.
1. The Book of Three
2. The Black Cauldron
3. The Castle of Llyr
4. Taran Wanderer
5. The High King

Lynne Reid Banks
THE INDIAN IN THE CUPBOARD SERIES 
(grades 4 and up)
The plastic Indian is just the first toy that the magic cupboard brings to life.
1. The Indian in the Cupboard
2. The Return of the Indian
3. The Secret of the Indian
4. The Mystery of the Cupboard

Clive Barker
ABARAT
(grades 6 and up)
A Minnesota girl's live is forever changed when she finds herself in a whimsical fantasy land.
1. Abarat
2. Days of Magic, Nights of War

T. A. Barron
THE LOST YEARS OF MERLIN 
(grades 5 and up)
The teenage years of Merlin, as he discovers the power of his magic, are the
basis for these exciting Arthurian tales.
1. The Lost of Years Of Merlin
2. The Seven Songs of Merlin
3. The Fires of Merlin
4. The Mirror of Merlin
5. The Wings of Merlin

L. G. Bass
OUTLAWS OF MOONSHADOW MARSH
(grades 5 and up)
A young Chinese prince and his outlaw cohort must save humankind from destruction.
1. Sign of the Qin

L. Frank Baum
THE OZ BOOKS 
(grades 3 and up)
Did Dorothy return to Oz? Find out, and discover Ozma, Tik-Tok, the
Wooden Gargoyles, the Nome King, the Wogglebug, and other Ozites.
1. The Wizard of Oz
2. The Land of Oz
3. Ozma of Oz
4. Dorothy & the Wizard in Oz
5. The Road to Oz
6. The Emerald City of Oz
7. The Patchwork Girl of Oz
8. Tik-Tok of Oz
9 The Scarecrow of Oz
10. Rinkitink in Oz
11. The Lost Princess of Oz
12. The Tin Woodman of Oz
13. The Magic of Oz
14. Glinda of Oz

Grace Chetwin
Tales of Gom in the legends of Ulm 
(grades 5 and up)
A woodcutter's son discovers he has inherited  a special ability from his mother
to communicate with animals and nature.
1. Gom on Windy Mountain
2. The Riddle and the Rune
3. The Crystal Stair
4. The Starstone

John Christopher
THE SWORD OF THE SPIRITS TRILOGY 
(grades 6 and up)
Who are the Seers and what are the Spirits, in this future medieval society?
1. The Prince in Waiting
2. Beyond the Burning Lands
3. The Sword of the Spirits

Eoin Colfer
ARTEMIS FOWL
(grades 5 and up)
A 12 year old criminal mastermind  plots to get some Fairy gold, but when he kidnaps one of
"The People" she turns out to belong to the LEPrecon-
Lower Elements Police Reconnaissance.
1. Artemis Fowl
2. Artemis Fowl: The Arctic Incident
3. Artemis Fowl: The Eternity Code
4.  Artemis Fowl: The Opal Deception

Suzanne Collins
UNDERLAND CHRONICLES
(grades 5 and up)
Eleven-year-old Gregor and his two-year-old sister are pulled into a strange underground world 
beneath New York City  where they trigger an epic battle that involves 
the people, bats, rats, cockroaches, and spiders who populate this underworld.
1.Gregor the Overlander
2. Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane

Susan Cooper
THE DARK IS RISING SEQUENCE 
(grades 5 and up)
The struggle between the Light and the Dark is viewed through
encounters in modern England and Wales with figures of Celtic legend.
1. Over Sea, Under Stone
2. The Dark is Rising
3. Greenwitch
4. The Grey King
5. Silver on the Tree

W. J. Corbett
THE PENTECOST BOOKS 
(grades 6 and up)
The story of a strange mouse who leads his tribe from certain death.
1. The Song of Pentecost
2. Pentecost and the Chosen One

Diane Duane
THE YOUNG WIZARDS SERIES 
(grades 5 and up)
Two teenagers on Long Island train to be wizards and join in the dark battle of good versus evil.
1. So You Want to be a Wizard
2. Deep Wizardry
3. High Wizardry
4. A Wizard Abroad
5. The Wizard’s Dilemma
6. A Wizard Alone

Jeanne DuPrau
CITY OF EMBER
(grades 5 and up)
In a dark underground city with no natural light, failing electricity, and dwindling supplies,
two friends try to find a way out.
1. The City of Ember
2. People of Sparks

Edward Eager
THE MAGIC BOOKS 
(grades 4 and up)
The children in these books always find magic, but it never works exactly as they think it should.
1. Half Magic– What happens when only half of your wish comes true?
2. Magic by the Lake– Can the lake magic be tamed?
3. The Time Garden– There is confusion here between Thyme and Time.
4. Magic or Not?- A magic wishing well leads the children to a witch’s garden.
5. The Well-Wishers– Back to a magic well that they thought was played out.
6. Knight’s Castle– A very ancient toy soldier begins a magic adventure.

