Magic comes in a range of strengths. There are a lot of books around like Harry Potter for those of you who want something similar.
If you are an older reader and you enjoy stories of magic and fantasy but would like to see a more serious treatment of the battle of good against evil than Harry Potter, or if you prefer your wizards to be a bit more awesome than Professor Dumbledore, then you might like to have a look further down the list. You might also like to look at my articles: 'The battle of good against evil' and 'The power of naming'.
The Old Ones have escaped from their prison and are bringing great evil and destruction to the world. Only the Five can stop them, but the Five are lost and in disarray.
If Matt really is the first of the five, how can he find the others? And what are they supposed to do? There's a tight deadline here, to save the world.
Matt is the first of The Five to be found. He has to find the other four. He's in a battle against the Old Ones. It's a race against time. And he doesn't even know it yet.
Kids who converse with ghosts on a regular basis need Professional Help, right? But will Milrose Munce survive to tell the tale?
Martin Lewis, next in line of a long line of Martin Lewis's, who have all perished in the bell tower of the church at Midwinter Lucie. Can our Martin find out why...and prevent his own death?
More adventures with Barnaby Grimes as he runs errands across the city, through the alleys and over the rooftops. But there are dark forces to match himself against.
Quick-witted tick-tock boy meets wolf on rooftops. Disposes of same. Solves wicked mystery. Unsung hero.
Rossamund, fresh out of the foundlingery, makes his way in a world where monsters roam.
The world needs saving, but humans aren't up to the job...maybe mutant bird kids are?
Hazel stays in the country with her Aunt and cousin. Oh, and they are both seriously weird and the place is scary.
The Harsh are stealing time again and it's up to Owen the Navigator and Cati the Watcher to do what they can...
It's literally a battle against time, where the Resistors fight to keep time ticking, and the terrible Harsh fight to turn the clock back to primal solitude. Owen discovers he has a role to play in the fight, like his father before him...
Rossamund, fresh out of the foundlingery, makes his way in a world where monsters roam.
Six bird kids on the run from the science lab/prison/school where they were created as an experiment. Oh yes, and this time they save the world too...
Six bird kids on the run from the science lab/prison/school where they were created as an experiment.
Six bird kids on the run from the science lab/prison/school where they were created as an experiment.
Locked away for no reason. Stripped of name, shaved of hair, dressed in grey. Little Fearless fights against the injustice for herself and all the other girls who aren't so brave.
It's magical. Out of this world in fact. And Berry's got it. She can't use it and she can't hide it. So she'll just have to try and give it back...
Sebastian Darke, Prince of Fools. Not a prince. Not much of a fool. Seeks employment. Finds adventure...and a princess.
Peer Ulfsson, fighting to find his own place in the world, learns that everything actually has to come second to loyalty and love for friends and family. Plenty of trolls and strong magic.
Miles Wednesday, orphaned, unwashed and living in a barrel - sneaks into the circus, helps a little someone, gets into a big adventure, and ends up very much happier...
One problem. Two people trying to solve it. Faery and Ploddy. Course, you'll have to believe in faeries to get on with this one.
Corby Flood solves mysteries, mends broken lives, and is loved by everyone, except the five unamusing clowns in bottle green bowler hats...
Arthur goes in search of the Minimoys, and his Grandpa, and the family fortune, all in his own backgarden. But the garden is a big place when you're only three quarters of an inch tall.
Arthur goes in search of the Minimoys, and his Grandpa, and the family fortune, all in his own backgarden. But the garden is a big place when you're only three quarters of an inch tall.
Arthur Spiderwick's Field Guide to the Fantastical World Around You is a problem for Jared Grace when he finds it in his uncle's study. There are plenty of creatures out there that don't want Jared to read it. But the Guide is also the best help Jared could have in his battle with the creatures...
Clemency Pogue, Fairy Killer - girl with a conscience.
Brilliant conclusion to a brilliant trilogy. What is to become of John Mandrake? Has he got a conscience after all? All will be revealed...
Harry gets closer to his deadly enemy, Lord Voldemort.
A transformation tale of separation, isolation and despair. Bit more than your average teenage angst.
Graham Sinclair, BOY HERO, hits the headlines and needs a support team to help him cope. Unfortunately he's not very good at choosing, perhaps because nobody's ever treated him properly, on account of his deformed hands.
To be an apprenticespook Thomas Ward has to leave his old life behind him. And he has to sharpen up his wits too. But he's already well-equipped, being the seventh son of a seventh son...
There's no love lost between Rob and his sister. But Rob finds, rather to his surprise, that he'll go to a lot of trouble to get her back. Magic and mystery.
Ellie has to be brave to search for her missing brother, so she does what Argent would do, their favourite fantasy character from childhood games.... Two stories in one.
