A mega fantasy and sci-fi booklist with books for all ages and all types of fantasy lovers (even those who don’t think they ARE fantasy lovers). Bonus: here be dragons.
Fantasy/Sci-Fi: Love It or Hate It?
Are you a fantasy or sci-fi junkie? Skip to the fantasy and sci-fi booklist below and start putting books on hold at your local library!
Are you a fantasy or sci-fi skeptic? Think it’s not the genre for you? Don’t want to read any books with magic?
We are here for you, readers! The fantasy and sci-fi booklist below contains lots of books that are technically “fantasy” or “science fiction” but which do not contain magic, made up creatures, maps and castles, or wizards.
We’ve noted which books are especially good introductions to this genre, which books make terrific family read alouds, and which ones contain magic. We’ve also linked to our reviews, where applicable, and noted rough age ranges. As always, read discerningly!
Note for Kids participating in the 2018 Reading Challenge
This is a fantasy and sci-fi booklist for you! Many books meet more than one category on the booklist; you are not required to use a book we list as a “book with dragons” as your “book with a dragon,” but please do not double dip! For example, if you read The Hobbit and use it as your “book with a dragon,” you must read something different for the “fantasy by a Christian author.” You do not have to read a book from this list; these are only to help you out!
Note for Grown-ups using our 2018 Reading Challenge
Perhaps more than most, the genre of fantasy and sci-fi is just as robust at the children’s and young adult reading levels as it is at the adult level. Many of the titles below will hold as much–or more–delight and enjoyment for parents as well as kids! You don’t have to use “grown-up” books for your own reading challenge attempt.
Fantasy and Science Fiction Titles for Those Who Think They Don’t Like Fantasy and Science Fiction — And Those Who Do!
*indicates good read aloud options; don’t forget that many of the fairy/folk tales listed further down are also good fits for those who don’t like high fantasy; these titles all work for the general “fantasy/sci-fi” category on the challenge.
*My Father’s Dragon by Ruth Gannett Stiles (a dragon, chewing gum, tigers, and a cat; an excellent first chapter book read aloud); ages 4-10
*The Complete Tales of Winnie-the-Pooh by A. A. Milne and illustrated by Ernest Shepard (talking animals/toys; broad age appeal, but do try this with chidlren older than preschool–you’ll be surprised at how they love it!) All Ages
The Doll People by Ann Martin (talking toys; elementary) Ages 7-10
Mighty Jack by Ben Hatke (upper elementary; graphic novel) Ages 7-10
Zita the Spacegirl (series) by Ben Hatke (upper elementary; graphic novel) Ages 7-10
*Paddington by Michael Bond (upper elementary reading level; broad age appeal; talking animal fantasy) Ages 6-12
*Charlotte’s Webby E. B. White (broad age appeal; talking animal fantasy) All ages as a read aloud; ages 6-10 as an independent read
Babe, the Gallant Pig by Dick Kings-Smith (and others–King-Smith has lots of talking animal stories) Ages 7-10
*Freddy the Pig (series) by Walter Brooks (another talking pig!) Read aloud for ages 6-12; reading level, ages 10-12
*Nuts to You by Lynne Rae Perkins (talking animal fantasy with squirrels) Ages 7-10
*Rabbit Hill by Robert Lawson (talking bunnies) Ages 7-10
*Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O’Brien (talking rats who are inventors!) Ages 8-12
*The Five Children and It by E. Nesbit (a sand fairy, magic, and 5 children; middle grades with broad age appeal) Read aloud for ages 6-12 (reading level, ages 10-12)
*Half Magic (and others) by Edward Eager (light-hearted and funny; middle grades with broad age appeal) Read aloud for ages 6-12 (reading level, ages 10-12)
*Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl (better than the movie!) Ages 6-12 (reading level, ages 8-10)
*The Borrowers (series) by Mary Norton (tiny people who have big adventures under the floorboards) Read aloud for ages 6-12; reading level, ages 10-12
The Candymakers by Wendy Mass (inventions and candy and a mystery!) Ages 10-12
*The Sign of the Cat by Lynne Jonnell (high seas adventure with talking cats); Ages 8-12
*Secrets at Sea by Richard Peck (high seas adventure with talking mice); Ages 8-12
*Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt (middle grades classic) Ages 10-12
*Circus Mirandus by Cassie Beasley (lots of spiritual depth here!) All ages as a read aloud; reading level, ages 10-12
*Tumble and Blue by Cassie Beasley (tall tale with quirky characters, a talking alligator, and a family curse) Ages 8-12
More Fantasy and Science Fiction Titles for Those Who Enjoy This Genre
*make great family read alouds! These titles all work for the general fantasy/sci-fi category in the challenge.
