Books like 'When the Sea Turned to Silver'
Readers who enjoyed When the Sea Turned to Silver by Grace Lin also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
historical fantasy action / adventure mystery myths children poc-mc fairy-tale historical-fiction magic
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Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 46 ratingsA princess in exile, the boy she left at the altar, six enchanted cranes, and a dragon from the deepest sea.Shiori, the only princess of Kiata, has a secret. Forbidden magic runs through her veins. Normally she conceals it well, but on the morning of her betrothal ceremony, Shiori loses control... -
Serafina and the Splintered Heart by Robert Beatty, Битти Роберт
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThe storms are coming.... Something has happened to Serafina. She has awoken into a darkness she does not understand, scarred from a terrible battle, only to find that life at Biltmore Estate has changed in unimaginable ways. Old friends do unthinkable things and enemies seem all around...Categorized as:
animals children friendship historical-fiction low-fantasy magic magical-realism paranormal -
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Original Screenplay by J.K. Rowling
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 67 ratingsJ.K. Rowling's screenwriting debut is captured in this exciting hardcover edition of the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them screenplay.When Magizoologist Newt Scamander arrives in New York, he intends his stay to be just a brief stopover...Categorized as:
animals children dragons friendship historical-fiction low-fantasy magic magical-realism -
Pan's Labyrinth: The Labyrinth of the Faun by Guillermo del Toro, Cornelia Funke
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsFans of dark fairy-tales like The Hazel Wood and The Cruel Prince will relish this atmospheric and absorbing book based on Guillermo del Toro’s critically acclaimed movie...Categorized as:
children classics fairy-tale family historical-fiction low-fantasy magic magical-realism -
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The Enchantress by Michael Scott
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 44 ratingsThe two that are one must become the one that is all. One to save the world, one to destroy it.San Francisco:Nicholas and Perenelle Flamel have one day left to live, and one job left to do. They must defend San Francisco. The monsters gathered on Alcatraz Island have been released and are heading toward the city. If they are not stopped, they will destroy everyone and everything in their path...Categorized as:
children family friendship historical-fiction low-fantasy magic magical-realism myths -
The Enchanted Wood by Enid Blyton
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsJo, Bessie and Fanny move to the country and find an Enchanted Wood right on their doorstep. In the magic Faraway Tree live the magical characters that soon become their new friends – Moon-Face, Silky the fairy, and Saucepan Man... -
Rechenka's Eggs by Patricia Polacco
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsOld Babushka, known throughout all of Moskva for her beautifully painted eggs, is preparing her eggs for the Easter Festival when she takes in an injured goose. She names the goose Rechenka, and they live happily together until one day when Rechenka accidentally overturns a basket, breaking all of Babushka's lovingly crafted eggs... -
Dragon Slippers by Jessica Day George
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 38 ratingsPoor Creel. She can't believe her aunt wants to sacrifice her to the local dragon. It's a ploy to lure a heroic knight so that he will fight the dragon, marry Creel out of chivalrous obligation, and lift the entire family out of poverty. Creel isn't worried. After all, nobody has seen a dragon in centuries... -
Magic Elizabeth by Norma Kassirer
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsEight-year-old Sally faces an entire summer trapped in a creepy old house with no one for company but her spooky Aunt Sarah and a black cat named Shadow. But soon Sally uncovers a mystery about a beautiful old doll in a portrait -- and a little girl who looks just like Sally herself! In search of clues, Sally is drawn toward the attic and the old mirror that sits there...Categorized as:
animals children historical-fiction low-fantasy magical-realism paranormal action-adventure book -
The Dragon's Apprentice by James A. Owen
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsSeven years after the events of The Shadow Dragons, John, Jack and Charles are finally able to return to their beloved Archipelago of Dreams. But even as their return is celebrated by old friends, new concerns shadow the reunion: the threat of Ecthroi, primordial Shadow. And perhaps even worse, the apparent splintering of Time itself... -
