The Time of Green Magic
#9223.78 adjusted 3.84 for sample size in the official ranking · full ranking
Books 1 book Status Complete 2019 Reading commitment Low Hilary McKay Last reviewed 2026-11-02
Overview
The Time of Green Magic is a standalone children's fantasy novel by Hilary McKay, published by Macmillan Children's Books in September 2019 for readers aged 9 to 11. Abi, her father and her grandmother join Max, Louis and their mother in a new, ivy-covered house. There, Abi's books begin to draw her into their stories, a cat-like creature visits Louis, and Max sees shapes in the shadows. The three stepsiblings have to find out where the visitor came from and how to send it back. The author has published no sequel, and the book is a single self-contained story.
Urban fantasy · For Middle grade
Core Canon: Reading Order (1 work) counts toward ranking
The Time of Green Magic Hilary McKay
| Work | Year | Internal chron. | Canon | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | The Time of Green Magic | 2019 | 1 | core | 3.78 (1,683 ratings) |
A standalone middle-grade fantasy about a blended family and an old ivy-covered house.
Quick answers
- How many books are in The Time of Green Magic? The Time of Green Magic's Core Canon is 1 book.
- Is The Time of Green Magic finished? Complete (2019).
- How much reading does The Time of Green Magic take? Low reading commitment (estimated from 1 Core Canon book).
- How is The Time of Green Magic ranked? #922 in this site's official ranking, based on 1,683 reader ratings across 1 Core Canon book. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.
Why is it ranked #922?
Ranked #922 in the official ranking.
- Average reader rating of 3.78 across 1 core book.
- A smaller readership (1,683 ratings), so the score carries less weight of numbers.
- Less than 0.01 behind #921, Finnbranch (a finer tie-break level decides the order).
- Below the top-10 average of 4.46.
Why explore this universe?
Rated · 1 book · Complete · 2k ratings · Ranks #922 overall
Good choice if you want a quick, low-commitment urban fantasy universe that's already finished, so there's no wait for the next book.
Reading order
A single Core Canon work: no sequencing question to resolve.
Awards (verified)
- No awards found for this universe.
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Official resources
Research details
Ranking metrics: weighted average 3.78 across 1,683 ratings on 1 Core Canon book. See Why is it ranked here? above for the full breakdown, or the full ranking.
How do we know this?
Admission: Canon Extension: 31 universes; 3 candidates ruled out; open items closed accepted 2026-11-02
Sources: (see source tier definitions)
- Pan Macmillan Tier 2
- The Redeemed Reader review Tier 2
Last reviewed: 2026-11-02
Rule: Core Canon = The Time of Green Magic (2019).