The Best Science Fiction, Fantasy & Magic Kids' Books 2026

1. Strega Nona Book Strega Nona: An Original Tale, (Hardcover)

Now celebrating its 50th anniversary! When Strega Nona leaves him alone with her magic pasta pot, Big Anthony is determined to show the townspeople how it works in this classic Caldecott Honor book from Tomie dePaola. Strega Nona--"Grandma Witch"--is the source for potions, cures, magic, and comfort in her Calabrian town. Her magical everfull pasta pot is especially intriguing to hungry Big Anthony. He is supposed to look after her house and tend her garden but one day, when she goes over the mountain to visit Strega Amelia, Big Anthony recites the magic verse over the pasta pot, with disastrous results. In this retelling of an old tale, author-illustrator Tomie dePaola combines humor in the writing and warmth in the paintings as he builds the story to its hilarious climax.

Strega Nona Book Strega Nona: An Original Tale, (Hardcover) Author: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers ISBN: 9780671662837 Format: Hardcover Publication Date: 1975-08-01 Page Count: 32

2. The Message 9780590629805

ISBN: 9780590629805 ISBN10: 0590629808 Contributors: Applegate, K. A.,

The Animorphs head out to sea to find an alien ships with the help of amazingdolphin morphs.

3. Jennifer Murdley's Toad (Paperback) 9780671794019

ISBN: 9780671794019 ISBN10: 0671794019 Contributors: Coville, Bruce, Macdonald, Patricia, Lippincott, Gary A.,

Jennifer Murdley had no idea what she was getting into the day she bought the big toad from the strange man who ran Elives' Magic Shop. The thing didn't even start talking to her until she had it out of the shop. And once the toad did start to talk, it still kept a lot of secrets. So Jennifer didn't find out about his strange birth...or the treasure hidden in his forehead...or the witch who was out to get him...until she and her friends were in more trouble than they had ever dreamed of

4. The Encounter (Paperback) by Katherine A Applegate

9780590629799. New condition. Trade paperback. Language: English. Pages: 157. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 157 p. Contains: Illustrations. Animorphs (Quality), 3. Intended for a juvenile audience. Warned never to stay in his animal shape for more than two hours, Tobias forgets when he becomes involved in a rescue campaign and faces being trapped in a hawk's body forever.

ISBN: 9780590629799 Condition: New Trade paperback Language: English Pages: 157 Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 157 p. Contains: Illustrations. Animorphs (Quality), 3. Intended for a juvenile audience. Warned never to stay in his animal shape for more than two hours, Tobias forgets when he becomes involved in a rescue campaign and faces being trapped in a hawk's body forever.

5. Fire Truck, (Hardcover)

Matt loves fire trucks, and one morning when he wakes up, he is a fire truck--right down to his hoses, hooks, and ladders! Full color.

Fire Truck, (Hardcover) Author: Greenwillow Books ISBN: 9780688158781 Format: Hardcover Publication Date: 1998-09-17 Page Count: 28

6. Two of Everything (Hardcover)

When old Mr. Haktak digs up a curious brass pot in his garden, he has no idea what use it can be. On his way home, Mr. Haktak decides to carry his coin purse in the mysterious pot. But when Mrs. Haktak's hairpin accidentally slips into the pot and she reaches in to retrieve it, the magic of the pot is revealed. Not only are there two hairpins inside, but there are also two purses!

Two of Everything (Hardcover)

7. Pre-Owned Summer Reading is Killing Me! (Hardcover) by Jon Scieszka

9780670880416. Pre-owned: Good condition. Hard cover. Language: English. Pages: 73. Glued binding. Paper over boards. With dust jacket. 73 p. Contains: Illustrations. Time Warp Trio, 7. Intended for a juvenile audience. Fred put the kids' summer reading list inside "The Book" (the magic one, that is), and now the three friends are destined to spend their summer living stories that were only meant to be read. Illustrations.

ISBN: 9780670880416 Condition: New Hard cover Language: English Pages: 73 Glued binding. Paper over boards. With dust jacket. 73 p. Contains: Illustrations. Time Warp Trio, 7. Intended for a juvenile audience. Fred put the kids' summer reading list inside "The Book" (the magic one, that is), and now the three friends are destined to spend their summer living stories that were only meant to be read. Illustrations.

8. The Cinder-Eyed Cats (Hardcover) by Eric Rohmann

9780517708965. Pre-owned: Good condition. Hard cover. Language: English. Pages: 40. Sewn binding. Cloth over boards. 40 p. Contains: Illustrations. Intended for a juvenile audience. The Caldecott Honor author of "Time Flies" transports a young boy in a magical sailboat to a lush tropical island inhabited by six cats with eyes like blazing coals. Rohmann's illustrations add layers of complexity to a deceptively simple storyline. Full color.

In his first book since Time Flies, his Caldecott Honor debut, Eric Rohmann transports a young boy in a magical sailboat to a lush tropical island inhabited by six cats with eyes like blazing coals. Rohmann's magnificent oil paintings draw the eye seamlessly from page to page, adding layers of complexity to a deceptively simple storyline. His palette reaches effortlessly from the brilliance of a tropical day to the glow of a starlit night, while his scenes range from breathtaking ocean vistas to the meticulously detailed and expressive creatures. The Cinder-Eyed Cats is both a sumptuous feast for the eye and a virtuoso feat of picture storytelling. Time Flies , a wordless picture book, is inspired by the theory that birds are the modern relatives of dinosaurs. This story conveys the tale of a bird trapped in a dinosaur exhibit at a natural history museum. Through Eric's use of color, readers can actually see the bird enter into a mouth of a dinosaur, and then escape unscathed.

9. Paul Galdone Nursery Classic: The Elves and the Shoemaker (Paperback)

In this faithful retelling of the classic Grimm Brothers tale, the illustrations capture the kindness of the shoemaker and the magic of the two elves who help him.

Paul Galdone Nursery Classic: The Elves and the Shoemaker (Paperback)

10. Happily Ever After (Hardcover) by Anna Quindlen

9780670869619. New condition. Hard cover. Language: English. Pages: 43. Sewn binding. Cloth over boards. With dust jacket. 43 p. Contains: Illustrations. Intended for a juvenile audience. When a girl who loves to read fairy tales is transported back to medieval times, she finds that the life of a princess in a castle is less fun than she imagined.

ISBN: 9780670869619 Condition: New Hard cover Language: English Pages: 43 Sewn binding. Cloth over boards. With dust jacket. 43 p. Contains: Illustrations. Intended for a juvenile audience. When a girl who loves to read fairy tales is transported back to medieval times, she finds that the life of a princess in a castle is less fun than she imagined.