Children have this exceptional ability to allow their mind to wander into bizarre and outrageous worlds. Fantasy series books offer a place for children's dreams to come alive over an extended period for both the characters and the reader.
Fantasy for Beginning Readers
Looniverse
In the Looniverse books, David Lubar introduces early readers to Ed, a normal boy whose life is turned upside down when he discovers an odd coin.
- Stranger Things: After discovering a strange coin that says 'strange, stranger,' everything around Ed bursts into chaos. Ed must figure out why all these weird things are happening and how to stop them.
- Meltdown Madness: Ed is learning to control his new powers, but he doesn't have it down quite yet. The book follows his adventures as he inadvertently ruins the chocolate bars he's supposed to sell for his soccer team. How will he get himself out of this mess?
- Dinosaur Disaster: Ed's new abilities give him the opportunity to experience a dinosaur, up-close and personal.
- Stage Fright: Kids will laugh out loud as the follow Ed and his adventures entering a play-writing contest.
Dragon Masters
The Dragon Masters series follows Dragon-Masters-in-training Drake, Bo, Ana, and Rori as they learn how to connect with and train their dragons. In this illustrated series by Tracey West, early readers can start their love of fantasy with dragons, a king, wizards, and magic.
- Rise of the Earth Dragon: Eight-year-old Drake is taken to the king's castle to be trained as a Dragon Master. He, along with the other main characters, Drake, Bo, Ana, and Rori, must learn about the dragons' special powers as they are tested to see if they have what it takes to become Dragon Masters.
- Saving the Sun Dragon: When one of the dragons becomes sick, the Dragon masters must travel far and wide to find a cure.
- Secret of the Water Dragon: Join the dragon masters as they go on an all out quest to figure out whose trying to steal the Dragon Stone.
- Power of the Fire Dragon: A giant dragon attacks the castle and it's up to Drake and Rori to stop the attack.
The Magic Tree House
The Magic Tree House series follow brother and sister Jack and Annie, who discover a magical tree house filled with books. The magic in the books whisks them away on many adventures through time and across different worlds where they need to use research, riddles, and courage to solve problems and help those in need.
With over 50 titles divided into two sections, the second of which (The Merlin Missions) are longer than the first, this series is sure to keep kids interested and educated for the long haul. Popular titles include:
There are also over 20 nonfiction companions, known as Magic Tree House Fact Trackers, that give readers an easy way to find out more about their favorite places, subjects, and time periods.
Fantasy for Grades 3-5
The Spiderwick Chronicles
The Spiderwick Chronicles, by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black, tell the story of Simon, Jared, and Mallory Grace who discover a world of faeries after moving into the Spiderwick Estate.
- The Field Guide: The Grace children discover secret rooms and books in their new home. A brownie named Thimbletack accuses the children of destroying his nest and wreaks havoc on the family.
- The Seeing Stone: Simon goes missing at the hand of scary goblins. Jared and Mallory have to figure out how to get him back before it's too late.
- Lucinda's Secret: The Grace children realize that the only way to get rid of the bridge troll, griffin and other creatures plaguing them right now is to get rid of the book, except they can't. The only person who has the answers that they need is crazy Aunt Lucinda!
- The Ironwood Tree: The guide has mysteriously disappeared. Can the Grace children get it back and figure out what's been killing the plants and animals in town?
- The Wrath of Mulgarath: With their mother kidnaped, and the guide gone, the Grace children set out to rescue Arthur Spiderwick and defeat Mulgarath's army.
A number of companion books have been published alongside this series. There is also a second series - Beyond the Spiderwick Chronicles.
