Books like 'A Clatter of Jars'
Readers who enjoyed A Clatter of Jars by Lisa Graff also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
fantasy mystery action / adventure magical-realism children season-summer magic friendship realistic family
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The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 97 ratingsA magical island. A dangerous task. A burning secret.Linus Baker leads a quiet, solitary life. At forty, he lives in a tiny house with a devious cat and his old records. As a Case Worker at the Department in Charge Of Magical Youth, he spends his days overseeing the well-being of children in government-sanctioned orphanages...Categorized as:
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Matahari by Tere Liye
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsNamanya Ali, 15 tahun, kelas X. Jika saja orangtuanya mengizinkan, seharusnya dia sudah duduk di tingkat akhir ilmu fisika program doktor di universitas ternama. Ali tidak menyukai sekolahnya, guru-gurunya, teman-teman sekelasnya. Semua membosankan baginya. Tapi sejak dia mengetahui ada yang aneh pada diriku dan Seli, teman sekelasnya, hidupnya yang membosankan berubah seru...Categorized as:
friendship children family fantasy fiction action-adventure young-adult middle-grade -
The Last Present by Wendy Mass
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsDon't miss the latest entry in the incredible Willow Falls series by Wendy Mass!Amanda and Leo have a history with birthdays. Now their friend's little sister, Grace, has fallen into a strange frozen state on her birthday, and Amanda and Leo must travel in time in order to fix whatever's wrong. As they journey back to each of Grace's birthdays, they start seeing all sorts of patterns . .Categorized as:
children family friendship low-fantasy magic magical-realism realistic action-adventure -
Trouble in Zombie-town by Mark Cheverton
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAn unofficial minecrafter's adventureWith his sister stuck in Minecraft, Gameknight999 will have to face a new enemy to save her!Gameknight999 was sucked into the world of Minecraft when one of his father’s inventions went haywire. Trapped inside the game, the former griefer learned the error of his ways... -
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Неуловимый Хабба Хэн by Max Frei
Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsПолное название: Неуловимый Хабба Хэн. История, рассказанная сэром Максом из Ехо Некоторые тайны остаются тайнами только потому, что не могут высказаны словами: звуки и буквы – неподходящие символы для составления этих магических формул. Иные же тайны – и не тайны вовсе, так, мелкие секреты, зато – чужие. Личные. Приватные... -
The Magic Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsJo, Bessie and Fanny take their cousin Rick on an adventure he'll never forget to the magic Faraway Tree, where he meets Moon-Face, Silky the fairy and Saucepan Man, and visits all the different lands at the top of the Faraway Tree...Categorized as:
children family friendship low-fantasy magic magical-realism 20th-century action-adventure -
Still Life by Jacqueline West, Lexy Fridell
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe fifth and final book in The Books of Elsewhere.Annabelle McMartin is gone for good, but something worse lurks just out of sight--watching, waiting, preparing to strike. Then a field trip to the local art museum reveals a shock...Categorized as:
children family friendship low-fantasy magic magical-realism action-adventure animal-death -
The Land of Flowers by Thea Stilton, Tea Stilton
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsJoin Thea Stilton and the Thea Sisters as they travel to help a new magical land! The mice encounter fairies and other strange and fantastical creatures as they work together to solve a mystery to save the realm from peril...Categorized as:
children friendship magic action-adventure book children-books fiction law-enforcement -
The Treasure of the Sea by Thea Stilton, Tea Stilton
Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsThea Stilton and the Thea Sisters are needed to help another magical land. The music of the sea has disappeared from the depths of the enchanted Land of the Ocean! If it doesn't return soon, the kingdom will perish.The mouselets and their friend Will Mystery travel to the underwater realm to search for the magical music...Categorized as:
children friendship magic season-summer action-adventure book children-books fiction -
This Book Is Not Good for You by Pseudonymous Bosch
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsBetween the pages of this book lies the secret to the best-tasting chocolate in all the world. I promise, your taste buds will tingle. Your palette will sing! Oh no, have I accidentally tempted you to read this book? I will warn you, however, the most delicious things are never good for you..Categorized as:
children family friendship low-fantasy magic magical-realism realistic action-adventure -
A Tangle of Spells by Michelle Harrison
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe third book in the thrilling series about the Widdershins sisters is a spellbinding tale of sorcery, spells, and witches.A dangerous spell cast over an unsuspecting village. An enchanted painting locked in a hidden room. A desperate race against time to break the spell before it's too late . . -
13 Gifts by Wendy Mass
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsWendy Mass turns to another magical birthday: 13!When Tara, a self-proclaimed shrinking violet, steals the school mascot, a goat, in order to make some friends with the popular crowd and gets caught, she gets herself in a heap of trouble...Categorized as:
children family friendship magic magical-realism realistic action-adventure audiobook -
Some Kind of Happiness by Claire Legrand
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsTHINGS FINLEY HART DOESN’T WANT TO TALK ABOUT• Her parents, who are having problems. (But they pretend like they’re not.)• Being sent to her grandparents’ house for the summer.• Never having met said grandparents.• Her blue days—when life feels overwhelming, and it’s hard to keep her head up. (This happens a lot...Categorized as:
children family friendship low-fantasy magic magical-realism realistic season-summer -
The Snatchabook by Helen Docherty
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsWhere have all the bedtime stories gone?One dark, dark night in Burrow Down, a rabbit named Eliza Brown found a book and settled down...when a Snatchabook flew into town.It's bedtime in the woods of Burrow Down, and all the animals are ready for their bedtime story. But books are mysteriously disappearing. Eliza Brown decides to stay awake and catch the book thief... -
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The Candymakers and the Great Chocolate Chase by Wendy Mass, Mark Turetsky
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThe highly-anticipated sequel to the New York Times bestselling novel The Candymakers by beloved author Wendy MassIt has been a few months since the nationwide New Candy Contest, and Logan, Miles, Philip, and Daisy have returned to their regular lives. But when the winning candy bar comes down the conveyor belt at the Life is Sweet candy factory, Logan realizes something's very wrong...Categorized as:
children family friendship low-fantasy magical-realism realistic action-adventure audiobook -
Eleven Birthdays by Wendy Mass
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsGROUNDHOG DAY meets FLIPPED in this tale of a girl stuck in her birthday.It's Amanda's 11th birthday and she is super excited -- after all, 11 is so different from 10. But from the start, everything goes wrong. The worst part of it all is that she and her best friend, Leo, with whom she's shared every birthday, are on the outs and this will be the first birthday they haven't shared together...Categorized as:
children family friendship low-fantasy magic magical-realism realistic action-adventure -
When the Sky Is Like Lace by Elinor Lander Horwitz
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWhat happens when it's bimulous and the sky is like lace? Strange and splendid things! Otters sing, trees dance, and the grass is like gooseberry jam. There's a special party that anyone can attend. Anyone, that is, who knows the rules and isn't afraid of plum-purple shadows, can cook spaghetti and would like to teach a new song to the otters...Categorized as:
children family low-fantasy magic magical-realism action-adventure book children-books -
The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsYears ago, a reclusive mega-bestselling children’s author quit writing under mysterious circumstances. Suddenly he resurfaces with a brand-new book and a one-of-a-kind competition, offering a prize that will change the winner’s life in this absorbing and whimsical novel.“Clever, dark, and hopeful . . -
Magic Required by Obert Skye
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe final answer to the existence of magic.Ozzy and his friend Sigi are in more danger than ever before. After being injected with the mindcontrolling serum, Ozzy is learning to control the minds of people, but he is still being hunted by Ray, the power-mad villain who will stop at nothing to find and possess the formula...Categorized as:
children family friendship low-fantasy magic magical-realism action-adventure audiobook -
Demon Dentist by David Walliams