*Tuesdays at the Castle by Jessica Day George (Castle Glower, book 1) (light-hearted with a living castle, griffins, siblings, and adventure; middle grades) Ages 8-12
If the Magic Fits by Susan Maupin Schmid (middle grades; fancy dresses!) Ages 10-14
The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place by Maryrose Wood (middle grades and realistic in feel, but with “can’t-happen-in-real-life” elements!) All ages (reading level, ages 10-12)
The Redwall Series by Brian Jacques. (mice, swords, Medieval action!) Ages 8-12.
While these titles also work for the general fantasy/sci-fi category, there is a specific fairy/folk tales category for those taking the bigger reading challenges!
The Castle Behind Thorns by Merrie Haskell (Sleeping Beauty retelling; middle grades) Ages 10 and up.
Beauty by Robin McKinley (Beauty and the Beast; middle grades and up) Ages 12 and up.
Beauty and the Beast by Nancy Willard and illustrated by Barry Moser (elementary/middle grades) All ages.
The Ordinary Princessby M. M. Kaye (Cinderella; middle grades) All ages as a read aloud; reading level, ages 8-10
The Glass Slipper by Eleanor Farjeon (Cinderella; middle grades) All ages as a read aloud; reading level, ages 8-10
Cinder and rest of the Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer (steampunk/sci-fi Cinderella and others; teen. Note: we do not recommend the prequel, Fairest.) Ages 14 and up.
Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George (East of the Sun, West of the Moon; middle grades and up) Ages 15 and up
The Perilous Gard by Elizabeth Marie Pope (faeries; teens) Ages 12 and up
Paul Galdone’s fairy and folk tale retellings (picture books)
The Random House Book of Fairy Tales: a terrific introduction to classic fairy tales for all ages (anthology)
Faerie Goldby Kathryn Lindskoog and Ranelda Mack Hunsicker (delightful fairy/folk tale anthology; excellent for older children and teens)
Favorite Fairy Tales Told in… by Virginia Haviland (delightful country-specific collections)
The People Could Fly: American Black Folk Tales by Virginia Hamilton
*indicates books that work well as family read alouds/appeal to lots of ages; those taking the extra reading challenges need a book with dragons, but these also work for the general fantasy categories as well.
The Inquisitor’s Tale by Adam Gidwitz (starred review for this quirky, historical fantasy with a hefty dose of humor and philosophical musings) Ages 10 and up
Eragon by Christopher Paolini (the first book was written when the author was homeschooled!) Ages 14 and up
The Book of Revelation (It DOES have a dragon in it! We are not implying that it is a fantasy in the sense that it isn’t true; merely that the world of Revelation is fantastical in the truest sense)
Fantasy and Science Fiction by Professing Christians (authors/illustrators)
*indicates good read alouds, but do note that many of these have intense scenes–check the reviews before reading aloud to young children if “teens” is listed!
The Man Who Was Thursday by G. K. Chesterton. Ages 14 and up
Phantastes by George MacDonald. Ages 14 and up.
Origins Trilogy by Keith Robinson (sci-fi with evidence for Creation). Ages 15 and up
Our Readers Speak: More Suggestions!
Our Facebook and Instagram followers have even more suggestions! We’ve listed approximate ages only. These are not books we have officially reviewed/recommended on Redeemed Reader. As always, read discerningly.
The Mismantle Chronicles by M. I. McAllister (Shakespearean squirrels, mice, otters, and more) Middle grades
Cleopatra in Space by Mike Maihack (graphic novel; sci-fi with famous ancient Egyptian Cleopatra) Middle grades
Harry Potter (series) by J. K. Rowling (wizards, magic, and epic good v evil) Middle grades
The Door Within (series) by Wayne Thomas Batson (Christian publisher!) Teen
The Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula LeGuin (modern classic) Teen
The Dark is Rising (series) by Susan Cooper (modern classic) Teen
But wait! There’s more! What have we missed that you consider a must read for this genre? Tell us in the comments below!
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Betsy is the Managing Editor at Redeemed Reader. When she reads ahead for you, she uses sticky notes instead of book darts and willfully dog ears pages even in library books. Betsy is a fan of George MacDonald, robust book discussions, and the Oxford comma. She lives with her husband and their three children in the beautiful Southeast.
