Books like 'The Lightning Queen'
Readers who enjoyed The Lightning Queen by Laura Resau also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
historical fantasy 20th century historical-fiction magical-realism poc-mc friendship children realistic family
-
Boy's Life by Robert McCammon
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 42 ratingsAn Alabama boy’s innocence is shaken by murder and madness in the 1960s South in this novel by the New York Times–bestselling author of Swan Song. It’s 1964 in idyllic Zephyr, Alabama. People either work for the paper mill up the Tecumseh River, or for the local dairy. It’s a simple life, but it stirs the impressionable imagination of twelve-year-old aspiring writer Cory Mackenson...Categorized as:
children coming-of-age family friendship historical-fiction magic magical-realism paranormal -
Echo by Pam Muñoz Ryan
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsAn impassioned, uplifting, and virtuosic tour de force from a treasured storyteller!Lost and alone in a forbidden forest, Otto meets three mysterious sisters and suddenly finds himself entwined in a puzzling quest involving a prophecy, a promise, and a harmonica...Categorized as:
children coming-of-age family friendship historical-fiction latinx-mc magic magical-realism -
Ronia, the Robber's Daughter by Astrid Lindgren
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsOn the night Ronia was born, a thunderstorm raged over the mountain, but in Matt's castle and among his band of robbers there was only joy -- for Matt now had a spirited little black-haired daughter. Soon Ronia learns to dance and yell with the robbers, but it is alone in the forest that she feels truly at home. Then one day Ronia meets Birk, the son of Matt's arch-enemy... -
When We Were Very Young by A.A. Milne
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsThis is the first book of A.A. Milne's verses for children, with Ernest H. Shepard's line illustrations in colour... -
-
A Bear Called Paddington by Michael Bond
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 37 ratingsAn alternate cover edition of this ISBN can be found here.Mr. and Mrs. Brown first met Paddington, a most endearing bear from Darkest Peru on a railway platform in London. A sign hanging around his neck said, "Please look after this bear. Thank you" So that is just what they did... -
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 coming-of-age family friendship magic magical-realism 20th-century action-adventure -
This I Know by Eldonna Edwards
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsSet in a small Midwest town in the late 1960s and helmed by an unforgettable young protagonist—compassionate, uncannily wise Grace—This I Know is a luminous coming-of-age story from an astonishing new voice. Eleven-year-old Grace Carter has a talent for hiding things...Categorized as:
coming-of-age family historical-fiction magical-realism paranormal realistic 20th-century audiobook -
Good Night, Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 30 ratings"Good night, Gorilla," says the zookeeper. But mischievous Gorilla isn't quite ready to go to sleep. He'd rather follow the zookeeper on his rounds and let all of the other animals out of their cages. Little night owls can sneak along with Gorilla and see who gets the last laugh in this riotous goodnight romp...Categorized as:
animals children family friendship humor 20th-century action-adventure anthropomorphism -
The Murmur of Bees by Sofía Segovia
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 44 ratingsFrom a beguiling voice in Mexican fiction comes an astonishing novel—her first to be translated into English—about a mysterious child with the power to change a family’s history in a country on the verge of revolution.From the day that old Nana Reja found a baby abandoned under a bridge, the life of a small Mexican town forever changed...Categorized as:
animals coming-of-age family historical-fiction latinx-mc magic magical-realism poc-mc -
Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burton
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 33 ratingsA modern classic that no child should miss. Since it was first published in 1939, Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel has delighted generations of children. Mike and his trusty steam shovel, Mary Anne, dig deep canals for boats to travel through, cut mountain passes for trains, and hollow out cellars for city skyscrapers -- the very symbol of industrial America... -
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 89 ratingsIn this beloved story, readers travel with Mary Lennox, a spoiled and sullen orphan, from colonial India to Misselthwaite Manor, a forbidding estate on the Yorkshire moors. There, in the unlikeliest of places, Mary discovers and helps restore an abandoned garden and, in the process, blossoms herself into a creature of loving kindness...Categorized as:
children coming-of-age family friendship historical-fiction magic paranormal realistic -
Good Dog, Carl by Alexandra Day
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsAvailable in paperback for the first time, the modern classic that introduced the beloved baby-sitting rottweiler to the world...Categorized as:
animals children family friendship humor 20th-century action-adventure anthropomorphism -
Dealing with Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 71 ratingsCimorene is everything a princess is not supposed to be: headstrong, tomboyish, smart - and bored. So bored that she runs away to live with a dragon - and finds the family and excitement she's been looking for... -
Journey to the River Sea by Eva Ibbotson
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsSent in 1910 to live with distant relatives who own a rubber plantation along the Amazon River, English orphan Maia is excited. She believes she is in for brightly colored macaws, enormous butterflies, and "curtains of sweetly scented orchids trailing from the trees." Her British classmates warn her of man-eating alligators and wild, murderous Indians...Categorized as:
animals children coming-of-age family female-mc friendship historical-fiction realistic -
-
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... -
One Snowy Night Miniature by Nick Butterworth
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsPercy the park keeper always feeds the animals in the park where he lives. But one cold winter’s night Percy discovers that his little friends need more than food, and he must think of a way to help them find a warm place to sleep for the night. Percy’s hut is nice and warm, but he discovers that if you invite one animal in you’ll have to invite them all in...Categorized as:
animals children family friendship 20th-century anthropomorphism book children-books -
Richard Scarry's Best Storybook Ever! by Richard Scarry
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsFrom the cheery sun on the first page, to the sleepy moon on the last, and throughout all 290 pages in between, there are stories, rhymes and fun with the one-and-only Richard Scarry. Classic tales, alphabet and counting stories, lots of new words and concepts, and visits around town, to the airport, and across the world make this essential book that will captivate even the most restless child... -
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... -
No Flying in the House by Betty Brock
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsA funny and fantastical novel about a young girl who makes a life-changing discovery about who she really is. Perfect for fans of The Tail of Emily Windsnap—or anyone who has wondered if they might have some magic in them.Most little girls have parents to take care of them, but not Annabel Tippens. She has Gloria, a tiny white dog who talks and wears a gold collar... -
What Was I Scared Of?: A Glow-in-the Dark Encounter by Dr. Seuss
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsDr. Seuss in a glowing new format!What were we waiting for? We’ve taken the classic Dr... -
Redwall by Brian Jacques
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 66 ratingsA quest to recover a legendary lost weapon by bumbling young apprentice monk, mouse Matthias. Redwall Abbey, tranquil home to a community of peace-loving mice, is threatened by Cluny the Scourge savage bilge rat warlord and his battle-hardened horde. But the Redwall mice and their loyal woodland friends combine their courage and strength... -
The Ordinary Princess by M.M. Kaye
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsAlong with Wit, Charm, Health, and Courage, Princess Amy of Phantasmorania receives a special fairy christening gift: Ordinariness. Unlike her six beautiful sisters, she has brown hair and freckles, and would rather have adventures than play the harp, embroider tapestries . . . or become a Queen... -
Wise Child by Monica Furlong
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 33 ratingsIn a remote Scottish village, nine-year-old Wise Child is taken in by Juniper, a healer and sorceress. Then Wise Child's mother, Maeve, a black witch, reappears. In choosing between Maeve and Juniper, Wise Child discovers the extent of her supernatural powers - and her true loyalties...Categorized as:
children coming-of-age family female-mc historical-fiction magic magical-realism paranormal -
Song of the Wanderer by Bruce Coville
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsOne unicorn dwells on Earth.Hundreds fight in Luster.Their legends are recorded inThe Unicorn Chronicles.Book II: Song of the WandererCara must return to Earth to save her grandmother, the Wanderer. But to do so, Cara must first travel through the wilderness of Luster, land of the unicorns, full of unknown creatures and perilous adventure around every bend in the road... -
-
Arrows of the Queen by Mercedes Lackey
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 44 ratingsFollows the adventures of Talia as she trains to become a Herald of Valdemar in the first book in the classic epic fantasy Arrows trilogyChosen by the Companion Rolan, a mystical horse-like being with powers beyond imagining, Talia, once a runaway, has now become a trainee Herald, destined to become one of the Queen's own elite guard... -
O'Sullivan Stew by Hudson Talbott
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsSomeone has stolen the witch of Crookhaven's horse, and there will be no peace in the village until it is returned. So bold, brassy Kate O'Sullivan takes matters into her own hands. But instead of saving the day, she manages to land herself--and her family--in trouble with the king. So Kate sets out to save their hides the only way she knows how--with a good story...Categorized as:
animals children exploration historical-fiction humor paranormal poc-mc 20th-century -
One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 53 ratingsProbably García Márquez finest and most famous work. One Hundred Years of Solitude tells the story of the rise and fall, birth and death of a mythical town of Macondo through the history of the Buendia family. Inventive, amusing, magnetic, sad, alive with unforgettable men and women, and with a truth and understanding that strike the soul...Categorized as:
family historical-fiction latinx-mc magic magical-realism paranormal poc-mc season-summer -
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...Categorized as:
children coming-of-age family friendship magic magical-realism realistic 20th-century -
4 Years Trapped in My Mind Palace by Johan Twiss
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsDiagnosed with a rare form of meningitis, a teenage boy is paralyzed from head to toe--trapped in his own mind. To cope with his imprisonment, he retreats to an imaginary world called his Mind Palace, but the lines between reality and time blur into wild adventures after he gets a new roommate--an old, outspoken, Jewish jazz musician with dementia...Categorized as:
children coming-of-age family friendship historical-fiction 20th-century action-adventure audiobook -
Winnie's Great War by Lindsay Mattick, Josh Greenhut
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA wartime adventure unfolds through the eyes of the world’s most beloved Bear. The story of the real bear that inspired Winnie-the-Pooh has been capturing readers’ imaginations since the publication of the Caldecott Medal award-winning picture book, Finding Winnie.But there was so much left to be told – not just about Winnie, but about the great world events she witnessed...Categorized as:
animals children exploration family friendship historical-fiction realistic 20th-century -
The Secrets of Hawthorn Place by Jenni Keer
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsTwo houses, hundreds of miles apart...yet connected always.When life throws Molly Butterfield a curveball, she decides to spend some time with her recently widowed granddad, Wally, at Hawthorn Place, his quirky Victorian house on the Dorset coast...Categorized as:
historical-fiction magical-realism family female-mc paranormal romance fiction womens-fiction -
Linnets and Valerians by Elizabeth Goudge
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe four Linnet children: Nan, Robert, Timothy and Betsy are sent to live with their strict grandmother while their father travels to Egypt. Locked away in separate rooms as punishment by their ruthless grandmother, the Linnets feel at once that their new life is unbearable—and decide to make their escape—out of the house, out of the garden and into the village...Categorized as:
animals children family historical-fiction magic paranormal 20th-century action-adventure -
Gregory the Terrible Eater by Mitchell Sharmat
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsA very picky eater, Gregory the goat refuses the usual goat diet staples of shoes and tincans in favor of fruits, vegetables, eggs, and orange juice... -
Mary Poppins Opens the Door by P.L. Travers
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsFrom the moment Mary Poppins arrives at Number Seventeen Cherry-Tree Lane, everyday life at the Banks house is forever changed. This classic series tells the story of the world's most beloved nanny, who brings enchantment and excitement with her everywhere she goes. Featuring the charming original cover art by Mary Shepard, these new editions are sure to delight readers of all ages... -
-
Bedtime for Frances by Russell Hoban
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 38 ratingsThe big hand of the clock is at 12.The little hand is at 7.It is seven o' clock.It is bedtime for Frances.It may be bedtime for Frances, but before Frances can sleep, she needs a glass of milk, a kiss from Father, one from Mother, her teddy bear, her doll, another kiss from Father, and another one from Mother. And then there are tigers and giants and ominous cracks in the ceiling to keep her up... -
Pippi in the South Seas by Astrid Lindgren
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 24 ratings"Any reappearance of the irrepressible Pippi Longstocking is cause for celebration. This installment is no exception...Categorized as:
animals children friendship historical-fiction humor 20th-century action-adventure audiobook -
Pippi Goes on Board by Astrid Lindgren, Nancy Seligsohn
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsOutrageous Pippi Longstocking has no parents around and no rules to follow, so she lives according to her own daredevilish ways. She's been treating her friends Tommy and Annika to wild adventures, too--like buying and eating seventy-two pounds of candy, or sailing off to an island in the middle of a lake to see what it's like to be shipwrecked... -
Tonight on the Titanic by Mary Pope Osborne
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsJack and Annie are in for an exciting, scary, and sad adventure when the Magic Tree House whisks them back to the decks of the "Titanic...Categorized as:
animals children family historical-fiction magic magical-realism 20th-century action-adventure -
People of the Sea by W. Michael Gear, Kathleen O'Neal Gear
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsA spellbinding tale of life and love, death and adventure, in North America eleven thousand years ago, when mammoths roamed the continent. Award-winning archaeologists Michael and Kathleen Gear, using the best archaeological information, have created a stunning vision of our pre-history, and of the men and women who lived in this rapidly changing world... -
To The Bright Edge of the World by Eowyn Ivey
Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsSet again in the Alaskan landscape that she brought to stunningly vivid life in The Snow Child, Eowyn Ivey's second novel is a breathtaking story of discovery and adventure, set at the end of the nineteenth century, and of a marriage tested by a closely held secret...Categorized as:
animals exploration family historical-fiction indigenous-mc magic magical-realism paranormal -
Daja's Book by Tamora Pierce
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 38 ratingsThere is an alternate cover edition here.Outcast Trader Daja, along with her fellow mages-in-training, journeys from Winding Circle to the Gold Ridge Mountains, where drought threatens widespread famine. There, Daja creates an astonishing object: a living metal vine, and Daja's dealings with her former people reawaken a longing for familiar ways...Categorized as:
children coming-of-age family female-mc friendship historical-fiction magic paranormal -
The Time Garden by Edward Eager
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 29 ratings"Anything can happen when you have all the time in the world" says the frog-like Natterjack in old relative Mrs Whiton's thyme garden. Cousins Roger, Ann, Eliza and girl-crazy Jack ride for American rebels, bow to Queen Elizabeth I, and even rescue their own parents when they were children...Categorized as:
children family historical-fiction humor magic magical-realism season-summer 20th-century -
No. 23 Burlington Square by Jenni Keer
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsLondon, 1927: One house. Three lives. A decision that will change everything. A powerful, unique timeslip story, perfect for fans of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, The Miniaturist, and Lucinda Riley...Categorized as:
historical-fiction magical-realism family friendship female-mc paranormal romance fiction -
Tris's Book by Tamora Pierce
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 41 ratingsEarthquake damage leaves Winding Circle vulnerable to pirate attack, so everyone - including the young mages-in-training Tris, Briar, Daja, and Sandry - is working to strengthen the community's defenses. When Tris's cousin Aymery comes to visit, he advises the "weather witch" to return to the family that exiled her, but she doesn't wish to leave her friends to face the threat without her...Categorized as:
children coming-of-age family female-mc friendship historical-fiction magic paranormal -
-
My Father’s Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett
Rated: 4.09 of 5 stars · 41 ratingsElmer Elevator (narrator's father as a boy) runs away with an old alley cat to rescue a flying baby dragon being exploited on a faraway island. With the help of two dozen pink lollipops, rubber bands, chewing gum, and a fine-toothed comb, Elmer disarms the fiercest of beasts on Wild Island... -
Disney's Princess Storybook Collection: Love and Friendship Stories by Sarah E. Heller
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFollowing up the best-selling Disney's Storybook Collection, this new collection celebrates princesses and the joy and fun of friendship and romance... -
La Maravilla by Alfredo Véa
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratings"Buckeye Road wasn't much of a town, just a place where a pocked and pitted road met an invisible street....It was less that unincorporated, it was unknown..."Yet it is here in the desert outside the Phoenix city limits that Alfredo Vea, Jr., finds a world of marvels spilling out of the adobe homes, tar-paper shacks, rusted Cadillacs, and battered trailers that are otherwise known as "Buckeye...Categorized as:
coming-of-age historical-fiction humor indigenous-mc magical-realism poc-mc 20th-century adult -
Mennyms Alive by Sylvia Waugh
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe Mennyms, a family of life-size rag dolls, have always live with danger, ever since their maker Kate Penshaw instilled in them an indomitable life force. That life force carried them through perils of many kinds and helped them survive the greatest danger of all-the ever-present fear of discovery by the outside world... -
The Woman Who Had Two Navels and Tales of the Tropical Gothic by Nick Joaquín, Gina Apostol
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsNick Joaquin is widely considered one of the greatest Filipino writers, but he has remained little-known outside his home country despite writing in English. With the post-colonial sensibilities of Junot Diaz, Teju Cole, and Jhumpa Lahiri and an ironic perspective of colonial history resonant with Marques and Llosa, Joaquin is a long-neglected writer ready to join the ranks of the world classics... -
Walter the Lazy Mouse by Marjorie Flack
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe classic 1937 tale by award-winning author Marjorie Flack is back in print for the first time in decades!Walter is a lazy mouse. He is so lazy that he always misses school and spends all his time in bed. He is so lazy that eventually his family forgets about him and moves away…without him. Alone and scared, Walter heads out into the world to search for his family...Categorized as:
animals family children season-summer friendship fiction children-books middle-grade
Or - use our amazing romance book finder to get recommendations based on your favorite content tropes and themes. Mix and match at will.