These exciting fantasy chapter books will appeal to kids who love mythical creatures, super powers, flying carpets, and magical adventures! Suspenseful plots and whimsical characters will grab readers' interest and turn your kids into voracious readers!.
These early chapter books all feature large fonts, plentiful illustrations and an easy reading length, perfect for 5-9 year olds. There is variation in reading level, so some are slightly harder than others. When I first started looking for early chapter books I learned a lot and wrote about my parent tips for finding early chapter books, so check that out for some helpful suggestions.
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The Princess in Black (series) by Shannon Hale and Dean Hale, illustrated by LeUyen Pham
When trouble is near Princess Magnolia and her horse/unicorn spring into action! With her secret identity she fights the local monsters when they harass the shepherd's charges. Tongue-in-cheek humor, color illustrations, spare text and a bit of action make this a great book for early readers.
The Fabled Stables (series) by Jonathan Auxier, illustrated by Olga Demidova
Willa the Wisp is the first title in The Fabled Stables series. Auggie lives on an island and has a job taking care of one-of-a-kind animals. His sidekick is a shape-shifting stick-like creature called a "Stick-in-the-Mud," named Fen. When a new stall magically appears in the stables, Auggie knows there is a creature who needs rescuing. Thus begins his quest to find and save a will-o'-the-wisp.
MORE: Early chapter books with an animal theme
Catwings (series) by Ursula K. Le Guin, illustrated by S. D. Schindler
Le Guin's classic fantasy adventure about winged cats is a short novel about 50 pages long. Four flying cats leave the city for the country, where they must overcome danger. Not to worry, all ends happily. Catwings novels also make exceptional read alouds, especially for early elementary-aged children.
MORE: Adventure early chapter books
Zapato Power: Freddie Ramos Takes Off (series) by Jacqueline Jules, illustrated by Miguel Benítez
I have a great love for Freddy Ramos. After all, he and his mom love to read together. One day Freddy receives a mysterious pair of shoes which turn out to have magical powers and Freddy, being the kind of boy he is, uses their power for good.
Mia Mayhem Is a Superhero (series) by Kara West, illustrated by Leeza Hernandez
This is a very easy chapter book series with large text and lots of illustrations. Mia is an 8-year-old girl who finds out she is a superhero when she receives an invitation to attend an after school program for In-Training Superheroes. Now she must figure out a way to be both a regular girl AND a secret superhero.
MORE: Superhero early chapter books
Zoey and Sassafras: Dragons and Marshmallows (series) by Asia Citro, illustrated by Marion Lindsay
Zoey is a can-do girl scientist who learns she has a super secret skill: she can see magical creatures. Her not-so secret skill is applying the scientific method to taking care of these creatures when they are injured. This charming early chapter book series that teaches kids scientific concepts with a fantasy twist is a welcome addition to a growing body of STEM literature.
MORE: Early chapter book series with girl protagonists
Grasshopper Magic (series) by Jynne Jonell, illustrated by Brandon Dorman
Find it: Amazon
In each book in the Magical Mix-up series, four siblings encounter a bit of magic, the source of which is beneath their lawn. The magic causes a chaotic effect on the children and they rally together to undo the magical mix up.
The Magician's Boy by Susan Cooper, illustrated by Serena Riglietti
A young magician's assistant waits patiently for the time when his employer will tell him he is ready to learn magic. When the magician's Saint George puppet disappears, the magician throws the boy into the "Land of Story." On his hunt to find Saint George, the boy meets familiar story book and nursery rhyme characters
Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher (series) by Bruce Coville
An eccentric shopkeeper insists Jeremy take home a mysterious box. Inside the box is an egg which hatches into a small dragon, and now Jeremy must quickly learn how to take care of it. The dragon cannot stick around forever, but tending him helps Jeremy discovers new ways of navigating the perils of tween-dom. There are several books in the series, all with children who suddenly come face to face with something magical.
MORE: Dragon books and series for kids
Polly Diamond and the Magic Book (series) by Alice Kuipers, illustrated by Diana Toledano
Polly is a charming heroine and this is a relentlessly (in a good way!) cheerful book. One day, Polly gets a book and is delighted to find out that whatever she writes comes true. But there is a catch, Polly must get the wording exactly right. Luckily, Polly loves words and stories. As you can imagine, things get a little out of hand but all is well in the end!
