My youngest went through a phase where every single book she picked up had to involve something magical. Not just wizards and witches, but the kind of magic that sneaks into ordinary situations, like finding a hidden well in your backyard or stepping through a painting at the museum. I totally get it because I was the same way at that age, devouring anything with a portal or a secret spell. The problem was finding books that actually delivered on the magic without being too scary or too babyish for a second or third grader. That search led me down a really fun rabbit hole of titles that perfectly hit that sweet spot for kids who are reading on their own but still want that sense of wonder.
One that my daughter kept requesting was "Mabel Strikes a Chord" because the idea of practicing piano so much that your family buys a brand new one and then you have to perform at a family party hit really close to home for her. There is something about Mabel's little sister getting jealous that made her talk about it for days. "Katie and the Sunflowers" was a quick favorite for my son because he loved the idea of actually climbing into paintings and meeting the people inside them, and at just half a point it was perfect for a school night when we needed something light. "Wild Water Magic" was the one my daughter finished in two afternoons because once Tate falls into that magic well and suddenly cannot control her attraction to water, you just have to keep reading. My son picked up "Miss Smith Reads Again!" on a rainy Saturday and thought the dinosaur adventure was the coolest thing he had read all month. "Red Planet" was great for my younger one who is just starting to read chapter books because the magic key taking kids to another planet felt exciting without being overwhelming.
Most of these sit right around a 3.2 to 4.2 reading level which is pretty typical for this age group, and the points are mostly on the lighter side, usually under one point per book. That makes them really approachable for kids who are building their reading confidence and want to feel like they are making progress in the Accelerated Reader program without getting bogged down in something too dense. A level in the 3 to 5 range works well for most kids in kindergarten through third grade who are reading independently, and these titles definitely fit that bill. They are quick enough that a kid can finish one in a sitting or two and feel a real sense of accomplishment without the book dragging on forever.
If your kid is the type who asks a million questions about how things work or loves the idea of impossible things happening in everyday settings, these are absolutely worth grabbing from the library first to see what clicks. The magic in these is more wonder than scary, which is exactly what makes them so readable at this age. Once you find the one that hooks your kid, the rest of that series or that author tends to pull them in just as deep.