Magical realism books aren’t like fantasy — there are no magicians or magical creatures — this is a genre of realistic stories containing just a little bit of magic. Like the story of a girl on a farm with chickens who have powers. Or a tree in an orchard who grows things that the child most needs.
I fell in love with magical realism in college when I read Isabel Allende’s House of Spirits. Allende’s books and books by Gabriel Garcia Marquez are classic examples of magical realism in adult literature. Maybe you’ve read these, too?
Introduce your tweens (ages 9- 12) to magical realism with one of these middle-grade choices. Maybe they’ll fall in love with this genre!
Incredible Books Magical Realism Books for Tweens
The Brave by James Bird
Run out to get this absolutely jaw-dropping, stunningly beautiful book with a main character you’ll fall in love with (and whose character arc is HUGE.) It’s filled with metaphorical, meaningful, and symbolic writing and you will feel ALL the feelings. When Collin, a boy who counts every letter spoken to him and says the number out loud, gets kicked out of yet another school, his neglectful father sends Collin to live with his mom. Collin has never met his mother but he’s curious to meet her and live on the Ojibwe reservation. Living with her is a totally different experience than his previous home — because with his mother, he’s welcomed and not judged. He befriends the neighbor girl who teaches Collin how to be brave. Which he needs. And so does she because she’s going to be a butterfly soon…
Midsummer Mayhem by Ranji LaRocca
Imagine “A Midsummer’s Night Dream” in the present day filled with delicious flavors and a strong Indian cultural heritage...11-year old Mimi desperately wants to win a baking contest to stand out in her big Indian American family. She feels like she fails at everything. And recently her best friend moved away. Now her food-critic dad has been acting crazy and eating all the time, missing his discerning taste buds. In fact, everyone’s been acting crazy! Then Mimi realizes that the cookies that she and her new friend, Vik, baked with honeysuckle made the kids who ate them fall in love. You’ll love into this magical realism middle grade book of magic, fairies, baking and growing up.
“…most of all this is a story of the two sisters, and what they did when the monsters really came.” It took me about to the middle to really find myself immersed in the story — but I’m telling that it’s worth it to hang on. Because in this beautiful, fairy-tale-like story, the heroine saves herself (mostly) and the plot twist you won’t see coming is truly perfect. It’s about twin sisters who are separated for the first time in school, the growing sense of impending doom, a weird antique shop, a mysterious narrator, a dollhouse that seems to be metaphorical, and a persistent murder of crows. Because there is nothing that can separate these sisters. Not even the most wicked of monsters.
Sweep by Jonathan Auxier
Set in Victorian London, this is a beautiful, bittersweet story about a plucky girl and her protector golem which in the telling, illuminates the horrifying lives of chimney sweep kids as well as the world’s anti-semitism. Young Nan’s Sweep father-figure is gone; she still dreams of his kindness and their life before he left. To survive, she works for a cruel chimney sweep. When another sweep tries to burn Nan alive, a charcoal golem, formerly a piece of charcoal left to her by Sweep, emerges to save her. She and her protector golem, Char, find a new place to live but must stay vigilant so her old master doesn’t find them. On their own, they are helped by a street boy and a kind Jewish teacher with trust, love, and friendship growing slowly. Ultimately, it’s an irresistible story that will expand your heart…and your definition of what makes a monster. Added to: Best Middle-Grade Chapter Books of 2018
Set in Victorian London, this is a beautiful, bittersweet story about a plucky girl and her protector golem which in the telling, illuminates the horrifying lives of chimney sweep kids as well as the world’s anti-semitism. Young Nan’s Sweep father-figure is gone; she still dreams of his kindness and their life before he left. To survive, she works for a cruel chimney sweep. When another sweep tries to burn Nan alive, a charcoal golem, formerly a piece of charcoal left to her by Sweep, emerges to save her. She and her protector golem, Char, find a new place to live but must stay vigilant so her old master doesn’t find them. On their own, they are helped by a street boy and a kind Jewish teacher with trust, love, and friendship growing slowly. Ultimately, it’s an irresistible story that will expand your heart…and your definition of what makes a monster. Added to: Best Middle-Grade Chapter Books of 2018
This is magical realism at its best — it’s a sweet story about a family in crisis due to the younger sister’s cancer and mounting medical bills. The older sister, Isa, discovers the magic of their new farm’s orchard— and the magic has some powerful lessons to teach her. As does her little sister, Junie. I loved so much about this story— the close sister relationship, the character arc of Isa, the power of nature, the sisters’ wordplay…this middle grade story is a heart-warming hug that belongs on every bookshelf.
