Books like 'The Mending Summer'
Readers who enjoyed The Mending Summer by Ali Standish also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
fantasy mystery action / adventure magical-realism realistic family magic season-summer children friendship
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The Candymakers by Wendy Mass
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsFour children have been chosen to compete in a national competition to find the tastiest confection in the country...Categorized as:
children coming-of-age family friendship low-fantasy magical-realism realistic action-adventure -
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 coming-of-age family friendship low-fantasy magic magical-realism realistic -
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... -
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 low-fantasy magic magical-realism 20th-century -
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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 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 coming-of-age family friendship magic magical-realism realistic action-adventure -
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 coming-of-age family friendship low-fantasy magic magical-realism realistic -
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... -
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 coming-of-age family friendship low-fantasy magic magical-realism realistic -
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 -
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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 coming-of-age friendship low-fantasy magic magical-realism realistic action-adventure -
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... -
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... -
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 coming-of-age family friendship low-fantasy magic magical-realism realistic -
The 1000 Year Old Boy by Ross Welford
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsA heartstopping, poignant, epic adventure story about a boy destined to live forever, who only wants to grow up. Without death, life is just existence.Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live forever? Well, Alfie Monk can tell you...Categorized as:
children coming-of-age family friendship low-fantasy magic magical-realism realistic -
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The Midnight Children by Dan Gemeinhart
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsAn extraordinary story about a family of runaways who take up residence in a small town, and the outcast boy who finds his voice and his people.In the dead of night, a truck arrives in Slaughterville, a small town curiously named after its windowless slaughterhouse...Categorized as:
family realistic magical-realism children friendship coming-of-age middle-grade mystery -
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... -
Where the Forest Meets the Stars by Glendy Vanderah
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 70 ratingsAfter the loss of her mother and her own battle with breast cancer, Joanna Teale returns to her graduate research on nesting birds in rural Illinois, determined to prove that her recent hardships have not broken her...Categorized as:
children coming-of-age family friendship magic magical-realism realistic season-summer -
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 coming-of-age family friendship low-fantasy magic magical-realism realistic -
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...Categorized as:
children coming-of-age family friendship low-fantasy magic magical-realism realistic -
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 -
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 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 -
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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 -
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... -
The Storm Keeper’s Island by Catherine Doyle
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsCatherine Doyle's stunning middle-grade debut, an evocative tale of ancient magic, bravery, and family bonds.“Fans of Harry Potter or Percy Jackson can add Fionn Boyle as a generous and brave hero from the Emerald Isle.” – School Library ConnectionWhen Fionn Boyle sets foot on Arranmore Island, it begins to stir beneath his feet...Categorized as:
children coming-of-age family low-fantasy magic magical-realism season-summer action-adventure -
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 -
The Girl Who Could Fly by Victoria Forester
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsYou just can't keep a good girl down . . . unless you use the proper methods.Piper McCloud can fly. Just like that. Easy as pie.Sure, she hasn't mastered reverse propulsion and her turns are kind of sloppy, but she's real good at loop-the-loops.Problem is, the good folk of Lowland County are afraid of Piper. And her ma's at her wit's end...Categorized as:
children coming-of-age family friendship low-fantasy magic magical-realism realistic -
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 -
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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 -
The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsInspired by C. S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia, this wild and wondrous novel is a fairy tale for grown-ups who still knock on the back of wardrobes—just in case—from the author of The Wishing Game... -
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 Remarkable Journey of Charlie Price by Jennifer Maschari
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA heartfelt, beautifully written novel of love, loss, and math—perfect for fans of Rebecca Stead and Sharon M. Draper.Ever since twelve-year-old Charlie Price's mom died, he feels like his world has been split into two parts. Before included stargazing and Mathletes and Saturday scavenger hunts with his family...Categorized as:
children family friendship low-fantasy magic magical-realism realistic action-adventure -
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 low-fantasy magic magical-realism action-adventure book children-books -
Mañanaland by Pam Muñoz Ryan
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsMaximiliano Córdoba loves stories, especially the legend Buelo tells him about a mythical gatekeeper who can guide brave travelers on a journey into tomorrow.If Max could see tomorrow, he would know if he'd make Santa Maria's celebrated fútbol team and whether he'd ever meet his mother, who disappeared when he was a baby. He longs to know more about her, but Papá won't talk...Categorized as:
children coming-of-age family friendship low-fantasy magic magical-realism realistic
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