Reading Quest is back for 2025! Looking for reading inspiration? We’re recommending some of our favourite stories all about myths and magic which you can read on your quest this summer – all free to borrow with your library card!
Reading Quest starts on 19 July. You can sign up at any library. Find out more about Reading Quest.
Room on the Broom
Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler
The witch and her cat fly happily over forests, rivers and mountains on their broomstick until a stormy wind blows away the witch’s hat, bow and wand. Luckily, they are retrieved by a dog, a bird and a frog, who are all keen for a ride on the broom. It’s a case of the more, the merrier, but the broomstick isn’t used to such a heavy load and it’s not long before – SNAP! It breaks in two! And with a greedy dragon looking for a snack, the witch’s animal pals better think fast.
Hilda and Twig Hide From the Rain
Luke Pearson
Hilda and Twig would never let a bit of rain get in the way of an adventure, but it’s different when your forest exploration is interrupted by a BIG storm. Sheltering in a mysterious mound in the earth, Twig quickly realises that trouble is afoot, and that his best blue-haired friend is in danger. Unfortunately, he’s never really thought of himself as the brave one, but it looks like he’s going to have to step up and save Hilda from a whole load of big, scaly trouble! Dive into this magical comic as we follow our lovable pair on a soggy adventure.
Luna and the Treasure of Tlaloc
Joe Todd-Stanton
Get ready to meet Luna Brownstone: the most devious Brownstone of all. When a tragedy strikes her family, she decides that she will only ever look out for herself. She runs away, and begins her search for riches to steal. Whilst travelling, she stumbles across a village ravaged by drought and hears rumours of a palace filled with great gold treasures. When a young girl, Atzi, volunteers to journey to the palace of the rain god Tlaloc with an offering to save her village, Luna develops a cunning plan: befriend Atzi, steal her map, and find the god herself. Yet, when Luna is forced to work with Atzi to find the palace, and when Atzi finds herself in danger, Luna needs to decide what matters most.
Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief: The Graphic Novel
Rik Riordan
Look, I didn’t want to be a half-blood. I never asked to be the son of a Greek God. I was just a normal kid, going to school, playing basketball, skateboarding. The usual. Until I accidentally vapourised my maths teacher. That’s when things started really going wrong.
Now I spend my time fighting with swords, battling monsters with my friends, and generally trying to stay alive.
This is the one where Zeus, God of the Sky, thinks I’ve stolen his lightning bolt – and making Zeus angry is a very bad idea.
Witchspark
Dominique Valente
Eglantine Bury can’t find her Witchspark. But if her magic doesn’t appear, her family and their magical house will fall into the terrifying clutches of the evil Whistlewitch. Across the land, Princess Victoria faces her own danger, as her secret magical powers start to spiral out of control and cause chaos in the Royal Palace. Eglantine and Victoria both turn to the disgraced witch Miss Hegotty for help. Her witch lessons are difficult and powerful, but can this secret magic match up to the dangers these two hopeful witches face?
Two aspiring witches, one unusual teacher, a magical house, and a talking dragon-butler fight for what’s right, in this major new series from Dominique Valente the bestselling author of Starfell.
Skandar and the Unicorn Thief
A.F. Steadman
Thirteen-year-old Skandar Smith has only ever wanted to be a unicorn rider. To be one of the lucky few selected to hatch a unicorn. To bond with it for life; to train together and race for glory; to be a hero.
But just as Skandar’s dream is about to come true, things start to take a more dangerous turn than he could ever have imagined. A dark and twisted enemy has stolen the Island’s most powerful unicorn – and as the threat grows ever closer, Skandar discovers a secret that could blow apart his world forever.
Amari and the Night Brothers
B.B. Alston
Amari Peters knows three things. Her big brother Quinton has gone missing. No one will talk about it. His mysterious job holds the secret. So when Amari gets an invitation to the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs, she’s certain this is her chance to find Quinton. But first she has to get her head around the new world of the Bureau, where mermaids, aliens and magicians are real, and her roommate is a weredragon.
Amari must compete against kids who’ve known about the supernatural world their whole lives, and when each trainee is awarded a special supernatural talent, Amari is given an illegal talent one that the Bureau views as dangerous. With an evil magician threatening the whole supernatural world, and her own classmates thinking she is the enemy, Amari has never felt more alone. But if she doesn’t pass the three tryouts, she may never find out what happened to Quinton.
Loki: A Bad God’s Guide to Being Good
Louie Stowell
After one trick too many, Loki is banished to live on Earth as a “normal” school boy. Forbidden from using his AWESOME godly powers, Loki must show moral improvement. As he records his lies THE TRUTH in his magical (judgemental) diary, it becomes clear Loki hasn’t a clue how to tell good from evil, trust from tricks, or friends from enemies.
Wry, witty and very funny diary-style story packed with doodles and comic strips about the frustration trickster god Loki feels at having to live trapped in the body of a weedy eleven-year-old boy.
The Book of Mysteries, Magic, and the Unexplained
Tamara Macfarlane
Featuring bright and bold illustrations, Mysteries, Magic, and the Unexplained traces the story of myth and magic from ancient superstitions to medieval alchemy and divination to the modern-day fascination with UFOs.
This book for children aged 7-9 explores every aspect of magic through the ages and across many cultures. It traces the history of magic ritual from spells and potions to alchemy and divination, as well as investigating other mysteries of the paranormal. While it’s a fun read, it takes its subject seriously – taking a historical approach to the supernatural world across all cultures.
Real-life Mythical Creatures and Their Stories of Survival
Anita Ganeri
From blood-sucking vampires and fiery phoenixes, to howling werewolves and shaggy-haired yetis, mysterious, and often mischievous, creatures appear in myths and legends from around the world. For centuries, they have puzzled, fascinated and frightened people, sometimes being used to teach a lesson or to warn of danger. But have these beasts ever really existed, and, most importantly, are any of them around today?
This book brings together ten real-life mythical creatures, with fascinating facts and folklore. There are tales of how they were discovered, where they live, and about their adaptations for surviving in the wild.
Borrow Real-life Mythical Creatures and Their Stories of Survival →
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