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I just read The Little Grey Men by BB, a Carnegie Award winner that reminded me of Tolkien. It’s a very good story featuring very British and earthy gnomes. Also, I can recommend LM Boston’s Green Knowe series, Enchantress from the Stars by Sylvia Engdahl (for teens), The Gammage Cup by Carol Kendall, Calvin Miller’s The Singer, The Song, and The Finale (a trilogy for teens and adults), Dealing With Dragons by Patricia Wrede (and sequels), The False Prince by Jennifer Nielsen, Wonderful Flight to the Mushroom Planet by Cameron, and Tom’s Midnight Garden by Philippa Pearce. Also, you left out at last two classics, which are not to everyone’s taste, but certainly very beloved of many: The Wind in the Willows by Grahame and Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. I know you can’t include everything, but those last two are simply fantastic and well worth checking out.
Sherry, these are great reminders! There’s no way we could include many more without making separate lists, but we actually discussed Patricia Wrede, and we’ve reviewed at least one of Jennifer Nielsen’s titles. The classics you mention (I’d include Green Knowe with the classics) are all excellent additions. And The Gamma Cup and Miller’s trilogy are others familiar to several of us! We just have to make some more fantasy lists! 🙂
By happenstance, I found three great early elementary dragon books at my library: The Dragon of Lonely Island and The Return of the Dragon, both by Rebecca Rupp, and Kenny and the Dragon by Tony DiTerlizzi (it has lots of connections to The Reluctant Dragon). They were perfect for my daughter when she was transitioning from easy reader chapter books to slightly longer chapter books with more challenging vocabulary and content. And, what’s even better, since she is reading aloud to me for practice, I enjoyed listening to all three of these books too! (I think the first two are out-of-print)
My two kids and I just a month ago finished about one and a half years of reading The Chronicles of Prydain aloud. They absolutely loved the books and Taran, Eilonwy, Gurgi, Fflewddur FFlam, etc. and their adventures made it into many conversations. It’s a great series. (It was hard to figure out what to read next after spending so much time in Prydain.)
We know the feeling! Epic reads are hard to follow. My family has “munchings and crunchings” meals (where we scrounge the fridge and pantry–usually Sunday night after church). But calling them by Gurgi’s name makes it more fun!
We finished reading all of the Chronicles of Prydain volumes as read-alouds in January (so 10 months ago) and my kids STILL refer to the stories and characters every so often when we’re discussing something. Lloyd Alexander is a treasure.
This list is going to be so helpful. I only see five books here that our fantasy-loving family has read!
I have to mention George McDonald’s The Light Princess. We’re right in the middle of it right now, and we’re loving it. He balances his trademark weirdness with a stock fairy tale plot to make a strange, funny, and beautiful book.
Don’t forget Dragons in Our Midst and really anything by Bryan Davis. Also, don’t think I saw The Lost Books by Ted Dekker or The Kingdom Series by Chuck Black. I saw some really intriguing looking books in the Christian bookstore by Jenny L. Cote. I haven’t got to read any yet, but they are called The Amazing Tales of Max and Liz, apparently about a time traveling dog and cat who get to participate in important biblical and historical events. The one about Noah’s Ark is The Ark, the Reed, and the Fire Cloud. If anyone here has read them, do you think they are good?
I would add The Foundling’s Tale series by D.M.Cornish. Worth seeking out, and the only library book series we stumbled across that I sought out and bought for our family library. I put the series up there (though right below) with The Lord of the Rings, Chronicles of Narnia, and equal to series like Watership Down. The audio book is amazing for this series as well, though I don’t recommend listening to it in the car as you will be late everywhere you go from listening just a “few minutes more.” One reviewer called it a mix between Dickens and Tolkien, and I think that is an apt description. Oh! Did I mention the author does his own illustrations?
There are three books in the series, “The Foundling”, “Lamplighter”, and “Factotum”.
Another series which would fit quite well on this list; Emmy and the Rat, by Lynne Jonell. Stumbled across this at the library and it turned out to be a jewel of a find. (Considering how bereft of decent titles the library is these days, I consider it something a miracle that this series was being showcased at the library). Charming story and charming illustrations. My boys loved it!
The series include: “Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat”, “Emmy and the Home for Troubled Girls”, and “Emmy and the Rats in the Belfry.”
I think that both the series Map to Everywhere (by Carrie Ryan and John Parke Davis) and The League of Princes Series (By Christopher Healy) are great books and some of my favorites and must reads. They are both illustrated by Todd Harris, who is amazing, but above that the books are both amazing. the first book of Map to Everywhere is about a girl named Marrill who is sucked up into a stream of pure magic, and makes friends with a forgettable boy. They end up on a ship named the Kraken with a wizard and a sailor, who are trying to stop a star of destruction from rising. The first book of the League of Princes is about four princes from differing fairy tales (Rapunzel, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella) who are under appreciated and all have quirks coming together to save their kingdoms. This book is very funny and an enjoyable read. These are my two favorite books, and both Amazing (with a capital A!) I love them!
