79 books like A Magical Friend

By Chloe Ryder,

Here are 79 books that A Magical Friend fans have personally recommended if you like A Magical Friend. Shepherd is a community of 11,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of The Snow Bear

Linda Chapman Author Of Star Friends: Mirror Magic

From my list on fiction for children who love magic and animals.

Why am I passionate about this?

Growing up as an only child, books and animals were hugely important to me – they were my friends and I really wanted to believe in a magic that would allow me to talk to animals and them to me. I have now written over 250 books and pretty much all of them have either magic or animals in or a combination of both – unicorns, ponies that turn into magical horses, star animals who teach the children they bond with how to do magic, mermaids with sea creatures as pets. I really love to write – and read – about magical animals and their very lucky human friends!

Linda's book list on fiction for children who love magic and animals

Linda Chapman Why did Linda love this book?

I absolutely love all of Holly Webb’s books, sometimes she writes about animals in real life and sometimes about animals and magic but whatever she is writing, her books always have fantastic characters and show the bond between humans and animals. I particularly like her Winter Journeys series, they are longer than some of Holly’s other books and sensitively explore different cultures and family relationships. The Snow Bear is one of my favorites. It tells the story of Sara who loves to listen to her grandfather’s stories about the Inuits. One night she goes on a magical snowy adventure with a beautiful polar bear and finally discovers the magic of the Arctic for herself. A gorgeous, wintery story to share or to read alone.

By Holly Webb,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Snow Bear as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 5, 6, 7, and 8.

What is this book about?

As the snow begins to fall just days before Christmas, Grandad helps Sara build an igloo in the garden with a small snow bear to watch over it. And when Sara wakes in the middle of the night, it looks very different outside. She sets out on an enchanted journey through a world of ice, but will she ever find her way home...


Book cover of Hedgewitch

Linda Chapman Author Of Star Friends: Mirror Magic

From my list on fiction for children who love magic and animals.

Why am I passionate about this?

Growing up as an only child, books and animals were hugely important to me – they were my friends and I really wanted to believe in a magic that would allow me to talk to animals and them to me. I have now written over 250 books and pretty much all of them have either magic or animals in or a combination of both – unicorns, ponies that turn into magical horses, star animals who teach the children they bond with how to do magic, mermaids with sea creatures as pets. I really love to write – and read – about magical animals and their very lucky human friends!

Linda's book list on fiction for children who love magic and animals

Linda Chapman Why did Linda love this book?

I was lucky enough to be given an advance copy of this book written by debut author, Skye Mackenna and I instantly fell in love with the characters and the story. Perfect reading for middle-grade readers who like longer, more challenging magic books. It is set in a world similar to ours which also has witches, scary fairies, goblins, and talking animals. Cassie, the heroine, sets out to discover why her mother disappeared seven years ago and in the process starts a new life, makes new friends (not least the wonderful talking cat, Montague), learns more about her witch-family heritage, and encounters terrifying faeries. This is the first book in the Hedgewitch series and is due to be published in 2022 - I can’t wait to read the rest!

By Skye McKenna,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Hedgewitch as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 9, 10, 11, and 12.

What is this book about?

'Magical in every sense of the word' Eoin Colfer

Step into the magical world of Hedgewitch, where the land of Faerie lies just beyond our own, in this enchanting new series for children age 9+ and readers of Nevermoor, The Worst Witch and The Dark Is Rising.

Cassie Morgan has run away. After seven years spent waiting for her mother to return, she flees her dreary boarding school and sets out to find her. But the world outside her school is full of hidden magic and children have been going missing.

With the help of a talking cat and a…


Book cover of The Sky Unicorn

Linda Chapman Author Of Star Friends: Mirror Magic

From my list on fiction for children who love magic and animals.

Why am I passionate about this?

Growing up as an only child, books and animals were hugely important to me – they were my friends and I really wanted to believe in a magic that would allow me to talk to animals and them to me. I have now written over 250 books and pretty much all of them have either magic or animals in or a combination of both – unicorns, ponies that turn into magical horses, star animals who teach the children they bond with how to do magic, mermaids with sea creatures as pets. I really love to write – and read – about magical animals and their very lucky human friends!

Linda's book list on fiction for children who love magic and animals

Linda Chapman Why did Linda love this book?

