5 Epic Fantasy Children's Books Series Where Magic Reigns Supreme

We all know that reading is good for kids. Avid readers have improved language skills, increased vocabularies, and stronger, more compassionate relationships. They also sleep better, have superior memories and become more open-minded than their non-reading counterparts tend to be.

However, you might not have realized that reading fantasy fiction novels has its own set of special benefits. Igniting the imagination actually helps strengthen a child’s sense of empathy. Escaping to a fantastical land via a great book can help kids better cope with stress. Fantasy books can help kiddos believe that anything can happen, that good can conquer evil, and that even in the direst situations, magic can change the outcome.

If you are a book lover, you know firsthand the mixed emotions that come from finishing a wonderful book that temporarily transports you to another, enchanted world. It is a combination of satisfaction and longing, wishing that you could go back and “live there” just a while longer. That’s what makes a fantasy series so marvelous. Where one magnificent book concludes, another begins.

The following five epic fantasy chapter book series can help you introduce your young reader to a realm of magic that carries on through multiple stories. These children's fantasy book series all have what it takes to make them classics: originality, strong characters and the ability to draw readers into their world.

The Spiderwick Chronicles

by Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi

Twins Simon and Jared and their older sister Mallory Grace have moved into the decrepit old Spiderwick Estate with their mother. The children's great-aunt Lucinda Spiderwick allows the family to live there following their parents’ divorce. When they hear something moving in the walls, the children investigate, thinking there is a rabbit trapped inside. Instead, they discover a miniature world. Later, they find their uncle Arthur’s Field Guide to the Fantastical World Around You and the magic begins.

Along with the five primary chapter books in this series, there are several accompanying reads including Arthur Spiderwick’s Notebook of Fantastical Observations, The Care and Feeding of Sprites and an additional series called Beyond the Spiderwick Chronicles.

The Wildwood Chronicles

by Colin Meloy and Carson Ellis

Seventh-grader Prue McKeel has a normal life until one day, when she is at the park with her one-year-old brother, Mac. Crows swoop in and steal her baby brother, prompting Prue to chase after them and her classmate Curtis to follow. She soon discovers that her parents, desperate to have a child, struck a deal with evil Dowager Governess, who uses her powers to give them a child in exchange for one thing: the McKeels must give their second born child to her.

The three chapter books in this series will captivate kids who enjoy stories such as Peter Pan, Labyrinth and Through the Looking Glass in which protagonists living seemingly typical lives are transported to fantastical realms they never knew existed.

Fablehaven

by Brandon Mull

Thirteen-year-old Kendra and twelve-year-old Seth Sorenson are visiting their grandparents while their parents are away on a lengthy cruise. They do not realize that Grandpa Sorenson is caretaker of Fablehaven, a hidden refuge for magical creatures, meant to protect them from extinction. After finding a journal full of secrets and drinking enchanted milk, the children’s eyes are opened to the world around them, suddenly thrust into a battle between creatures of darkness and beings of light.

With five primary chapter books in the series and two accompanying titles –The Caretaker’s Guide to Fablehaven and the interactive Fablehaven Book of Imagination—this collection of fantasy novels appeals to both boys and girls.

Chronicles of Narnia

by C.S. Lewis

In this fantasy series, four English siblings go to stay at a house in the country to avoid the bombings during World War II. Trying to occupy their time, they play a game of hide-and-seek, resulting in the youngest sister’s discovery of a magical world called Narnia, which can be reached through an ordinary-looking wardrobe.

One of the debates surrounding this series is the order in which the books should be read. Some fans are proponents of reading them in the order in which they were written. Others say it is best to read them in the internal chronology of the novels. Whichever approach your child takes, they will certainly find the seven books in this collection epic.

The 13th Reality

by James Dashner

When 13-year-old Atticus "'Tick'" Higginbottom receives a mysterious letter from Alaska, his ordinary life changes. A devastating incident could wipe out reality unless Tick can follow clues, solve riddles, and make the right choices. Before long, Tick meets several other kids on the same journey.

In the four chapter books in this series, Tick and his friends work together, soon realizing that alternate realities are created with each decision they make.

We consider these collections to be some of the best children’s fantasy books around, but of course, there are so many more. Do you have a favorite list of children's fantasy books? Share it with us!

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