Fantastic Fiction:
Great Fantasy Books for Ages 11 to 17
Compiled by Merri V. Lindgren and Megan Schliesman with Hollis Rudiger© 2005 Cooperative Children's Book Center; updated annually
This bibliography was originally developed for the 2005 Wisconsin Summer Library Reading Program. It is updated annually.
Book selection for this bibliography was driven by subject matter, literary quality, and age range. The titles included all fit somewhere within the wide scope of the fantasy genre.
Most of the book in this bibliography have been classified into one of the following categories, although many of the titles could easily fit into more than one:
Looking for ideas for younger readers? Check out Fantasy for 9 to 12 Year Olds: Borrowers, Boggarts, Broomsticks and Beyond.
Looking for speculative or science fiction? Check out
Possibilities: Selected Speculative and Science Fiction for Children and Teens.
Click on underlined book titles to see the CCBC review of the book, and/or the cover image.
Complete list of CCBC bibliographies
Journeys, Quests and Discoveries
Chee, Traci. The Reader (Sea of Ink and Gold, Book 1). Putnam, 2016. 442 pages. 13 and older
Dickinson, Peter. The Ropemaker. U.S. edition: Delacorte Press, 2001. 384 pages. Ages 12 - 16
Fisher, Catherine. The Oracle Betrayed: Book One of the Oracle Prophecies. U.S. edition: Greenwillow / HarperCollins, 2004. 341 pages. Age 13 and older
Johnston, E. K.. Spindle. Hyperion, 2016. 355 pages. 13 and older
Marchetta, Melina. Finnikin of the Rock. U.S. edition: Candlewick Press, 2010. 399 pages. Ages 13 and older
Miyabe, Miyuki. Brave Story. Translated by Alexander O. Smith. U.S. edition: Viz Media, 2007. Ages 10-14
Nix, Garth. A Confusion of Princes. Harper / HarperCollins, 2012. 337 pages. Ages 13 and older
Nix, Garth. Sabriel. HarperCollins, 1995. 292 pages. Ages 12 - 16
Pullman, Philip. The Golden Compass: Book One in His Dark Materials. U.S. edition: Alfred A. Knopf, 1996. 399 pages. Ages 11 - 14
Zinn, Bridget. Poison. Hyperion, 2013. 188 pages. Ages 11-14Magic and Mayhem
Bow, Erin. Plain Kate. Arthur A. Levine Books/Scholastic, 2010. 314 pages. Ages 10 - 13
Jones, Diana Wynne. Howl's Moving Castle. U.S. edition: Greenwillow, 1986. 212 pages. Ages 10 - 14
Jones, Diana Wynne. Castle in the Air. U.S. edition: Greenwillow/HarperCollins, 1991. 199 pages. Ages 10 - 13
Knox, Elizabeth. Mortal Fire. U.S. edition: Frances Foster/Farrar Straus Giroux, 2013. 436 pages. Age 14 and older
Larbalastier, Justine. How to Ditch Your Fairy. Bloomsbury, 2008. 304 pages. Ages 11-14
Mahy, Margaret. Alchemy. Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2003. 207 pages. Age 13 and older
Mahy, Margaret. The Changeover: A Supernatural Romance. Margaret K. McElderry Books/Atheneum, 1984. 214 pages. Age 14 and older
Nix, Garth. Newt’s Emerald. Katherine Tegen Books / HarperCollins, 2015. 291 pages. Age 12 and older
Rowell, Rainbow. Carry On. St. Martin's Griffin, 2015. 528 pages. Age 12 and older
Taylor, Laini. Daughter of Smoke & Bone. Little, Brown, 2011. 418 pages. Age 13 and olderEerie & Unnatural
Brosgol, Vera. Anya’s Ghost. First Second, 2011. 221 pages. Age 12 and older
Klause, Annette Curtis. Blood and Chocolate. Delacorte, 1997. 264 pages. Ages 15 and older
Knox, Elizabeth. Dreamhunter (Book One of the Dreamhunter Duet). Frances Foster Books / Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2006. 365 pages. Ages 12-16
