Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
by J. K. Rowling
Middle grade · ages 8–12 · grades 3–7 · 750L · 2017
Why we'd hand it over
A grown-up protagonist (Newt) and darker stakes than early Potter make this a thematic step up from the first three books, but the emotional center—kindness toward the outcast—is genuinely moving and worth the stretch.