Magic

Brave Story

Young Wataru Mitani’s life is a mess. His father has abandoned him and his mother has been hospitalized after a suicide attempt. Desperately he searches for some way to change his life—a way to alter his fate. To achieve his goal, he must navigate the magical world of Vision, a land filled with creatures both fierce and friendly. And to complicate matters, he must outwit a merciless rival from the real world. Wataru’s ultimate destination is the Tower of Destiny where a goddess of fate awaits. Only when he has finished his journey and collected five elusive gemstones will he possess the Demon’s Bane—the key that will unlock his future.   Charity, bravery, faith, grace and the power of darkness and light: these are the provinces of each gemstone. Brought together, they have the immeasurable power to bring Wataru’s family back together again.

Ibby’s Magic Weekend

When straight-arrow Ibby visits her two troublemaking cousins in their chaotic country house, she learns of an old box of magic tricks they found hidden in the attic. Ibby thinks magic is nothing but sleight of hand until her cousin Francis shrinks to the size of her thumb! The trio gets into all sorts of hijinks, from levitating to turning invisible. Then they uncover the mystery of Uncle Godfrey, a professional magician who disappeared years ago. After some sleuthing, the kids decide Godfrey’s Vanishing Act must have gone wrong.

Howl’s Moving Castle

Sophie has the great misfortune of being the eldest of three daughters, destined to fail miserably should she ever leave home to seek her fate. But when she unwittingly attracts the ire of the Witch of the Waste, Sophie finds herself under a horrid spell that transforms her into an old lady. Her only chance at breaking it lies in the ever-moving castle in the hills: the Wizard Howl’s castle. To untangle the enchantment, Sophie must handle the heartless Howl, strike a bargain with a fire demon, and meet the Witch of the Waste head-on. Along the way, she discovers that there’s far more to Howl—and herself—than first meets the eye.

Moon without Magic

In this sequel to Wishing Moon, Aminah can’t believe her luck—or lack of it—when she discovers that the jinni’s lamp is missing. Somehow the bottle imp remains outside the lamp, devoid of his powers. In their search for the lamp, the girl and the helpless jinni have to rely on wit, bravery, and a bit of sorcery from an unexpected source in order to survive thieving bands, pirates, and their biggest challenge of all: Princess Badr, who seeks not only the lamp, but also revenge.

Castle in the Air

Young merchant Abdullah leads a humble life. Or he did until a stranger sold him a threadbare—and disagreeable—magic carpet. Now Abdullah is caught in the middle of his grand daydreams. Waking one night in a luxurious garden, he meets and falls instantly in love with the beautiful and clever Flower-in-the-Night. But a wicked djinn sweeps the princess away right before Abdullah’s eyes, leaving the young man no choice but to follow. This is no ordinary quest, however, for Flower-in-the-Night isn’t all the djinn has stolen. Abdullah will have the so-called help of the cantankerous carpet, a cranky genie in a bottle, a dishonest soldier, and a very opinionated black cat. Will this motley crew be able to find the djinn’s mysterious dwelling and rescue a castle full of princesses?

How Mama Brought the Spring

One wintry morning, Mama tells Rosy a wondrous story about her own mama, Grandma Beatrice, who could bring spring to cold, cold Minsk by making magic in the kitchen. Together, mother and daughter mix batter and sing a song. Then the batter goes into the pan—pour, swirl, swizzle, FLIP! Soon Papa comes in from the cold and the family shares a special treat.

In this tale, Holly Berry’s stunning illustrations evoke charming folk traditions and the warm magic made in Mama’s kitchen.

Elsie Piddock Skips in Her Sleep

Elsie Piddock is a born skipper. By the time she’s seven, the tireless girl can even outskip the fairies and is rewarded with a gift of rare and lasting value. Can she use it many years later to save the children’s fabled skipping grounds from a greedy, factory-building lord?

The Flying Bed

An original fairy tale about a poor baker who finds a beautiful bed for his wife in a strange new shop–for free! Perhaps his bad luck has turned? But there are more wonders in store, for the bed has magical powers. That night, the couple flies across the heavens to meet a master baker who gives them some magic yeast that will make them the best–and richest–bakery in town! But the yeast comes with a promise that will test the baker’s integrity, and will eventually teach the baker and his wife about the true riches of love and loyalty.

Max’s Magic Seeds

Max thinks school is boring, and his uncle Bill’s idea of livening things up doesn’t sound too exciting either. He gives Max a big bag of seeds for his birthday. At first Max is skeptical, but he follows his uncle’s instructions and scatters the seeds on his way to school. From that moment on, unusual things begin to happen, and the changes are simply magical. Wildflowers begin to grow throughout the city, where they’ve never been before. Suddenly Max becomes the most popular kid in school as his class gets to pick the flowers, draw them, and study them. This was the best gift, after all. Here is a lovely story about how small actions can make a big difference in your own life, and the life of an entire community.

Snowbone

One pale wooden girl stands on the shore of Black Sand Bay, where the sea meets the sky and the wind meets the water. But Snowbone knows that she and her wooden friends can’t stay here forever. Something is happening deep within the forest. Something—someone—that must be stopped. Determined to save the Ashenpeakers from a dark destiny, Snowbone leads her gang of wooden tiddlins on a perilous chase—on the heels of human slave traders. They encounter feathered flying machines, a mystifying ancient prophecy, a looming volcano, and hungry cannibals. Snowbone, strong and courageous (and a bit stubborn), urges them on, while learning what it means to be a good leader.In a companion novel to Barkbelly, Cat Weatherill weaves another magical tale about the world of Ashenpeake and its lovable wooden heroes.