Sky joins the Brotherhood of Stravaganti and they must all work together to save the city of Giglia, stronghold of the great di Chimici family.
Pidge and Bridget set out to save the world from destruction, with all the hounds of the evil Morrigan on their trail.
A scarecrow needs a servant if he's really going to get out and see a bit of the world.
Nathaniel is junior in the government now, but he still needs his djinni, Bartimaeus, to help him out of a tight corner. Pity then that Bartimaeus is less than willing...
Down, but not out, Peer Ulfsson survives his ghastly uncles, cold, hunger and loneliness, only to face the Troll King. He could save himself, but goes back for his friend...
Characters slip out from between the pages of a book.
Arthur's come by a key, by mistake. But now he's got it, he might as well have a go with it. It belongs to the House. A very magical place.
Evil times bring forth great leaders, but Eragon never expected to be a great leader. Nobody can plan to be a Dragon Rider. It just happens...
'We, Cosmo Hill, are the world's only Supernaturalists.'
Cosmo grinned weakly. 'What? You don't like clothes?'
'That's naturists, Cosmo. And nobody does that any more, not with the ozone layer spread thinner than cling film. We call ourselves Supernaturalists because we hunt supernatural creatures.'
Measle, thin, hungry and scruffy, takes on Basil, all-powerful wrathmonk.
Lirael finds there is a task that needs to be done. It needs to be done by anAbhorsen, and only she can do it.
Wayward Crown Prince Pyrgus of the faerie realm, up against the evil fairies of the night, finds himself suddenly whisked off to the Analogue World, where he's supposed to lie low for a while . . . But he doesn't.
Hamish doesn't really believe in the Wee Folk, but he still has to deal with them on a daily basis. Magic, Scottish variety.
Georgia follows Lucien but she finds herself in sixteenth century Remora. There she meets other stravaganti, including Lucien, but her role turns out to be quite different.
Lucien travels to sixteenth century Belleza and becomes deeply involved in political intrigue.
Compelling sequel to Mortal Engines. Love, jealousy, betrayal, anger, loyalty and bravery. Brilliant!
Another chance to visit Lyra in Oxford. A short story.
'Does the walker choose the path, or the path the walker?' Lirael's destiny is not what she wanted, or expected.
Can the evil Selkor make himself the Chosen One simply by stealing the Keys of Power, or will the Keys choose for themselves?
Is Ryland bound to follow in his father's footsteps, or is there another way?
Another difficult year for Harry.
Well, the story is magic, but the romance is real.
Gair's father is a hero and a chief, and his brother and sister have astonishing powers, but Gair is just Gair - ordinary. But ordinary Gair finds that he is the one who might just be able to save his people from the warring Dorig, and the Giants.
Chrestomanci the great enchanter takes orphans Gwendolen and Cat under his wing, but living with a great enchanter isn't as enchanting for Gwendolen as she had supposed.
High Treason at Court. A plot to bespell the King. The Merlin is implicated. Who can Roddy and Grundo turn to for help? A magician from another world, of course.
The final conflict between the sorceress Gudrun and her son Kari. Can he develop his skills and match her power and still stay off the road to evil?
Gudrun has left the Jarlshold and returned to the land of the Snow-Walkers in the far north, beyond all natural knowledge. But she cannot leave Kari alone. She sends a rune-beast to fetch him, and doesn't care how many of the Jarl's people perish in the encounter.
A Viking mix of magic and superstition, courage and loyalty. A battle between Gudrun the sorceress, and Kari, the son who she disowned. Can Kari's powers possibly match those of his mother? And does he have to follow her evil path?
Rampant magic in a haphazard household.
Part of the Darkweaver Legacy series. Powerful mixture of fantasy magic and mortal combat.
Kit the magician and his friend, Prince Henry, sneak out at night on Kit's flying carpet in search of adventure . . . and find it!
Well, yes, that cuddly flying bear does cause some of the problems, but he helps solve them too . . .
Lizzie Dripping always has her head in the clouds. Short stories.
The dead are seeking to free themselves and invade Earthsea.
Six short stories about ancient, elemental spirits, and water. Not just for children.
Lowly, insignificant under-librarian dreams of becoming great Librarian Knight . . .
You would know better, wouldn't you, than to strike a bargain with Zamiel, the Demon Huntsman?
Sabriel must cross into Death to find her father. She can do it with the protection of Charter Magic and the tools of the necromancer, but it is dangerous . . .
Well, if a human needs rescuing from the deepest, darkest dungeon in the infamous Black Castle, who else is up to the job, if it isn't The Prisoners' Aid Society of Mice?
In the beautiful City of Trees, in the divided world of magicos and normals,Otto learns, to his surprise, that he might actually belong to the other side. . .
Adventures in the Underworld. Superhero bats, unlikely hero bats, deadly enemy bats. Fluffy beasties, human emotions.