Theodosia and the Last Pharaoh by R.L. LaFevers, Yoko Tanaka
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsIn this fourth book in the series, Theodosia sets off to Egypt to return the Emerald Tablet embedded with the knowledge of some of the ancient world s most guarded secrets. Accompanied by her cat, Isis (smuggled along in a basket), Theo plans to return the artifact, then explore the mysteries surrounding her own birth and oh, yes help her mother dig up treasures on her archeological expedition... -
Root Magic by Eden Royce
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA historical ghost story set in South Carolina in the 1960s—a tale of courage, friendship, and Black Girl Magic.It’s 1963, and things are changing for Jezebel Turner. Her beloved grandmother has just passed away. The local police deputy won’t stop harassing her family...Categorized as:
children family friendship historical-fiction low-fantasy magic magical-realism myths -
Carbonel: The King of the Cats by Barbara Sleigh
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsBack in print in the U.S. for the first time in over 30 years.Rosemary's plan to clean houses during her summer break and surprise her mother with the money hits a snag when an old lady at the market talks her into buying a second-rate broom and a cat she can't even afford to keep. But appearances can be deceiving... -
Willa of the Wood by Robert Beatty, فاطمه طاهری
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsMove without a sound. Steal without a trace.Willa, a young night-spirit, is her clan's best thief. She creeps into the cabins of the day-folk under cover of darkness and takes what they won't miss. It's dangerous work--the day-folk kill whatever they don't understand--but Willa will do anything to win the approval of the padaran, the charismatic leader of the Faeran people...Categorized as:
animals children family friendship historical-fiction magic magical-realism paranormal -
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Peter and the Sword of Mercy by Dave Barry, Ridley Pearson
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsThe year is 1902 - it's been twenty-three years since Peter and the Lost Boys returned from Rundoon. Since then, nobody on the island has grown a day older, and the Lost Boys continue their friendship with the Mollusk tribe, and their rivalry with Captain Hook. Meanwhile in London, Molly has married George Darling and is raising three children: Wendy, Michael, and John... -
Blizzard of the Blue Moon by Mary Pope Osborne
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsJack and Annie are off on another Merlin Mission. This time, Merlin has sent them to rescue a beautiful magical creature—the unicorn. But when they land in New York City during the Depression of the 1930s, Jack and Annie are confused. Where will they find a unicorn in a big city?From the Hardcover edition... -
Dragon Flight by Jessica Day George
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 35 ratingsWith the Dragon Wars over, Creel finds herself bored with life as a seamstress. Then word comes that a bordering country has been breeding dragons in preparation for an invasion... -
The Inquisitor's Tale: Or, the Three Magical Children and Their Holy Dog by Adam Gidwitz, Hatem Aly
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 24 ratings1242. On a dark night, travelers from across France cross paths at an inn and begin to tell stories of three children. Their adventures take them on a chase through France: they are taken captive by knights, sit alongside a king, and save the land from a farting dragon... -
The Wide-Awake Princess by E.D. Baker
Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsIn this new stand-alone fairy tale, Princess Annie is the younger sister to Gwen, the princess destined to be Sleeping Beauty. When Gwennie pricks her finger and the whole castle falls asleep, only Annie is awake, and only Annie-blessed (or cursed?) with being impervious to magic-can venture out beyond the rose-covered hedge for help. She must find Gwen's true love to kiss her awake... -
The Sorceress by Michael Scott
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 58 ratingsBook Three in the New York Times bestselling series.Nicholas Flamel's heart almost broke as he watched his beloved Paris crumble before him. The city was destroyed by Dee and Machiavelli, but Flamel played his own role in the destruction. Sophie and Josh Newman show every sign of being the twins of prophecy, and Flamel had to protect them and the pages from the Dark Elders...Categorized as:
