Library Closure

The Chesapeake City Branch Library will be temporarily closed for updates from Monday, December 1, 2025, through Saturday, January 3, 2026. The Branch will reopen on Monday, January 5, and will be open 6 days per week. For assistance during the closure, please call (410) 996-5600 or email ask@cecilcountylibrary.org.

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Book Lists

Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, Vol. 1

Kanehito Yamada

The adventure is over but life goes on for an elf mage just beginning to learn what living is all about.

Elf mage Frieren and her courageous fellow adventurers have defeated the Demon King and brought peace to the land. But Frieren will long outlive the rest of her former party. How will she come to understand what life means to the people around her?

Decades after their victory, the funeral of one her friends confronts Frieren with her own near immortality. Frieren sets out to fulfill the last wishes of her comrades and finds herself beginning a new adventure…

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Baron: The Cat Returns

Aoi Hiiragi

When awkward schoolgirl Haru rescues a cat on her way home from school one day, the last thing she expects in return is to be honored by a feline royal family! Before she knows what’s happening to her, Haru is drawn into a world inhabited entirely by talking cats—and recruited to be the next Cat Princess! Only the dapper cat Baron and his friends, a magical crow and a comical fat cat, along with a friend from Haru’s past, can help her return home.

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Sea of Stars Volume 1: Lost in the Wild Heavens

Jason Aaron

"LOST IN THE WILDS OF HEAVEN"
Being a space-trucker sounds like a cool job, but the reality is can be boring as hell. So when recently-widowed GIL gets a long-haul gig across the universe, he figures it's safe enough to bring his young son KADYN along for the ride -- that is until their "big rig" gets bitten in half by a gigantic Space Leviathan! Now separated from his young son -- with a breached suit that's venting oxygen at an alarming rate -- Gil must defy the odds and stay alive long enough to rescue Kadyn.

Meanwhile, Kadyn seems to be getting all the help he needs from a talking Space Mon-key riding a Space Dolphin...or maybe it's the strange powers he's suddenly manifest-ing?!

From the writing duo of JASON AARON (SOUTHERN BASTARDS, Thor) and DENNIS HOPELESS (Cloak & Dagger, Vader: Dark Visions), with dazzling art by STEPHEN GREEN (Hellboy & the BPRD) and cosmic colors by Rico Renzi (SpiderGwen) comes a brand-new science fiction series, with all the scope and heart of the THE NEVEREND-ING STORY crossed with imaginative weirdness of Miyazaki -- an intense, galaxy-spanning adventure that's suitable for fans of all ages!

COLLECTS SEA OF STARS 1-5
 

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Witch Hat Atelier 1

Kamome Shirahama

Best of the Year — AV Club, New York Public Library, Nerdist, SYFY Wire, Chicago Public Library

"Harry Potter meets Kiki's Delivery Service!" -AV Club 

A beautifully-illustrated story about a girl who longs for magic in her life and learns that, on the inside, she already is what she wishes she could be. Reminiscent of Studio Ghibli, this lushly-drawn story has captured the hearts of fantasy fans worldwide. 

In a world where everyone takes wonders like magic spells and dragons for granted, Coco is a girl with a simple dream: She wants to be a witch. But everybody knows magicians are born, not made, and Coco was not born with a gift for magic. Resigned to her un-magical life, Coco is about to give up on her dream to become a witch...until the day she meets Qifrey, a mysterious, traveling magician. After secretly seeing Qifrey perform magic in a way she's never seen before, Coco soon learns what everybody "knows" might not be the truth, and discovers that her magical dream may not be as far away as it may seem...

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A Winter's Promise

Christelle Dabos

Amazon Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy Book of 2018

One of Entertainment Weekly's 10 Best YA Books of 2018

One of Publishers Weekly's Best YA Book of the Year

A National Indie Bestseller

Longlisted for Irish YA prize Great Reads Award

Lose yourself in the fantastic world of the arks and in the company of unforgettable characters in this French runaway hit, Christelle Dabos' The Mirror Visitor quartet.

Plain-spoken, headstrong Ophelia cares little about appearances. Her ability to read the past of objects is unmatched in all of Anima and, what's more, she possesses the ability to travel through mirrors, a skill passed down to her from previous generations. Her idyllic life is disrupted, however, when she is promised in marriage to Thorn, a taciturn and influential member of a distant clan. Ophelia must leave all she knows behind and follow her fiancé to Citaceleste, the capital of a cold, icy ark known as the Pole, where danger lurks around every corner and nobody can be trusted. There, in the presence of her inscrutable future husband, Ophelia slowly realizes that she is a pawn in a political game that will have far-reaching ramifications not only for her but for her entire world.

The World of the Arks

Long ago, following a cataclysm called the Rupture, the world was shattered into many floating celestial islands, now known as arks. Over each, the spirit of an omnipotent and immortal ancestor abides. The inhabitants of these arks each possess a unique power. Ophelia, with her ability to read the pasts of objects, must navigate this fantastic, disjointed, perilous world using her trademark tenacity and quiet strength.