Catherine Fisher
THE ORACLE PROPHECIES
(grades 5 and up)
A girl chosen to be "Bearer of the God" sets out on a quest to find the true representative of God on Earth 
in a fantasy world much like ancient Greece and Egypt.
1.  The Oracle Betrayed
2. The Sphere of Secrets

Monica Furlong
THE JUNIPER BOOKS 
(grades 5 and up)
The magical girl Juniper grows up in medieval Cornwall surrounded by both beauty and harsh dangers.
1. Wise Child
2. Juniper
Other books:
Robin’s Country– An unusual Robin Hood novel.

Alan Garner
CELTIC MYTHOLOGY BOOKS 
(grades 5 and up)
The Moon of Gomrath– Two children accidentally awaken Celtic Gods.
The Owl Service– Alison moves to Wales meeting owls and ancient legend.

Charlotte Haptie
THE KARMIDEE
(grades 5 and up)
In the City of Trees live two sets of people: the Normal and the magical Karmidee.
Young Otto always thought his family was normal, until he discovers that his librarian father is actually
King of the Karmidee, his sisters can fly, and his grandmother can turn into a unicorn.
1.  Otto and the Flying Twins
2. Otto and the Bird Charmers

Erin Hunter
WARRIORS
(grades 6 and up)
A housecat finds that he is a brave warrior when he wanders into the forest where four clans of wild cats share power.
1. Into the Wild
2. Fire and Ice
3. Forest of Secrets
4. Rising Storm
5. A Dangerous Path

Brian Jacques
THE REDWALL BOOKS 
(grades 5 and up)
The chronicles of a warrior mouse, terrible rats, and good badgers.
1. Redwall
2. Mossflower
3. Mattimeo
4. Mariel of Redwall
5. Salamandastron
6. Martin the Warrior
7. The Bellmaker
8. Outcast of Redwall
9. Pearls of Lutra
10. The Long Patrol
11. Marlfox
12. The Legend of Luke
13. Lord Brocktree
14. Taggerung
15. Triss

Robin Jarvis
THE DEPTFORD MICE TRILOGY
(grades 5 and up)
 A community of mice battle evil, sewer-dwelling rats.
1. The Dark Portal
2. The Crystal Prison
3. The Final Reckoning

Diana Wynne Jones
THE DALEMARK QUARTET 
(grades 5 and up)
The mythical Kingdom of Dalemark with warring earls and evil magicians.
1. Cart & Cwidder
2. Drowned Ammet
3. The Spellcoats
4. The Crown of Dalemark
Other books:
Castle in the Air– Magic carpets, evil djinns, floating castles.
Eight Days of Luke– What is Luke’s connection with the giant snakes?
Howl’s Moving Castle– An amusing fantasy about 3 sisters and a witch.
The Lives of Christopher Chant– Dreams lead a boy to his strange inheritance as ward of an enchanter.
(Part of The Chrestromanci Quartet.)

Jane Langton
THE HALL FAMILY CHRONICLES 
(grades 4 and up)
The Hall children of Massachusetts, who live in a house full of secrets from
the past, share mysterious and magical adventures.
1. The Diamond in the Window
2. The Swing in the Summerhouse
3. The Astonishing Stereoscope
4. The Fledgling
5. The Fragile Flag
6. The Time Bike

Ursula LeGuin
THE EARTHSEA TRILOGY 
(grades 5 and up)
In the first book, the boy Sparrowhawk goes from a small island to a
wizard’s school. The story is continued in the next two books with the
young girl Arha, and the boy Arren battling the dark side of magic.
1. The Wizard of Earthsea
2. The Tombs of Atuan
3. The Farthest Shore

Madeleine L’Engle
THE TIME QUARTET 
(grades 4 and up)
Classic fantasies in which three children travel through time and space to
save the people they love as well as to protect the world.
1. A Wrinkle in Time
2. A Wind in the Door
3. A Swiftly Tilting Planet
4. Many Waters

