F
VAN
The Sweetest Fig (age 8-11)
by Chris Van Allsburg
fantasy ... magic
Catalog: After being given two magical figs that make his dreams come true, Monsieur Bibot sees his plans for future wealth upset by his long-suffering dog.
F
YOL
Dove Isabeau (age 8-11)
by Jane Yolen
fantasy ... magic
Catalog: Young, beautiful Dove Isabeau is turned into a fire-breathing dragon by her evil stepmother and is saved from the spell by her true love, Kemp Owain.
F
EDW
The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles (age 8-11)
by Julie Andrews Edwards
adventure ... humor ... magic ... fantasy
Publisher comments: The Whangdoodle was once the wisest, the kindest, and the most extraordinary creature in the world. Then he disappeared and created a wonderful land for himself and all the other remarkable animals — the ten-legged Sidewinders, the little furry Flukes, the friendly Whiffle Bird, and the treacherous, "oily" Prock. It was an almost perfect place where the last of the really great Whangdoodles could rule his kingdom with "peace, love and a sense of fun" — apart from and forgotten by people. But not completely forgotten. Professor Savant believed in the Whangdoodle. And when he told the three Potter children of his search for the spectacular creature, Lindy, Tom, and Ben were eager to reach Whangdoodleland. With the Professor's help, they discovered the secret way. But waiting for them was the scheming Prock, who would use almost any means to keep them away from his beloved king. Only by skill and determination were the four travelers able to discover the last of the really great Whangdoodles and grant him his heart's desire.
F
DIC
The Magician's Elephant (age 8-11)
by Kate Dicamillo
fantasy ... magic
Publisher comments: When a fortuneteller's tent appears in the market square of the city of Baltese, orphan Peter Augustus Duchene knows the questions that he needs to ask: Does his sister still live? And if so, how can he find her? The fortuneteller's mysterious answer (an elephant! An elephant will lead him there!) sets off a chain of events so remarkable, so impossible, that you will hardly dare to believe its true. With atmospheric illustrations by fine artist Yoko Tanaka, here is a dreamlike and captivating tale that could only be narrated by Kate DiCamillo. In this timeless fable, she evokes the largest of themes hope and belonging, desire and compassion with the lightness of a magicians touch.
F
CRE
Time Out (age 8-11)
by Helen Cresswell
science fiction ... adventure ... magic
Twelve-year-old Tweeny and her parents, servants in a London house in 1887, use a book of magic spells to travel forward in time 100 years and find the England of 1987 to be an astonishing place.
F
ALE
The Wizard in the Tree (age 8-11)
by Lloyd Alexander
fantasy ... magic ... folklore
When Mallory notices that there's something funny about an old oak tree, she takes a closer look and breaks a magical spell. Arbican the wizard has been trapped in the oak for thousands of years and his powers are gone. Will he get them back in time to save Mallory's village from greedy Squire Scrupner?
F
ALE
The Cat Who Wished to Be a Man (age 8-11)
by Lloyd Alexander
identity ... magic
When he begins dealing with humanity, Lionel the cat begins to understand why his wizard master was reluctant to change him into a man.
F
BEL
The Johnny Dixon Mysteries (age 8-11)
by John Bellairs
magic ... spooky ... mystery
Thirteen-year-old Johnny Dixon joins Professor Childermass to take on the forces of evil...both natural and supernatural.
title: The Eyes of the Killer Robot
title: The Mummy, the Will, and the Crypt
F
BAR
The Never Land Series (age 8-11)
by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson
princesses ... war ... adventure ... magic ... humor
Little Scallop should be happy. She's a princess of the Mollusk tribe, rulers of beautiful Mollusk Island. And she has two fun friends, Aqua and Surf, who just happen to be mermaids. But Little Scallop is bored. Her warrior brothers are allowed to do exciting things, and Little Scallop longs to have a real adventure, too. So late one night, she sneaks off into forbidden waters with Aqua and Surf. That's when the trouble starts. The question is: can she and her friends get out of it?
title: Escape From the Carnivale: a Never Land Book
title: Cave of the Dark Wind: a Never Land Book
F
ROD
The Rondo Series (age 8-11)
by Emily Rodda
action ... adventure ... fantasy ... magic
There are three rules to the old painted, music box: Wind the box three times only. Never shut the box when the music is playing. Never move the box before the music stops. Leo wouldn't dream of breaking these rules, but does his stubborn cousin Mimi listen? She winds the box four times, and suddenly the paintings on its side come to life and a powerful witch is released. Now its up to Leo and Mimi to stop the witch, if only they can find the key to the music box, and the magical world it controls.
title: The Key to Rondo
F
CHE
Witch in the House (age 8-11)
by Ruth Chew
fantasy ... magic
A witch in the house has to bring with it the unexpected.
F
CHE
What the Witch Left (age 8-11)
by Ruth Chew
fantasy ... magic
Two little girls have magical adventures with a strange assortment of items they find in a locked drawer.
F
CHE
The Magic Series (age 8-11)
by Ruth Chew
adventure ... magic ... fantasy
A great deal of trouble often accompanies a little bit of magic.
title: The Trouble with Magic
F
GRI
Fortune Cookie Castle (age 8-11)
by Lee Grimes
mystery ... magic
Cap and Lisa encounter monsters, ghosts, and secret passageways when they try to help Duke Lothrio free his castle from an evil spell.
F
GRE
Eating Ice Cream With a Werewolf (age 8-11)
by Phyllis Green
humor ... fantasy ... magic
A wacky baby sitter and her book of spells keep a twelve-year-old and his little sister guessing while their parents are away.
F
IBB
Not Just a Witch (age 8-11)
by Eva Ibbotson
fantasy ... humor ... magic
Heckie, a graduate of one of the best witch schools, settles in the town of Wellbridge, determined to find evildoers and turn them into animals. But Heckie's do-gooding lands her in big trouble.
F
YOL
The Young Merlin Trilogy (age 8-11)
by Jane Yolen
magic ... growing up ... fantasy ... folklore
A boy is abandoned in the woods of medieval England. A year passes--a year of terror and hunger, of sleeping in trees and foraging for food, of outrunning packs of wild dogs--until one day a falconer captures and tames the boy as he would any passager, a young bird caught in the wild and trained. The falconer adopts the boy and teaches him all of the things he's forgotten, including the boy's true name--and the legacy of magic that will be his when he comes of age.
title: Merlin: the Young Merlin Trilogy, Book Three
F
CUY
Invisible in the Third Grade (age 8-11)
by Margery Cuyler
traditions ... humor ... magic
Alex has fun fooling his family and his fellow third graders when he finds a brand of bubble gum that turns him invisible, but his pranks get out of hand on Halloween night.
F
TRA
Mary Poppins Series (age 8-11)
by P. L. Travers
growing up ... magic ... humor ... fantasy
An extraordinary English nanny blows in on the East Wind with her parrot-headed umbrella and magic carpetbag and introduces her charges, Jane and Michael, to some delightful people and experiences.
title: Mary Poppins
F
WIL
The Velveteen Rabbit: or, How Toys Become Real (age 8-11)
by Margery Williams
friendship ... magic
By the time the velveteen rabbit is dirty, worn out, and about to be burned, he has almost given up hope of ever finding the magic called Real.