An unforgettable heroine, a rich and bountiful universe, intrigue and suspense: A Winter's Promise is perfect for readers of Margaret Rogerson's An Enchantment of Ravens, Melissa Albert's The Hazel Wood, V.E. Schwab's "Shades of Magic" series, Tomi Adeyemi's Children of Blood and Bone, Kenneth Oppel's "Airborne" series, and N.K. Jemisin "Broken Earth" series.

Extract:

I think we could have all lived happily, in a way, God, me and the others, if it weren't for that accursed book. It disgusted me. I knew what bound me to it in the most sickening of ways, but the horror of that particular knowledge came later, much later. I didn't understand straight away, I was too ignorant.

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Six Crimson Cranes

Elizabeth Lim

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A princess in exile, a shapeshifting dragon, six enchanted cranes, and an unspeakable curse... Drawing from fairy tales and East Asian folklore, this original fantasy from the author of Spin the Dawn is perfect for fans of Shadow and Bone.

"A dazzling fairytale full of breathtaking storytelling." --Stephanie Garber, New York Times bestselling author of Caraval

Shiori'anma, the only princess of Kiata, has a secret. Forbidden magic runs through her veins. Normally she conceals it well, but on the morning of her betrothal ceremony, Shiori loses control. At first, her mistake seems like a stroke of luck, forestalling the wedding she never wanted. But it also catches the attention of Raikama, her stepmother.

A sorceress in her own right, Raikama banishes the young princess, turning her brothers into cranes. She warns Shiori that she must speak of it to no one: for with every word that escapes her lips, one of her brothers will die.

Penniless, voiceless, and alone, Shiori searches for her brothers, and uncovers a dark conspiracy to seize the throne. Only Shiori can set the kingdom to rights, but to do so she must place her trust in a paper bird, a mercurial dragon, and the very boy she fought so hard not to marry. And she must embrace the magic she's been taught all her life to forswear--no matter what the cost.

Weaving together elements of The Wild Swans, Cinderella, the legend of Chang E, and the Tale of the Bamboo Cutter, Elizabeth Lim has crafted a fantasy like no other, and one that will stay with readers long after they've turned the last page.

"A stunning remake of a fairytale. Six Crimson Cranes is the perfect blend of whimsy and ferociousness, with twists and turns that will tug at your heartstrings." —Chloe Gong, New York Times bestselling author of These Violent Delights

"Fast-paced excitement is balanced with a satisfyingly intricate plot that weaves in elements from Western fairy tales and East Asian folklore." —SLJ, starred review


“A richly imagined landscape . . . vibrant, fast-paced.
Publishers Weekly, starred review
 

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The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea

Axie Oh

A New York Times Bestseller!

Axie Oh's The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea is an enthralling retelling of a classic Korean folktale, perfect for fans of Wintersong, Uprooted, and Miyazaki’s Spirited Away.

Deadly storms have ravaged Mina’s homeland for generations. Floods sweep away entire villages, while bloody wars are waged over the few remaining resources. Her people believe the Sea God, once their protector, now curses them with death and despair. In an attempt to appease him, each year a beautiful maiden is thrown into the sea to serve as the Sea God’s bride, in the hopes that one day the “true bride” will be chosen and end the suffering.

Many believe that Shim Cheong, the most beautiful girl in the village—and the beloved of Mina’s older brother Joon—may be the legendary true bride. But on the night Cheong is to be sacrificed, Joon follows Cheong out to sea, even knowing that to interfere is a death sentence. To save her brother, Mina throws herself into the water in Cheong’s stead.

Swept away to the Spirit Realm, a magical city of lesser gods and mythical beasts, Mina seeks out the Sea God, only to find him caught in an enchanted sleep. With the help of a mysterious young man named Shin—as well as a motley crew of demons, gods and spirits—Mina sets out to wake the Sea God and bring an end to the killer storms once and for all.

But she doesn’t have much time: A human cannot live long in the land of the spirits. And there are those who would do anything to keep the Sea God from waking...

Praise for The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea:

An ABA Indie Bestseller

"On every page I found something marvelous and new, and I was eager to keep reading because I wanted to further explore this wondrous new world." —The New York Times

"A beautiful, mesmerizing retelling I wish I’d had when I was growing up. ... A heartfelt tale that I will be recommending for years to come." —Elizabeth Lim, New York Times-bestselling author of Six Crimson Cranes

"A clever, creative, and exquisitely written tale of sacrifice, love, and fate." —Stephanie Garber, New York Times-bestselling author of Caraval

Also by Axie Oh
The Floating World
The Demon and the Light

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Beyond the Clouds 1

Nicke

A boy with a talent for machines and a the mysterious girl whose wings he's fixed will take you past the ordinary. In the tradition of the high-flying, resonant adventure stories of Studio Ghibli comes a gorgeous tale about the longing of young hearts for adventure and friendship!

Young Theo works as a mechanic, putting his knack for machines to use in the industrialized city where he lives. But when he finds an injured, amnesiac girl with wings, his life changes forever. Her name is Mia, and although Theo's talents make quick work of repairing her injured wing, their quest to find her home will take them beyond the clouds and further than they would ever have imagined.

