Category Archives: Fantasy

Tongue-in-cheek dragonlore: The Discovery of Dragons by Graeme Base

The Discovery of Dragons by Graeme Base is another delightful Australian picture book that works on multiple levels. Detailing the unlikely tale of how four unlikely people discovered dragons with beautiful illustrations, funny comic strips along the bottom of each … Continue reading

Posted in 10 years and up, 20th Century Children's, Australian, Fantasy, Picture Books | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Dragon of Mith by Kate Walker

The Dragon of Mith is an Australian kids book by Kate Walker. It’s the story of a vegetarian dragon, a ridiculous number of dragon-slayers, a community of hermits and a blood-thirsty butcher (amongst others). I have vague memories of the … Continue reading

Posted in 20th Century Children's, 7 years and up, Australian, Children's, Children's Classic, Fantasy | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones is a YA fantasy book. I knew it was a winner as soon as I saw that it has chapter titles like “In which Howl expresses his feelings with Green Slime”. It follows … Continue reading

Posted in 13 years and up, 20th Century YA, British, Fantasy, Young Adult | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Trumpet of the Swan by E.B. White

E.B. White is better known for Charlotte’s Web and Stuart Little, but my favourite of his books is The Trumpet of the Swan. It tells the story of Louis, a trumpeter swan who can’t trumpet, which has grave implications for … Continue reading

Posted in 20th Century Children's, 7 years and up, Children's Classics, Fantasy | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Door in the Air and Other Stories by Margaret Mahy

The Door in the Air and Other Stories is my favourite book by Margaret Mahy, a fantastic (in both senses) kiwi children’s author. I have two favourite stories from this book. The first is The Work of Art, which makes … Continue reading

Posted in 10 years and up, 20th Century Children's, Children's, Fantasy, New Zealander, Short Stories | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis

The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis is the 6th Chronicle of Narnia. As a child it was my least favourite Narnia book, despite containing a favourite character and a favourite scene. The drawbacks are that the main human characters spend … Continue reading

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The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis was my favourite Narnia book as a child – an exciting ocean journey discovering new lands in a quest to find seven missing lords of Narnia. It again features King Caspian … Continue reading

Posted in 20th Century Children's, 7 years and up, Children's Classics, Fantasy | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis

Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis is the fourth book set in Narnia. Caspian, the true king of Narnia has been usurped by his uncle, Miraz. Caspian longs for the olden days of Narnia when animals spoke, fawns danced, and two … Continue reading

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The Reformed Vampire Support Group by Catherine Jinks

The Reformed Vampire Support Group by Catherine Jinks is my favourite vampire book, spoofing the idea of the handsome, strong, good vampire. Nina and the others in the RVSG struggle with nose bleeds, unconsciousness during daylight hours, being forced to … Continue reading

Posted in 13 years and up, Australian, Contemporary YA, Fantasy, Young Adult | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis

The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis is my favourite Narnia story. It tends to be the one people forget as none of the main characters are “from our world” and very little of the action actually happens in … Continue reading

Posted in 20th Century Children's, 7 years and up, Children's Classics, Fantasy | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment