Books like Waifs and strays

A heartfelt collection of magical coming-of-age tales that reveals the ancient wonder hidden just beneath the surface of everyday life. These 12 books are the closest matches in mood, pace and themes, with what each one shares with Waifs and strays.

enchanting
nostalgic
atmospheric
heartfelt

01
Dreams Underfoot
Charles de Lint · 1993
A lyrical wander through city streets where ancient myths and modern margins collide.
Shares:
- earnest
- wondrous
02
A Wizard's Dozen
Michael Stearns
A spellbinding collection of thirteen magical tales that brews a heady mix of wonder and enchantment.
Shares:
- enchanting
- earnest
03
Welcome to Bordertown
Holly Black and Ellen Kushner
An electric, bohemian anthology where gritty street life collides with wild elfin magic.
Shares:
- earnest
04
Street magic
Tamora Pierce · 2001
A sun-baked, bustling fantasy about a scrappy survivor learning that true power lies in reaching back to pull someone else up.
Shares:
- earnest
- hopeful
- compassionate
05
The Gathering
Kelley Armstrong
A woodsy, atmospheric mystery where small-town claustrophobia meets the thrilling awakening of latent supernatural powers.
Shares:
- atmospheric
- earnest
06
Tailchaser's Song
Tad Williams · 1985
An epic, myth-drenched journey through a hidden feline world that balances whimsical charm with genuine, subterranean terror.
Shares:
- enchanting
- atmospheric
- earnest
- coming of age
07
Wildwood Dancing
Juliet Marillier
A lush, wintry fairy tale that weaves the fierce bonds of sisterhood with the intoxicating, dangerous allure of a hidden magical realm.
Shares:
- enchanting
- earnest
- coming of age
- hidden magic
08
Pretty Monsters
Kelly Link
A funny, surreal, and imaginative collection where the ordinary world hides bizarre, unsettling, and wondrous secrets.
Shares:
- wondrous
09
Get in Trouble
Kelly Link
A darkly playful plunge into a world where suburban anxieties and teenage sleepovers collide with ghosts, superheroes, and the uncanny.
Shares:
- wondrous
10
Blackbriar
William Sleator
A creeping, atmospheric descent into folk horror where the landscape itself feels alive and watching.
Shares:
- earnest
11
War for the Oaks
Emma Bull
An electric, guitar-shredding collision of 1980s rock clubs and dangerous Celtic mythology.
Shares:
- enchanting
- earnest
12
Wild Magic
Tamora Pierce · 2004
A comforting yet thrilling journey of a guarded girl discovering her extraordinary bond with the animal kingdom and finding her true home.
Shares:
- earnest
- compassionate
- wondrous
- coming of age

Back to Waifs and strays