Need more magic after watching Encanto? Explore these with magical realism tales filled with magic, unique locations, and intergenerational connections.
Draws on the classic fairy-tale element of gingerbread in the story of a British family whose surprising legacy and secret past are tied to a favorite recipe.
Above Us Only Sky by Michele Young-Stone
Embarking on a quest to find her place in this world, 15-year-old Prudence Eleanor Vilkas, who was born with a pair of wings molded to her back that were surgically removed, discovers a miraculous lineage of women—separated by oceans, generations and war—who were all connected by the gift of wings.
The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina by Zoraida Córdova
Seven years after their matriarch Orquidea passed away, blessing them with her special gifts, the Montoya family journeys to Ecuador to uncover the truth behind their inheritance to stop a hidden figure from killing off Orquidea’s line one-by-one.
A Secret History of Witches by Louisa Morgan
Follows five generations of women—all of whom happen to be witches—from 19th-century Brittany to London during World War II.
One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez
A celebration of the endless variety of life in the mythical village of Macondo chronicles the story of the Buendia family, set against the background of the evolution and eventual decadence of the small South American town.
Land of Love and Drowning by Tiphanie Yanique
Chronicles the families of three siblings who survived a shipwreck off the Virgin Islands in 1916 and raised three generations on the islands, adapting to the unique language, rhythm, and magic of island life over sixty years.
The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende
Traces the lives of the Truebas family, starting with clairvoyant Clara de Valle’s summoning of the man she intends to marry, ambitious Esteban Trueba, and following their lives through which they suffer and triumph.
Butter Honey Pig Bread by Francesca Ekwuyasi
This debut novel tells the interwoven stories of twin sisters, Kehinde and Taiye, and their mother, Kambirinachi. Kambirinachi feels she was born an Ogbanje, a spirit that plagues families with misfortune by dying in childhood to cause its mother misery. She believes that she has made the unnatural choice of staying alive to love her human family and now lives in fear of the consequences of that decision.
Transforming into a manifestation of a tiger character from her Taiwanese heritage, Daughter falls in love with an equally remarkable girl while translating mysterious letters from female relatives who embody mythical archetypes.
Living in a world where everyone is born with a small but destiny-shaping magical ability, Xavier is anointed to prepare a perfect wedding meal for a governor’s daughter, before an unknown vandal raises difficult questions.
The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera
Relocating to a new planet after Earth is destroyed, 12-year-old Petra Peña’s suspended animation fails during the 370-year journey, so when all the other children are mysteriously reprogrammed and the adults purged, Petra becomes the lone bringer of Earth’s now forbidden stories and her grandmother’s Mexican folklore to a changing humanity.
The Lightning Queen by Laura Resau
Enduring a barren existence in the 1950s Mexican mountains after losing his mother and sister, shepherd Teo meets a girl in a traveling fortune-teller’s caravan and forges a friendship that overcomes cultural and mystical obstacles.
Ghost Squad by Claribel Ortega
When just before Halloween, Lucely Luna and her friend Syd accidentally awaken evil spirits, who proceed to wreak havoc throughout St. Augustine, they are forced to enlist the help of Babette, Syd’s witch grandmother, and her overweight cat, Chunk, to defeat the demons and save the city.
A Dash of Trouble by Anna Meriano
Sneaking out of school and into the family bakery where she has been told she is too young to help prepare for the annual Dia de los Muertos festival, Leonora discovers that her female relatives come from a long line of brujas, Mexican witches, who pour a bit of sweet magic into everything they prepare.
What If a Fish by Anika Fajardo
A Columbian-American youth who wants to embrace the culture of his beloved late Papa spends a summer with his brother in South America, where he reflects on his father’s fishing tournament achievements and struggles to understand his own identity.
On These Magic Shores by Yamile Saied Méndez
A friend and some very real fairy magic help twelve-year-old Minnie who is caring for her younger sisters, hiding that their mother is missing, and preparing for her school’s production of Peter Pan.
A Properly Unhaunted Place by William Alexander
Reluctantly moving with her librarian mother to the world’s only ghost-free town, Rosa teams up with local kid Jasper, the son of Renaissance Festival performers, to appease angry spirits who thunder into the quiet community. By the National Book Award-winning author of Goblin Secrets.
This magical realist adventure based on the Loteria card game follows Clara, a child whose fate is in the hands of both Life and Death, as she finds the courage and strength to shatter the game and choose her own path.
Into the Tall, Tall Grass by Loriel Ryon
Yolanda sets out with family and friends to help her grandmother and discovers long-buried secrets about a family curse and the healing power of the magic surrounding her.
Paola Santiago and the River of Tears by Tehlor Kay Mejia
Carefully avoiding a local river where a schoolmate drowned a year earlier, a space-loving 12-year-old and her best friends organize a night of telescope stargazing before spotting a being who superstitious locals believe to be a malevolent ghost.
