GalaxiesTo Explore (Hana/Connor)

Disclaimer: This is largely derived from lists I wrote when I was thirteen, so... maybe take it with a grain of salt? By which I mean that some of these books might be not that great, or like, kind of racist in a way that a thirteen-year-old wouldn't have picked up. What it also means is that this list is mostly comprised of children's literature... Though I am in the process of updating it to add more books!

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Fantasy Books About Dragons (because, like, I know what I'm about)

• The Enchanted Forest Chronicles series by Patricia C. Wrede, 1985-1993

  • My absolute favorite book series in elementary school.

  • Cimorene is a rather non-traditional princess who decides to run away to the dragons to avoid her upcoming wedding.​

• Dragon Slippers series by Jessica Day George, 2007-2008

  • Creel​, a peasant girl skilled with embroidery, is offered up to a dragon as a sacrifice by her aunt in the hopes that a handsome knight will come rescue her. Instead, she walks out of the encounter with a pair of slippers that will change her life.

• Seraphina series by Rachel Hartman, 2012-2015

  • Seraphina​, a court musician in the kingdom of Goredd who has a scaly secret, is drawn into a murder mystery.

  • Really interesting worldbuilding, especially around dragons, gender, and religion.

• How to Train Your Dragon series by Cressida Cowell, 2003-2015

  • Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third is an unusually small and clever Viking-- differences exacerbated, unfortunately, by the fact that he's also the chief's son.​

  • These books are almost completely different from the movies, but they're wonderful and brilliant in their own, somewhat gross and childishly humorous way.

• The Magic Thief series by Sarah Prineas, 2008-2014

  • Maybe calling these "about dragons" is a bit of a stretch... regardless, they're some of my all-time favorite books.

  • Set in Iowa City analogue Wellmet, a pickpocket becomes a wizard's apprentice.

  • The magic systems in these books are incredibly satisfying, the author is very nice (she came to my house once), and I sorta-kinda named myself after the main character. So.​

• The Inheritance Cycle series by Christopher Paolini, 2001-2011

  • Oh god I read these so long ago and remember so very little. They're kind of a rip-off of Lord of the Rings, but ​with dragons, and also they're kind of horny??? I don't know, a teenage boy wrote them.

  • Anyway, a peasant kid named Eragon finds a dragon egg and becomes one of the last Dragon Riders.

• Lily Quench series by Natalie Prior, 1999-2004

  • Lily comes from a family of dragon slayers, and I rememb​er very little else about this series.

• Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke, 1997

  • Yet another of my favorite elementary school books.​ IDK, I think the lore was pretty cool though I also remember the book being kind of melancholy in various places.

• Septimus Heap series by Angie Sage, 2005-2013

  • Okay these books aren't *about* dragons but they're SO GOOD. Also, best final line of any book series.

  • The novels largely follow the Heap family and their friends (via alternating-perspective chapters), who live in an fascinating magykal world.

 

Fantasy Books Not About Dragons

• The Extraordinary Adventures of Ordinary Boy trilogy by William Boniface, 2006-2008

  • Every citizen of Superopolis has a unique superpower. Well, except one. The story revolves around Ordinary Boy, named for his apparent lack of power, who's forced to solve problems with his smarts and Super trading cards​.

  • These books are super fun and have interesting lore (as well as helpful visuals for the trading cards!) Definitely another elementary-school favorite.

• Emily Windsnap series by Liz Kessler, 2003-

  • Emily Windsnap's mother has banned her from the water until her 13th birthday. When she finally does venture into a pool, she discovers that her family has a scaly, transformative secret...

• The Secrets of Droon series by Tony Abbott, 1999-2010

  • Three friends discover a magical door in one of their basements, where they meet a princess and a wizard.

  • The books are really short, but there's 44 of them... idk, these were the kinds of books I read in one sitting in my elementary school library.​

• Children of the Lamp series by P.B. Kerr, 2004-2011

  • John and Philippa Gaunt have a strange dream while getting their wisdom teeth removed that turns out to be their introduction into a magical world of djinn​

• Alcatraz vs The Evil Librarians series by Brandon Sanderson, 2007-

  • I think I might be the only person in the world who knows Brandon Sanderson from this series specifically, but like... hey... they're good.​

  • Hilariously funny books with really cool worldbuilding, about a boy named Alcatraz Smedry who's constantly breaking things.

• The Spiderwick Chronicles by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black, 2003-2009

  • Simon, Jared, and Mallory Grace move to the Spiderwick estate and discover a magical world of fa​e. If I remember correctly, these books do get kind of spooky.

• His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman, 1995-2000

  • In a universe where every human has a spirit-companion in the shape of an animal, called a dæmon, ​11-year-old Lyra Belacqua is drawn into a world of violence and mystery.

  • These books are wildly creative (as well as, at times, disturbing, wonderful, tragic, and deadly.) You might be more familiar with them under the name "The Golden Compass."

• Leon and the Spitting Image + Leon and the Champion Chip by Allen Kurzweil, 2003-2005

  • Leon Zeisel lives with his mother at the Trimore Towers hotel, and isn't particularly good at fine motor skills.​ Unfortunately, his new teacher is engrossed in ensuring the kids in her class have excellent sewing skills...

• Gaia Girls series by Lee Welles, 2006-

  • IDK, some girls with elemental powers...​

• Gateway by Sharon Shinn, 2009

• Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling, 1997-2007

  • Eh, everyone knows about these already, but they were a big part of my childhood, so.

  • Problematic author aside, they're a pretty clever combination of existing mythologies, set at a magic Scottish boarding school called Hogwarts​, and following an orphaned, mistreated boy called Harry Potter.

• Lord of the Rings series + The Hobbit, or There and Back Again by J.R.R. Tolkien, 1937, 1954-1955

  • I read all of these in a single summer vacation when I was about ten. I dunno what to say that people don't already know. They're good but there's so many characters it's hard to keep track?

• The Chronicles of Narnia series by C.S. Lewis​, 1950-1956

  • Kinda same, honestly. I actually only made it through the first three or so books, so maybe I can't give the most thorough feedback. IDK, they're weirdly religious?

• Peter Pan; or, The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up or Peter and Wendy by J.M. Barrie, 1911

  • A fun fact that I found out about this book while doing research for this page is that it was originally a 1904 play, whose working titles included "The Great White Father" and "The Boy Who Hated Mothers."

• The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster, 1961

  • A rather bored boy named Milo takes a jaunt through the Kingdom of Wisdom.

  • Described with the words "wit, wisdom, and wordplay" and compared to Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

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• Sir Callie and the Champions of Helston by Esme Symes-Smith, 2022

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Retold & Reimagined (Fairy Tales, or otherwise…)

• Wild Orchid: A Retelling of the Ballad of Mulan by Cameron Dokey, 2009​

• Lunar Chronicles series by Marissa Meyer, 2012-2015

• The Squire’s Tales series by Gerald Morris, 1998-2004

• Once Upon a Marigold by Jean Ferris, 2002

• The Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica series by James A. Owen, 2006-2013​​

• The Legend of Holly Claus by Brittney Ryan, 2001

• Peter and the Starcatchers series by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson, 2004-2009

  • A takeoff on Peter Pan​

• The Kingdom Keepers by Ridley Pearson, 2005-

• The Sisters Grimm series by Michael Buckley, 2005-2012

  • Sabrina and Daphne Grimm are shuttled back and forth between foster families until they land with their grandmother in Ferryport Landing, a town of Everafters (characters from fairy tales and fantasy works), and become detectives.​

  • If you like Once Upon A Time, but thought "man I wish this was about children and also was a vageuly-macabre book series," this is the one for you!

• The Land of Stories series by Chris Colfer, 2012-2017

  • Alex and Conner Bailey fall through a book into a fairy-tale world.​

• Muddle Earth by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell, 2003

  • A rather bizarre and humorous semi-inversion of Lord of the Rings.​

• The Enola Holmes Mysteries series by Nancy Springer, 2006-2010

  • This is the point where I get to have a bit of a hipster moment, because I totally read these before they were a movie. They're really good too, if a bit grim.​

  • A takeoff on Sherlock Holmes, obviously.