Leavitt, Martine. Keturah and Lord Death. Front Street, 2006. 216 pages. Age 12 and older
Older, Daniel José. Shadowshaper. Arthur A. Levine Books / Scholastic, 2015. 297 pages. Ages 13 and older
Stroud, Jonathan. The Screaming Staircase (Lockwood & Co., Book One). Disney/Hyperion, 2013. 390 pages. Ages 11-15
Yovanoff, Brenna. The Replacement. Razorbill, 2010. 343 pages. Ages 13 and olderGirl Power
A.J. Hartley. Steeplejack. Tor Teen, 2016. 334 pages. 12 and older
Carson, Rae. The Girl of Fire and Thorns. Greenwillow Books/HarperCollins, 2011. 423 pages. Ages 12-16
Cashore, Kristin. Graceling. Harcourt, 2008. 471 pages. Age 13 and older
Furlong, Monica. Wise Child. (A Borzoi Book) Alfred A. Knopf, 1987. 228 pages. Age 11 and older
Hellisen, Cat. Beastkeeper. Henry Holt, 2015. 197 pages. Ages 11–14
LaFevers, Robin. Grave Mercy. Houghton Mifflin, 2012. 549 pages. Age 14 and older
McKinley, Robin. The Blue Sword. Greenwillow, 1982. 272 pages. Ages 11 - 15
McKinley, Robin. The Hero and the Crown. Greenwillow, 1985. 246 pages. Ages 11 - 15
Pierce, Tamora. Alanna: The First Adventure: Book One in the Song of the Lioness Quartet. Atheneum, 1983. 241 pages. Ages 11 - 15
Pierce, Tamora. Trickster's Choice. Random House, 2003. 432 pages. Ages 12 - 16
Uehashi, Nahoko. Moribito II: Guardian of the Darkness. Translated by Cathy Hirano. U.S. edition: Arthur A. Levine Books / Scholastic, 2009. 272 pages. Ages 12 and older
Wrede, Patricia C.. Dealing with Dragons: Book One in the The Enchanted Forest Chronicles. Jane Yolen Books/Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1990. 212 pages. Ages 9 - 13Fairy Tales Unfolded
Johnston, E. K.. A Thousand Nights. Hyperion, 2015. 325 pages. Age 13 and older
Levine, Gail Carson. Ella Enchanted. HarperCollins, 1997. 232 pages. Ages 10 - 14
Lo, Malindo. Ash. Little, Brown, 2009. 264 pages. Ages 13 and older
Maguire, Gregory. Leaping Beauty: And Other Animal Fairy Tales. Illustrated by Chris L. Demarest. HarperCollins, 2004. 197 pages. Ages 9 - 12
McKinley, Robin. Spindle's End. G.P. Putnam, 2000. 422 pages. Ages 12 and older
McNeal, Tom. Far, Far Away. Alfred A. Knopf, 2013. 371 pages. Age 14 and older
Napoli, Donna Jo. Bound. Atheneum, 2004. 192 pages. Ages 12 - 16
Werlin, Nancy. Impossible. Dial, 2008. 376 pages. Age 12 and olderReality with a Twist
Black, Holly. The Coldest Girl in Coldtown. Little, Brown, 2013. 419 pages. Ages 14 and older
deLint, Charles. The Blue Girl. Viking, 2004. 368 pages. Ages 13 - 16
Fowley-Doyle, Moïra. The Accident Season. U.S. edition: Kathy Dawson Books / Penguin, 2015. 291 pages. Age 13 and older
Green, Sally . Half Bad. Viking/ Penguin, 2014. 394 pages. Ages 13 and Older
Johnston, E. K.. The Story of Owen: The Dragon Slayer of Trondeim. Carolrhoda Lab , 2014. 305 pages. Ages 12 and Older
Kim, Derek Kirk. Vanishing Point. (Tune: Book 1) . First Second, 2012. 155 pages. Age 16 and older
Kindl, Patrice. Owl in Love. Houghton Mifflin, 1993. 204 pages. Ages 13 - 16
Lanagan, Margo. The Brides of Rollrock Island. Alfred A. Knopf, 2012. 305 pages. Age 14 and older
Lehrman, Maggie. The Cost of All Things. Balzer + Bray / HarperCollins, 2015. 407 pages. Age 12 and older
Link, Kelly and Gavin J. Grant . Monstrous Affections: An Anthology of Beastly Tales. Candlewick Press, 2014. 467 pages. Ages 13 and Older
Lyga, Barry. MangaMan. Illustrated by Colleen Doran. Houghton Mifflin, 2011. 125 pages. Age 12 and older
