As Little Bookworm has gotten older, we started adding chapter books to our reading time. One of her favorite activities is swinging on her swing set while I read chapters out loud to her. I love that it keeps her moving, while also giving us extra reading time. We have flown through several chapter book series together this way. She loves books that include a touch of magic, so we wanted to share some of our favorite chapter book series about magic and fantasy.

Standard Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. I may receive a commission from purchases you make through the links in this post.

Magic Treehouse

Written by Mary Pope Osborne

This series follows brother and sister duo Jack and Annie as they travel through time in a mysterious magical treehouse they found in the woods near their home. Throughout the series, they travel to important time periods and events in history, meeting important figures and witnessing historical events. The books are easy to read, broken down into 10 chapters. Every four books there is another storyline added to the main story. The book has beautiful illustrations scattered throughout as well.

In addition to teaching kids about historical events and influential people, this series also celebrates the power of books and storytelling. The siblings travel through time with the use of books, gathering stories and learning about the progression of storytelling through the ages. Kids will love following the fun adventures of the duo, and the way that they play off of one another with funny banter. Parents and teachers will appreciate the way that the books introduce important people, moments, and themes throughout history in an easy to digest format.

Related Post: Early Chapter Books for Kids

Whatever After

Written by Sarah Mlynowski

This series follows another sister and brother duo, named Abby and Jonah. They use a magic mirror in their basement to transport themselves into fairy tales. But every time they find themselves in a story, they somehow mess it up and have to do whatever it takes to help the characters find a happily ever after. The books have lots of funny parts, whether in the banter between the characters, the confusion of the fairy tale characters, or the silly situations they find themselves in.

These books not only introduced my daughter to the darker Grimm Brother’s fairy tales, but Abby and Jonah often change the stories in ways that celebrate strength, ingenuity, teamwork, community, and more. There aren’t any damsels in distress in these stories! As fans of girl power, we really liked that part of the series. I also appreciated that at some point in each story, Abby shares the Grimm’s version of the fairy tale with Jonah who often gets confused with the Disney versions. This was incredibly helpful for Little Bookworm who knows the Disney versions so well.

Upside Down Magic

Written by Sarah Mlynowski, Lauren Myracle, and Emily Jenkins

Given her love of animals, Little Bookworm was immediately drawn in by the cute cover and the description on the back of the first book. These books follow the adventures of Nory, a young girl who is sent to Dunwiddle Magic School to be part of their Upside-Down Magic Class. Her magic is wonky, causing her to become different kinds of animals hybrids instead of regular animals. While at the school, she becomes friends with the other students in the Upside Down Magic Class, whose magic is just as confused as hers.

We decided to check this series out because we loved the Whatever After series so much. It had a different feeling, with the focus on school and bullying and class relationships. Little Bookworm loved all the different animals that Nory turned herself into. The story also opened a lot of conversations for us about bullying and inclusion, which is something we are always looking for. We are excited to dive into the rest of this series and see what other magical mischief the Upside Down Magic class can get into!

Related Post: Chapter Books for Reluctant Readers

The Sisters Grimm

Written by Michael Buckley and illustrated by Peter Ferguson

This is the latest magical book series that we have been reading. The 9 book series centers around two young girls named Sabrina and Daphne who are taken from an orphanage to go live with their long lost grandmother in Ferryport Landing. But they soon discover a big family secret – they are descendants of the Brothers Grimm, whose books don’t contain made up stories, but historical accounts of real events. The characters from the stories are trapped in the town, and the Grimm family is tasked with solving mysterious events that happen there.

Having enjoyed the Whatever After series so much and her introduction to the Brothers Grimm, she jumped at the chance to read this one. The 9 book series is an epic tale that turns lots of favorite fairy tales on their heads. There are lots of mysteries woven through the books, and Little Bookworm loved puzzling them out. She also enjoyed the girl power aspect, and the silliness of some of the characters and their situations. There were a few heavy storylines, and some character deaths, but those allowed us to start some deep conversations. Overall, this book was a much darker read than our previous books. But Little Bookworm was so drawn in that she insisted we start them over again as soon as we finished them.

What are your favorite chapter book series about magic and fantasy? Share them with us so we can add to our list!

More Posts You May Enjoy: