Dragon Rider published 1997 (Translated to English 2004)
In Dragon Rider a young silver dragon named Firedrake sets out on a journey with a brownie—catlike forest beings who love mushrooms— named Sorrelto to find a safe haven where his species can thrive and repopulate. Along the way he meets a boy named Ben, who agrees to accompany the two on their quest. With only a map and their wits to find a hidden paradise that may not exist, the group is forced to work together when an ancient threat awakens to finish its sole purpose of wiping out every last member of Firedrake’s species.
Since this was my first introduction to Funke, it feels fitting to make it the first entry into the blog as well. Currently, this has become the first in a three-book fantasy series alongside The Griffin’s Feather and The Aurelia Curse, but at the time I read it the book was a standalone. What really stuck with me and made this book such a fond memory was the small details put into the worldbuilding, like brownies having primitive ancestors or a species of flower which collects moonlight. Funke plays to the strengths of the fantasy genre to make a world full of whimsical secrets across each page.
Inkheart published 2003 (Translated to English 2003)
The first installment in Funke’s Inkworld series features a girl named Meggie, the daughter of a bookbinder named Mo. Her father hasn’t read a story to her since her mother disappeared, a mystery that has haunted her for years. One day, a stranger called Dustfinger visits their home, and Mo reveals a shocking secret to his daughter: when he reads stories out loud, the characters come to life and bring untold dangers with them. Taking her father’s magic for her own, Meggie must navigate the dangerous Inkworld and rewrite the horror story that threatens to change her life for the worse.
The majority of people know Funke through her Inkworld series, which has long been considered a timeless classic and a must-read for any fan of middle grade fantasy. This series has a special place in my heart because of the trust it puts into younger readers to handle dark and mature themes, which I’ve previously written about in an article about the importance of darkness in children’s literature. The plot of this one can feel slower compared to the rest of the series, but it rewards the reader’s patience with compelling characters and acts as a love letter to the joys of reading. With The Color of Revenge having come out in English in 2024, the long awaited sequel to the original Inkheart trilogy, now is a great time to visit this series if you haven’t already!
Reckless I: The Petrified Flesh published 2010 (Translated to English 2010)
Jacob Reckless has been flitting in and out of a mysterious world for years, using a mirror in his father’s study as a portal. He’s been able to uncover all sorts of treasures and secrets on the other side of the mirror without trouble, until his younger brother Will follows him through. A curse from a fairy twists what should’ve been another adventure into a catastrophe, and Jacob must desperately scour the world for a cure or watch his brother slowly and painfully turn to stone. Along the way, he ends up entangled in an ancient prophecy and the machinations of the dark fairy who sowed the curse devouring his brother in the first place.
This book is actually set in the same universe as Funke’s Inkworld series, with the extension called the Mirrorworld series respectively. Much like its Inkworld counterpart, anyone who loves myths and fairytales will feel perfectly at home traveling through the mirror with Jacob to explore rose gardens and gingerbread houses. With the fifth installment of the Mirrorworld series confirmed to be in progress as of 2026, now’s as good a time as any to give the first book a try.
The Green Kingdom published 2023 (Translated to English 2025)
Caspia is twelve years old and as un-thrilled as she can possibly be when her parents tell her she’ll be spending her summer in Brooklyn. To her, the sprawling city looks incapable of providing anything beyond a polluted, mercilessly loud prison of misery. However, a spark of hope comes when Caspia discovers letters locked away in the apartment her family is renting, written by a blind girl who traveled and examined a myriad of plant species. Each letter opens with a riddle Caspia is dying to solve, and as she continues to find the plants that answer them, she gets acquainted with her new Brooklyn neighborhood and discovers she may not find the city so torturous after all.
This is Funke’s latest standalone novel, a step outside of the fantasy genre with an English translation published in April of 2025. The book actually includes real plant facts and botanical details, making it perfect for avid gardeners or aspiring botanists. Caspia as a protagonist also grows well into the themes of settling into an unfamiliar home, showing real empathetic growth as she grapples with how to be most considerate of the feelings of others, including her parents.
I hope this list has given a feel for Cornelia Funke’s work as an author, and better yet, ideas on which books might best suit the tastes of anyone looking for books to read over the summer.
Julia Smith, Pine Reads Review Writer and Editor