Fantasy Chapter Books for Kids
For kids who enjoy Dragon Masters, these series keep the focus on dragons, magical creatures, teamwork, short chapters, and fantasy trouble that starts quickly.
Dragon Masters #1: Rise of the Earth Dragon
Why it works
Dragon Masters gives young readers a strong fantasy promise right away: ordinary children are chosen, brought to a castle, and paired with dragons that have powers of their own.
The books are built for momentum. The chapters are short, the illustrations help carry the story, and each adventure gives readers magic, danger, teamwork, and a new dragon problem to understand.
These recommendations focus on illustrated fantasy chapter books with magical creatures, clear missions, recurring characters, and enough action to satisfy a child who wants more than a typical classroom story.
The Last Firehawk is another Scholastic Branches fantasy series, so the reading step should feel familiar to many Dragon Masters readers. Instead of training dragons, the story follows a young owl, a squirrel, and a firehawk on a quest to protect their world.
Best for: kids who want a creature-led quest with danger, loyalty, and a clear good-against-evil shape.
The Kingdom of Wrenly keeps the fantasy gentle and easy to follow, with a prince, his friend Clara, magical creatures, and castle-world problems to solve. It is a good fit when dragons are part of the appeal, but the bigger draw is a friendly fantasy kingdom.
Best for: readers who like quests, castles, and recurring friends more than heavy battle scenes.
Dragon Girls gives dragon-loving readers another series built around children and dragon powers, but with a more friendship-centered, sparkly adventure feel. It can work well for readers who want dragons without the castle-training structure of Dragon Masters.
Caveat: the tone is softer and more glittery than Dragon Masters, so it may not satisfy every action-first reader.
Unicorn Academy shifts from dragons to unicorns, but keeps the bond between a child and a magical creature at the center. The school setting also gives readers a steady structure, with friendship problems and fantasy trouble unfolding book by book.
Best for: kids who like the child-and-creature partnership more than the dragon battles.
The Secrets of Droon is a stronger fit for readers who are ready for a larger fantasy world. Ordinary kids enter Droon through a hidden passage and face magic, villains, and linked quests across a long-running series.
Caveat: some books may be harder to find than newer series, and the fantasy world can feel bigger than early Branches books.
In The Crumbling Kingdom, Miles, Sophie, Ollie, and Bandit enter a failing kingdom where the king has run away in fear. The story gives young fantasy readers short chapters, illustrations, a clear mission, and children who have to act with courage.
Best for: readers who like magical lands, brave choices, and ordinary children being asked to help set things right.
Related guide
For readers who also enjoy short chapters, recurring children, clear missions, mystery, history, and magic.
For readers who want another illustrated fantasy series with creature companions, quests, courage, and danger that starts quickly.
For families looking for adventure-forward chapter books with dragons, clues, quests, and manageable reading formats.
For families who want fantasy with courage, wonder, clear stakes, and a less cynical tone.
Pictures of Magic
In The Crumbling Kingdom, a walk into the forbidden woods leads Miles, Sophie, Ollie, and Bandit to a fading picture, a crumbling kingdom, and a choice that changes everything.
Try the sample
Parent note
Your encouragement matters. Every time you help your child find a book that fits, you make it a little easier for reading to become part of their life.
For more ideas, visit the book recommendations hub, or explore the Pictures of Magic series shelf.