Martha Brockenbrough
Into the Bloodred Woods
A solid, atmospheric quest narrative that handles the 'scary forest' trope with just enough tension to keep middle graders engaged without crossing into horror.
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Dragon Cursed
by Elise Kova
Middle grade · ages 8–12 · 750L · 2025
A solid fantasy-adventure with a strong female lead learning to own her power — engaging enough to hold older MG readers, with enough peril to feel real but not genuinely scary.
Wings of Starlight
by Allison Saft
Middle grade · ages 8–12 · 750L · 2025
A genuinely moving middle-grade fantasy about a disabled girl who doesn't need fixing—she needs the world to stop underestimating her; the astronomy worldbuilding serves the character, not the other way around.
The Magician's Nephew
by C. S. Lewis
Middle grade · ages 8–12 · 780L · 2020
A prequel that works beautifully as entry point: less battle-heavy than The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe, grounded in a real child's moral struggle, and the world-creation arc is genuinely awe-inspiring—though Jadis's arrival carries real menace.