children family friendship historical-fiction low-fantasy magic magical-realism myths -
Peter and the Shadow Thieves by Dave Barry, Ridley Pearson
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 41 ratingsIn this riveting and adventure-packed follow-up to the award-winning New York Times bestseller Peter and the Starcatchers, Peter leaves the relative safety of Mollusk Island - along with his trusted companion, Tinker Bell - for the dark and dangerous streets of London... -
The Mage of Trelian by Michelle Knudsen
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsDragon fire, dark magic, and the bonds of friendship clash in a thrilling finale to the middle-grade fantasy trilogy by best-selling author Michelle Knudsen.Apprentice mage Calen shocked everyone when he disappeared—apparently willingly—with Krelig, the incredibly powerful and evil mage intent on destroying the Magistatum and forcing the world to submit to his rule... -
The Changeling by Zilpha Keatley Snyder
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsIvy Carson belonged to the notorious Carson family, which lived in a run-down house in suburban Rosewood. But Ivy was not a typical Carson. There was something wonderful about her. Ivy explained it by saying that she was a changeling, a child of supernatural parents who had been exchanged for the real Ivy Carson at birth. This classic book was first published in 1970... -
The Girl with No Face by M.H. Boroson
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe adventures of Li-lin, a Daoist priestess with the unique ability to see the spirit world, continue in the thrilling follow-up to the critically-acclaimed historical urban fantasy The Girl with Ghost Eyes.It’s the end of the Nineteenth Century. San Francisco’s cobblestone streets are haunted, but Chinatown has an unlikely protector in a young Daoist priestess named Li-lin...Categorized as:
female-mc historical-fiction low-fantasy magic magical-realism myths paranormal poc-mc -
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The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There by Catherynne M. Valente
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 33 ratingsSeptember has longed to return to Fairyland after her first adventure there. And when she finally does, she learns that its inhabitants have been losing their shadows—and their magic—to the world of Fairyland Below. This underworld has a new ruler: Halloween, the Hollow Queen, who is September's shadow. And Halloween does not want to give Fairyland's shadows back... -
Quest for the Secret Keeper by Victoria Laurie
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsDelphi Keep is awash in activity, and for Ian, Theo, and Carl, their safe haven might be nearing its end. The Royal Navy has taken the keep to use as a hospital and the tunnels running under the keep and the castle are ideal to set up a central communications outpost for the approaching war...Categorized as:
children family historical-fiction magic myths paranormal retellings action-adventure -
The Curse of Deadman's Forest by Victoria Laurie
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsSince Ian Wigby and his sister, Theodosia, found the silver treasure box and the prophecy within it, their world has changed. There's no denying what they discovered in Morocco: a powerful evil is budding, and to defeat it, and save the world from darkness, six uniquely gifted children must be gathered... -
The Time of the Fireflies by Kimberley Griffiths Little
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsCritically acclaimed author Kimberley Griffiths Little spins a thrilling story of one girl's race to unravel the curse that has haunted her family for generations. When Larissa Renaud starts receiving eerie phone calls on a disconnected old phone in her family's antique shop, she knows she's in for a strange summer...Categorized as:
children family friendship historical-fiction low-fantasy magic magical-realism paranormal -
Eve of the Emperor Penguin by Mary Pope Osborne
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsJACK AND ANNIE continue their quest for the secrets of happiness--secrets they need to save Merlin. This time, the Magic Tree House takes them to the one continent they haven't visited before: Antarctica! What can they hope to learn about happiness in such a barren place? Only the penguins know for sure . .Categorized as:
animals children exploration family historical-fiction low-fantasy magic magical-realism -
Night of the New Magicians by Mary Pope Osborne
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsMerlin sends Jack and Annie on a mysterious mission to Paris, France, over a 100 years ago. There they must find four magicians and give them an urgent message from Merlin himself. When Jack and Annie land in Paris, they make their way to the 1889 World’s Fair. Below the Eiffel Tower, built especially for the fair, there are thousands of exhibits from all over the world... -