Sisters Grimm
Sabrina and Daphne Grimm find themselves living in a town of live characters from fantasy and fairy tales, called Everafters. Working as detectives in the family business, they solve mysteries that might be connected to the disappearance of their parents. Michael Buckley offers this fantastic series in nine books. The Fairy-Tale Detectives is the first book in the series where the reader meets the Grimm sisters. They are sent to live with their mysterious grandmother after the disappearance of their parents. They learn of their relation to the Brothers Grimm and join the family fairy-tale detective business. Other books in the series include:
- The Unusual Suspects
- The Problem Child
- Once Upon a Crime
- Magic and Other Misdemeanors
- Tales from The Hood
- The Everafter War
- The Inside Story
- The Council of Mirrors
How To Train Your Dragon
In this action-packed series, Cressida Cowell introduces readers to Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III. Watch as Hiccup grows from a boy to a Viking Hero and 'Dragon Whisperer.' There are currently twelve books in the series, and box sets are available. In the first book, How to Train Your Dragon, Hiccup and a group of young boys on the Island of Berk are instructed to catch a dragon and train it to become full members of the tribe. Other titles in the series include:
- How to Be a Pirate
- How to Speak Dragonese
- How to Cheat a Dragon's Curse
- How to Twist a Dragon's Tail
- A Hero's Guide to Deadly Dragons
- How to Ride a Dragon's Storm
- How to Break a Dragon's Heart
- How to Steal a Dragon's Sword
- How to Seize a Dragon's Jewel
- How to Betray a Dragon's Hero
- 12th book is due to release late in 2015
Fantasy for 5th Grade and Up
The Chronicles of Narnia
C.S. Lewis takes you on a journey to the land of Narnia, where anything is possible and talking beasts and witches await. The Chronicles of Narnia explores the adventures of various children who play important roles in the history of Narnia. There are seven books in this series, and while the Magician's Nephew is first in the series, it's The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe which is probably the most well-known of the seven books.
In The Magician's Nephew, Digory Kirke and Polly Plummer become friends and are tricked into travelling to another world. When they accidentally awaken a witch, Aslan the lion creates a new world to contain her.
In The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, four children step through a wardrobe into the land of Narnia which is enslaved by the white witch. However, Aslan returns, just in time.
- The Horse and His Boy
- Prince Caspian
- The Voyage of Dawn Treader
- The Silver Chair
- The Last Battle
Harry Potter
There are few who haven't heard of the magical world of Harry Potter. With movies corresponding to each book and a themed amusement park in Florida, this series is more like an experience for children and adults. Eleven-year-old Harry Potter finds out he is no ordinary boy, but a wizard - and a famous one at that. As a baby he thwarted the darkest wizard there was and now he must kill the dark lord once and for all. J.K. Rowling wrote seven books for the series, each following Harry and his friends, Ron and Hermione, as they begin a new year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Titles in the series include:
- Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
The Inheritance Cycle
The Inheritance Cycle was written by Christopher Paolini. The series is made up of four books that chronicle the adventures of Eragon, a poor farm boy who takes his rightful place as a Dragon Rider. The books in there series include:
- Eragon: Eragon, a poor farm boy, discovers that he is actually a Dragon Rider. He is given a dragon, a sword, and sage advice from an old storyteller as he realizes that he has been swept into a magical empire. His choices will either save or destroy the empire.
- Eldest: Eragon must travel to the land of the elves to further his training as a Dragon Rider.
- Brisingr: Eragon continues to battle in the empire. Only this time, he has gotten himself into trouble by making promises he cannot keep.
- Inheritance: The final book chronicles Eragon in his epic battle against the evil king of the empire.
Septimus Heap
Leap into the magical world of Septimus Heap, who holds great magical abilities as the seventh son of a seventh son. The books chronicle his 'ExtraOrdinary' wizardry training as he learns to control and use his magical powers. In Magyk, the first book, the Heaps discover their beloved Septimus missing and declared dead by the midwife. Later, they find another newborn bundle in the snow and take her in. However, questions surround them. What happened to Septimus, and who is this mysterious baby girl? Other books in the series include:
- Flyte
- Physik
- Quest
- Syren
- Darke
- Fyre
Cultivate Your Child's Imagination
Reading fantasy series to, or with, your child allows you both the chance to show off your creative side. The genre offers a magical experience for kids while a series enhances their ability to stick with something long-term, making fantasy series a win-win for parents and kids.
