When I was a kid (ok, and maybe an adult too), I was absolutely obsessed with all things unicorn. I collected unicorns of all shapes and sizes (my prized possession was a giant unicorn from the CNE), had unicorn posters on my wall, and read anything I could find about unicorns. I even have a collector’s edition of Peter S. Beagle’s The Last Unicorn simply because it’s a unicorn book. Looking at the breadth of unicorn, Pegasus, mermaids, and even mermicorn (a mermaid/unicorn hybrid) chapter book series that are a growing trend for emerging readers, I wish I was 8-years-old again so I could read them all and appreciate the magic of these stories. 

For newly independent readers, the branches series Unicorn Diaries by Rebecca Elliott is a perfect choice. Each book features a magical unicorn attending the Sparklegrove school. Part of the Branches chapter book series, these fully-illustrated, easy-to-read, and fast-paced stories are a perfect transition from levelled readers.

When they’re ready for something more challenging, try Sparkleton by Calliope Glass, and aimed at 7 to 10-year-olds. Sparkleton is a shaggy purple unicorn who is desperate to get wish-granting powers and will do almost anything to get them. The books are just under 100 pages and full-colour, and with book 6 arriving in August, it’s a perfect series for your unicorn-loving readers.

Also popular with young readers is the Unicorn University series by Daisy Sunshine. Aimed at fans of My Little Pony, the soon-to-be nine books in the series follow the adventures of young unicorns attending Unicorn University, a boarding school for unicorns. At 112 pages, these are slightly longer than the Sparkleton books, but black-and-white illustrations are interspersed throughout the text and they still fit into that emerging reader category.

For a longer-running series, direct your readers to Unicorn Academy and the spin-off series Unicorn Academy: Nature Magic by Julie Sykes about a special school where every student is paired with their own unicorn. The original series has 12 books, and Nature Magic has 4 so far. This series would absolutely have been a favourite of 8-year-old me, and I would have fantasized about attending this magical school.

For Pegasus fans comes an adorable series called Pegasus Princesses by Emily Bliss, creator of Unicorn Princesses.The five books in the series follow the adventures of 8-year-old Clara, a pegasus-obsessed girl who finds a magical silver feather in the forest that transports her to the magical land of the Pegasus Princesses. Each of the eight pegasus princesses have a unique magical power, throne, and tiara, and it’s a fun, illustrated series full of magic and charm.

If you’re like me and you loved Disney’s The Little Mermaid, Mermaids Rock and Mermaid Tales are the perfect choice. Mermaids Rock, by Linda Chapman is a new fully illustrated chapter book series featuring the mermaids living in the coral reef Mermaids Rock who have all kinds of adventures including solving mysteries and helping sea animals in danger. 

Mermaid Tales by Debbie Dadey is a long-running illustrated series following four third-grade mermaid friends attending Trident Academy, a school for you guessed it-mermaids! The fourseome get tangled up in all kinds of adventures, and with 21 books in the series, there are plenty to keep mermaid fanatics reading for a long time.

Do your readers love mermaids and unicorns and wish they could read about both at the same time? Well now they can with two different series about Mermicorns. Mermicorn Island by Jason June. Half unicorn, half mermaid, young readers will love reading about the adventures of the magical half mermaid, half unicorn mermicorns living on the island.

Can’t get enough mermicorn magic? Then try the Mermicorns series by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen. When the mermicorn’s horn starts to sparkle it means she’s ready for magic school, and each story features a different magical mermicorn. The series contains black-and-white illustrations, and will appeal to fans of Unicorn Academy, Purrmaids, and other magical animal tales. 

While all of these fall into the chapter book category, there are additional series available for middle-grade readers, so feel free to contact us if you’d like some suggestions of titles for your collection.

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Happy Reading!

Rachel