7 Books About Characters Raising Magical Creatures
Where Enchanted Bonds Are Forged One Feather, Fang, and Fire-Breath at a Time
There’s a special kind of wonder that comes from nurturing something magical—something wild, ancient, and full of mystery. These stories aren’t just about fantastical beasts. They’re about the intimate, delicate, and sometimes dangerous bonds formed between caretakers and creatures that defy the natural order.
Whether it’s a fledgling dragon tucked beneath a cloak, a unicorn colt with a mind of its own, or a misfit menagerie of spellbound oddities, these books explore what it means to raise the magical—and be changed in return.
Here are 7 spellbinding books where characters don’t just encounter magical creatures—they raise them, love them, and learn from them in the most unexpected ways.
1. The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune
🌊 A government caseworker. A seaside orphanage. Six magical children, one of whom may end the world.
Linus Baker lives a quiet, rule-bound life until he’s sent to assess an orphanage housing highly classified magical youth. Among them: a wyvern who hoards buttons, a gnome with a green thumb, and the Antichrist—who just wants to garden. What unfolds is a warm, whimsical story about unlikely families and the power of acceptance.
🦎 Why it enchants: A tale of gentle magic and found family that wraps around your heart like a soft blanket.
2. Dragon Keeper by Robin Hobb
🐉 A dying river. Deformed dragons. A girl who answers their call.
Set in the Rain Wilds, this epic follows Thymara, a girl marked by scales and claws, as she joins an expedition to escort a group of stunted, grumbling dragons to their fabled home. But dragons are not pets—they’re proud, dangerous, and sometimes cruel. Raising them takes grit, empathy, and courage.
🌿 Why it enchants: Gritty, emotional, and brimming with slow-burning transformation—both human and dragon.
3. The Iron Trial (Magisterium series) by Holly Black & Cassandra Clare
🔥 Chaos magic. War-touched animals. A boy and his elemental beast.
Callum Hunt is thrust into a magical school against his will, only to find himself bonded with a rare chaos-ridden wolf pup. Havoc is no ordinary pet—he’s a companion, a protector, and a living embodiment of magic Call barely understands.
🐺 Why it enchants: High-stakes magic school drama meets boy-and-his-beast emotional depth.
4. How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell
🐉 A scrawny Viking. A sarcastic dragon. And an adventure full of heart.
Before the movies came the hilarious, chaotic, and wildly imaginative books. Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III must capture and train a dragon to earn his place among his tribe—but Toothless, his tiny, difficult dragon, has other ideas. Together, they stumble through disaster after disaster, slowly building something extraordinary.
💬 Why it enchants: Laugh-out-loud funny and sneakily heartfelt, with dragons that are as flawed as they are fierce.
5. The Menagerie by Tui T. Sutherland & Kari Sutherland
🦄 A secret sanctuary. A griffin cub gone missing. Kids who must protect the magical world.
When Logan discovers a hidden menagerie of magical creatures—including unicorns, dragons, and kelpies—he teams up with the caretaker’s daughter to keep it safe. But when one of the creatures escapes, everything spirals into chaos. Raising magical beasts isn’t all glitter and wings—it’s messy, dangerous, and full of surprises.
🦢 Why it enchants: A fast-paced, middle-grade adventure with a wildly imaginative cast of magical beings.
6. The Book of Beasts by John Barrowman & Carole E. Barrowman
📚 What if the books you read could bring magical creatures into the world?
When twins Matt and Em unlock their ancestor’s bestiary, they discover they’re Animare—gifted with the ability to bring illustrations to life. With griffins and hydras breaking free, they must learn quickly how to care for, control, and sometimes fight the beasts they’ve unleashed.
🖋️ Why it enchants: A love letter to magical books and mythical creatures that leap off the page—literally.
7. Wings of Fire by Tui T. Sutherland
🔥 Chosen dragonets. Ancient prophecy. Growing up in a world at war.
What if you were raised to fulfill a prophecy you never agreed to? Five young dragonets, stolen from their homes, are raised together in a cave, taught they are destined to end a deadly dragon war. But bonds forged in captivity run deep—and when they escape, their choices ripple across the world.
🐉 Why it enchants: Told from the perspective of dragons themselves, this series is perfect for readers who want to grow alongside their magical creatures.
Final Word:
To raise a magical creature is to dance on the edge of wonder and danger. It’s about trust, transformation, and the messy beauty of forming a bond across species, spell, and soul. These books offer more than fantasy—they offer a window into the wildness of care, the courage of connection, and the magic of choosing to love something that doesn’t belong in a cage.
So… which creature would you raise if you had the chance? 🐉🦄🦊