Dinah and SPLAT face their old adversary, the Headmaster.
Visit the fantastic kingdom of Narnia, where the wicked White Witch's icy grip is about to be challenged by the mighty Lion King, Aslan.
Fairies need Artemis. Artemis needs fairies. Fair exchange, no robbery. Tricky situation though.
Merlin lies under a stone enchanted, waiting for another great hero to rise up and fight the powers of darkness with him. But when he awakes from the enchantment, it isn't Merlin at all, just Merlin's apprentice, and nor is there a great hero to fight the powers of darkness - just Sam, and his friend Charly.
Wych-hunter Thaniel Fox is not sure what to make of the beautiful Alaizabel Cray when he finds her lost among the ghouls and ghasts of the Old Quarter.
Family adventures in a flying car.
He thinks he's an elf, but the Tribe don't want him. He's a liability. His fangs haven't grown. His voice is ugly. He's losing his sharp eyesight and hearing. Where can he go where he will be safe, and where does he belong?
Is Marnie an imaginary friend? Or is she real? Perhaps it doesn't really matter. Anna and Marnie share a wonderful friendship, but when Marnie has to leave, Anna finds she is better able to make new friends . . .
It's a town eat town world. The great traction city of London is prowling round the Great Hunting Ground looking for prey. But, if London hopes to use re-created weapons of mass destruction in its bid for superiority, then London must expect to have enemies - Tom, Third Class Apprentice of the Guild of Historians, and the dreadfully disfigured Hester Shaw, for a start . . .
Normal young boy finds he is surrounded by aliens intent on saving mankind from its own worst excesses. But is the cure worse than the disease?
The Fellowship of the Ring is broken and the nine companions scatter. Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas follow the trail of Merry and Pippin, who are carried off by orcs, and they play their part in the battle against the Dark Shadow. Meanwhile Frodo and Sam must find a way into Mordor . . .
Tilja and Tahl set out, with their grandparents and a bad-tempered horse, on a great quest to find the mysterious magician who alone has the power to renew the magic barrier which surrounds their valley and keeps the occupants safe from attack by invading armies.
Sauron, the Dark Lord, forged a Ring of Power, by which he could enslave all the free peoples of the world. Read how the Ring came to be lost and found again, and fell into the unlikely hands of Frodo Baggins, hobbit of the Shire. What will he do with it?
Dangerous fairies, might grant your wish, might blast you away with a biobomb. Depends how they feel . . .
Brindle is a space traveller marooned in Elizabethan England. But if you think something is a little adrift with Elizabethan England, just wait until you know Brindle better . . .
It's easy to be carried away by a good book! Bastian Balthazar Bux is drawn into the amazing world of Fantastica, and finds it hard to escape.
Times are difficult in the ancient and learned sky city of Sanctaphrax. But when Maris and Quint join forces to help her father with his important research, they unwittingly unleash the ancient curse of the gloamglozer . . .
Jenna must use all her strength and skill as a trained soldier, and she must put her trust in Perdimmon the magician in order to save Calvyn from the Lords of the Inner Eye.
Haoyou rides his magnificent kite into the skies for the travelling JadeCircus.
A harmless competition to tell the best tale. But nobody would want to judge this competition with the vindictive Mr Cink determined to win at any cost.
The Manth people are overwhelmed by the forces of the Mastery and enslaved. Only Kestrel Hath is left behind, and she vows revenge.
Calvyn puts all his knowledge of magic into the forging of a powerful sword which he wields in a mighty battle of good against evil.
Rilka sets out on a quest to catch a beguiler and to understand its nature. And in doing so she learns a lot about her own nature too.
In a divided kingdom Clennen the Singer travels from village to village carrying news. But when he agrees to take a passenger up to the north things begin to go wrong.
When the last tiger left the circus his spirit stayed behind. Now, on the last day, when the very canvas of the tent is thin and frayed and starting to tear, who is strong and brave enough to lead the tiger back to the forest?
The little prince and the airman form a special kind of friendship and a special kind of understanding.
Laura doesn't believe that Gwendal is her long-lost brother. But what else could he be? He seems to have enemies, but he seems to have powerful friends too . . .
What could be worse than losing your dogs somewhere out on the moor? Finding them again nine years later . . .
You can have a go at mind-travelling in this book along with Joseph and his Lost Grandad, who turns up just in time to help Joseph find his imagination. A lot of laughs.
Lonely and neglected Mary Lennox makes friends, with a little bit of magic and a secret garden.
Kenelm is sent on a quest for help from the Wood-People and when he meets the terrifying and beautiful Wolf-Sisters he is faced with the choice between obedience to his King and the liberty that he yearns for.
Tiny people with big ideas. They don't want to move away from under the kitchen floorboards, but they will if they have to.