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Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind: #1

Hayao Miyazaki

Hayao Miyazaki’s own creation, the legendary Nausicaä manga is now all in one! A deluxe compilation of the classic manga series written and illustrated by Academy Award® winner Hayao Miyazaki.

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind is an epic fantasy tale written and illustrated by legendary Studio Ghibli director Hayao Miyazaki, creator of My Neighbor Totoro, Spirited Away and Howl’s Moving Castle. A modern masterpiece, the entire series is now available in this deluxe box set containing two hardcover volumes with interior color pages and a bonus poster.

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind is an epic fantasy tale written and illustrated by legendary Studio Ghibli director Hayao Miyazaki, creator of My Neighbor Totoro, Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle and Ponyo. A modern masterpiece, the entire series is now available in this deluxe box set containing two hardcover volumes with interior color pages and a bonus poster.

“Having ended Nausicaä doesn’t mean that everything has ended or come to a conclusion... I ended the story at the same point as we are now, at the starting point of an incomprehensible world.”

—Hayao Miyazaki, from Starting Point: 1979~1996

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Shuna's Journey

Hayao Miyazaki

"Shuna, the prince of a poor land, watches in despair as his people work themselves to death harvesting the little grain that grows there. And so, when a traveler presents him with a sample of seeds from a mysterious western land, he sets out to find the source of the golden grain, dreaming of a better life for his subjects. It is not long before he meets a proud girl named Thea. After freeing her from captivity, he is pursued by her enemies, and while Thea escapes north, Shuna continues toward the west, finally reaching the Land of the God-Folk. Will Shuna ever see Thea again? And will he make it back home from his quest for the golden grain?"--

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Lonely Castle in the Mirror (Manga) Vol. 1

Mizuki Tsujimura

A fantastical coming-of-age drama based on the critically acclaimed novel with an anime film!

Kokoro is a junior high school student--but after years of bullying, she's become so anxious that she no longer goes to school. One day, she's pulled through her full-length mirror into a castle in another dimension by a girl in a wolf mask. The mysterious girl tells Kokoro and six other kids that they will compete in a scavenger hunt. If one of them finds a key that unlocks a secret room, that person will get one wish granted. As long as they observe the rules of the world, they can come and go as they please. The seven kids gradually grow closer as they explore the castle, but the scavenger hunt is never far from anyone's mind. After all, only one can win their heart's desire.

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Tidesong

Wendy Xu

Perfect for fans of Studio Ghibli and The Tea Dragon Society, this is a magically heartwarming graphic novel about self-acceptance and friendship.

Sophie is a young witch whose mother and grandmother pressure her to attend the Royal Magic Academy--the best magic school in the realm--even though her magic is shaky at best. To train for her entrance exams, Sophie is sent to relatives she's never met.

Cousin Sage and Great-Aunt Lan seem more interested in giving Sophie chores than in teaching her magic. Frustrated, Sophie attempts magic on her own, but the spell goes wrong, and she accidentally entangles her magic with the magic of a young water dragon named Lir.

Lir is trapped on land and can't remember where he came from. Even so, he's everything Sophie isn't--beloved by Sophie's family and skilled at magic. With his help, Sophie might just ace her entrance exams, but that means standing in the way of Lir's attempts to regain his memories. Sophie knows what she's doing is wrong, but without Lir's help, can she prove herself?

* Featured on the Today Show * An SLJ Best Book of the Year * A Nerdist Best Comic of the Year * A Book Riot Best Book of the Year * A Mighty Girl's Best Book of the Year * An ALA Best Graphic Novel for Children *

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The Works of Hayao Miyazaki

Gael Berton

"Through his creativity, technical wizardry and talent for storytelling, Hayao Miyazaki has left an indelible mark on Japanese animation and world cinema. The animation master has been able to create magical worlds for a children's story or a darker tale. But he has also known how to cast a cynical and innocent look on a world and its societies undergoing great changes and facing grim futures. And yet, his work is often reduced, firstly, to his handful of feature-length movies created under the auspices of Studio Ghibli, but also to a superficial view due to cultural elements that are extremely difficult to grasp for anyone outside of Japan. This work, which explains biographical elements and presents Studio Ghibli and the master's entourage, will give you a detailed analysis of Hayao Miyazaki's works, decrypting their themes and offering transversal keys to their understanding." --

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The Art of Castle in the Sky

Hayao Miyazaki

The definitive examination of the art and animation of Studio Ghibli’s masterpiece of fantasy and flight, Castle in the Sky!

The latest in the perennially popular line of Studio Ghibli art books, which include interviews, concept sketches and finished animation cels from classics such as Spirited Away and My Neighbor Totoro.

Hayao Miyazaki’s Castle in the Sky was the first feature film produced by the legendary Studio Ghibli. Sheeta, a girl who has the power to defy gravity, is on the run from pirates when she meets the young inventor Pazu. Together they explore the secrets of Laputa, a flying city constructed by a long-lost race of people. All of Miyazaki’s major themes—the power of flight, the bravery of young women, and a world wrecked by change—are captured with beautiful animation and joyous storytelling.

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