Genre: Fantasy Summary: Rachel Walker and Kirsty Tate meet in ferry bound for Rainspell Island, where they become friends immediately. They soon meet a fairy, and she needs their help. From then on, they become good friends with the fairies, helping them whenever they are in need. Other: In this series, there are seven books that stay on the same track in helping the fairies. For example, in seven books, they help the Rainbow Fairies, and in another seven books they help the weather fairies. These books are short and fun; my favorite set was the one with the Rainbow Fairies. The illustrations are simple, but good, and the different fairies are fun to read about. (Ages 6+) ~Faith
Tales of Pixie Hollow (Series)--Various Authors
The Trouble with Tink is the first book.
Genre: Fantasy Summary: The Fairies in Neverland have different adventures and problems to face. Follow these magical adventures abounding with fairy dust, mermaids, special talents, and of course, fairies! Other: This is a pretty fun series. The books are short and the stories simple, and the illustrations are colorful and very pretty. To find out about the story repeatedly mentioned in the introduction, read Fairy Dust and the Quest for the Egg. (Ages 6+) ~Faith
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory--Roald Dahl
*RA Genre: Fantasy Summary: Charlie Bucket, his parents, and his two sets of grandparents all live in a little, dingy house. They are poor, cold, and always hungry. The only bright spark for Charlie is the time he spends listening to his grandparents' stories, many of which are about the greatest chocolate inventor and maker in the world: Mr. Willy Wonka. Nobody has seen his factory for years, so the reclusive genius is only known through the wonderful candy that is shipped out of the factory. Then the announcement goes out that five lucky children who find a golden ticket in their candy bar will be able to tour the amazing chocolate factory. Charlie is overjoyed when he finds a golden ticket, but never in his wildest dreams could he have imagined what he sees when he goes into that wondrous building. Other: This is a very fun, quirky book, with some lighthearted morals and very imaginative candy. It's like stepping into a child's dream world. My family really enjoyed it, as it's great for some light, funny reading. (Ages 8+) ~Amy
Fairy Dust and the Quest for the Egg--Gail Carson Levine
Genre: Fantasy Summary: The Never Fairies are in trouble. Mother Dove's egg is broken and lost, and with it the magic of Neverland. Now the fairies are having trouble flying and Mother Dove is growing ill. Meanwhile, a new Fairy is there, she says strange un-fairy things, and worst of all, she doesn't know what her talent is. Tinker Bell, Rani, Vidia, and Prilla need four objects to save Neverland. Will they succeed in their mission? Or will the magic of Neverland be lost? Other: This was a fun book and the pictures were very pretty. It's set before Tales of Pixie Hollow and is mentioned in every introduction of those books. (Ages 8+) ~Faith
Fairy Realm--Emily Rodda
The Charm Bracelet is the first book.
*RA Genre: Fantasy Summary: Jessie didn't know that her grandmother was so special. When she and her mom move into Blue Moon, her grandmother's longtime house, she finds that it and her grandmother hold a very precious secret. The garden holds a door to the fairy realm, and Jessie's grandmother is the Realm rightful queen. The Realm is usually beautiful and peaceful, but when trouble does come, Jessie is always determined to help her magical friends. Other: This was one of my favorite series. The settings and adventures are fun and magical, and Jessie solutions to the problems are often very clever. There is just enough evil and/or peril to make the problems real and keep the story going without making it too scary. This is a great series for people ready to immerse themselves in a new world with unicorns, mermaids, elves, dryads, and more. (Ages 8+) ~Amy
Ella Enchanted--Gail Carson Levine
*RA Genre: Fantasy/Fairy tale retelling Summary: Years ago, the irresponsible fairy Lucinda gave new born Eleanor a special fairy "gift"--that she would be forever obedient. Now, this spunky girl is doomed to grow up as a pawn to everyone's bidding, although she does manage to figure out ways to make her feel less like a puppet. Teenaged Ella is devastated at the death of her mother, and at her absentee father's choice of a new bride: Madame Olga and her horrid daughters Hattie and Olive. Then she meets Prince Charmont. Spending time with Prince Char makes her happy, but this cannot go anywhere unless she breaks her curse. The future king would be too easy a target if his wife were told to stab him in the back. Can she break her curse, or will this fairy tale not have a "happily ever after"? Other: I enjoyed this book the most out of those written by Levine (I don't recommend Fairest). It's funny, quirky, and has very good characters, with fiery Ella, evil Hattie, clueless Olive, despicable Olga, and dependable Char. The setting in a fairy tale world with centaurs, trolls, elves, and giants, as well as the curse, give a delightful twist to this Cinderella retelling. There is romance, but not in a bad way. It is a Newbery Honor book. (Ages 9+) ~Amy
Once Upon a Marigold/Twice Upon a Marigold (Sequel)--Jean Ferris