I wanted to choose a book about unicorns (given they’re one of my favorite things to write about!) and this is the second book in a great magical series perfect for middle-grade readers who prefer shorter chapter books. Ava and her friends live in Arramia along with many magical creatures such as unicorns, dragons, firebirds, and star wolves. In this book, Ava sets out on a daring adventure to rescue a gorgeous baby unicorn who has been stolen from his herd by an evil villain. Paula Harrison is a brilliant writer for readers who like reading about magic and animals. She creates wonderful worlds and her books are hard to put down. The Royal Rescues is another great series too. 

By Paula Harrison, Sophy Williams (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Sky Unicorn as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 7, 8, 9, and 10.

What is this book about?

A brilliant series for 7+ readers full of adventure, magic and friendship from Paula Harrison, author of the Rescue Princesses and Kitty and the Moonlight Rescue series.

Maya is a dancer with a travelling troupe of entertainers. When Clover, a little unicorn, is trapped by Sir Fitzroy and used to lure the other unicorns into danger, Maya hatches a cunning plan. She and Sophy will disguise themselves and foil Sir Fitzroy's plot, and the unicorns will be safe!

Beautifully illustrated throughout by Sophy Williams, this is the perfect book for young readers who love magic and animals!

Don't miss the…


Book cover of Carbonel: The King of the Cats

Linda Chapman Author Of Star Friends: Mirror Magic

From my list on fiction for children who love magic and animals.

Why am I passionate about this?

Growing up as an only child, books and animals were hugely important to me – they were my friends and I really wanted to believe in a magic that would allow me to talk to animals and them to me. I have now written over 250 books and pretty much all of them have either magic or animals in or a combination of both – unicorns, ponies that turn into magical horses, star animals who teach the children they bond with how to do magic, mermaids with sea creatures as pets. I really love to write – and read – about magical animals and their very lucky human friends!

Linda's book list on fiction for children who love magic and animals

Linda Chapman Why did Linda love this book?

And last but definitely not least, one of my favorite books from when I was growing up. Carbonel tells the story of Rosie, a young girl who thinks she is going to have a very boring summer until she buys a cat (Carbonel) from a retiring witch and gets drawn into an amazing adventure trying to free him from the witch’s binding spell and helping him to reclaim his royal throne. I read this book so many times when I was a child that the copy I owned fell to bits. I adored the bond between Rosie and Carbonel and the way the author effortlessly weaved magic into everyday life. She made magic seem so possible and so real – a feeling I have tried to capture in my own writing ever since!

By Barbara Sleigh, V.H. Drummond (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Carbonel as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 9, 10, 11, and 12.

What is this book about?

Now in paperback, a story about a girl and her magical talking pet cat, reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland

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. Some old ladies are witches, some brooms can fly, and some ordinary-looking cats are Princes of the Royal Blood. Rosemary’s cat (“You may call me Carbonel. That is my name” ) soon enlists her…


Book cover of Little Prince

Marty Kingsbury Author Of Rescuing Oricito: The Almost True Story of a South American Street Dog

From my list on if you’re a dog needing rescuing.

Why am I passionate about this?

Thirteen years ago I adopted a homeless dog from Puerto Rico. I also met his rescuers, and they told me the story of this little yellow dog who lived by the food trucks on the road between San Juan and El Yunque National Forest. He had been hit by a car once, maybe twice. His leg was broken, and he was close to death. But they scooped him up, took him to the vet for surgery, nursed him to health, and sent him north. I named him Winston, and now I read every dog book with him in mind – the way he trusts me, believes in me, understands me, and understands everything I say. How did we get so lucky to have dogs? 

Marty's book list on if you’re a dog needing rescuing

Marty Kingsbury Why did Marty love this book?

King Lear is one of my favorite of Shakespeare’s plays. There is a special satisfaction watching this arrogant, childish king demand love that he doesn’t deserve and then fall from glory – I wouldn’t wish this curse on anyone, and yet, in the end, he learns to love. He becomes such a better version of himself. I loved Little Prince in exactly the same way. A conceited Shetland Pony won my heart a thousand times over.

By Annie Wedekind,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Little Prince as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 9, 10, 11, and 12.

What is this book about?