Bliss by Kathryn Littlewood
This series was a bedtime favorite read for us. In Rosemary’s family’s bakery, there’s a magical cookbook the kids aren’t supposed to use. But when the parents are away, the aunt arrives and gets cooking– using the forbidden enchanted recipes. But the kids will learn the hard way that Aunt Lily isn’t who she says she is nor does she have their best interests at heart. Action, adventure, magic, and cooking!
The Frame-Up by Wendy McLeod MacKnight, illustrated by Ian Schoenherr
Celebrating artwork, this magical mystery reveals that the people in the paintings are ALIVE. Of course, the Beaverbrook Gallery paintings have strict rules to prevent humans from discovering this truth. Only Mona Dunn doesn’t always follow the rules. She’s seen by the curator’s son named Sargent who is visiting his estranged father for the summer and they develop a close friendship. Meanwhile, she and the other paintings wonder if the creepy art restorer is an art forger because something is suspicious. The book shows copies of all the paintings including a Salvador Dali which give readers a vivid sense of where much of the book takes place — in the paintings themselves. It’s an excellent, page-turning middle grade mystery with important themes about family, forgiveness, and friendship.
Circus Mirandus by Cassie Beasley
You’ll fall in love with this magical story about a lonely boy whose beloved grandfather faces a life-ending illness. Micah’s grandfather and Micah hope the magical Lightbender in the Circus Mirandus who owes the grandfather a miracle will be able to help. With a missive to the Lightbender, Micah finds the location of the magical circus his grandfather once loved so much. It’s an adventure filled with emotion and faith that doesn’t turn out how Micah expects.
Sam’s sleepwalking has gotten so bad (chainsawing while asleep?!) that her mom finally takes her to an unorthodox doctor who actually helps her by detaching Sam’s soul. Sam meets other Sleep Waker and learns that the personalities of Sleep Wakers are the OPPOSITE of their daytime selves. But she doesn’t want to believe the worst about the nicest girl in school, Madalynn, who uses terror and manipulation to control her creepy followers during the night. What else will you find in this compelling new story? A cute boy, a soul-stealing evil doctor, a manipulative bully, backstories that influence everything, and a girl just trying to find her place in this nighttime world make this a book I couldn’t put down.
A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness, illustrated by Jim Kay
Worth reading and rereading because there are layers upon layers of meaning, skillful writing, and a haunting truthtelling that resonates with us all. Ever since Conor’s mom got breast cancer, a wild, ancient tree monster has visited him in Conor’s nightmares. The monster demands that Conor admit the truth but Conor who refuses to give in to the monster’s demands, not really even understanding what those are. Meanwhile, in the awake world, Conor’s moved in with his cold, unfriendly grandmother. The metaphorical nightmare echos Conor’s real-world experiences as we journey with him into pain, loss, and eventually, healing. Astonishing and powerful, this is one of the best books I’ve EVER read.
More Magical Realism Middle-Grade Books
Max grows up in a small village surrounded by a country ruled by terror and persecution. He learns that his family members are secret Guardians who help people fleeing Abismo to safety, towards Mañanaland. One day when his abuela and father aren’t there, Max volunteers to escort a small girl and her kitty to the next guardian –his first time and without permission. The amazing, nuanced story is about refugees, growing up, family, love, social justice, and storytelling and is filled with rich symbolism, lots of Spanish, and evocative magical realism elements. It’s multilayered, moving, and important.
Pashmina by Nidhi Chanani
Pashmina is about a girl finding her place in the world. She travels to India to meet her extended family and finds answers about the magical shawl her mother owns. This is a lovely coming of age middle-grade graphic novel conveyed in the incredible, irresistible artwork of a graphic novel.
Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer by Kelly Jones, illustrations by Katie Kath
Unusual Chickens has exceptional writing, characterization, and plot! The book is written as letters from a girl named Sophie, who is newly living at the farm of her dead great-uncle Jim. She writes to her dead abuelita, her dead great-uncle Jim, and Agnes of the Extraordinary Chickens catalog. While her parents are figuring out their new lives, Sophie figures out the farm. Specifically the chickens with special powers. She learns that the chicken are quite exceptional! (Think telekinesis, invisibility, and carnivorous chicks.) But a neighbor chicken thief is also interested in these unusual chickens — and Sophie must stop her. Which means entering the town’s poultry show.
Joplin, Wishing by Diane Stanley
Joplin’s life is changed when she inherits a broken platter from her grandfather. Unexpectedly, the girl in the platter comes to life in order to fulfill Joplin’s wish for a friend. The girl, Sofie, explains that a Dutch alchemist created her centuries ago and she’s been trapped in the platter to grant wishes for eternity. To make matters worse, Sofie spots the immortal alchemist watching Joplin’s house. He wants Sofie back and will do anything to get her. Mesmerizing.
Ghosts by Raina Telgemeier
A ghost tour outing with a neighbor boy sends Maya, Catrina’s little sister with cystic fibrosis to the hospital. Cat feels guilt and fear for her sister, knowing that her sister’s lungs will never get better and feels that it’s all her fault. But as the neighbor introduces Cat to the beautiful Day of the Dead celebration, Cat starts to see death and life differently, especially when she meets the ghosts. Beautifully written and illustrated, this graphic novel deftly deals with the big issues of mortality, honesty, and friendship in an interesting, unique way.
The Inquisitor’s Tale: Or, The Three Magical Children and Their Holy Dog by Adam Gidwitz, illustrated by Hatem Aly
This is the story of three children in medieval France which tackles big issues such as faith, God, prejudice, friendship, and family. The writing, the story, the characters, and the themes all pack a big punch adding up to a compelling novel that will make you think deeply and leave you changed. (Sensitive readers: there are a few swear words and two scenes with a lot of blood.) My daughter and I absolutely loved this story.
Peter escapes his yelling, hurting family by wandering around the Texas Hill Country. He meets and befriends a Make-a-Wish Girl named Annie, who is also escaping her daily reality of a (stupid) art camp and a cancer treatment she doesn’t want. To avoid the unwanted surgery, the pair run away to the magical valley that they know will protect them. This is so well-written. The characters are realistic with dysfunctional family dynamics, an important friendship, paired with despair and hope — it hooked me from the first page. Amazing!
The Seventh Wish by Kate Messner
The Seventh Wish is a magically captivating coming-of-age story filled with friendship and family challenges and . . . wishes. Charlie is struggling with her sister leaving for college and subsequent problems with drug addiction, her parent’s inattention, and trying to make sense out of her life. So when Charlie accidentally catches a wish fish while ice-fishing, she’s sure that the fish will solve all her problems. Only as we might predict, that’s not exactly what happens. Because wishes can turn out differently than you think. This is a wonderful magical realism middle grade book — great for book club discussion.
Wishing Day by Lauren Myracle
Natasha’s magical ancestors started a town tradition that on the third night of the third month after your thirteenth birthday, you can make a wish at the willow tree. Natasha wants to believe — and she does, mostly — but ever since her mother disappeared, she’s lost some of that belief. Can her impossible wish come true? Natasha learns that maybe what she thinks she wants, she really doesn’t. This is a wonderful, magical coming-of-age story that I highly recommend.
The other kids bully Moth when she dresses up as a witch for Halloween prompting a reaction that can only be MAGIC! Her mom reluctantly reveals to Moth that her family of witches gets their powers around age 13. Even though Moth wants to learn more, her mom won’t teach her. She’s helped by a talking cat and her mom’s magical diary yet it’s not until she learns more about her grandmother and the family legacy that she understands her powers. Growing up is never easy — but it’s a lot trickier when you get magic that you can’t control. Readers will enjoy this magical coming-of-age gem.
When You Trap a Tiger by Tae Keller
Lily, her sister, and their mother move in with her Halmoni (Korean for grandmother) but it’s not the same as before. Now her grandmother is sick at night and reveals to Lily that she stole stories from the tigers and they’re hunting her to get them back. Lily tries to make a deal with the tiger to save Halmoni, she doesn’t want her grandmother to die. This book celebrates Korean culture and storytelling and is about coming to terms with death and illness and knowing yourself so you can write your own stories.