Moskowitz, Hannah. Teeth. Simon Pulse, 2013. 246 pages. Age 14 and older
Ness, Patrick. The Rest of Us Just Live Here. HarperCollins, 2015. 317 pages pages. Age 13 and older
Oppel, Kenneth. Airborn. Eos / HarperCollins, 2004. 355 pages. Ages 11 - 14
Ruby, Laura. Bone Gap. Balzer + Bray / HarperCollins, 2015. 345 pages. Age 14 and older
Sedgwick, Marcus. Midwinter Blood. U.S. edition: Roaring Brook Press, 2013. 272 pages. Age 14 and older
Stiefvater, Maggie. The Raven Boys. Scholastic Press, 2012. 409 pages. Age 13 and older
Thompson, Kate. The New Policeman. U.S. edition: Greenwillow / HarperCollins, 2007. 441 pages. Ages 11-15
Thompson, Kate. The Last of the High Kings. U.S. edition: Greenwillow / HarperCollins, 2008. 323 pages. Ages 11-15Historical Imaginings
Billingsley, Franny. Chime. Dial, 2011. 361 pages. Age 13 and older
Crossley-Holland, Kevin. The Seeing Stone: Book One in the Arthur Trilogy. U.S. edition: Arthur A. Levine Books, 2001. 342 pages. Ages 10 - 15
Farmer, Nancy. The Sea of Trolls. A Richard Jackson Book / Atheneum, 2004. 459 pages. Ages 10 - 14
Fisher, Catherine. Incarceron (Incarceron, Book 1). U.S. edition: Dial, 2010. 442 pages. Ages 12 and older
Grant, editor, Kelly and Gavin J. Grant, editor . Steampunk! An Anthology of Fantastically Rich and Strange Stories. Candlewick Press, 2011. 420 pages. Age 12 and older
Hale, Shannon. Book of a Thousand Days. Illustrated by James Noel Smith. Bloomsbury, 2007. 306 pages. Ages 11-15
Hand, Cynthia and Brodi Ashton, Jodi Meadows . My Lady Jane. HarperTeen, 2016. 491 pages. Age 12 and older
Hardinge, Frances. The Lie Tree. Amulet / Abrams, 2016. 377 pages. 12 and older
Jennings, Patrick. The Wolving Time. Scholastic Press, 2003. 197 pages. Ages 10 - 14
Larbalestier, Justine. Razorhurst. U.S. edition: Soho Teen / Soho Press, 2015. 309 pages. Age 14 and older
Malone, Patricia. The Legend of Lady Ilena. Delacorte Press, 2002. 232 pages. Ages 12 - 15
McKinley, Robin. The Outlaws of Sherwood. Greenwillow, 1988. 282 pages. Ages 13 - 15
Springer, Nancy. Rowan Hood: Outlaw Girl of Sherwood Forest. Philomel, 2001. 170 pages. Ages 8 - 12
Thomson, Sarah L.. The Dragon's Son. Orchard Books/Scholastic, 2001. 181 pages. Ages 12 and older
Wein, Elizabeth E. . The Sunbird. Viking, 2004. 184 pages. Ages 13 - 17
Westerfeld, Scott. Leviathan. Illustrated by Keith Thompson. Simon Pulse, 2009. 440 pages. Ages 10 - 14
Yolen, Jane. Sword of the Rightful King: A Novel of King Arthur. Harcourt, 2003. 349 pages. Ages 11 - 15Superheroes & Superpowers
Brennan, Michael. Electric Girl (Volume 1). AiT/PlanetLar, 2002. 160 pages. Ages 11 and up
Ferraiolo, Jack D.. Sidekicks. Amulet/Abrams, 2011. 309 pages. Ages 11-14
Gaiman, Neil. The Books of Magic. DC Comics/Vertigo, 1993. 196 pages. Age 13 and up
Lee, C. B.. Not Your Sidekick. Interlude Press, 2016. 283 pages. 12 and older
McCloud, Scott. Sculptor. First Second, 2015. 487 pages. Age 15 and older
Moore, Perry. Hero. Hyperion , 2007. 428 pages. Age 12 and older
Watsuki, Nobuhiro. Rurouni Kenshin. VIZ LLC, 2003. 208 pages. Ages 15 and older
Yang, Gene Luen. The Shadow Hero. Illustrated by Sonny Liew. First Second, 2014. 158 pages. Ages 14 and Older
This list may be reproduced and distributed by educational and/or nonprofit organizations so long as credit is given to the Cooperative Children's Book Center, School of Education, University of Wisconsin-Madison.