Books that meet high moral standards and contain limited foul language, sexual content, and descriptions of violence.
- Before using this list, please read my disclaimer.
- Every book on this list meets “My Clean Reading Criteria” and is one that I finished, liked, and felt was worth my time to read. To learn more about the purpose of this list please see “About Novaun Novels.”
- For information on how I classify religious fiction, please see “Is Fiction Marketed to Latter-day Saints ‘Christian Fiction’?” For how I evaluate religious content in the books I read, please see “What About Doctrinal Differences?“
- All descriptions in quotation marks come from the book jackets or other descriptions from the publishers.
Alexander, Lloyd
The Chronicles of Prydain (Juvenile fantasy)
1. The Book of Three
“Taran wanted to be a hero, and looking after a pig wasn’t exactly heroic, even though Hen Wen was an oracular pig. But the day that Hen Wen vanished, Taran was led into an enchanting and perilous world.”
2. The Black Cauldron
“Taran, the Assistant Pig-Keeper, and his friends are led into a mortal struggle with Arawn and his deathless warriors. Taran must wrest the black cauldron from them, for it is the cauldron that gives them their evil strength.”
Babbitt, Natalie
Tuck Everlasting (Juvenile fantasy)
“Doomed to—or blessed with—eternal life after drinking from a magic spring, the Tuck family wanders about trying to live as inconspicuously and comfortably as they can. When ten-year-old Winnie Foster stumbles on their secret, the Tucks take her home and explain why living forever at one age is less a blessing that it might seem. Complications arise when Winnie is followed by a stranger who wants to market the spring water for a fortune.
Cooper, Susan
Over Sea, Under Stone (Juvenile fantasy)
“On holiday in Cornwall, the three Drew children discover an ancient map in the attic of the house that they are staying in. They know immediately that it is special. It is even more than that—the key to finding a grail, a source of power to fight the forces of evil known as the Dark.”
Jones, Diana Wynne
1. Howl’s Moving Castle (Juvenile fantasy)
“Eldest of three sisters, in a land where it is considered to be a misfortune, Sophie is resigned to her fate as a hat shop apprentice until a witch turns her into an old woman and she finds herself in the castle of the greatly feared Wizard Howl.”
2. Castle in the Air (Juvenile fantasy)
“Having long indulged himself in daydreams more exciting than his mundane life as a carpet merchant, Abdullah unexpectedly purchases a magic carpet and his life changes dramatically as his daydreams come true and dangerous adventures become daily fare.” (sequel to Howl’s Moving Castle)
3. House of Many Ways (Juvenile fantasy)
“When Charmain is sent to look after Great-Uncle William’s house while he is away being cured by the elves, she is unprepared for the house itself. But she is prepared for reading—and that makes her indispensable to the Wizard Howl, in this sequel to Howl’s Moving Castle.”
Le Guin, Ursula K.
Annals of the Western Shore (Young Adult fantasy)
1. Gifts
“Scattered among poor, desolate farms, the clans of the Uplands possess gifts. Wondrous the ability—with a glance, a gesture, a word—to summon animals, bring forth fire, move the land. Fearsome They can twist a limb, chain a mind, inflict a wasting illness. The Uplanders live in constant fear that one family might unleash its gift against another. Two young people, friends since childhood, decide not to use their gifts.”
2. Voices
“Ansul was once a peaceful town filled with libraries, schools and temples. But that was long ago, before the Alds came. The Alds believe demons hide in words, and so they ban reading and writing, acts now punishable by death. What few books have survived are hidden in the Waylord’s House for safekeeping, in the care of the Waylord, crippled by years of torture, and the daughter of his heart, Memer. And now times are changing. The Uplands poet Orrec Caspro and his wife Gry have arrived, and in his voice is a clarion call, awakening a conquered people.”
The Earthsea Cycle (Young Adult fantasy)
1. A Wizard of Earthsea
“Hungry for power and knowledge, Sparrowhawk tampered with long-held secrets and loosed a terrible shadow upon the world. This is the tale of his testing, how he mastered the mighty words of power, tamed an ancient dragon, and crossed death’s threshold to restore the balance.”
2. The Tombs of Atuan
“When young Tenar is chosen as high priestess to the ancient and nameless Powers of the Earth, everything is taken away—home, family, possessions, even her name. For she is now Arha, the Eaten One, guardian of the ominous Tombs of Atuan. While she is learning her way through the dark labyrinth, a young wizard, Ged, comes to steal the Tombs’ greatest hidden treasure, the Ring of Erreth-Akbe.”
3. The Farthest Shore
“Darkness threatens to overtake Earthsea: the world and its wizards are losing their magic. Despite being wearied with age, Ged Sparrowhawk—Archmage, wizard, and dragonlord—embarks on a daring, treacherous journey, accompanied by Enlad’s young Prince Arren, to discover the reasons behind this devastating pattern of loss. Together they will sail to the farthest reaches of their world—even beyond the realm of death—as they seek to restore magic to a land desperately thirsty for it.”
Lewis, C.S.
The Chronicles of Narnia (Juvenile Christian fantasy)
1. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
“Four adventurous siblings—Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy Pevensie—step through a wardrobe door and into the land of Narnia, a land frozen in eternal winter and enslaved by the power of the White Witch. But when almost all hope is lost, the return of the Great Lion, Aslan, signals a great change . . . and a great sacrifice.”
2. Prince Caspian
“A prince denied his rightful throne gathers an army in a desperate attempt to rid his land of a false king. But in the end, it is a battle of honor between two men alone that will decide the fate of an entire world.”