Genre: Fantasy Summary: Christian ran away from his "boring" life years ago and ended up being raised by a cave troll with two loyal dogs. Marigold is the kindhearted, bright princess of the kingdom whom Christian falls madly in love with while watching her from afar through his telescope. He eventually works up the courage to send her notes through "p-mail" (read it to find out) and later, to become a castle servant to be near her. What follows is a rollicking fairy tale with humor, twists, magic, an evil queen and her ferret, mix-ups, daring rescues, a rudely interrupted wedding, and some very bad jokes. ("Can you get fur from a skunk? Yes, a fur away as you can!") Will Christian and Marigold be able to stop the wicked queen from carrying out her dastardly plans, or will their hopeful love be forever just a wish on the horizon? Other: In terms of mixed-up fairytales, this one reins supreme. The characters are fun, the romance is cute in a fairy-tale type way, and the plot is just dangerous enough to bring the story along, although the real thing that keeps readers going is the humor mixed into the ridiculous quirkiness of the story. That said, there are a few parts to be aware of; there is magic, one very sweet dog is (for some strange reason) named Beelzebub or Bub for short, and the ending to the second one is a little interesting. Although the second one is good, I liked the first one better. They're good books to read when you feel like a fun, light read. (Ages 9+) ~Amy
The Thief Lord--Cornelia Funke
Genre: Fantasy Summary:Venice: the beautiful city filled with magical creatures, canals, and dreams. It's also a city capable of hiding two runaways from prying eyes. Prosper and Boniface are orphaned brothers running away from their callouse aunt, who only wants young, angel-faced Bo for a child and couldn't care less about Prosper, who's desperate to stay with his beloved little brother. In order to survive, they find themselves a part of the self-proclaimed Thief Lord's band of misfits, and a sort of family is born. Unfortunately, their simple new life is interrupted when a mysterious client asks the Thief Lord to steal something preplexing and possibly magical. Hunted by his aunt, chased by a detective, and confronted with lies, will Prosper succeed in keeping Bo safe? Or will they be separated forever? Other: This book had good character development, a vivid setting, and enough suspense to keep the story rolling. I enjoyed it; it's great for some good, light reading. (Ages 9+) ~Amy
Dragon Slippers (Trilogy)--Jessica Day George
Genre: Fantasy/Romance Summary: Creel is a poor farmer girl who lives on a farm with her atrocious aunt, subservient uncle, little brother, and way too many cousins. When her aunt hears that a dragon lives nearby, she has a brilliant idea. Creel, though freckled and skinny, would make a wonderful damsel in distress, so if she sent Creel the dragon cave and then went blubbering to the castle with some sob story of the girl being carried off to be eaten, then some dashing prince was bound to ride off and save the fair maiden. A royal wedding and royal privileges would undoubtedly follow. Needless to say, Creel herself is not too keen on the idea, but with no other choice, goes anyway. Thus a ridiculous plan catapults the clever girl into a new life, where she finds dragon friends, independence, wars, and a friendly prince. Other: Although not the most profound trilogy out there, it is a great light, fun fairy tale. There is alchemy (or what is usually called magic in other books) and the people believe in a made up triunity of gods, but these are presented in a fairy tale way and are not too troublesome. There is just enough danger, just enough weight, and just enough clever plans to make these books fun. I enjoyed them. (Ages 9/10+) ~Amy
Princess Academy--Shannon Hale
*RA Genre: Fantasy/Folk tale Summary: Miri lives in the quarry village on Mount Eskel, one of the poorest regions of the country. Her greatest wish is to work in the quarry with her friends and family, but for some reason, her pa refuses to let her do it. The village is thrown into shock when the priests announce that Mount Eskel is the home of the future princess and the traditional princess academy will therefore be situated there. Will the rich lowlanders really allow one of the mountain girls to be queen one day? And when trouble strikes the academy, will small, skinny Miri be able to rise up and save her fellow students from capture? Other: My family really enjoyed this book. The descriptions of the mountain are beautiful, and the characters, especially Miri, are very well-drawn. There is a little light romance, but because it's not too heavy, it just augments the story. There's also quarry-speech, through which the quarry workers can speak to each other through the mountain stone. Besides these considerations, this is a good Newbery Honor book about family and belonging. (Ages 10+) ~Amy
The Twelve Dancing Princesses (Trilogy)--Jessica Day George
Genre: Fantasy/Romance/Fairy tale retelling Summary: In a faraway kingdom recovering from war, twelve princesses are shrouded in mystery. Rumors spread throughout the kingdom. Why do the princesses always wake up so tired sometimes? Why are their dancing slippers so worn? It's a mystery that befuddles the entire kingdom and throws the king into grief, and the stakes seem to be getting higher. Can a lowly but determined soldier turned gardener figure out what nine princes before him had failed to discern? Or will he die trying, dooming the princesses to a lifetime of suffering? Other: Although their is magic involved, this fairy tale retelling trilogy is clever and fun. The romance isn't too heavy, and there is just enough danger to add excitement to the story. The characters are pretty good, and the way George weaves in the more familiar tales into her stories is interesting. It's an enjoyable set of books for a light day of reading. (Ages 10+) ~Amy
The Wizard of Oz--L. Frank Baum
*RA Genre: Fantasy Summary: Dorothy lives a flat, boring life in Kansas with her aunt and uncle. One day, little Dorothy and her dog Toto are swept up in a tornado to a magical land, where she must find her way home by going to the great Wizard of Oz. Along the way, she befriends a scarecrow, a tin man, and a lion who all have their own reasons for accompanying her to the Emerald city. Will Dorothy be able to find her way home? Other: This classic was made famous by the movie adaptation, but in my and my family's opinions, the book is much better than the movie. We all enjoyed it very much. The characters are fun and quirky, and the story is more fun in the book. (Ages 10+) ~Amy