If Dauphin, a pampered Shetland pony, seems to lead the perfect life in the penthouse suite of the city's posh riding stables, it's because he does. And if he seems a bit too self-satisfied―after all, he's won several trophies for his young owner, Isabella, and is widely acknowledged to be the prettiest pony in the city―it's because he is.

Dauphin leads a rich, comfortable life. But all that changes when his relationship with his owner takes a decided turn for the worse. He's suddenly sent away to a farm in the middle of nowhere, which is filled with the most…


Book cover of A Pony Called Lightning

E.B. Moore Author Of Loose in the Bright Fantastic

From my list on humor about surviving family and dementia.

Why am I passionate about this?

Throughout my life I found the trick to getting through rough patches meant isolating dark thoughts. I got them out by creating something (artworks, poems, stories), and looked forward to new horizons, though these works could easily be misinterpreted by those around me. When I was fifteen, after my father died and we were forced off the farm, I created a series of disturbing drawings that won the school's art prize and were displayed at graduation. A friend of my mother saw the exhibit and said, “Oh Dorothy, I’m so sorry.” It gave us a laugh later when Mother realized this method of cleansing beat finding a psychiatrist, and the cost couldn’t be beat.

E.B.'s book list on humor about surviving family and dementia

E.B. Moore Why did E.B. love this book?

In 1948, my life focused on horses, and this was my favorite book.

Pictures were always a plus since dyslexia (though undiagnosed at that point) made reading difficult.

I have no memory of how well the book might have been written. Most likely I didn’t care, never suspecting I’d become a writer. I lived and worked on a farm, eventually running a boarding stable.

The book didn’t have the horror or the humor, but Lightning’s gratifying story of achievement gave me hope for the future, unlike Black Beauty which filled me with horror. I couldn’t read it to my children.

His hideous treatment overwhelmed me, yet the first two books I wrote were even darker.

By Miriam E. Mason,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked A Pony Called Lightning as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Pony Called Lightning [paperback] Mason, Miriam E. [Oct 01, 1971]


Book cover of Pony

Artie Bennett Author Of The True Story of Zippy Chippy: The Little Horse That Couldn't

From my list on horse-themed children’s books—and that ain’t hay.

Why am I passionate about this?

I stumbled upon an article about Zippy Chippy and knew, right out of the starting gate, that I needed to share his fascinating tale with young readers. I’m the author of a quintet of hilarious rhyming picture books, including the classic The Butt Book and my “number two” picture book, Poopendous! But this was a horse of a different color for me. It’s my first picture-book biography in prose. When I was a lad, my father would take me, on occasion, to Aqueduct Racetrack. I watched in awe as the horses would thunder by. These boyhood experiences surely planted the seeds. I fell in love with Zippy Chippy, and I know you will, too. 

Artie's book list on horse-themed children’s books—and that ain’t hay

Artie Bennett Why did Artie love this book?

I wear two hats. In addition to being a children’s book writer, I’m also the executive copy editor at Random House Books for Young Readers. I had the good fortune recently to work on a new novel from R. J. Palacio, of Wonder fame. It’s a one-of-a-kind Western that seamlessly and skillfully melds the material and the supernatural worlds. And it’s beautifully written and filled with heart-stopping suspense and iconic characters. Pony, a mysterious horse, leads a boy, Silas, on an epic quest to rescue his father from desperadoes. This haunting, deeply moving coming-of-age tale stayed with me long past its completion.

By R.J. Palacio,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Pony as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 10, 11, 12, and 13.

What is this book about?

The highly anticipated, unforgettable new story from the internationally bestselling, multi-award-winning author of WONDER.

'Thrillingly told . . . Palacio is a fantastic writer' The Times

'Perfection . . . A beautiful, funny, heart-twisting wonder of a book . . . A brilliant story of love and courage' Wall Street Journal

When Silas Bird wakes in the dead of night, he watches powerlessly as three strangers take his father away. Silas is left shaken, scared and alone, except for the presence of his companion, Mittenwool . . . who happens to be a ghost. But then a mysterious pony shows…


Book cover of Dream of Fair Horses

Amanda Wills Author Of The Lost Pony of Riverdale

From my list on capturing the bond between horses and people.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have been mad about horses since I was tiny, and as soon as I started to read I devoured every pony book I could lay my hands on. My love of pony books led to a life-long passion for horses and I still ride every week. When I began writing fiction a decade ago, I decided to write the kind of pony books I loved reading when I was a child. Here I am, almost twenty books later, spending my days dreaming of horses, still a pony-mad girl at heart! 