Our family LOVED the Prince Warrior series by Priscilla Shirer. There are princess warriors in it, too! It’s a great series to read with your kids and relate the events to different aspects of Christianity and the struggles and temptations in life, as well as who each character represents (there is a clear Savior as well as a Satan character).
Time Stops for No Mouse by Michael Hoeye is the first in the Hermux Tantamoq series, and it currently has three sequels, The Sands of Time, No Time Like Show Time and Time to Smell the Roses. These were recommended by a very trusted friend. Quirky adventure stories about a mouse. Curious if anyone else has heard of these.
One spectacular fantasy book that isn’t as well known as it should be (I would love to hear a review on it!) is Dawn of Wonder by Jonathan Renshaw. It’s a pretty hefty read, and only the first book of an unfinished series, but it’s overflowing with vivid Christian themes, as well as complex characters, amazing worldbuilding, and great humor. It’s currently one of my favorites.
I am excited about checking out this list for our family, but would NOT recommend Lewis’ Space Trilogy to 12 and up. It is one of my favorite series of all time, but the final book especially is full of decidedly adult themes including very graphic violence. Just FYI.
I just read The Little Grey Men by BB, a Carnegie Award winner that reminded me of Tolkien. It’s a very good story featuring very British and earthy gnomes. Also, I can recommend LM Boston’s Green Knowe series, Enchantress from the Stars by Sylvia Engdahl (for teens), The Gammage Cup by Carol Kendall, Calvin Miller’s The Singer, The Song, and The Finale (a trilogy for teens and adults), Dealing With Dragons by Patricia Wrede (and sequels), The False Prince by Jennifer Nielsen, Wonderful Flight to the Mushroom Planet by Cameron, and Tom’s Midnight Garden by Philippa Pearce. Also, you left out at last two classics, which are not to everyone’s taste, but certainly very beloved of many: The Wind in the Willows by Grahame and Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. I know you can’t include everything, but those last two are simply fantastic and well worth checking out.
Sherry, these are great reminders! There’s no way we could include many more without making separate lists, but we actually discussed Patricia Wrede, and we’ve reviewed at least one of Jennifer Nielsen’s titles. The classics you mention (I’d include Green Knowe with the classics) are all excellent additions. And The Gamma Cup and Miller’s trilogy are others familiar to several of us! We just have to make some more fantasy lists! 🙂
By happenstance, I found three great early elementary dragon books at my library: The Dragon of Lonely Island and The Return of the Dragon, both by Rebecca Rupp, and Kenny and the Dragon by Tony DiTerlizzi (it has lots of connections to The Reluctant Dragon). They were perfect for my daughter when she was transitioning from easy reader chapter books to slightly longer chapter books with more challenging vocabulary and content. And, what’s even better, since she is reading aloud to me for practice, I enjoyed listening to all three of these books too! (I think the first two are out-of-print)
And we should totally have included The Reluctant Dragon on our list! So many wonderful books to discover 🙂
I may have overlooked it but our family has loved the Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander. It’s such a beautiful story!!
Another gem we overlooked! We discussed Lloyd Alexander’s Prydain Chronicles a few years ago, actually…..
My two kids and I just a month ago finished about one and a half years of reading The Chronicles of Prydain aloud. They absolutely loved the books and Taran, Eilonwy, Gurgi, Fflewddur FFlam, etc. and their adventures made it into many conversations. It’s a great series. (It was hard to figure out what to read next after spending so much time in Prydain.)
We know the feeling! Epic reads are hard to follow. My family has “munchings and crunchings” meals (where we scrounge the fridge and pantry–usually Sunday night after church). But calling them by Gurgi’s name makes it more fun!
We finished reading all of the Chronicles of Prydain volumes as read-alouds in January (so 10 months ago) and my kids STILL refer to the stories and characters every so often when we’re discussing something. Lloyd Alexander is a treasure.
We’re fans here, too!
[…] Read more. […]
The Redwall series by Brian Jacques
This list is going to be so helpful. I only see five books here that our fantasy-loving family has read!
I have to mention George McDonald’s The Light Princess. We’re right in the middle of it right now, and we’re loving it. He balances his trademark weirdness with a stock fairy tale plot to make a strange, funny, and beautiful book.
The Light Princess is a favorite in my (Betsy’s) family, too!
