27 Fantasy Books for Middle Readers

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A book list of great fantasy books appropriate for middle grade readers, from 8-12 years old and in grades 3-7.

Child reading a book and images flowing from it

Fantasy books are highly popular with children. This has been true as long as fantasy books have been around. From C.S. Lewis to J.K. Rowling, fantasy books have had their glory in books and big screen.

These books are full of adventure, magic, and mysteries and really draw kids in.

Here are 27 great fantasy novels for your middle readers.

This will typically be kids in the tween age range–between 8-12 years old. You might have a child ready for this reading level younger than 8 and you will probably find teenagers still enjoy these books.

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The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

Reading Age: 5-11 years old
Grade Level: 3-6 grades

This is a book I loved so much that it inspired the naming of this blog. This book is an absolute classic. If your child is hesitant to read this book, try reading it out loud. You will find your child falls in love with it.

Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling

Reading Age: 6 and older
Grade Level: 4-6 grades

I read the first Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, to each of my children when they were in Kindergarten. Most of them then took off with the series and wanted to read as much as possible. I did limit them past book 3 until they were older.

While the first few books are fine for young readers, Book 4 and on can be a bit intense.

This series is the absolute overall favorite of all of my children. We own several sets of this series in our home and all love it.

James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl

Reading Age: 5-9 years
Reading Grades: 3-7 grades

This has been named one of Time Magazine’s 100 Best Fantasy Books of All Time. This is a great book for young readers that is not part of a series. You can just read the one book and move on.

The Never Ending Story by Michael Ende

Reading Age: 8 and older
Reading Grades: 5-6 grades

This is a classic tale of a boy who finds a book that comes to life. It really sparks the imagination!

Fablehaven by Brandon Mull

Reading Age: 9 Years and Older
Reading Grades: 3-8 Grades

These are enjoyable books for all ages on up to adults. this is a very original series full of mythical creatures and fairies. This is a series that will get kids hooked on reading. The vocabulary is a little more advanced and it can be a bit intense. This was a big favorite of both Brayden and Brinley.

City of Ember by Jeanne Duprau

Reading Age: 9-12 Years
Reading Grade: 3-7 grades

This is a book I enjoyed reading as an adult for the first time. This is a dystopian fantasy book perfect for more mature middle grade readers.

The Girl with the Silver Eyes by Willo Davis Roberts

Reading Age: 9-12 years
Reading Grades: 3-7 grades

This story is about a girl who has special powers who struggles to make friends.

Redwall by Brian Jacques

Reading Age: 8 years and older
Reading Grades: 5-12 grades

This is a great fantasy novel for children who love animals. This is a medieval world setting. This is the first book in a series, so it can be a fun one for your child to get into.

Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia Wrede

Reading Age: 8 years and older
Reading Grades: 5-7 grades

This is a funny series about a princess who does not want to be proper. It also features dragons, so it si great for the dragon lovers out there. This is a 4 book series.

The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander

Reading Ages: 6-11 years
Reading Grades: 3-7 grades

This series has won a Newberry Medal and a Newberry Honor and is popular all around the world.

My Father’s Dragon by Ruth Gannett

Reading Age: 4-7 Years
Reading Grades: K-3 Grades

This is a great fantasy book for younger readers. It is also illustrated.

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum

Reading Age: 4-10 years
Reading Grades: 1-8 grades

This is another great one for young readers. This book is a mega classic and was first published in 1900. It is a short read full of humor and wisdom.

Wings of Fire by Tui T. Sutherland

Reading Age: 8-11 years
Reading Grades: 3-7 grades

This has been a favorite fantasy book series by all of my girls. This is another dragon book series. There are a lot of books in the full series, so it will keep your kids busy reading for a long time.

Half Magic by Edward Eager

Reading Age: 5-10 years
Reading Grades: 3-7 grades

This is a book about making wishes that is a funny read. This is a good read-aloud but also great for reading alone.

The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

Reading Age: 8-12 years
Reading Grades: 3-7 grades

This is the story of Milo who goes through a tollbooth that appears in his room. He visits different locations and goes on quests. He learns to enjoy life over the course of the book.

Inkheart by Cornelia Funke

Reading Age: 9-12 Years
Reading Grades: 4-7 Grades

This is the story of imagination brought from the books into real life. This is another series!

Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles by Julie Andre Edwards

Reading Age: 7-10 Years
Reading Grade: 3-7 Grades

This is a book of great adventure and spectacular creatures.

The Monster’s Ring: A Magic Shop Book by Bruce Coville

Reading Age: 8-10 Years
Reading Grade: 5-7 Grades

This is the first in a 5 book series where kids get strange things from a magic shop!

Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan

Reading Age: 9 Years and Older
Reading Grades: 3-7 Grades

The Percy Jackson series is a book full of Greek Mythology. This is a series kids of any age will enjoy, all the way up through adults. This is a favorite middle grade fantasy series that seems to be most popular around 4-5 grades around here. If your child enjoys this, have them look into the Heroes of Olympus books.

Magnus Chase Series by Rick Roidan

Reading Age: 10 and Older
Reading Grades: 5-8 Grades

This is anothe fun fantasy series with mythology. If your child loves Percy Jackson, give this one a try next!

Wildwood by Colin Meloy

Reader Age: 7-12 Years
Reader Grades: 3-6 Grades

This is a New York Times bestselling fantasy adventure series. This is a secret world under a modern city. The book also is full of beautiful illustrations.

Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger

Reading Age: 10-14 Years
Reading Grades: 3-7 Grades

This series is still being added to as I write this. This series features Sophie Foster, a telepathic girl who learns many sercrets and follows many adventures. This series has been wildly popular among all three of my girls.

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Reading Age: 10-12 Years
Reading Grades: 5-6 Grades

This is the setory of a boy being raised in a graveyard by ghosts. This book is a Newbery award winner and a Carnegie medal winner.

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

Reading Age: 9-12 Years
Reading Grades: 3-7 Grades

This is a story of a girl who must obey everything–a gift from a fairy. This book is full of ogres, giants, rinces, and fairy godmothers. If your child liked fairy tales as a preschooler and young child, they will probably like this one. This was one of McKenna’s favorite books.

The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill

Reading Age: 8-12 Years
Reading Grades: 5-9 Grades

This has been another favorite of McKenna’s. This is the story of a girl who is raised in the forest who is fed moonlight and develops strong magic. This book is another Newbery Medal winner.

Nevermoor by Jessica Townsend

Reading Age: 8-12 Years
Reading Grades: 3-7 Grades

This is the story of a girl with a curse. She is blamed for all misfortune around her. Then she is taken to the magical city of Nevermoor.

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

Reading Age: 10 Years and Older
Reading Grades: 5-9 Grades

This is on the older end of books for the middle grade books. I first read this in fifth grade. This book comes before the Lord of the Rings books and should be read before the Lord of the Rings.

Conclusion

These are some of the best middle grade fantasy books out there. This books are full of interesting plots and take your kids to new worlds.

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This post originally appeared on this blog in November 2022

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