The Secret Rescuers - The Storm Dragon By: Paula Harrison

Genre: Fantasy
Age Recommendation: Grade 2+

"The Storm Dragon" is the first book in The Secret Rescuers series.  In this story, the reader is introduced to Sophy, a young girl who works as a maid at the castle in the Kingdom of Arramia.  Sophy longs for adventure and is curious about the world.  When she finds a bag of stones in the items that are being removed from the castle, she gets the excitement she is after.  These stones are no ordinary stones, and they allow Sophy to help a young dragon who finds himself on the castle grounds. This is a fun story that would certainly appeal to many young audiences.  As an independent read, it's probably best suited to grade 2+, but could make a fun read aloud for grade 1s.

Ghosts Of Gastown By: Jessica Renwick

Genre: Mystery/Ghosts
Age Recommendation: Grade 5+

"Ghosts of Gastown" is a Silver Birch 2026 nominee.  This is the story of twelve-year-old Grace.  Grace was in a serious car accident with her father.  Unfortunately, her father passed away because of this.  Ever since the accident, Grace has been able to see ghosts.  Grace's mom doesn't believe in ghosts and does everything she can to help Grace believe this is just her imagination.  When Grace and her mom move from Edmonton to Vancouver's Gastown, Grace meets Oliver.  Oliver can also see ghosts.  At first, Grace is reluctant to become friends with Oliver, but the two quickly form a friendship, and Grace learns more about her ability. Will the two of them be able to help the ghosts of Gastown into the light?  How will they deal with the demon that is terrorizing the ghosts? Read the book to find out!

The Factory By: Catharine Egan

Genre: Science Fiction
Age Recommendation: Grade 7/8

"The Factory" is a Red Maple 2026 nominee. This is a fast-paced, futuristic story where climate challenges have left many people in climate refugee camps. The main character, Asher, lives with his Nan.  His mom is in his life, but she tends to be impulsive and isn't a stable figure.  When she gets herself into big financial trouble with dangerous people, Asher's father suggests that Asher would be the perfect candidate for a top-secret experiment.  The pay is more than enough to cover his mom's debts and improve life for his whole family.  Asher doesn't want to go, but does as he sees no other way out for his mom.  Asher soons makes friends at the research facility and they begin to unravel what is really happening there.  I am not typically a fan of this genre, but found this story to be engaging.  I enjoyed trying to figure out what was really happening at The Factory.

The Last Hope School For Magical Delinquents by: Nicki Pau Preto

Genre: Fantasy 
Age Recommendation: Grade 5+

"The Last Hope School For Magical Delinquents" is a Silver Birch 2026 nominee and the first book in a series.  Vin has been expelled from every magical school she's attended.  "Last Hope" is truly her last chance to learn how to use her magic.  If she gets expelled from this school, she will have very few options.  Vin is very hesitant about her new school and what appear to be lenient rules about the use of magic.  Once she makes a connection with some fellow students and the headmaster, Vin starts to feel at home for the first time ever.  Unfortunately, as Vin is gaining an understanding of her magic, it appears that she is causing some dangerous things to happen.  Vin and her friends band together to find out who is behind this dangerous magic and to protect their school. Since this is the first book in the series, a fair amount of time needs to be used providing the reader with background information.  This felt a little tedious to me, but once I got past this, the story was engaging. If you are a fan of magic or Harry Potter books, you are certain to enjoy this new magical world.

Spirit Service By: Sarena and Sasha Nanua

Genre: Realistic/Fantasy Fiction
Age Recommendation: Grade 5+

"Spirit Service" is a Silver Birch 2026 nominee.  This is the story of four good friends who live in a small town that has an interesting history of being connected to the spirit world.  When the girls meet up at the local antique shop, a retro phone gives off a glow and the girls find themselves connecting to the spirit world through the old phone.  This book would be enjoyable for those who like stories about ghosts or magic, as well as fans of realistic fiction.  The book involves friendship, family, and overcoming challenges. 