 

Sci-Fi and Dystopia

• The Time Quintet series by Madeleine L'Engle, 1962-1986

  • You know this one! It's the series that starts with A Wrinkle in Time and boy oh boy does it have some really interesting, cool takes on religion, science, literature, history and politics​. 

• The Time Warp Trio series by Jon Scieszka, 1985-2006

  • Light-hearted kids' time travel books. Honestly, not that different from...​

• The Magic Tree House series by Mary Pope Osborne, 1992-

  • Jack and Annie are siblings who find a strange treehouse filled with books... it's a classic from my childhood, and pretty educational too!​

• The Giver Quartet series by Lois Lowry

• The City of Ember series by Jeanne DuPrau

• Uglies series by Scott Westerfeld, 2005-2007

• The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins, 2008-2010

  • These books took me by surprise with the depth and ​edge of their political commentary-- and also the fact that despite the marketing, they're way more about adventure and oppression than romance.

• The Binti Trilogy by Nnedi Okorafor, 2015-2019

  • A really interesting Afrofuturistic series following Binti, a Himba girl with a remarkable talent for mathematics.

• The Broken Earth Trilogy by N. K. Jemisin, 2015-2017

  • A gorgeous sci-fi series of twists and turns

 

Extended Universe Books (Based on TV Shows)

• Spock's World by Diane Duane, 1988

  • A deep exploration of Vulcan history and culture. Chapters alternate between telling stories from various periods of Vulcan's past, and the current political turmoil embroiling members of the Enterprise... 

• Uhura's Song by Janet Kagan, 1985

  • I cannot recommend this book highly enough. It has explorations of catlike alien cultures (communication and comparison, not just conflict!!) and a cast of absolutely wonderful (mostly women!) original characters I fell in love with. Some are technically kind of Mary-Sue-esque I suppose, but also I think Janet deserves the entire world for writing this book. If you've ever been frustrated at sci-fi that seems to be all fight scenes and no exploration of the implications of differing anatomy and culture among aliens, this is the book for you!!!

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Elevated Reality, I Guess? (Not Quite Realism, Not Quite Fantasy)

• The Secret Series by Psudonymous Bosch, 2007-2011

  • Magicians! Cults! Middle Schoolers! Senses! IDK. If you like the Museum of Juarssic Technology, check out this series.​

• The Mysterious Benedict Society series by Trenton Lee Stewart, 2007-2012

  • A brilliant boy named Reynie Muldoon takes an unusual test...​ and finds a new family.

• The 39 Clues by various authors, 2008-2016

• Life of Pi by Yann Martel, 2001

• The Twenty-One Balloons by William Pène duBois, 1947

• A Series of Unfortunate Events series by Lemony Snicket, 1999-2006

  • If you haven't read these, you absolutely have to. I am not kidding.​

  • If you wondered why I was so incredibly macabre and mildly pedantic as a child, look no further.

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Historical Fiction (maybe not in the most technical sense)

• The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick, 2007

  • This is a book worth experiencing just for the schtick alone.​ It's told partly in text and partly in illustrations, and alludes heavily to the early film industry.

• The Eddie Dickens Trilogy series by Philip Ardagh, 2000-2002

• The Further Adventures of Eddie Dickens series by Philip Ardagh, 2003-2006

• Unlikely Exploits series by Philip Ardagh, 2002-2004

• Alice Rose & Sam by Katherine Lasky, 1998

• Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool, 2010

• Anne of Green Gables series by L.M. Montgomery, 1908-2009

• Miss Spitfire by Sarah Miller, 2007

• Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, 1868-1869

• Heidi by Johanna Spyri, 1881

• The Swiss Family Robinson by Johann Davis Wyss, 1812

• The Help by Kathryn Stockett, 2009

  • This is... kind of a white savior novel.