C. S. Lewis
THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA 
(grades 4 and up)
Narnia, a land filled with talking animals and ruled by a mystic lion.
1. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
2. Prince Caspian
3. The Voyage of the Dawntreader
4. The Silver Chair
5. The Horse and His Boy
6. The Magician’s Nephew
7. The Final Battle

Anne McCaffrey
THE HARPERS HALL BOOKS 
(grades 5 and up)
On Pern, Mennolly finds fire lizards and becomes a harper against all odds.
1, Dragonsong
2. Dragonsinger
3. Dragondrums
Other series:
Dragonriders of Pern

Tom McGowan
THE AGE OF MAGIC TRILOGY 
(grades 5 and up)
Trolls, dragons, and humans are enemies, but need to learn to cooperate.
1. The Magical Fellowship
2. A Trial of Magic
3. A Question of Magic
Other books:
The Shadow of Fomor– The evil Fomoiri pursue a young American.
The Magician’s Challenge– A young pickpocket becomes a magician.


Robin McKinley
THE DAMAR BOOKS 
(grades 6 and up)
A girl enters Damar where magic rules both horses and people
The Blue Sword
The Hero and the Crown
Other books:
Outlaws of Sherwood– Robin Hood’s adventures. (j 398.27)
Beauty & Rose Daughter– Two retellings of Beauty and the Beast.

E. Nesbit
THE PSAMMEAD TRILOGY 
(grades 5 and up)
Three fantasy adventures from the early 1900s, 
featuring a sand-fairy and others.
1. Five Children and It
2. The Phoenix and the Carpet
3. The Story of the Amulet
Other books:
The Complete Book of Dragons
The Enchanted Castle

Jenny Nimmo
Children of the Red King
(grades 4 and up)
At Bloor Academy, for the endowed descendants of the Red King,  
Charlie Bone, who can hear voices in pictures, 
encounters other students who have
 wizardly powers which some use for good and some for evil.
1. Midnight for Charlie Bone
2. Charlie Bone and the Time Twister
3. Charlie Bone and the Invisible Boy

Garth Nix
THE ABHORSEN TRILOGY
(grades 6 and up)
The daughter of a necromancer fights the powers of darkness in the land of Death 
where she and her father are trapped in their battle 
to stop the dead who seek to return to the land of the living.
1.  Sabriel
2.  Lirael: Daughter of the Clayr
3.  Abhorsen 

Kenneth Oppel
SILVERWING
(grades 5 and up)
A small bat becomes separated from his colony and tries to rejoin them as well as save
them from marauding cannibal bats.
1.Silverwing
2. Sunwing
3. Firewing
Other Books:
Airborn

Christopher Paolini
The Inheritance Trilogy
(grades 5 and up)
A young farm boy’ s life is forever changed 
when he finds a rare dragon’s egg and discovers that he and 
the hatchling are to play a vital role together 
in the coming war between good and evil. 
1. Eragon
2. Eldest (August 2005)

Tamora Pierce
SONG OF THE LIONESS QUARTET 
(grades 5 and up)
When Alanna switches places with her twin brother so she can train as a
knight, she feels that she has found her true calling. In her adventures she
also discovers a gift of magic and a strong desire to battle evil.
1. Alanna: The First Adventure
2. In the Hand of a Goddess
3. The Woman Who Rides Like a Man
4. Lioness Rampant: Song of the Lioness
Other series:
Protector of the Small
Circle of Magic
The Immortals

Terry Pratchett
DISCWORLD
(grades 6 and up)
As part of the Discworld series of fantasies written for adults, these books for children introduce Tiffany Aching,
a witch-in-training, and her companions, the blue, tattooed, 6-inch high Wee Free Men.
1.  The Wee Free Men
2.  A Hat Full of Sky

Philip Pullman
HIS DARK MATERIALS 
(grades 6 and up)
The epic award-winning fantasy of two ordinary children in an
extraordinary adventure in which they are in the midst of a battle between
good and evil, armored bears, angels, flying witches and dust.
1. The Golden Compass
2. The Subtle Knife
3. The Amber Spyglass

J. K. Rowling
THE HARRY POTTER BOOKS 
(grades 4 and up)
Harry Potter is an orphan living with his dreadful aunt and uncle until he
is sent to Hogwarts, a school for wizardry.
1. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
2. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
3. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
4. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
5. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
6.  Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (July 2005)

