Kid Tested, Librarian Approved: A foot in each world

It’s always fun to have a new adventure in a fantasy land and then come back safe and sound to the world we love. Explore some of my favoirte books where characters move back and forth between our world and another world!

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

A game of hide-and-seek and a lesson in belief allows the Pevensie siblings to find another world in the back of a wardrobe. During their adventures they encounter talking animals, an evil snow queen and a majestic lion.

This is one of my favorite books of all time. I love the themes of sacrifice, courage and forgiveness that run through it. If you like this story, there are six more books in the series for you to enjoy!

Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

This book slightly changes our formula. We meet independent Sophie Hatter in a fantasy world, but if you read very closely, you see the real world pop up in unexpected ways. After her rather ordinary life is upended by a curse from a witch, Sophie gets mixed up in the company of an irascible wizard, his eager apprentice and his sentient fireplace.

I love this book because it shows that things are often not exactly as they seem. Even the most ordinary people (or objects!) can become heroes.

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin

This charming book moves between the real world and the world of magic described in the stories of Chinese mythology that are interspersed throughout the book. The lines between these worlds become more and more blurred as the protagonist encounters the characters from these stories and makes a bit of her own magic.

This book is so beautifully written. I love how it weaves together many elements of old stories into one new tale. Be sure to look for the plot threads that are woven between many of the old stories.

Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger

Sophie Foster discovers she is an elf who has been raised by humans. As she finds her way through the magical world of the elves with the help of the friends she makes along the way, Sophie learns more about who she is and what she must do.

Be warned: The books in this series are very thick and there are a lot of them. But Sophie’s exciting adventures are enough to keep you coming back for more!

Theo Tan and the Fox Spirit by Jesse Q. Sutanto

Theo has little interest in exploring his heritage and the unique magic it grants him. Then his brother dies under suspicious circumstances, leaving Theo a notebook full of cryptic clues and his fox spirit companion Kai. Theo travels back and forth between the spirit world, the real world and even a virtual world searching for answers to his brother’s death. Kai is his  reluctant partner on this quest that takes them face-to-face with some powerful and angry magical creatures.

This book can be sad at times, but overall it has a message of hope, Thoe shows us the love for the people around us can give us courage, even when they aren’t with us anymore.