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsThis New York Times bestseller from David Walliams, the UK’s #1 bestselling children’s author and “the heir to Roald Dahl” (The Spectator), launched his books stateside in a big way!Walliams makes going to the dentist a wacky adventure with his signature humor—this is one dentist appointment you don’t want to miss.Something strange is happening in Alfie's town...Categorized as:
children family friendship low-fantasy magic magical-realism action-adventure audiobook -
Finally by Wendy Mass
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsA humorous look at what it means to FINALLY turn twelve years old.NARRATOR: TBAFORMAT: 5 CDs, UnabridgedYou can pierce your ears when you're twelve. You can go to the mall with your friends when you're twelve. You can babysit little Timmy next door when you're twelve. You can get a cell phone when you're twelve. Hey, you can even ride in the front passenger-side seat when you're twelve...Categorized as:
children friendship low-fantasy magic magical-realism realistic action-adventure audiobook -
Riddles and Danger by Bryan Chick
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsNoah, Megan, Richie, and Ella are the Action Scouts; friends whose tree house overlooks the Clarksville City Zoo. When they discover a magical world hidden within the zoo, they are swept away on an adventure in which penguins can fly, a mysterious figure lurks in the shadows, and the scouts are enlisted to help Mr. Darby, who is in charge of the Secret Zoo... -
The Thief Knot by Kate Milford
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsGhosts, a kidnapping, a crew of young detectives, and family secrets mix in this new standalone mystery set in the world of the best-selling Greenglass House, from a National Book Award nominee and Edgar Award–winning author.Marzana and her best friend are bored. Even though they live in a notorious city where normal rules do not apply, nothing interesting ever happens to them...Categorized as:
children family friendship low-fantasy magic magical-realism realistic action-adventure -
The Fourth Suit by Neil Patrick Harris
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe magical finale of the #1 New York Times bestselling Magic Misfits series from acclaimed and wildly popular celebrity Neil Patrick Harris!Ridley Larsen is everything you want in a friend. She's tough as nails, she's fiercely loyal, and she's smart as a whip... -
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Secrets and Shadows by Bryan Chick
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratings"We will need you as Crossers, and we will need you not only to be brave—but to be fearless." Mr. Darby paused, giving the scouts time to digest his words. Then he continued. "I want you to think before answering. Can you accept this challenge?"Only weeks after their return from the Secret Zoo, Noah and his friends must go back—and face their biggest challenge yet... -
Lost Lullaby by Jason Segel
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratings"Coraline meets Monsters, Inc. in this delightfully entertaining offering from actor [Jason] Segel and co-author [Kirsten] Miller." --Publishers Weekly, on book one in the series Stay up late with the hilariously frightening middle-grade novel Nightmares! The Lost Lullaby... -
The Seventh Wish by Kate Messner
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsCharlie feels like she's always coming in last. From her Mom's new job to her sister's life at college, everything seems more important than Charlie. Then one day while ice fishing, Charlie makes a discovery that will change everything . . . in the form of a floppy fish offering to grant a wish in exchange for freedom...Categorized as:
children family friendship low-fantasy magic magical-realism realistic action-adventure -
James Potter and the Morrigan Web by G. Norman Lippert
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsAs James Potter returns to Hogwarts in the wake of "the Night of the Unveiling", he discovers that even in the protected center of the magical world, nothing is quite the same.Despite the Ministry's efforts, the Vow of Secrecy is crumbling the world over, eroding age-old safeguards and threatening magical and Muggle governments with dark magic conspiracies... -
Hour of the Bees by Lindsay Eagar
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThings are only impossible if you stop to think about them. . . .While her friends are spending their summers having pool parties and sleepovers, twelve-year-old Carolina — Carol — is spending hers in the middle of the New Mexico desert, helping her parents move the grandfather she’s never met into a home for people with dementia. At first, Carol avoids prickly Grandpa Serge...Categorized as:
children family friendship low-fantasy magic magical-realism realistic season-summer -
Arcade Catastrophe by Brandon Mull
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 32 ratingsIt will take more than magical candy to win this war!Something fishy is going on over at the new amusement centre in Walnut Hills. The trouble seems linked to the mysterious disappearance of Mozag and John Dart, who have spent their lives policing the magical community... -
The Verdigris Pawn by Alysa Wishingrad
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsHarperCollins has bought Alysa Wishingrad's The Verdigris Pawn, an upper middle grade fantasy novel about a boy who must break free from being a pawn in his father's quest for power if he is to save his people. Publication is slated for winter 2021... -
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... -
Beetle Queen by M.G. Leonard
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsCruel beetle fashionista, Lucretia Cutter, is at large with her yellow ladybird spies. When Darkus, Virginia and Bertolt discover further evidence of her evil, they're determined to stop her. But the three friends are in trouble. Darkus' dad has forbidden them to investigate any further - and disgusting crooks Humphrey and Pickering are out of prison... -
A Week without Tuesday by Angelica Banks, Stevie Lewis
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsSomething is broken in the land of story. Real and imaginary worlds are colliding — putting everything and everyone in grave peril. Tuesday and Baxterr, at the request of the Librarian, and with the help of Vivienne Small, venture to find the Gardener — the one person who can stop this catastrophe. On their way, they'll meet friends and foes, and discover strengths they didn't know they had...Categorized as:
children family low-fantasy magic magical-realism action-adventure book children-books -
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A Little Taste of Poison by R.J. Anderson
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsTwelve-year-old Isaveth tries to take down the man who framed her father for murder in this lively follow-up to A Pocket Full of Murder, which Kirkus Reviews called thoroughly entertaining. The city of Tarreton is powered by magic, from simple tablets that light lamps to advanced Sagery that can murder a man from afar... -
Has Anyone Seen Jessica Jenkins? by Liz Kessler
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsJessica Jenkins has always been a perfectly ordinary girl—until one day part of her arm vanishes in the middle of geography class! Jessica’s friends Izzy and Tom are determined to help her develop her newfound invisibility, though Jessica is more concerned with discovering where the ability came from...Categorized as:
children friendship low-fantasy magic magical-realism action-adventure book children-books -
The Missing Piece of Charlie O'Reilly by Rebecca Ansari
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsCharlie O’Reilly is an only child. Which is why it makes everyone uncomfortable when he talks about his brother. Liam, his eight-year-old kid brother, who, up until a year ago, slept in the bunk above Charlie, took pride in being as annoying as possible, and was the only person who could make Charlie laugh until it hurt.Then came the morning when the bunk, and Liam, disappeared forever... -
The Box and the Dragonfly by Ted Sanders
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsExperience the fantastic adventure filled with magical objects, secret sects, and life as we know it on the line! Mixing magic and physics, Ted Sanders has created an epic story that has the feel of classic fantasy but twists it into something new and innovative.From the moment Horace F. Andrews sees the sign from the bus a sign with his own name on it everything changes... -
The Light Jar by Lisa Thompson
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA story of fear and hope, loneliness and friendship -- full of the heart, engaging characters, and propulsive, page-turning mystery that made The Goldfish Boy so beloved.Nate and his mother are running away. Fleeing from an emotionally abusive situation, they hide out in an abandoned cottage in the middle of a forest. Though it's old and run-down, at least it's a place of their own...Categorized as:
children family friendship low-fantasy magical-realism realistic abuse action-adventure -
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 low-fantasy magic magical-realism season-summer action-adventure -
The Elephant's Girl by Celesta Rimington
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA magical adventure for fans of Katherine Applegate and Jennifer Holm about a girl with a mysterious connection to the elephant who saved her life.An elephant never forgets, but Lexington Willow can't remember her past. Swept away by a tornado as a toddler, she was dropped in a nearby Nebraska zoo, where an elephant named Nyah protected her from the storm...Categorized as:
children family friendship low-fantasy magic magical-realism realistic season-summer -
Dust by Dusti Bowling
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA girl who struggles to breathe befriends a boy who seems shrouded in dust. After Avalyn nearly died from an asthma attack, her parents moved her to the clear, dry air of Clear Canyon City, Arizona. And for the last ten years, she’s been able to breathe. That is, until Adam showed up. Quiet and unkempt, Adam is an instant target for the bullies who have plagued Avalyn and her friends...Categorized as:
magical-realism realistic friendship children family magic low-fantasy north-america -
The Minor Third by Neil Patrick Harris
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe third magical book in the #1 New York Times bestselling Magic Misfits series from acclaimed and wildly popular celebrity Neil Patrick Harris!Theo Stein-Meyer loves being part of the Magic Misfits. Armed with his trusty violin bow, he completes the team with his levitation skills, unflappable calm, and proper manners... -
What Not to Do If You Turn Invisible by Ross Welford
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA surprising, stunningly beautiful, and funny novel about a girl who turns invisible and, in the process, discovers who she really is, from the author of TIME TRAVELING WITH A HAMSTER Twelve-year-old Ethel Leatherhead only meant to cure her acne, not turn herself invisible. But that's exactly what happens when she combines herbs bought on the Internet with time spent in a secondhand tanning bed...Categorized as:
children family friendship low-fantasy magical-realism realistic action-adventure animals -
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The Book Smugglers by Anna James
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsFourth in the modern-classic and bestselling bookwandering series for ages eight to twelve that celebrates all that is best in life: books, adventure, friendship – and cake.Milo lives on board the Sesquipedalian, or “Quip” – a magical train that uses the power of imagination to travel through both Story and the real world... -
Bad Magic by Pseudonymous Bosch
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsA magical new series from Pseudonymous Bosh, the bestselling author of the Secret SeriesMagic is BAD.As in fake. Cheesy. Unreal. At least, that's what Clay, who has seen one magic show too many, thinks.When words from his journal appear mysteriously on his school wall as graffiti, he never imagines that magic might be to blame...Categorized as:
children family friendship low-fantasy magic magical-realism action-adventure animals -
A Pinch of Magic by Michelle Harrison
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsA spellbinding middle grade fantasy about three sisters—adventurous Betty, curious Charlie, and proper Fliss—who go on a quest to break the curse that’s haunted their family for generations. All Betty Widdershins wants is an adventure—one that takes her far away from Crowstone, the gloomy island where she’s always lived... -
Shadowsmith by Ross MacKenzie
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAre you brave? When mysterious Amelia Pigeon turns up at Kirby's bedroom window in the dead of night, this is the question she asks him - immediately before they tumble into a world of ancient malevolent spirits who have torn their way into Kirby's sleepy seaside village... -
The Frame-Up by Wendy McLeod MacKnight
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsGreenwillow has bought Wendy McLeod MacKnight's second novel. Twelve-year-old Sargent Singer is sent away from home to reconnect with his estranged father, who is the director of an art gallery. During his visit, Sargent sees a portrait of a girl named Mona Dunn stick out her tongue and the secret of the gallery is revealed...Categorized as:
children family friendship low-fantasy magical-realism season-summer action-adventure audiobook -
This Is Not a Werewolf Story by Sandra Evans
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThis is the story of Raul, a boy of few words, fewer friends, and almost no family. He is a loner—but he isn’t lonely. All week long he looks after the younger boys at One Of Our Kind Boarding School while dodging the barbs of terrible Tuffman, the mean gym teacher.Like every other kid in the world, he longs for Fridays, but not for the usual reasons. The woods have secrets...and so does Raul...Categorized as:
children family friendship low-fantasy magic magical-realism action-adventure animals
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