Realism and Surrealism Combine: 13+ Magical Realism Titles for Ages 13 and up

Summer is here! And that means loads of time for kids to experience books in all their glory. This is also a great time to encourage kids to read the books they choose (without having to worry about school assignments) and to try out new genres that they might be interested in learning more about. This series will offer titles for toddlers to teens and include a variety of formats. Each week will focus on a different genre and will follow the same format:

• Mondays – Titles for Ages 3-7
• Tuesdays – Middle Grade Titles for Ages 8-12
• Wednesdays – Young Adult Titles for Ages 13+
• Thursdays – Nonfiction pairings
• Friday – Recap of the Week

Young Adult
The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X.R. Pan
“Alternating between real and magic, past and present, friendship and romance, hope and despair, The Astonishing Color of After is a novel about finding oneself through family history, art, grief, and love.” (Taken from Goodreads)

Bone Gap by Laura Ruby
Finn and Sean have lived with Roza ever since their mother left, but Roza’s gone missing and only Finn believes her to be kidnapped by a man whose face he can’t remember. Even his own brother doesn’t believe him anymore. What can Finn do to make the residents of Bone Gap believe the truth?

Everybody Sees The Ants by A.S. King
Lucky’s family life isn’t great – his grandfather never came home from the Vietnam War, his father’s never recovered from the loss, his mother chooses to believe everything is fine and he’s getting constantly bullied. But, what no one knows is that Lucky can escape into his dreams in the jungles of war-torn Laos where his grandfather was stationed and be the hero he can’t be at home.

A Fierce and Subtle Poison by Samantha Mabry
“Lucas has grown up hearing stories about the cursed girl, and he wants to believe in Isabel and her magic. When letters from Isabel begin mysteriously appearing in his room the same day his new girlfriend disappears, Lucas turns to Isabel for answers–and finds himself lured into her strange and enchanted world.” (Taken from Goodreads)

The Girl Who Could Silence The Wind by Meg Medina
Sonia was born the night of the worst storm her small town has ever seen and ever since the townspeople believe she has protective powers. She prayers over the sick and helps her community, but never really believes the stories. When she moves away and is confronted with her own heartbreak, she soon realizes what others always saw in her.

Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Cordova
Alex is a powerful witch, a bruja and is ready to give up her powers, but in doing so her family vanishes into thin air and the only person who can help her is Nova a brujo she’s not so sure she can trust.

Love in the Time of Global Warming by Francesca Lia Block
A modern twist on The Odyssey as Pen must embark on a trip to search for her family in the wasteland that was created after the Earth Shaker.

The Love That Split the World by Emily Henry
“Emily Henry’s stunning debut novel is Friday Night Lights meets The Time Traveler’s Wife, and perfectly captures those bittersweet months after high school, when we dream not only of the future, but of all the roads and paths we’ve left untaken.” (Taken from Goodreads)

The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender by Leslye Walton
Ava is a normal girl, except she was born with wings and when she decides to travel to see the world she realizes she is as naive as she is unprepared. But when the summer solstice occurs, Ava’s family history and future collide.

September Girls by Bennett Madison
Sam’s father takes him to a remote beach town for the summer where it seems that time slows down and all the girls fawn over him (not a usual circumstance). So when he meets DeeDee, a girl different from all the others, he hopes he can get some answers about the small town and the girls in it.

Summer of Salt by Katrina Leno
Even though magic has been passed down through generations of the Fernweh family and most people don’t question it, when tragedy strikes suspicions abound and none of the family is safe.

Summer of the Mariposas by Guadalupe Garcia McCall
“When Odilia and her four sisters find a dead body in the swimming hole, they embark on a hero’s journey to return the dead man to his family in Mexico. But returning home to Texas turns into an odyssey that would rival Homer’s original tale.” (Taken from Goodreads)

The Weight of Feathers by Anna-Marie McLemore
The Paloma and the Corbeau families are both traveling performers in competing shows and each knows the other is dangerous, but when disaster strikes and Cluck Corbeau saves Lace Paloma’s life she must examine everything she’s been told to find the truth.

When the Moon Was Ours by Anna-Marie McLemore
The Bonner girls are rumored to be witches and everyone steers clear of them – even the odd friends Miel and Sam, so when the Bonner girls start going after Miel ready to reveal her secrets to everyone and anyone to get what they want, will Sam and Miel’s frienship hold strong?