The Discovery of Finnegan Wilde By: Caroline Pignat

Genre: Realistic Fantasy Fiction
Age Recommendation: Grade 7/8

"The Discovery of Finnegan Wilde" is the first Red Maple 2026 nominee I've read and it's going to be difficult to top this book.  The story is set in 1913 Dublin and includes the voices of Finnegan, Eddie, and Tomas.  Finn is a young girl living on the streets who has no memory of her past.  Eddie is an apprentice archaeologist who works at the local museum with his father.  Tomas, a ninth-century monk, is the subject of Eddie's recent investigations. Through an unfortunate incident, Eddie and Finn's paths become entwined and the two work together to uncover the story of Tomas and Ireland's mythological past. Their journey is filled with adventure, magic and the unravelling of Finn's past.  This is a fantastic read and I highly recommend it to lovers of realistic fiction, historical fiction and fantasy. 

Why We Play With Fire By: Giselle Vriesen

Genre: Fantasy
Age Recommendation: Grade 7/8

"Why We Play With Fire" is a Red Maple 2025 nominee.  This is the story of Thea, who thought she was a regular girl living a regular life until she got swept up in a magical world.  Thea finds out she is a god spring, meaning her mother was a god and that Thea has powers she never knew she had. Thea is thrown into this world unexpectedly and must quickly adapt as she goes on a time-sensitive and dangerous quest with other god spring.  This is a well-written novel and will be of great interest to fans of Rick Riordan. This is not a genre I typically enjoy, so I found myself struggling to finish the book, but can see that it would be popular with many readers.  

Ghost Girl By: Brooke Carter

Genre: Fiction - Ghost Story
Age Recommendation: Grades 3-5

"Ghost Girl" is a Silver Birch Express 2025 nominee.  This is the story of Sly's first visit to their grandma Madsen's house.  Grandma lives in a big, old house known as Madness Mansion.  Grandma herself is a fortune teller and believes in all things mysterious and supernatural.  Shortly after arriving, Sly hears someone calling their name.  Sly investigates and ends up in a race against time trying to free a ghost girl and grandma Madsen from an enchanted mirror. This is an entertaining, quick read with just a bit of mystery and supernatural.  I recommend this book to fans of Goosebumps or Haunted Canada.  It's a great Halloween read!

Scarewaves By: Trevor Henderson

Genre:  Fiction - Horror
Age Recommendation: Grade 5+

"Scarewaves" is a Silver Birch 2025 nominee.  This is the story of the small town of Beacon Point where people, especially children, go missing regularly and strange creatures are often seen.  The book includes chapters about the supernatural experiences of some of the residents and the mysterious radio show transcripts of Alan Graves.  These chapters help the reader to better understand the experiences of newcomer, Mary, and the group of kids she meets and who work together to end the mysterious happenings of Beacon Point.  This is not a book that I would typically select, but it is a real page-turner and I think it will be enjoyed by fans of the "Haunted Canada" series.  

Sarah Ponakey, Storycatcher and the Ahasiw's Forest Powwow

Genre: Realistic Fantasy Fiction

Age Recommendation: Grades 3-4

This is the first book in the Sarah Ponakey series.  Sarah and her mom have moved to the city and Sarah is missing her Kohkom (grandmother) and her best friend, Eden.  Sarah also misses being surrounded by nature and learning more about her Cree culture and traditions from her Kohkom.  Sarah is not feeling comfortable yet at her new school and after a particularly difficult day, Sarah comes home and takes a nap.  Sarah wakes up in a magical world where her crow stuffie is talking and walking along with other animals who introduce Sarah to the powwow tradition.  This book is a Silver Birch Express 2025 nominee and introduces the reader to some Cree words and traditions.  This would be a fun and easy read for students in grades 3-4 or strong grade 2 readers.

