Lora Senf
The Clackity
A solid middle-grade fantasy with a strong female lead who navigates identity and power without relying on romance or excessive violence.
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by L. Frank Baum
Middle grade · ages 8–12 · 720L · 2018
The fourth Oz book is looser and more digressive than The Wonderful Wizard, with a genuine earthquake as inciting incident and stranger magical lands; kids who love worldbuilding over tight plotting will devour it.
Kpop Demon Hunters
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Middle grade · ages 9–12 · 720L
A genuinely fun adventure that centers K-pop fandom and Korean-American identity without preaching — the kind of book kids reach for because the premise alone hooks them, and they stay for the character work.
Split the Sky
by Marie Arnold
Middle grade · ages 8–12 · 750L · 2025
A magic-system adventure that takes its mixed-heritage protagonist's identity seriously — not as a side plot, but as the engine of the story.