F
ROD
Deltora Quest Series (age 8-11)
by Emily Rodda
action ... adventure ... fantasy ... magic
In the first book of this series, Forest of Silence, the evil Shadow Lord is plotting to invade the land of Deltora and enslave its people. All that stands against him is the magic Belt of Deltora with its seven stones of great and mysterious power. In secrecy, with only a hand-drawn map to guide them, two unlikely companions set out on a dangerous quest. Determined to find the lost stones and rid their land of the Shadow Lord, they struggle toward their first goal--the sinister Forests of Silence.
title: The Forests of Silence
title: The Lake of Tears
title: City of the Rats
title: The Shifting Sands
title: Dread Mountain
title: The Maze of the Beast
title: The Valley of the Lost
title: Return to Del
F
KEN
Circle of Doom (age 8-11)
by Tim Kennemore
family ... humor ... magic
One day, Lizzie Sharp decides to concoct a potion to cast a spell on her family's only neighbors, the unbearable, ancient Potwards. The very next day, Mrs. Potward breaks her hip and the couple disappear forever. It could be just a coincidence, but Lizzie is convinced of her own magical powers, and the temptation to involve both her younger brothers in her ambitious spellmaking plans is irresistible. As one potion leads to another, all three Sharp children become ridiculously entangled in a web of secrets, conspiracies, and misunderstandings.
F
COV
Magic Shop Series (age 8-11)
by Bruce Coville
fantasy ... friendship ... magic ... humor
Problems of the real world are nothing compared to the problems stirred up in Mr. Elives' Magic Shop, where young customers leave with more than they bargained for.
title: Jennifer Murdley's Toad
title: The Skull of Truth
title: Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher
F
RYL
The Van Gogh Cafe (age 8-11)
by Cynthia Rylant
fantasy ... magic
The Van Gogh Cafe, located in Flowers, Kansas, has magic in its walls, causing strange and mysterious events to occur.
F
ROD
The Rowan Series (age 8-11)
by Emily Rodda
magic ... fantasy ... adventure ... knights/castles/dragons
Because only he can read the magical map, young, weak and timid Rowan joins six other villagers to climb a mountain and try to restore their water supply, as fears of a dragon and other horrors threaten to drive them back.
title: Rowan of Rin
title: Rowan and the Ice Creepers
title: Rowan and the Keeper of the Crystal
title: Rowan and the Travelers
title: Rowan and the Zebak
F
FLE
The Midnight Horse (age 8-11)
by Sid Fleischman
adventure ... spooky ... magic
On a coach bound for Cricklewood, the orphan boy Touch caught his first glimpse of the haunt named The Great Chaffalo. According to rumor, he was once a famous magician who could turn a pile of straw into a horse. Now, Touch needs the ghost's help in order to escape his wicked great-uncle. So, with an armload of straw and a determined spirit, Touch makes his plea to The Great Chaffalo, and, magically, a horse appears! But can magic save Touch when his great-uncle's schemes grow even more villainous?
F
EAG
Magic or Not? (age 8-11)
by Edgar Eager
magic ... fantasy ... adventure
When the family moves to Connecticut, twins James and Laura make new friends and begin a series of unusual adventures after discovering an old well that seems to be magic in their backyard.
F
EAG
Seven-day Magic (age 8-11)
by Edgar Eager
magic ... fantasy ... adventure
A seven-day book of magic proves to be fractious for five children, who must learn the book's rules and tame its magic.
F
EAG
Half Magic (age 8-11)
by Edgar Eager
knights/castles/dragons ... magic ... fantasy ... adventure
Four children looking forward to an ordinary summer enjoy a series of fantastic adventures by double-wishing on an ancient coin.
sequel: Magic by the Lake
F
BAN
The Indian in the Cupboard (age 8-11)
by Lynne Reid Banks
adventure ... magic
Publisher comments: It all starts with a birthday present Omri doesn't even want; a small plastic Indian of no use to him at all. But when an old wooden cupboard and a special key bring the unusual toy to life, Omri's Indian becomes his most important secret: precious, dangerous, wonderful, and above all, magical.
sequel: The Return of the Indian
F
AMA
The Word Eater (age 8-11)
by Mary Amato
fantasy ... magic ... school
Catalog: Lerner Chanse, a new student at Cleveland Park Middle School, finds a worm that magically makes things disappear, and she hopes it will help her fit in, or get revenge, at her hated school.

Escondido Elementary School, Sat Aug 25 11:55:29 2012
Other themes and genres