Lauren St.John
Kat Wolfe on Thin Ice
A solid entry into the 'girl in the wild' genre that balances genuine peril with a strong sense of agency and animal companionship.
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Innocent Voyage
by Richard Hughes
Middle grade · ages 10–14 · 850L · 1929
A classic coming-of-age adventure that feels dated in its prose but remains a powerful study of solitary resilience and nature.
Daughter of the Mountains
by Louise Rankin
Middle grade · ages 8–12 · 720L
A 1941 adventure that still moves—Momo's cross-mountain journey to retrieve her stolen dog is genuinely suspenseful, and the Tibetan setting and her cultural identity feel respectfully specific rather than exotic backdrop.
Seven Deadly Thorns
by Amber Hamilton
Middle grade · ages 9–12 · 750L · 2025
A solid middle-grade fantasy with a strong female protagonist and satisfying curse-breaking logic; the pacing and world-building keep pages turning without demanding extensive prior fantasy literacy.