Ghostlight By: Kenneth Oppel

Genre: Realistic Fiction/Supernatural Fantasy
Age Recommendation: Grade 6+

This book is phenomenal!  Kenneth Oppel has combined realistic fiction, ghosts, and historic Toronto in an engaging page-turner.  Gabe's summer job is working on Toronto Island giving ghost tours.  Little does Gabe know that by mentioning the name, Rebecca Strand, in his tours, he is waking a ghost who fell to her death from the top of the lighthouse over 100 years ago.  That was the night that Rebecca learned that her father, the lighthouse keeper, was also a member of the Order.  The Order's task, protect the world from the wakeful and wicked dead.  This is the story of Gabe and his friends working with Rebecca to stop the evil ghost, Viker, from taking over the world.  This is a story of friendship, family, and ghosts!  I highly recommend this book.

Valentina Salazar Is Not A Monster Hunter By: Zoraida Corodova

Genre: Fantasy
Age Recommendation: Grade 5+

Valentina and her family are protectors of magical creatures. The family has spent their lives travelling across the country in a camper van they call, "The Scourge" finding magical creatures and sending them back to their world, Finisterra.  Valentina's father believes strongly in protecting magical creatures, but his brother and the rest of his family are monster hunters.  Sadly, everything changes when Valentina's dad gets killed during a mission. The family settles down in a small town, but nothing feels right.  When their mother goes away on a work conference, Valentina convinces her siblings to go on one last quest to find a magical egg and send it back to Finisterra. What they find along the way will surprise everyone!  This is a fun and interesting read.  I recommend this book to fans of fantasy, mythical creatures and magic.

The Last Saxon King By: Andrew Varga

Genre: Fantasy Historical Fiction
Age Recommendation: Grade 7/8

"The Last Saxon King" is a Red Maple 2024 nominee and earned second place honours in this program.  This book will appeal to readers of historical fiction and fantasy as the main character, Dan, finds himself in Anglo-Saxon England where he must try to correct history if he ever wants to return home.  Travelling to the past is not something Dan has ever done before, but when Dan comes home to find his father being attacked by an intruder, he soon finds out that there's more to his dad and the unusual home-school education his dad has been giving him.  This is an exciting novel with lots of action.  I highly recommend this book.

Gnome Is Where Your Heart Is By: Casey Lyall

Genre: Fantasy/Science Fiction

Age Recommendation: Grade 4+

This Silver Birch 2024 nominee is a sweet story about Lemon's relationship with her Grandpa and his encounter with gnome like aliens.  Lemon's father does not believe that Grandpa actually met an alien many years ago and actually suffered through some teasing because of Grandpa's stories.  This has made the relationship between Lemon's dad and Grandpa strained.  But, it's summer vacation and even though Grandpa has moved to a seniors' residence, Lemon is determined to work with him to prove that Grandpa did indeed meet an alien.  One night Lemon hears a strange noise and ventures into the forest to see if the aliens have returned.  What luck!  They have! Lemon and her friends begin a quest to meet the aliens and prove Grandpa wasn't telling a tall tale.  This is a fun story about friendship, life on other planets and family.  I recommend this book.

Beatrice & Croc Harry By: Lawrence Hill

Genre: Fantasy
Age Recommendation: Grade 7/8 

"Beatrice And Croc Harry" is a 2024 Red Maple Nominee.  This book begins with Beatrice waking up alone in a treehouse in Argilia.  Argilia is a magical forest where Beatrice is able to communicate with the animals, but Beatrice has no memory of how she got there or of her past.  Beatrice soon meets a crocodile, Harry, who really wants to befriend her.  As you can imagine, Beatrice is reluctant to befriend a creature who could eat her, but they soon build a relationship built on trust.  Beatrice soon discovers clues that can lead her back to her world.  The challenge is that an evil giant is trying to break into her mind and has his henchmen trying to find her.  This is an interesting story with several important themes including discrimination, segregation, and friendship. It did take me a while to truly get into the story, but once I did it was enjoyable.  The ending sets the scene for a sequel.  If you like adventure and fantastical, futuristic worlds, give this book a try.