More Engaging Titles for Tweens
The Girl with the Ghost Machine by Lauren DeStefano
Deeply moving and thought-provoking, this spooky book will immerse you in a world of ghosts and grief. After Emmaline’s mother dies, her father becomes obsessed with bringing her back using a machine he’s built. He works in the basement, ignoring all else. Emmaline tries to break the machine but makes it work instead. When tragedy strikes, the characters are thrust into sharp grief and loss and must once again, ponder the value of such a machine.
A Tale of Highly Unusual Magic by Lisa Papademetriou
Two girls in two locations (Texas and Pakistan) each discover a magical book, The Exquisite Corpse, in which a love story appears that will eventually connect the girls to each other and their own histories. It’s a beautifully written story of friendship and self-discovery.
The Dollmaker of Krakow by Rachael Romero
An alive doll and a Polish magician toy store owner during WWII develop a beautiful friendship. Later, a remarkable friendship develops between the doll, the magician, a Jewish father, and his daughter. When the Nazis force the Jews into a ghetto including the magician’s new friend and his daughter, the doll encourages the magician to save as many children as he can by turning them into dolls for a short time. We only get a glimpse of the actual WWII horror as the story instead focuses on the relationships. Ultimately, the ending is heart-breaking but also life-affirming as we see the power of love and friendship.
The Memory of Forgotten Things by Kat Zhang
If you like magical realism, you’ll love this story about friends who have memories that don’t exist in their world. They discover that there are multiple worlds but ones with slightly different storylines. Sophia misses her mom who died so much, she decides to leave her world to go to one where her mom is still alive. Once she gets there, things are not what she expected. Multiple worlds and endings will get readers talking about the hard choices facing these kids.
Twintuition Double Vision by Tia and Tamera Mowry
This first story in the series focuses on identical twins living in a new town who both experience flashes of precognition when touching some people. There’s a conflict between the sisters plus challenges around being at a new school. However, when their policewoman mother faces a serious problem, the twins use their abilities to save her from scandal. In summary, Twintuition is a quick, enjoyable summer read and they’ll be more books to come.
All the Answers by Kate Messner
Ana’s pencil can tell her answers — to things like tests, and if boys like her friend Sophie. She discovers that her grandfather, who is in a rest home, wants forgiveness from Ana’s mother; that Ana’s mother is mad about her grandfather’s gambling problem. Ana realizes that she doesn’t want to know all the answers. I love the story and the issues it brings up — this would be a great book club pick!
I have mixed feelings about this middle grade story — it’s cool but really different. I’d categorize it as magical historical realism set in Europe during medieval times. It’s the story of a humpback boy who joins a “pilgrim” searching specific Saint Peter relics to redeem his soul. The pair develop a camaraderie of sorts; then the boy discovers that his hump contains wings — and that he is actually an angel. Suspend belief for this engaging story filled with symbolism, Catholic history, and adventure.
Sticks and Stones by Abby Cooper
Now that Elyse is twelve, it’s not just the words that other people say about her that appear on her skin, but also her own self-talk. The words stay about two weeks and the negative words itch badly. Because there are a lot of negative words right now ever since her best friend’s ditched her. Anonymous notes encourage Elyse to try new things and grow out of her comfort zone. She does and is surprised with the positive results including a new self-acceptance of her situation. This would be an interesting book to discuss with a book group.
The Cat Who Came In off the Roof by Annie M.G. Schmidt
What a charming story! Mr. Tibble meets the strange cat-like Miss Minou just in time. He’s about to be fired from his reporter job because he only writes about cats not news. Miss Minou, who used to be a cat, uses her cat connections to help Mr. Tibble discover news to save his job. He, of course, doesn’t believe Miss Minou used to be a cat even though she wants to sleep in a box with newspaper and climb trees whenever dogs come around. Charming.
The Children of the King by Sonya Hartnett
I love how Harnett takes a beautiful historical story and infuses it with magical realism. In this chapter book, we’re transported to the English countryside during World War II when children were evacuated out of London. Two evacuated girls find brothers in the ruins of an old castle . They are boys who have also been removed from London but in another historical period. Are these the missing princes?
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[…] Brave by James Bird OJIBWE INDIGENOUS CULTURE / NEURO DIFFERENCES / MAGICAL REALISM Collin is a boy who counts every letter spoken to him and then says the number of letters out loud. […]