• To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, 1960

• A Drowned Maiden's Hair: A Melodrama by Laura Amy Schlitz, 2006

• Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto, 1988

  • My favorite book we read for high school. A meditation on grief and family. I do want to give a trigger warning for the offscreen murder of a beloved trans mother, as well as general suicidal ideation. (highlight to read)

• The Awakening by Kate Chopin, 1899

  • Another book I read for school and loved. All the boys in our class hated it...​

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Coming-of-Age Books But It's Not Fantasy/Sci-Fi/Dystopia

• Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz, 2012

 

Mystery Books With Cats

• The Magical Cats Mysteries series by Sofie Kelly, 2011-

• The Cats and Curios Mysteries series by Rebecca M. Hart, 2008-2015

  • Okay these books are super weird, I'm not gonna lie. I did learn a lot about California history though and ALSO because I'm super bizarre as a person these were my favorite books in middle school

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Mystery Books Without Cats (contain your disappointment)

• Flavia de Luce series by Alan Bradley, 2009-

  • Flavia is a brilliant 11-year-old amateur chemist, youngest sister, and pretty soon... amateur detective.​

  • Each of these books focuses on a different historical tidbit or phenomenon

• The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin, 1978

• CSI: Crime Scene Investigation series by Max Allan Collins, 2002-2011

  • I told you I was a weird kid, right? These are like a more macabre, gruesome version of...​

• Encyclopedia Brown series by Donald J. Sobol, 1963-2012

  • Were you even a weird kid who watched cop shows and researched poison methods if you didn't read these in elementary school? I mean, come on.​

• Sherlock Holmes series by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, 1892-1927

  • What could I even say about these that hasn't already been said longer and better?​

• Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett, 2004

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Animal Books

• Doctor Doolittle series by Hugh Lofting, 1920-1952

  • pretty sure this contains period-typical racism

• Mr. Popper's Penguins by Florence Atwater, 1938

• Waggit's Tale by Peter Howe, 2008

• The Tale of Desperaux by Kate DiCamillo, 2003

• Marley: A Dog Like No Other by John Grogan, 2007

  • Okay, this is actually hilarious to me so I'm not changing it. As I exposited above, a lot of this list is derived directly from a book recommendation list that I wrote in 2013 (possibly at the request of my father? IDK, it was 7 years ago.) The funny thing about this particular book is that it is... the young readers' adaptation of Marley and Me.​

• Warriors series (serieses?) by Erin Hunter, 2003-

  • Were you a cat kid? I was a cat kid. I read these religiously.​

• Watership Down by Richard Adams, 1972

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Non-Fiction / Educational

• Murderous Maths series by Kjartan Poskitt, 1997-

  • So it might be time to talk about my family's weird relationship with British media...​

• Horrible Science series by Nick Arnold, 1996-

  • What can I say? They're just very good.​

• Horrible Histories series by Terry Deary, Peter Hepplewhite, and Neil Tonge, 1993-2017

  • Like, really.​

• Your Inner Fish by Neil Shubin, 2014

  • The first book from the Adult section I ever read! And one of my favorite books starting in elementary school.​

  • Neil's explanations of scientific concepts are literally so simple a child could understand them. Because I did. When I was like 8.

• Alex & Me: How a Scientist and a Parrot Discovered a Hidden World of Animal Intelligence and Formed a Deep Bond in the Process by Irene Pepperberg, 2008

• Polysecure by Jessica Fern, 2020

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Magazines, etc.​

• Muse Magazine, 1997-(2015-)

  • This magazine LITERALLY shaped me as a human being and I am still using things I learned from it in college.​

  • No, I will never get over the end of Kokopelli & Company.

• National Geographic Kids Magazine, 1975-

  • Worth it for the trading cards alone.​

• The Encyclopedia of Immaturity series + The Klutz Book of Inventions, 2007-2010

 

Authors (aka: I recommend literally ANYTHING by...)

Fantasy

• Paul Stewart/Chris Riddell

• Roald Dahl

• Rick Riordan

• Gail Carson Levine

• Cornelia Funke

• Diana Wynne Jones

• Edward Eager

• E.D. Baker

History/Realistic Fiction

• Andrew Clements

• Noet Streatfeild

• Zilpha Keatley Snyder

• Louis Sachar

• Kate Klise

Animal Books

• James Herriot

• Katherine Lasky

• Carl Hiaasen

Non-Fiction

• Bill Bryson