Olivia Stephens
Artie and the Wolf Moon
A solid middle-grade fantasy that balances whimsical magic with genuine stakes; the wolf imagery is atmospheric rather than terrifying.
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The Witches
by Roald Dahl
Middle grade · ages 8–12 · 730L · 2009
Dahl at his darkest and funniest—witches are genuinely menacing, the stakes feel real, but the boy's scrappy resourcefulness and the grandmother's rock-solid love make it empowering, not traumatizing.
The Enchantress Returns
by Chris Colfer
Middle grade · ages 8–12 · 750L · 2014
A solid middle-grade fantasy sequel that delivers what fans want—bigger stakes, deeper world-building, and twin protagonists who actually work together—without losing the series' warmth.
James and the Giant Peach
by Roald Dahl
Middle grade · ages 8–12 · 730L · 1993
Dahl's masterpiece for this age — weird, darkly funny about real suffering, and genuinely moving about how kindness builds chosen family.