Encanto

PG. Disney+. Out now.

When a Colombian girl named Mirabel (voiced by Stephanie Beatriz) discovers that her family’s magic is starting to fail, she must figure out how to save the Family Madrigal and bring magic back to their casa. Released on Disney+ in December, this animated film is garnering repeat viewings in many households, with the soundtrack by Lin-Manuel Miranda topping the charts.

READ-ALIKES

Love Sugar Magic: A Dash of Trouble by Anna Mariano. Walden. 2018.
Gr 3-6–After Mexican-American Leonora discovers that she comes from a family of brujas, she takes a book of magic and starts experimenting, resulting in plenty of mishaps. Readers drawn to whimsical stories about magical Latinx families will enjoy this warmhearted read.

Nightlights by Lorena Alvarez. Nobrown Press. 2017.
Gr 3-6–Young Colombian artist Sandy, the protagonist of this fanciful, mildly scary graphic novel, loves to draw inspiration from the colorful world of her imagination. Then, a pale-skinned girl named Morphie shows up and starts to infiltrate her imaginary world. Readers enchanted by Encanto's bright, lush visuals will enjoy this graphic novel.

Savvy by Ingrid Law. Dial. 2008.
Gr 4-7–In this quirky fantasy novel, 13-year-old white Mibs Beaumont waits to discover her savvy, a magical power granted to everyone in her family, as she worries about her injured father. Readers enchanted by all the Family Madrigal members, while rooting for Maribel to discover her power, will enjoy reading about the Beaumonts.

The Witch Boy by Molly Ostertag. Scholastic. 2017.
Gr 4-7–13-year-old Aster, a white boy, is more interested in spells, which are reserved for girls, than in shapeshifting, which is boy territory in his family. When tragedy strikes, though, bucking tradition might just save the day. Although this moving graphic novel explores gender roles more than the film, magic-loving readers who identify with the pressure to meet family expectations should try this fantasy.