The Boy Who Woke The Sun By: A.T. Woodley

Genre: Realistic/Fantasy Fiction
Age Recommendation:  Grade 4+

"The Boy Who Woke The Sun" is a Silver Birch 2024 nominee.  I honestly didn't know what to expect from this book, and was incredibly pleased by what I found.  This is the story of 11 year old Elliot, who lives near the ocean with his family.  He loves the water and spends hours observing the creatures who live there.  One night, Elliot finds himself awake in a dream world.  A dream world where the sun doesn't rise anymore and butterflies have been enchanted to be evil.  Elliot wants nothing more than to return home and must go on a dangerous journey with some new companions to find the way home.  In doing this, he might also be able to help the dream world return to normal.  This is an exciting and unique story.  The dream world is very interesting complete with kitten ranchers, a robot, and magic. I recommend this book to those who enjoy realistic fiction and fantasy.

The Nguyen Kids - The Mystery of the Painted Fan By: Linda Trinh

Genre: Realistic/Fantasy Fiction
Age Recommendation: Grade 2-4

This is the third book in The Nguyen Kids series and is a Silver Birch Express 2024 nominee.  The main character is the youngest Nguyen sibling, Jacob.  Jacob likes to play hockey and is excited about trying things that make him feel happy, like dancing in the Lunar New Year performance.  When Jacob feels confused and frustrated about the way people react to some of the things he wants to try, he notices that the special painted fan is grandma gave him is doing mysterious things.  Will the painted fan be able to help Jacob figure out what's right for him?  Read the book to find out!

Hummingbird By: Natalie Lloyd

Genre:  Realistic Fiction
Age Recommendation: Grade 5+

Eleven year old Olive is a bright and creative girl who lives with her mother, stepfather and stepbrother.  Her dad, grandpa and uncle live nearby and they are a close family.  Olive has been home-schooled her entire life.  This is because she has osteogenesis imperfecta, also known as brittle bone disease and has been considered too fragile to attend school.  Olive is tired of this.  She wants to go to school and make friends.  Olive gets her wish and although there is an adjustment period to school, Olive not only finds a friend, but is introduced to the story of a magical, wish-granting hummingbird that is about to return to her town.  Olive and her new friends begin a quest to find the hummingbird, so that one of them may have their wish granted.  This story is a realistic story about a young girl accepting herself and finding friendship.  There is, however, a dash of magic to this story.  I enjoyed this story of Olive growing and accepting herself.  I recommend this book to those who enjoy realistic fiction and those who enjoy fantasy.

Children Of The Fox By: Kevin Sands

Genre: Fantasy Fiction
Age Recommendation: Grade 7/8

This Red Maple 2023 nominee is the first book in The Thieves of Shadow series.  In a world where magic exists, a group of young thieves are brought together to perform a theft that nobody before them could.  The prize, if they are able to pull off the heist, is more money than they could ever imagine and would change their lives forever.  Each of them has special skills to bring to the plan, but the main character is Callan.  On their dangerous journey to collect the prize for the man who hired them, Callan will face many dilemmas and need to learn to rely on his newfound friends.  This book is full of mystery and excitement and should appeal to many readers.  

The Bear House By: Meaghan McIsaac

Genre: Fantasy

Age Recommendation: Grade 7/8

The Bear House is a Red Maple 2023 nominee.  The first few chapters of this book set the stage for an exciting battle for control of the kingdoms of the Bear Highen.  The reader should not be discouraged by the slow pace of these chapters.  After these chapters, the reader is quickly taken on an exciting journey, meeting leaders from the Bear House, Shadow Dragon House and House of the Hounds.  Deceit is a foot and there is a plot to take over from the rightful rulers of each house. The youngest members of each household soon find themselves fighting for their lives and for what is true and good.  This story has magic, spirits, friendship and finds unlikely characters facing and conquering unexpected and difficult challenges. I highly recommend this book, especially to fans of fantasy.