The Last Firehawk (series) by Katrina Charman, illustrated by Jeremy Norton
In the land of Perodia, an evil vulture named Thorn, aims to destroy the beautiful Valor Wood, which is protected by Owls of Valor. A barn owl, Tag, and his squirrel friend, Skyla, investigate the Howling Caves, where they find a golden egg that hatches into Blaze, a firehawk. The three set off to keep Thorn from finding the pieces to the fabled ember stone.
MORE: First chapter book series with boy protagonists
The Kingdom of Wrenly (series) by Jordan Quinn, illustrated by Robert McPhillips
This series is good for kids who like fantasy. I probably would have loved it as a kid, even though it's not stellar literature. Lucas is a reluctant prince. He'd rather dress in peasant clothes and hang out with the village children than hang around the palace. He makes friends with Clara, the daughter of a seamstress and the two team up to find the queen's missing emerald. Lots of traditional fantasy elements like fairies, wizards, mermaids will appeal to kids who like imaginative worlds.
Heidi Heckelbeck Has a Secret (series) by Wanda Coven.
Heidi comes complete with a glitter-covered cover. Heidi, home-schooled until now, is starting second grade. Her discovery that she is a witch doesn't come until the end of the book, which means your child will demand, "Next book, please!" And that is always a good thing. The large font and illustration-heavy pages make this series a good choice for emergent readers who want to feel like they are reading “real” chapter books.
MORE: Chapter books for kids not ready for Harry Potter
The Secrets of Droon by Tony Abbott
This is a fantasy series which uses a similar conceit to Magic Tree House, in which the characters have to piece together clues across a number of books. This series will keep kids reading!
MORE: Books like Magic Tree House
The Worst Witch (series) by Jill Murphy
This series takes place at a boarding school for magic kids. In the introductory novel, Mildred begins her first year by getting a black cat and a broom. Poor Mildred, however, is not exactly the most skillful, coordinated witch in her class and her cat is a tabby! She mixes up potions and spells causing all sorts of chaos (and fun, of course).
Earwig and the Witch by Diana Wynne Jones, illustrated by Paul O. Zelenski
I found Diana Wynne Jones’ final book fairly odd, but then so is the main character (you might expect the same from a girl named “Earwig”). Earwig was adopted by a very bizarre, but very magical couple. Shes hopes to learn magic, but is treated as a servant instead. However, the clever Earwig and a talking cat are soon able to outwit their guardians. This is for kids who love pure fantasy with odd-ball humor.
No Such Thing as a Witch by Ruth Chew
You could chose any one of Chew's classic Matter of Fact Magic series for a magical Halloween holiday read. Nora and Tad have a new neighbor who loves animals and whose delicious fudge has magical properties. But there's no such thing as a witch! Or is there?
Rebekah Gienapp says
What a great list! On this theme, I also recommend Cara and the Wizard by Liz Flanagan.
Erica MomandKiddo says
Thanks for the recommendation!
Rachel Schwartz says
I'm so thankful for your lists, this is great. I've got several on reserve at the library. Thank you!
Erica MomandKiddo says
Thanks, Rachel! I'm so glad the lists have been useful.
Katherine says
Hi there, I'm in Australia and I love your lists! 'Tashi' is a great series that's big in Australia -my boy and girls both love them. I highly recommend them for reluctant readers or someone that likes adventure stories and magical places. Didn't know if you've come across them before? Billie B. Brown is another great Australian series for kids that like Junie B. Jones. My girls devour them!
Keep up the great work!
Katherine
Erica MomandKiddo says
Thanks for the suggestions! Tashi is a great one, but I'm not familiar with Billie B Brown. I'll have to see if it is available here.
Lydia says
My sons loved the "Sister Magic" series.
Erica MomandKiddo says
Thank you for the recommendation.
Rachel Inbar says
Hi, I definitely recommend the book I recently published - Orange Sparkles - It's a magical story about kids who find themselves living in a new country with a new language - and then they stumble upon magic, which makes things more interesting and a little less confusing...