Others: Positive A boy who doesn't believe in magic. An impossible world that will change his mind. Eleven-year-old Benjamiah Creek believes in science, logic and the power of reason. He definitely does not believe in magic. But when he receives a mysterious gift in the post - a doll that can transform into a bird - he is led into the impossible (and most definitely magical) world of Wreathenwold, where dark secrets are lost amongst a vast labyrinth of streets. Benjamiah soon finds himself swept along in a dangerous quest - led by the fierce and brilliant Elizabella, who is determined to solve the disappearance of her missing brother. Will Benjamiah ever find his way home and discover his puzzling connection with this strange, enchanted world?
Genres: fantasy, mystery, young adult
Lists: …
Jessica Townsend
2017 · 512 pages · 16 reviews
Others: Overwhelmingly positiveA cursed girl escapes death and finds herself in a magical world-but is then tested beyond her wildest imagination Morrigan Crow is cursed. Having been born on Eventide, the unluckiest day for any child to be born, she's blamed for all local misfortunes, from hailstorms to heart attacks--and, worst of all, the curse means that Morrigan is doomed to die at midnight on her eleventh birthday. But as Morrigan awaits her fate, a strange and remarkable man named Jupiter North appears. Chased by black-smoke hounds and shadowy hunters on horseback, he whisks her away into the safety of a secret, magical city called Nevermoor. It's then that Morrigan discovers Jupiter has chosen her to contend for a place in the city's most prestigious organization: the Wundrous Society. In order to join, she must compete in four difficult and dangerous trials against hundreds of other children, each boasting an extraordinary talent that sets them apart - an extraordinary talent that Morrigan insists she does not have. To stay in the safety of Nevermoor for good, Morrigan will need to find a way to pass the tests - or she'll have to leave the city to confront her deadly fate.
What made the match, strongest first
Nnedi Okorafor
2011 · 349 pages · 5 reviews
Others: Overwhelmingly positiveTwelve-year-old Sunny Nwazue, an American-born albino child of Nigerian parents, moves with her family back to Nigeria, where she learns that she has latent magical powers which she and three similarly gifted friends use to catch a serial killer.
What made the match, strongest first
Susan Cooper
1965 · 252 pages · 0 reviews
On holiday in Cornwall, the three Drew children discover an ancient map in the attic of the house that they are staying in. They know immediately that it is special. It is even more than that -- the key to finding a grail, a source of power to fight the forces of evil known as the Dark. And in searching for it themselves, the Drews put their very lives in peril. This is the first volume of Susan Cooper's brilliant and absorbing fantasy sequence known as The Dark Is Rising.
What made the match, strongest first
J.K. Rowling
2005 · 652 pages · 5 reviews
Others: Leaning positiveOne summer night, when Dumbledore arrives at Privet Drive to collect Harry Potter, his wand hand is blackened and shriveled, but he will not reveal why. Rumours and suspicion spread through the wizarding world – it feels as if even Hogwarts itself might be under threat. Harry is convinced that Malfoy bears the Dark Mark: could there be a Death Eater amongst them? He will need powerful magic and true friends as, with the help of Dumbledore, he investigates Voldemort’s darkest secrets. Preceded by: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Followed by: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
What made the match, strongest first
Frances Hardinge
2019 · 419 pages · 1 review
Others: MixedTHEY SAY THAT THERE IS A DARK REALM OF NIGHTMARES THAT LIES BENEATH THE TRUE SEA. WHEN THE UNDERSEA ARCHES ITS BACK, THE UPPER SEA IS STIRRED TO FRENZY. THEY SAY THAT THE UNDERSEA WAS THE DWELLING PLACE OF THE GODS. THEY SAY MANY THINGS OF THE MYRIAD, AND ALL OF THEM ARE TRUE. The gods are dead. Fifty years ago, they turned on one another and tore each other apart. Nobody knows why. Now, even coin-sized scraps of dead god are worth a fortune because of the strange powers they're said to possess. But few are brave to dive and search for them. When fifteen-year-old Hark finds the still-beating heart of one of these deities, he'll risk everything to keep it out of the hands of the smugglers, scientists, and cults who would kill for its power. Because Hark needs to heart if he wants to save the life of his best friend, Jelt. But the power of a god was not meant for human hands. With the heart, Jelt begins to eerily transform, and Hark will have to decide if he can stay loyal to his friend--or what he's willing to sacrifice to save him. This description comes from the publisher.
What made the match, strongest first
T. Kingfisher
2020 · 320 pages · 2 reviews
Others: Overwhelmingly positiveFourteen year old Mona is a baker but she is also a not-very-powerful wizard - her medium of choice is dough. She can make pastries dance and bread light and fluffy - nothing extreme or dangerous. But when someone starts killing off all the wizards her minor wizard status doesn't matter and she has to run or be killed. But the people killing off the wizards have to be stopped and Mona doesn't let her lowly abilities stop her - a wizard's got to do what a wizard's got to do. Such a clever, funny, amazing story.
What made the match, strongest first
Loved itThe Whisper Wixs, The Labyrinth of Lost and Found. The only middle-grade fantasy I've read so far this year, and this was a delight. Five out of five stars. Probably one of my favorite middle-grade fantasies I've read in years.