Amanda's book list on capturing the bond between horses and people

Amanda Wills Why did Amanda love this book?

Pony-mad Gillian dreams of riding in the Horse of the Year Show at Wembley.

Problem is, she doesn’t have a pony. And that would be that but for the fact that she finds one in a field near her new home. And this pony – Perdita – is perfect.

How I dreamed of finding my own perfect pony, just like Gill, as I raced through this book as a child. I was as excited as she was when Perdita’s owner offers her the chance to ride the grey mare. I was with her every step of the way as they work their socks off to qualify for Wembley. And I bawled my eyes out when the story didn’t end the way I’d hoped.

Because this tale of love and loss, of winning and losing, is a timeless classic that should be top of the To Be Read pile for…

By Patricia Leitch,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Dream of Fair Horses as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

'In all my life, I had never seen anything as beautiful as this grey pony ... '
Gill Caridia and her family are on the move. Gill's father writes the sort of book that literary papers love, but which few people actually buy. And then he writes a detective story that sells so well he buys back the house in the countryside where he grew up. It means change for all the children, but for Gill it means the chance to find horses, and not just horses but to ride at Wembley. But Gill learns that no dream comes without…


Book cover of New Beginnings

Deanie Humphrys-Dunne Author Of My Life at Sweetbrier: A Life Changed by Horses

From my list on encouraging children to believe in themselves.

Why am I passionate about this?

My parents encouraged me to become a children’s author when I was very young. At first, I thought that was the silliest idea ever, but I found creating stories to be fun and inspiring. I’ve been an award-winning published author since 2009, when I had an intuition to try writing stories for children. I love being a role model for children; someone who can show them that they can achieve much more than they imagine if they persevere. My personal story, My Life at Sweetbrier; A Life Changed by Horses, is a testament that remarkable things can be accomplished through perseverance. I’m honored my work has earned many literary awards. 

Deanie's book list on encouraging children to believe in themselves

Deanie Humphrys-Dunne Why did Deanie love this book?

I grew up at a riding school so I love horses and stories that would connect with young readers who are equestrian enthusiasts. The King Family are the main characters in the book. They lease a horse farm named Genesis and begin making long-range plans for their future. What happens when young Jacqui outgrows her beloved pony? How does the family rely on their faith to help them through difficult times? It’s an engaging, story that will show readers ways they may manage changes and trials in their own lives. I believe readers will relate to this story because they have faced fears as well. It may help them to read about Vicky’s trials.

By Christine Meunier,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked New Beginnings as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The King family have moved interstate to Victoria for Mr. King's job. Ten year old Jacqui King is excited that they're leasing a property where they can keep horses. She may get to learn to ride!


Book cover of Falling Slow

Lark Holiday Author Of A Darling Handyman

From my list on wholesome romance with charming small towns.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have always had a passion for small towns, both real and fictional. After living in a bunch of them myself (in real life, not my head), I decided to try creating my own picture-perfect places. Like most writers, my love of books started with reading. I have read hundreds of wholesome, small-town romance novels, and I hope to read hundreds more! This list has some of my recent favorites. Bonus: All the books on this list are the first in a series, so if you love them, more swoonworthy stories await! (PS The list is in no particular order, I love each book equally!)

Lark's book list on wholesome romance with charming small towns

Lark Holiday Why did Lark love this book?

Small town that you will want a realtor for: Ponderosa Falls, CO

Even though I haven't asked for a pony for Christmas in years, I still adore reading horse and ranch books. Falling Slow totally hits the spot with its original and heartfelt story. Family resort? Check. Horses? Check. Lovable characters? Check!

I really didn’t think that was possible, but like my love for dessert, my obsession with this story kept reaching new and amazing levels. I didn’t want the story to end, and I can’t wait to dive into book two. (Cowboy) hats off to Muse!

By Sydney Muse,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Falling Slow as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.


5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in friendships, magic-supernatural, and princesses?

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Princesses 68 books