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Books by Margaret Mahy | Wonderlit

Books by Margaret Mahy

25 books · Ages 3–18

Margaret Mahy writes picture books and middle grade and young adult for ages 3–18, exploring themes of humor, being different, love & family.

Standalone Books (Ages 4–7)

Cover of Sailor Jack and the 20 Orphans

Sailor Jack and the 20 Orphans

To raise enough money to adopt twenty orphans, Sailor Jack takes a very unusual job working for pirates.

Cover of The Man Whose Mother was a Pirate

The Man Whose Mother was a Pirate

A quiet office worker leaves his desk behind to follow his mother back to her old life on the high seas as a pirate.

Cover of The Great Piratical Rumbustification & The Librarian and the Robbers

The Great Piratical Rumbustification & The Librarian and the Robbers

Margaret Mahy

For the child who loves the idea of rule-breaking but values kindness, these stories celebrate the magic of stories and

Ages 7–10

Cover of 17 Kings and 42 Elephants

17 Kings and 42 Elephants

Seventeen kings and forty-two elephants parade through a tropical downpour, meeting jungle creatures in a rhythmic, alli

Cover of The Great White Man-Eating Shark

The Great White Man-Eating Shark

Norvin looks remarkably like a shark, so he uses his acting skills to scare everyone out of the water until a real surpr

Cover of The Dragon of an Ordinary Family

The Dragon of an Ordinary Family

Life at home is perfectly normal until this family adopts a dragon for a pet, turning their everyday routine into an ext

Cover of A Lion in the Meadow

A Lion in the Meadow

For children who often feel misunderstood, this story beautifully validates the power of imagination and the importance

Cover of The Boy who was Followed Home

The Boy who was Followed Home

A persistent parade of hippopotami follows Robert home from school every single day until a witch’s cure creates a whole

Cover of The Three-Legged Cat

The Three-Legged Cat

A nearsighted woman who hates her cat's appetite and a cat who dreams of world travel find their lives upended by a very

Cover of The Pirate Uncle

The Pirate Uncle

Nicholas and Caroline attempt to civilize their swashbuckling uncle during a wild summer holiday at his New Zealand beac

Cover of The Witch in the Cherry Tree

The Witch in the Cherry Tree

Freshly baked cakes attract a hungry visitor in the cherry tree, but David and his mother have a clever plan to keep the

Cover of A Very Wicked Headmistress

A Very Wicked Headmistress

Zany chaos reigns supreme when a truly wicked headmistress takes charge in this playful story from New Zealand.

Cover of Clancy's Cabin

The Harriman children expect a quiet summer at their father’s childhood cabin, but they soon stumble into a mystery hidd

Cover of The Boy with Two Shadows

The Boy with Two Shadows

Minders beware: watching a witch's shadow while she is away on holiday is a much more difficult task than a little boy e

Cover of Jam A True Story

Jam A True Story

A stay-at-home dad is so efficient at his chores that he runs out of work, until a backyard plum tree provides a very st

Cover of Dashing Dog!

Follow a dashing, well-groomed dog about town as he gets delightfully ruffled, scuffled, and whirled around in a rhythmi

Cover of The Man from the Land of Fandango

The Man from the Land of Fandango

A mysterious, bouncing man who only appears once every five hundred years arrives to juggle and dance through these rhyt

Cover of Beaten by a Balloon

Beaten by a Balloon

A sunflower and a balloon don't seem like much fun compared to a toy sword, until Sam and his dad have to use them to sa

Cover of The Seven Chinese Brothers

The Seven Chinese Brothers

For the child who thrives on team effort and seeing the underdog triumph. A classic folk retelling where unique individu

Cover of The Spider in the Shower

The Spider in the Shower

For the child who is nervous about creepy-crawlies, this funny tale turns a scary shower visitor into a quirky neighbor

By Age Range

17 Kings and 42 Elephants

Dashing Dog!

The Spider in the Shower

Sailor Jack and the 20 Orphans

The Man Whose Mother was a Pirate

The Great Piratical Rumbustification & The Librarian and the Robbers

Sailor Jack and the 20 Orphans

The Man Whose Mother was a Pirate

The Great Piratical Rumbustification & The Librarian and the Robbers

Dangerous Spaces

The Catalogue of the Universe

The Greatest Show Off Earth

Common Themes

Humor Being Different Love & Family Family & Siblings Creativity & Imagination Curiosity & Wonder Nature & Outdoors Adventure

If Your Family Loves Margaret Mahy, Also Try

Gammysaurus and Me

Little Hedgehog Books

Gammysaurus and Me

Maisy Loves You

Maisy Loves You

Casey's New Hat

Tricia Gardella

Casey's New Hat

Who Loves Bo

Who Loves Mee Art

Bang and Shout!

Bang and Shout!