Starry River of the Sky by Grace Lin
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsThe moon is missing from the remote Village of Clear Sky, but only a young boy named Rendi seems to notice! Rendi has run away from home and is now working as a chore boy at the village inn...Categorized as:
animals asian-mc children fairy-tale family friendship historical-fiction low-fantasy -
No Place for Magic by E.D. Baker
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsWhen Emma and her beloved frog-turned-prince Eadric travel to Upper Montevista to ask for Eadric's parents' blessing on their marriage, they find his homeland in chaos: Eadric's annoying little brother Bradston has been kidnapped by trolls! Worse, his mother won't let Emma use magic, even to rescue Bradston, and Eadric seems suddenly a bit too fond of the girls from his past... -
The Perilous Gard by Elizabeth Marie Pope
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsIn 1558, while exiled by Queen Mary Tudor to a remote castle known as Perilous Gard, young Kate Sutton becomes involved in a series of mysterious events that lead her to an underground world peopled by Fairy Folk—whose customs are even older than the Druids’ and include human sacrifice...Categorized as:
children classics fairy-tale female-mc historical-fiction magic magical-realism myths -
Princess of the Silver Woods by Jessica Day George
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsWhen Petunia, the youngest of King Gregor's twelve dancing daughters, is invited to visit an elderly friend in the neighboring country of Westfalin, she welcomes the change of scenery. But in order to reach Westfalin, Petunia must pass through a forest where strange two-legged wolves are rumored to exist... -
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The Silvered Serpents by Roshani Chokshi
Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars · 37 ratingsThey are each other's fiercest love, greatest danger, and only hope. Séverin and his team members might have successfully thwarted the Fallen House, but victory came at a terrible cost -- one that still haunts all of them. Desperate to make amends, Séverin pursues a dangerous lead to find a long lost artifact rumoured to grant its possessor the power of God...Categorized as:
asian-mc friendship historical-fiction low-fantasy magic magical-realism myths paranormal -
The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 69 ratingsIn a sprawling mansion filled with peculiar treasures, January Scaller is a curiosity herself. As the ward of the wealthy Mr. Locke, she feels little different from the artifacts that decorate the halls: carefully maintained, largely ignored, and utterly out of place.Then she finds a strange book...Categorized as:
family female-mc friendship historical-fiction low-fantasy magic magical-realism myths -
Rise of the Wolf by Jennifer A. Nielsen
Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsA powerful amulet. A vengeful goddess. A deadly quest.Nic may have escaped enslavement in the mines outside of Rome, but his troubles are far from over. The Praetor War—the battle to destroy Rome from within—is in full force, and Nic is caught in the crossfire. The secretive Praetors are determined to unlock a powerful amulet—one sure to bring the empire to its knees... -
Lost in Babylon by Peter Lerangis
Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsThe adventure continues as Jack and his friends travel to the Hanging Gardens of Babylon in the pulse-pounding second title in the Seven Wonders series.With Marco gone and the first Loculus lost, Jack, Cass, and Ally are no closer to saving themselves (or the world) than when they first arrived at the Karai Institute...Categorized as:
children family friendship historical-fiction magic myths paranormal action-adventure -
The Seven Swords by Nils Johnson-Shelton
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAcross both worlds are seven legendary blades. Some have been uncovered, Some forgotten, Others secreted away.Very soon all must be united.Spending the summer fighting dragons, rescuing wizards, and leaping through portals into the Otherworld was only the beginning for Artie and Kay Kingfisher... -
Wormwood Mire by Judith Rossell
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThis spine-tingling sequel to Withering-by-Sea sees Stella sent away to the moldering old family estate, where she discovers two odd cousins—and a mystery.Eleven-year-old Stella Montgomery has always wondered about her family...Categorized as:
animals children family friendship historical-fiction magic paranormal action-adventure -
The Unicorn’s Tale by R.L. LaFevers, Kelly Murphy
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsIs there no rest for the travel worn and weary? Not if you're Nathaniel Fludd, the world's youngest beastologist-in-training! All Nate really wants is to track down his missing parents, but when a unicorn falls mysteriously ill, Nate's Aunt Phil makes it clear where a beastologist's duty lies: to the beasts... -
Rose and the Magician's Mask by Holly Webb
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA precious mask of unimaginable power has been stolen from the royal palace. Rose suspects that dark magicians are at work – and that danger looms...The race to stop the evil thieves will take Rose to the mysterious city of Venice, where nothing is quite what it seems.. -
The Wyverns’ Treasure by R.L. LaFevers
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAfter tangling with the deadly basilisk, Nathaniel Fludd is glad to return to England with his Aunt Phil. But someone has ransacked their home, and their best suspect is the sinister man who's been trying to steal the Book of Beasts.Before Nate and Aunt Phil can find the culprit, they are called to Welsh countryside. The wyverns (giant dragons) are in an uproar... -
A Wolf for a Spell by Karah Sutton
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe Girl Who Drank the Moon meets Pax in this fantastical tale of a wolf who forms an unlikely alliance with Baba Yaga to save the forest from a wicked tsar.Since she was a pup, Zima has been taught to fear humans—especially witches—but when her family is threatened, she has no choice but to seek help from the witch Baba Yaga...Categorized as:
animals children fairy-tale friendship historical-fiction low-fantasy magic magical-realism -
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The Prairie Thief by Melissa Wiley
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsIn this “delightful mash-up of Little House on the Prairie and The Spiderwick Chronicles” (SLJ), experience life on the prairie—with one fantastical twist!Louisa Brody’s life on the Colorado prairie is not at all what she expected. Her dear Pa, accused of thievery, is locked thirty miles away in jail...Categorized as:
children family historical-fiction low-fantasy magic magical-realism myths retellings -
Quest for a Maid by Frances Mary Hendry
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsMeg Wright is nine when she hides under a table and hears her sister Inge kill the King of Scotland by witchcraft, setting in motion a treacherous power struggle...Categorized as:
children family historical-fiction magic magical-realism myths paranormal action-adventure -
Magic Marks the Spot by Caroline Carlson
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsPirates! Magic! Treasure! A gargoyle?!Caroline Carlson's funny tween novel The Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates #1: Magic Marks the Spot is perfect for fans of Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events and Trenton Lee Stewart's Mysterious Benedict Society.Hilary Westfield has always dreamed of being a pirate. She can tread water for thirty-seven minutes...Categorized as:
children family friendship historical-fiction low-fantasy magic magical-realism action-adventure -
Behind the Attic Wall by Sylvia Cassedy
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThey were watching...and waitingAt twelve, Maggie had been thrown out of more boarding schools than she cared to remember. "Impossible to handle," they said nasty, mean, disobedient, rebellious, thieving anything they could say to explain why she must be removed from the school.Maggie was thin and pale, with shabby clothes and stringy hair, when she arrived at her new home... -
Little White Horse by Elizabeth Goudge
Rated: 4.04 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsWhen orphan Maria arrives at Moonacre Manor, she feels like she's come home. Her new guardian is kind, like an old friend. However, beneath the beauty and comfort lies a tragedy. Maria is determined to find out about it, change it, and give her own life story a happy ending... -
Vacation Under the Volcano by Mary Pope Osborne
Rated: 4.04 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsJack and Annie are ready for their next fantasy adventure in the bestselling middle-grade series—the Magic Tree House! Who wants to vacation next to a volcano?Jack and Annie are about to find out when the Magic Tree House whisks them back to the days of the Roman Empire. They arrive in Pompeii and soon discover that it is the very day the city will be destroyed...Categorized as:
children family historical-fiction low-fantasy magic magical-realism myths retellings
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