3. The Voyage of the “Dawn Treader”
“A king and some unexpected companions embark on a voyage that will take them beyond all known lands. As they sail farther and farther from charted waters, they discover that their quest is more than they imagined and that the world’s end is only the beginning.”
4. The Silver Chair
“Through dangers untold and caverns deep and dark, a noble band of friends is sent to rescue a prince held captive. But their mission to Underland brings them face-to-face with an evil more beautiful and more deadly than they ever expected.”
5. The Horse and His Boy
“On a desperate journey, two runaways meet and join forces. Though they are only looking to escape their harsh and narrow lives, they soon find themselves at the center of a terrible battle. It is a battle that will decide their fate and the fate of Narnia itself.”
6. The Magician’s Nephew
On a daring quest to save a life, two friends are hurled into another world, where an evil sorceress seeks to enslave them. But then the lion Aslan’s song weaves itself into the fabric of a new land, a land that will be known as Narnia. And in Narnia, all things are possible.
7. The Last Battle
A false Aslan roams the land. Narnia’s only hope is that Eustace and Jill, old friends to Narnia, will be able to find the true Aslan and restore peace to the land.
McKillip, Patricia A.
The Forgotten Beasts of Eld (Young Adult fantasy)
“Sixteen when a baby is brought to her to raise, Sybel has grown up on Eld Mountain. Her only playmates are the creatures of a fantastic menagerie called there by wizardry. Sybel has cared nothing for humans, until the baby awakens emotions previously unknown to her. And when Coren—the man who brought this child—returns, Sybel’s world is again turned upside down.”
The Riddle-Master of Hed trilogy (Young Adult fantasy)
1. The Riddle-Master of Hed
“Morgon, prince of the simple farmers of Hed, proved himself a master of . . . riddles when he staked his life to win a crown from the dead Lord of Aum. But now ancient, evil forces were threatening him. Shape changers began replacing friends until no man could be trusted. So Morgon was forced to flee to hostile kingdoms, seeking the High One who ruled from mysterious Erlenstar Mountain.”
2. Heir of Sea and Fire
“By the vow of her father and her own desire, Raederle was pledged to Morgon, Riddle-Master of Hed. But a year had passed since Morgon disappeared on his search for the High One at Erlenstar Mountain, and rumors claimed he was dead. Raederle set out to learn the truth for herself, though her small gift of magic seemed too slight for the perils she must face.”
3. Harpist in the Wind
“All around [Morgon], the realm shook with war and disaster as mysterious shape-changers battled against mankind. Without the missing High One, Morgon must assume responsibility for all his world. After leading an army of the dead to protect his land of Hed, he and Raederle set out for Lungold, where the wizards were assembling against the evil Ghisteslwchlohm.”
McKinley, Robin
The Blue Sword (Young Adult fantasy)
“Harry Crewe is an orphan girl who comes to live in Damar, the desert country shared by the Homelanders and the secretive, magical Hillfolk. Her life is quiet and ordinary-until the night she is kidnapped by Corlath, the Hillfolk King, who takes her deep into the desert. She does not know the Hillfolk language; she does not know why she has been chosen. But Corlath does. Harry is to be trained in the arts of war until she is a match for any of his men. Does she have the courage to accept her true fate?”
Norton, Mary
1. The Borrowers (Juvenile fantasy)
“The Borrowers are tiny people hidden away in houses and safe places, living off what they borrow from human Beans. Pod and Homily want daughter Arriety to be safe, never seen, but she feels lonely and trapped. The Boy visiting Great Aunt Sophy brings doll furniture in exchange for Arriety reading, until mean housekeeper Mrs Driver calls the rat-catcher.”
2. The Borrowers Afield (Juvenile fantasy)
“Old Tom Goodenough, once young, hid tiny 6″ borrowers behind his granda’s hearth, and spoke to fearless Arriety. With parents, practical Pod and worried Homily, the Clocks settled in an old boot in a field. Wild Spiller brought meat and needs from gypsies. Until Mild Eye took back his footwear.”
3. The Borrowers Afloat (Juvenile fantasy)
“Borrowers are tiny people who borrow from human Beans to survive. The Clock family, Pod, Homily, and Arrietty, want to find a mythical tiny village, but a flood threatens to wash them away.”
4. The Borrowers Aloft (Juvenile fantasy)
“The Borrowers, a family of tiny people, are kidnapped from their home in Little Fordham and held captive in an attic.”
5. The Borrowers Avenged (Juvenile fantasy)
“Hidden 6” people borrow from “human beans” to survive. Guided by silent Spiller, the Clocks – Pod, Homily, and Arrietty – accept a new home from lame Peregrine “Peagreen” Overmantel in a rectory library, and reconnect with uncle Hendreary, aunt Lupy, and energetic cousin Timmujs’s family. But weaselly Sydney Platter and florid wife Mabel pursue.”
Tolkien, J. R. R.
The Hobbit (Juvenile fantasy)
“Bilbo Baggins was a hobbit who wanted to be left alone in quiet comfort. But the wizard Gandalf came along with a band of homeless dwarves. Soon Bilbo was drawn into their quest, facing evil orcs, savage wolves, giant spiders, and worse unknown dangers. Finally, it was Bilbo—alone and unaided—who had to confront the great dragon Smaug, the terror of an entire countryside.”
Wrede, Patricia C.
The Enchanted Forest Chronicles (Juvenile fantasy)
A female dragon king, an improper princess, a casual king, a non-traditional witch, and an intellectual magician fight the scheming Society of Wizards in these wacky fairy tale adventures.
- Dealing with Dragons
- Searching for Dragons
- Calling on Dragons
- Talking to Dragons
The featured image “Floating Castle” is Copyright © 2022 by Katherine Padilla. All rights reserved.
