Middle grade fantasy that captured our imagination this year
This year we've enjoyed a plethora of brilliant fantasy and science fiction stories for readers aged 8-13. Below is a selection of our favourite books for young readers published this year. These stories are packed with adventure, friendship, magic, questing and, of course, at least one anthropomorphic cat.
Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell
Christopher is visiting his reclusive grandfather when he witnesses an avalanche of mythical creatures come tearing down the hill. This is how Christopher learns that his grandfather is the guardian of one of the ways between the non-magical world and a place called the Archipelago, a cluster of magical islands where all the creatures we tell of in myth live and breed and thrive alongside humans. They have been protected from being discovered for thousands of years; now the protection has worn thin, and creatures are breaking through.
Then a girl, Mal, appears in Christopher's world. She is in possession of a flying coat, is being pursued by a killer and is herself in pursuit of a baby griffin. Mal, Christopher and the griffin embark on an urgent quest across the wild splendour of the Archipelago, where sphinxes hold secrets and centaurs do murder, to find the truth.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Chalice of the Gods by Rick Riordan
Percy Jackson has saved the world multiple times – battling monsters, Titans, even giants – but these days the modern-day son of Poseidon is hoping for a regular final year at school. Too bad the Greek gods have other plans, and three new quests for Percy to complete.
First up – the cupbearer of the gods, Ganymede, is missing his golden chalice. Not only is this embarrassing (why do the gods keep losing their magical items?), it's also potentially disastrous. One sip from the cup will turn any mortal into a powerful god. And the old gods do not take kindly to newbies. Can Percy and his friends Annabeth and Grover find the chalice before it falls into the wrong hands? And even if they do, will they be able to resist its awesome power?
The Lost Library by Rebecca Stead & Wendy Mass
When a mysterious little free library (guarded by a large orange cat) appears overnight in the small town of Martinville, eleven-year-old Evan plucks two weathered books from its shelves, never suspecting that his life is about to change.
Evan and his best friend Rafe quickly discover a link between one of the old books and a long-ago event that none of the grown-ups want to talk about. The two boys start asking questions whose answers will transform not only their own futures, but the town itself.
Told in turn by a ghost librarian named Al, an ageing (but beautiful) cat named Mortimer, and Evan himself, The Lost Library is a timeless story from award-winning authors Rebecca Stead and Wendy Mass. It's about owning your truth, choosing the life you want, and the power of a good book.
The Puppets of Spelhorst by Kate DiCamillo & Julie Morstad (illus.)
Once, there was a king. And a wolf. And a girl with a shepherd's crook. And a boy with a bow and arrow. And also, there was an owl... They were puppets, and they were waiting for a story to begin.
In this new work of short fiction by twice winner of the Newbery Medal Kate DiCamillo, exquisitely illustrated in black and white by Governor General Literary Award Finalist Julie Morstad, five puppets who find themselves together in an abandoned trunk are carried off into the adventure of a lifetime.
Casander Darkbloom and the Threads of Power by P.A. Staff
Casander Darkbloom has no memory, lives outside a curiosity shop, and experiences random surges of uncontrollable energy in his limbs. When he inexplicably brings a stuffed raven to life, he unravels a strange and thrilling magical world. A world waiting for Cas to save it.
Cas is the Foretold, the one prophesied to defeat the malevolent Master of All. Under the protection of Wayward School, Cas must learn to master his magical abilities. But, as he soon discovers, all may not be quite as it seems - and Cas will need to take control of his own destiny if he is to find the strength to fight the powers of evil.
Spectacular and imaginative, this thrilling fantasy novel celebrates difference and how what makes us unique is also our greatest strength.
The Lucky Bottle by Chris Wormell
Ten-year-old Jack is stranded on a desert island. He's been very lucky: he's survived a terrible storm and the mysterious island he has found himself on has a kindly if unusual inhabitant, fresh water and plenty of food. But Jack needs to find his way home, and as he uncovers incredible hidden treasures on the little island, he starts to formulate a plan.
A plan that will involve witchcraft, terrifying sea monsters and pirates! But if Jack's going to succeed he will need to be very very lucky.
The Impossible Secret of Lillian Velvet by Jaclyn Moriarty & Kelly Canby (illus.)
Lillian Velvet lives a very lonely life with her cold and remote Grandmother. That is, until her tenth birthday, when she is given a pickle jar of gold coins, along with a note with clear instructions: don't go out, don't open the door for anyone, and don't spend all your coins in one day.
What happens next seems impossible. The coins whisk Lillian away to a different time and place. There she meets a small boy in a circus about to be crushed to death; a lively family, each member in a distinctive form of mortal danger; a boy with a skateboard; and a girl who can Whisper. And a web of dangerous magic closing tight around it all.
Why is Lillian here? How is she supposed to help these new friends? And – most importantly – what happens if she fails?
Tumbleglass by Kate Constable
Thirteen-year-old Rowan is helping her older sister Ash paint her bedroom when she discovers a mysterious ring that transports them both back in time to 1999. To a party being held in the very same house!