Margery Sharp
THE RESCUERS BOOKS 
(grades 4 and up)
The unforgettable Miss Bianca, Bernard, and the Mouse Prisoner’s Aid
Society.
1. The Rescuers
2. Miss Bianca
3. The Turret
4. Miss Bianca in the Orient
5. Miss Bianca in the Salt Mines
6. Bernard the Brave
7. Bernard into Battle

Sherwood Smith
THE WREN TRILOGY 
(grades 5 and up)
All her life, Wren had hoped for an adventure, but, when she leaves the
orphanage, wicked beasts and magicians make her have second thoughts.
1. Wren to the Rescue
2. Wren’s Quest
3. Wren’s War

Jonathan Stroud
THE BARTIMAEUS TRILOGY
(grades 5 and up)
In London, a 12 year old magician summons a 5000 year old djinni (who provides some very funny narration)
to steal an amulet and thus get revenge on a vicious magician.
1.  The Amulet of Samarkand
2.  The Golem's Eye

J. R. R. Tolkien
THE MIDDLE-EARTH BOOKS
The Hobbit
(grades 4 and up)
An introduction to hobbits, dwarves, elves, etc.

THE LORD OF THE RINGS TRILOGY 
(grades 6 and up)
The fate of Middle-Earth rests on the shoulders of the hobbit, Frodo.
1. The Fellowship of the Ring
2. The Two Towers
3. The Return of the King

Elizabeth Winthrop
THE CASTLE BOOKS 
(grades 4 and up)
An ancient Roman coin sends a young boy back to the Middle Ages.
1. The Castle in the Attic
2. The Battle for the Castle

Patricia Wrede
ENCHANTED FOREST CHRONICLES 
(grades 6 and up)
Bored with palace life, a princess goes to live with the dragons and soon
becomes involved in the fight against disreputable wizards.
1. Dealing with Dragons
2. Searching for Dragons
3. Calling on Dragons
4. Talking to Dragons

Jane Yolen
THE YOUNG MERLIN TRILOGY 
(grades 5 and up)
An abandoned boy in Old England, lives alone in the forest, until tamed.
1. Passager
2. Hobby
3. Merlin
Other books:
Dragon’s Blood (grades 6 and up)
Wizard’s Hall (grades 5 and up)
Sword of the Rightful King: A Novel of King Arthur (grades 5 and up)

And don’t forget these other great fantasies:

Dave Barry-
Peter and the Starcatchers
An orphan and a young Starcatcher aboard the ship Never Land guard magical stardust from a greedy pirate.

Fran Billingsley–
The Folk Keeper
Disguised as a boy to keep the Evil Folk away, 
a young girl discovers her heritage as a seal maiden.

Bruce Coville-
The Dragonslayers
Three companions set out to slay a dragon .

Roald Dahl–
The Witches
A boy and his grandmother try to stop a group of witches from turning 
the world's children into mice.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Five children win tickets to tour a magical chocolate factory.
James and the Giant Peach
When he runs away from his wicked aunts, a boy embarks on an adventure with 6 insects inside a giant peach.
Matilda
A girl with special mental powers tries to replace her evil teacher with the nice Miss Honey.

Cornelia Funke-
The Thief Lord
Two runaway bothers find protection from Venice's "Thief Lord."
Inkheart
A girl's father can bring book characters to life.
Dragon Rider
A dragon, a brownie and a boy journey to a legendary valley.

Shannon Hale-
The Goose Girl
A betrayed princess becomes a goose girl in order to survive.

Eva Ibbotson–
Dial-A-Ghost
Nice ghosts protect a child from her evil guardians.
The Secret of Platform 13
Four companions travel from their magical island to London to rescue the son of their King & Queen.

Sherryl Jordan-
The Hunting of the Last Dragon
A peasant and Chinese noblewoman travel to a dragon’s lair.

Norton Juster–
The Phantom Tollbooth
Bored Milo takes a magical journey where he learns the importance of worlds and numbers.

Edith Pattou-
East
A young woman and an enchanted bear travel to a distant castle.

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Mt. Lebanon Public Library
Children’s Library
16 Castle Shannon Blvd.
Pittsburgh, PA 15228
412/531-1913
www.mtlebanonlibrary.org
5/05