[…] Redeemed Reader: Here Be Dragons, Mega Fantasy and Sci-FI Booklist (all ages) […]
DragonKeeper Chronicles and Chronicles of Chiril by Donita K Paul
Don’t forget Dragons in Our Midst and really anything by Bryan Davis. Also, don’t think I saw The Lost Books by Ted Dekker or The Kingdom Series by Chuck Black. I saw some really intriguing looking books in the Christian bookstore by Jenny L. Cote. I haven’t got to read any yet, but they are called The Amazing Tales of Max and Liz, apparently about a time traveling dog and cat who get to participate in important biblical and historical events. The one about Noah’s Ark is The Ark, the Reed, and the Fire Cloud. If anyone here has read them, do you think they are good?
I would add The Foundling’s Tale series by D.M.Cornish. Worth seeking out, and the only library book series we stumbled across that I sought out and bought for our family library. I put the series up there (though right below) with The Lord of the Rings, Chronicles of Narnia, and equal to series like Watership Down. The audio book is amazing for this series as well, though I don’t recommend listening to it in the car as you will be late everywhere you go from listening just a “few minutes more.” One reviewer called it a mix between Dickens and Tolkien, and I think that is an apt description. Oh! Did I mention the author does his own illustrations?
There are three books in the series, “The Foundling”, “Lamplighter”, and “Factotum”.
Another series which would fit quite well on this list; Emmy and the Rat, by Lynne Jonell. Stumbled across this at the library and it turned out to be a jewel of a find. (Considering how bereft of decent titles the library is these days, I consider it something a miracle that this series was being showcased at the library). Charming story and charming illustrations. My boys loved it!
The series include: “Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat”, “Emmy and the Home for Troubled Girls”, and “Emmy and the Rats in the Belfry.”
Thanks, Cathy! We’ve reviewed at least two of Lynne Jonell’s books.
My tweens and teens and I are all obsessed with Keeper of the Lost Cities series. Definitely one you should review!
Thanks for the heads-up, Mandy!
Yes! My kids love this series as well!
I think that both the series Map to Everywhere (by Carrie Ryan and John Parke Davis) and The League of Princes Series (By Christopher Healy) are great books and some of my favorites and must reads. They are both illustrated by Todd Harris, who is amazing, but above that the books are both amazing. the first book of Map to Everywhere is about a girl named Marrill who is sucked up into a stream of pure magic, and makes friends with a forgettable boy. They end up on a ship named the Kraken with a wizard and a sailor, who are trying to stop a star of destruction from rising. The first book of the League of Princes is about four princes from differing fairy tales (Rapunzel, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella) who are under appreciated and all have quirks coming together to save their kingdoms. This book is very funny and an enjoyable read. These are my two favorite books, and both Amazing (with a capital A!) I love them!
Thanks for chiming in, Ava! We reviewed the first volume of both of those series, the Map to Everywhere here: https://redeemedreader.com/2015/05/the-map-to-everywhere-by-carrie-ryan-john-park-davis/. And the League of Princes here: https://redeemedreader.com/2012/07/just-for-fun-fantasy/.
Our family LOVED the Prince Warrior series by Priscilla Shirer. There are princess warriors in it, too! It’s a great series to read with your kids and relate the events to different aspects of Christianity and the struggles and temptations in life, as well as who each character represents (there is a clear Savior as well as a Satan character).
We like that series, too! We reviewed it after we compiled this list (we need to add it to the list!): https://redeemedreader.com/2020/12/the-prince-warriors-series-by-priscilla-shirer-with-gina-detwiler/
Time Stops for No Mouse by Michael Hoeye is the first in the Hermux Tantamoq series, and it currently has three sequels, The Sands of Time, No Time Like Show Time and Time to Smell the Roses. These were recommended by a very trusted friend. Quirky adventure stories about a mouse. Curious if anyone else has heard of these.
We’ll have to check those books out, Jeannette!
One spectacular fantasy book that isn’t as well known as it should be (I would love to hear a review on it!) is Dawn of Wonder by Jonathan Renshaw. It’s a pretty hefty read, and only the first book of an unfinished series, but it’s overflowing with vivid Christian themes, as well as complex characters, amazing worldbuilding, and great humor. It’s currently one of my favorites.
Sounds like a great suggestion, Isobel–thanks!
I am excited about checking out this list for our family, but would NOT recommend Lewis’ Space Trilogy to 12 and up. It is one of my favorite series of all time, but the final book especially is full of decidedly adult themes including very graphic violence. Just FYI.
Agreed, Avril–That Hideous Strength is definitely for adults. You may be interested in the read-along I published on Redeemed Reader several years ago, starting here: https://redeemedreader.com/2011/08/that-hideous-strength-an-introduction/.
Thank you! I’m bookmarking it for my own re-reads, and for when the kids are older. Your work is such a blessing.