While Ash dances, Rowan unwittingly disrupts the laws of time, and when she wakes up back in the present day, her sister is missing, and - even worse - everyone in their family seems to be forgetting she ever existed.
With the help of her magical neighbour Verity, Rowan must find the courage to travel back through the history of the house. But can she find everything she needs to rescue Ash before her sister disappears forever?
The Glow by Sophie Laguna & Marc McBride (illus.)
Megan is obsessed with drawing fantastical creatures and she shares them with her best friend Li who writes stories to go with the pictures. They are kindred spirits with big creative dreams. One day everyone in town – except Megan and Li – is immobilised by a strange glow coming from their phones. Megan and Li are initially frightened and alarmed, but when they realise they are somehow immune, they set out to seek help.
Soon a battle unfolds, a thrilling battle that pits all of their creative energies against the terrible monster that has ensnared everyone else around them. Megan and Li must team up and draw on all their creativity and courage to defeat a strange monster that threatens their town.
Philomella and the Impossible Forest by Doris Brett
When Philomella is drawn into the Impossible Forest – a place where anything can happen and usually does – she's headed for all the adventure she never wanted. There's a belligerent princess to rescue, trolls to battle and a treacherously bewitching river to cross ... and that's just for starters. They're all part of a mysterious enemy's grand plan to destroy both the Forest and Philomella – and in this world of strange and dangerous magic, she'll have to beat her deadly opponent using only her brains.
And so, joined by some oddball companions (including a picnic basket with attitude, a boy whose ancestors were trees and a grandmother with weaponised kitchenware), Philomella sets out to do the impossible. Can Philomella save the Forest? And can she also learn how to save herself?
City of Stolen Magic by Nazneen Ahmed Pathak
India, 1855. There are two kinds of magic in Chompa’s world. The kind her mother favours: writing-magic, which anyone can do if they take the time. Write a spell in Farsi, and wait. It’s calm, controlled, safe, says Ammi. It’s slow, frustrating, boring, thinks Chompa. Then there’s finger-magic, which only those descended from ancient djinn are born with. Immediate, powerful – and dangerous, for every act of finger-magic leaves a trace, and comes at a price.
Chompa has never understood why her mother forbids her from using her finger-magic – until, one day, Chompa defies Ammi, and casts a spell. Soon after, a group of pale men attack their home and snatch Ammi. In a desperate search for her mother Chompa must travel to England, and the streets of East End London.
Spellcasters: The Power of Four by Crystal Sung
Welcome to Spellcroft Street, where ancient magic meets girl power! Four friends channel the magical abilities of their ancestors to protect their community in this empowering, action-packed new series.
New girl in town Jenny is thrilled to make three new friends who share her love of music. They form a band called The Spellcasters, but when an ancient evil spirit escapes from its underground lair, the girls discover that they have something even more special in common – they can all channel the magical powers of their ancestors! Maya can shapeshift, Tamzin can control nature, and Ananya can read minds. But to stop the evil Graydig from destroying their beloved community centre, Jenny must travel back in time to ancient China to master her own supernatural ability.
In the Shadow of the Wolf Queen (Geomancer, Book 1) by Kiran Millwood Hargrave
In the lakes, the wolf queen sharpens her spear. In the mountains, an ancient girl opens an eye. In the forest, an orphan is summoned by the trees. Our story has begun ...
Ysolda has lived her life in the shadow of the wolf queen's tyrannical rule but, safe in her forest haven, she has never truly felt its threat. Until one day when a mysterious earthquake shakes the land and her older sister Hari vanishes in its wake. Accompanied by her loyal sea hawk, Nara, Ysolda embarks on a desperate rescue mission. But when she is forced to strike a bargain with the wolf queen herself, she soon finds herself embroiled in a quest for a magic more powerful - and more dangerous - than she could ever have imagined ...
Willodeen by Katherine Applegate & Charles Santoso (illus.)
Eleven-year-old Willodeen adores creatures of all kinds, but her favourites are the most unlovable beasts in the land: strange beasts known as ‘screechers’. The villagers of Perchance call them pests, even monsters, but Willodeen believes the animals serve a vital role in the complicated web of nature.
Lately, though, nature has seemed angry indeed. Perchance has been cursed with fires and mudslides, droughts and fevers, and even the annual migration of hummingbears, a source of local pride and income, has dwindled. For as long as anyone can remember, the tiny animals have overwintered in shimmering bubble nests perched atop blue willow trees, drawing tourists from far and wide. This year, however, not a single hummingbear has returned to Perchance, and no one knows why.
Tyger by S.F Said & Dave McKean (illus.)
Adam has found something incredible in a rubbish dump in London. A mysterious, mythical, magical animal. A TYGER. And the tyger is in danger. Adam and his friend Zadie are determined to help, but it isn't just the tyger's life at stake. Their whole world is on the verge of destruction.
Can they learn to use their powers before it's too late?