Skip to main content

Five Faves: Uncommon Mythical Creatures

By

We all have our favorite books about unicorns, dragons and mermaids. But what about a cyclops? Or a gnome? Even though they are out of the ordinary, these creatures are just as fantastical and have the added bonus of opening up new high-quality reading options!

Here are five favorite books about uncommon mythical creatures:

Written by Jonathan Auxier
Illustrated by Olga Demidova
New York: Amulet Books, 2020. Intermediate. 85 pages.

Auggie lives on a magical island and takes care of its one-of-a-kind creatures in the Fabled Stable. When one of the incoming inhabitants, a wisp, is in danger Auggie comes to the rescue with a creative plan and a little help from his friends. 


Gnome
By Fred Blunt
Minneapolis: Andersen Press USA, 2020. Picture Book. 

As we follow Mr. Gnome throughout his day, he is consistently grumpy and answers "NO," to almost every question asked of him! Upon sitting down to fish, he encounters a witch and he soon learns there are consequences for his bad manners. 

By Rowboat Watkins 
San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 2015. Picture Book.

This laugh-out-loud story about cakes and cyclopses flips our expectations completely around. You would think that a cake is sweet and a cyclops is mean, but no! In this story, the cyclopses are always well-mannered, and surprisingly good teachers to one rude cake. 


Written by Roald Dahl 
Illustrated by Quentin Blake
New York: Farrar, Straus, Giroux, 1982. Fiction. 219 pages. 

This heartwarming classic is the story of how a brave little girl and one gentle giant (who spends his nights giving good dreams to children) work together to stop the other "cannybull" giants from gobbling up "human beans."


Written by Ellen Potter
Illustrated by Felicita Sala
New York: Amulet Books, 2018. Intermediate. 136 pages. 

Boone, an aspiring cryptozoologist, and Hugo, a young sasquatch, both have big dreams. When happenstance brings them together, they become a bridge to make those dreams a reality. 
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

If You Like...KPop Demon Hunters

By
KPop Demon Hunters has been one of the most talked-about movies of the summer. If you loved this movie as much as I did, you don't want the magic (or the music) to stop. Try reading these books that touch on some of the same topics and themes as the animated hit! Brick Dust and Bones By M. R. Fournet New York: Feiwel and Friends, 2023. Fiction. 247 pages. Orphaned Marius works in the family business--as their cemetery's ghost caretaker. However, Marius also moonlights as a monster hunter in order to earn the costly Mystic currency he needs to bring his mother back from the dead. As the window to bring his mother back begins to close, Marius's exploits get more and more dangerous, and he may have set his sights on a monster too big to handle on his own. Like Mira, Marius longs for familial connection, and his work as a monster hunter will satisfy the thrill of demon hunting for fans the movie. Where's Halmoni? By Julie J. Kim Seattle, WA: Little Bigfoot, 2017. Comics. W...
Post a Comment
Read more

Five Faves: New Dragon Chapter Books for Middle Grade

By
As a kid I was OBSESSED (all caps!) with dragons.  Dragons can be scary, majestic, loyal, greedy, but what they all have in common is how fun they are to read about!  Check out the dragon books below for some fun new reads! Dad Rock Dragon Quest Written by Joan Reardon New York : Aladdin, 2025. Fiction. 342 pgs. Dad Rock Dragon Quest follows 12-year-old aspiring rockstar Zadie Drake, whose summer plans to bond with her super cool, if sometimes absent, daredevil park ranger dad get complicated when her mom’s boring new boyfriend tags along. After they arrive at her dad’s cabin, a poacher kidnaps her dad’s ice-breathing dragon, revealing her dad's secret role protecting magical creatures and thrusting the family into a high-stakes rescue mission. Along the way, Zadie begins to rethink her relationships with both her father and her mom’s boyfriend.  Dragonborn Written by Struan Murrya New York, NY : Dutton Children's Books, 2025. Fiction. 320 pgs. Dragonborn  follows 1...
Post a Comment
Read more

Dog Man Read Alikes

By
Dog Man  is a popular graphic novel for middle graders all about the adventures of a half-man, half-dog police officer. With 14 books in the series, many readers can't get enough of these hilarious stories! If your child is looking for more books like Dog Man, here are some great options to try out.  Dex Dingo: World's Best Greatest Ever... Inventor By Greg Foley Los Angeles: Disney-Hyperion, 2024. Comic. 157 pages.  Dex Dingo doesn't know what he wants to do when he grows up. His classmates all seem to know, but he just doesn't feel like he is the BEST at anything. When a class assignment challenges him to figure out what he wants to be, he decides he wants to become the world's best ever inventor! Filled with beautifully drawn spreads and kid-approved humor, this book is sure to please any Dog Man fan.  Troubling Tonsils Written by Aaron Reynolds Illustrated by Peter Brown  New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2025. Fiction. 71 pages.  ...
Post a Comment
Read more