Charlie has lost her best friend Max. He drowned at the mill pond. Or was he bewitched? And can she really fetch him back?
Do you think you can sell your soul to the Devil, and get away with it?
Why should this tribe of super-rats help ordinary mousewife, Mrs Frisby? And how did the rats become super-rats?
A big bazoohley is a big prize, and Sam Kellow really needs to win one urgently, to help his parent's shaky finances. Can he spot his big chance when it comes?
Keith dreams about a strange place, Quantoum. But when he seeks out the place and visits, his dream becomes a nightmare.
David meant to say the curse, but he never expected it to work! Now he's got a rather strange kind of friend who doesn't live by the same rules as everyone else . . .
Kay Harker sets out to discover the long-lost family treasure, with his friends, the Midnight folk to help him - they are Kay's toys which were locked away with the arrival of his new governess.
Stig is a caveman and he lives in a den at the bottom of the old quarry. He's Barney's secret friend. But where does Stig really come from?
Lyra discovers her destiny. She is to bring an end to death itself. How does she do that? And what are the consequences? Concluding part of His Dark Materials trilogy.
What lengths will this Headmaster go to to run an orderly school?
How Stanley Yelnats manages to redeem the curse which has dogged the fortunes of his family for four generations.
Greg wakes up one morning to discover he has turned into a gigantic caterpillar!
A fast-moving story about how two cousins, Bonnie and Sylvia, have their home stolen away from them by their greedy guardian.
The power of the Dark Lord increases, but somehow, Harry seems to be a match for him.
A knife so powerful it can resolve the battle between good and evil for all time. Everyone wants it, but Will is the bearer. The second part of His Dark Materials trilogy.
Bilbo Baggins, timid hobbit of The Shire, finds that he can indeed bring about the prophecies of the old songs, as he riddles with Smaug the Great Worm in the halls of the old King Under the Mountain.
Follow Alice into her Wonderland and meet the Cheshire Cat, the Hatter and the March Hare for yourself - and many more too.
When the master disappears, there are plenty of others who would like to take his place as head of the huge, old house. What can the children do about it?
Thrilling battle of good against evil set in the weirdest landscape you could imagine.
I would never have thought that old story of the wooden horse could be so nerve-wracking.
Humorous story about boy with identity crisis.
A genie from the days of Aladdin pops out of an old beer can to help Alec with his school bully problem. But Alec ends up having to help the genie out.
If you move into an old cottage that is built on ancient fairy crossroads you must expect to get strange things knocking on your door.
Arrogant young wizard summons up a spell too powerful to control and a great evil is released into the land. Humbled, he must do what he can to avert the evil.
England goes primitive after falling under a strange enchantment which turns everyone against technology. Who can find the source of the spell?
It's difficult to be a Good Boy if you are under the thumb of your really wicked uncle. Nathan Wheatear prefers not to spend his life as a rat catcher.
When the old grandfather clock strikes thirteen Tom knows it is time to go and play with his new friends in the garden.
Cuddly flying bear is kidnapped by the wicked Witch-Queen's men and taken back to her Ice Castle. Temmi follows on behind determined to rescue.
A none-too-successful guardian angel does his best to protect Ellie from The Boss.
What is this thing in the garage? It's the weirdest angel I've ever come across. But can it work miracles?
Life is not easy for Silas the ragboy. But his luck changes when he meets a distressed mermaid on the beach after a storm and decides to protect her.
Exciting battle of good against evil. The hunt for King Arthur's Holy Grail is on. Is Merlin really there, helping them all out?
Lyra's friend Roger is abducted by the Gobblers and Lyra sets out on a determined rescue mission across the frozen wastes. But the Gobblers are much more terrifying than anyone could imagine. The first part of His Dark Materials trilogy.
Victorian talking doll is found by young boy.
Haunting, introspective book about a local community's roots and the effect of past events on the present inhabitants. Do they all see ghosts or are they just in tune with each other?
Eerie tale of evil enchantments in a Scottish glen.
'Damaged' children escaping from the council home are cast ashore after a rough raft ride onto the oozing mud of The Middens. But who on earth is that living in the abandoned warehouse, and do they really dig up a saint out of the mud?
The psammead (pronounced sammyadd) grants the children anything they wish for. But is he deliberately trying to make things go wrong?
The enchanted kingdom of Elidor is under threat from the forces of evil. Where better to hide the treasures of Elidor than in a back garden in Manchester?
Most bizarre story of the lot. Compelling description of an evil lamb. How does he do that?
Sensible princess has doolally mother who brings mayhem to the kingdom when she has one wish granted to her by a wood sprite. Princess and miller's son sort it all out.
A funny little bit of magic leads Griselda Dogberry into another world. But baddies are after her.
Boarding school romps, magic and adventure.
