Magical stories (9-12)
These books are brilliant for older children who want to get lost in a magical journey.
There are classics and new titles, picture books and chapter books and some books containing magic realism rather than traditional fantasy.
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City of Stolen Magic
Author: Nazneen Ahmed Pathak Illustrator: Sandhya Prabhat
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 9+
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City of Stolen Magic
Author: Nazneen Ahmed Pathak Illustrator: Sandhya Prabhat
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 9+
It is 1855 and the practice of magic is being eradicated from India under British rule. Many magical folk are going missing, and w…
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A Pinch of Magic
Author: Michelle Harrison
Interest level: 9-13
Reading age: 9+
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A Pinch of Magic
Author: Michelle Harrison
Interest level: 9-13
Reading age: 9+
Desperate for an adventure, Betty plans an outing to neighbouring Marshfoot on her 13th birthday. But then Granny breaks the devas…
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The Marvellers
Author: Dhonielle Clayton
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 9+
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The Marvellers
Author: Dhonielle Clayton
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 9+
Ella Durant is the first Conjuror to attend the Marveller school in the sky, but not everyone is welcoming. And then her favourite…
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Midnight For Charlie Bone
Author: Jenny Nimmo
Interest level: 10+
Reading age: 10+
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Midnight For Charlie Bone
Author: Jenny Nimmo
Interest level: 10+
Reading age: 10+
Charlie is unnerved to discover that he can hear people in photographs talking. His aunts take an unhealthy interest in his gift a…
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Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
Author: J K Rowling
Interest level: 9-14
Reading age: 9+
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Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
Author: J K Rowling
Interest level: 9-14
Reading age: 9+
After the misery of life with his ghastly aunt and uncle, Harry Potter is delighted to have the chance to embark on an exciting ne…
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A Riddle for a King
Author: Mark Forsyth Illustrator: Matthew Land
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 8+
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A Riddle for a King
Author: Mark Forsyth Illustrator: Matthew Land
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 8+
When Philo discovers a strange new world through a secret door in the grandfather clock, he embarks on an utterly bonkers, magical…
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The Voyage of Sam Singh
Author: Gita Ralleigh
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 9+
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The Voyage of Sam Singh
Author: Gita Ralleigh
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 9+
A thrilling historical adventure quest, with elements of magic realism, set in a fictionalised version of colonial India and explo…
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A Most Improper Magick
Author: Stephanie Burgis
Interest level: 10-12
Reading age: 10+
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A Most Improper Magick
Author: Stephanie Burgis
Interest level: 10-12
Reading age: 10+
A 21st-century take on Jane Austen's world, entertainingly viewed through the eyes of a 12-year-old heroine who discovers she has …
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The Secret of the Purple Lake
Author: Yaba Badoe Illustrator: Gbolahan Adams
Interest level: 7-11
Reading age: 8+
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The Secret of the Purple Lake
Author: Yaba Badoe Illustrator: Gbolahan Adams
Interest level: 7-11
Reading age: 8+
This collection of interlinked folk tales has a truly global feel, with stories reaching from Africa to the Orkney Islands, by way…
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The Last Dragonslayer
Author: Jasper Fforde
Interest level: 10+
Reading age: 10+
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The Last Dragonslayer
Author: Jasper Fforde
Interest level: 10+
Reading age: 10+
Times are tough for Jennifer Strange, manager of Kazam Mystical Arts - then predictions of a new Dragonslayer coming to slay the L…
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The Wonder Brothers
Author: Frank Cottrell-Boyce Illustrator: Steven Lenton
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 8+
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The Wonder Brothers
Author: Frank Cottrell-Boyce Illustrator: Steven Lenton
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 8+
A funny, glitter-spangled, mystery thriller for anyone who likes a dose of danger with their magic.
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Marvin and the Book of Magic
Author: Jenny Pearson Illustrator: Aleksei Bitskoff
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 7+
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Marvin and the Book of Magic
Author: Jenny Pearson Illustrator: Aleksei Bitskoff
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 7+
When Marvin discovers a book which grants magic wishes, he decides to use it to secure a win at the school talent show. This hilar…
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Oksa Pollock: The Last Hope
Author: Anne Plichota and Cendrine Wolf Translator: Sue Rose
Interest level: 10+
Reading age: 11+
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Oksa Pollock: The Last Hope
Author: Anne Plichota and Cendrine Wolf Translator: Sue Rose
Interest level: 10+
Reading age: 11+
The Oksa Pollock series has legions of fans all over the world, and this first installment leaves us in no doubt why.
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The Hidden Star
Author: K Sello Duiker
Interest level: 10-13
Reading age: 10+
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The Hidden Star
Author: K Sello Duiker
Interest level: 10-13
Reading age: 10+
Part mystery, part quest, this book uses magic realism to tell an absorbing story about friendship and courage, which is filled wi…
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The Elsewhere Emporium
Author: Ross MacKenzie
Interest level: 9-12
Reading age: 10+
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The Elsewhere Emporium
Author: Ross MacKenzie
Interest level: 9-12
Reading age: 10+
This cracking sequel to the Blue Peter Book Award-winning The Nowhere Emporium is chock full of magic and invention…
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The Girl Who Drank the Moon
Author: Kelly Barnhill
Interest level: 10-14
Reading age: 10+
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The Girl Who Drank the Moon
Author: Kelly Barnhill
Interest level: 10-14
Reading age: 10+
When babies are left in the forest as an offering, the witch Xan protects them and feeds them on starlight. But one day, Xan feeds…
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The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Author: C S Lewis
Interest level: 9+
Reading age: 9+
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The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Author: C S Lewis
Interest level: 9+
Reading age: 9+
When Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy - step through a wardrobe door in the strange country house where they are staying, they find t…
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Blackberry Blue
Author: Jamila Gavin Illustrator: Richard Collingridge
Interest level: 11+
Reading age: 11+
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Blackberry Blue
Author: Jamila Gavin Illustrator: Richard Collingridge
Interest level: 11+
Reading age: 11+
A stunning collection of mystical fairy tales that are at once exotic and fresh, and traditionally heartening.
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Scales and Scoundrels
Author: Author Sebastian Girner Illustrator: Galaad and Jeff Powell
Interest level: 10+
Reading age: 10-12
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Scales and Scoundrels
Author: Author Sebastian Girner Illustrator: Galaad and Jeff Powell
Interest level: 10+
Reading age: 10-12
Luvander and her companions go on an expedition to find The Hall of Dreaming Teasures. Their journey is like a cross between India…
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The Thief of Farrowfell
Author: Ravena Guron Illustrator: Alessia Trunfio
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 9+
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The Thief of Farrowfell
Author: Ravena Guron Illustrator: Alessia Trunfio
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 9+
Jude is infuriated when she realises that the rare magic she has stolen to impress her criminal family is protected by a curse. Da…
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The Cradle of All Worlds
Author: Jeremy Lachlan
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 9+
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The Cradle of All Worlds
Author: Jeremy Lachlan
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 9+
Jane Doe appeared on the steps of the mysterious Manor with her sick father as a baby, and ever since the residents of Bluehaven h…
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Archie Green and the Magician's Secret
Author: D D Everest
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 8+
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Archie Green and the Magician's Secret
Author: D D Everest
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 8+
If you love books that show you where the magical could be hiding in your everyday world then this is the book for you.
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The Wizards of Once
Author: Cressida Cowell
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 8+
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The Wizards of Once
Author: Cressida Cowell
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 8+
Wish is a girl from a warrior tribe and Xar is a boy from a wizard tribe, living in a world loosely based on Ancient Britain at th…
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