In these nine novels recommended for intermediate and/or middle-school readers, characters from our world meet fantasy elements. You’ll find more at the Fantasy tag in the Guide/Reviews Database, and see also our Five Questions interview with Laura Amy Schlitz about The Winter of the Dollhouse.

The Library of Unruly Treasures
by Jeanne Birdsall; illus. by Matt Phelan
Intermediate, Middle School    Knopf    352 pp.
8/25    9780525579045    $17.99
Library ed.  9780525579052    $20.99
e-book ed.  9780525579069    $10.99

Eleven-year-old Gwen MacKinnon — neglected, unwanted, shuttled between self-centered parents — has been sent to stay with her great uncle Matthew near Boston. There she discovers that the town’s library is named for an ancestor. “Nothing in Gwen’s life had suggested there could be a building named after a MacKinnon — they weren’t that kind of family.” Even more surprising, Gwen learns from the preschooler who lives upstairs that the library is home to a large clan of Lahdukan, eight-inch-tall, winged creatures who emigrated from Scotland with the original MacKinnon and have since thrived under the care of generations of MacKinnon girls initiated to be their Qalbas, or caretakers. Gwen learns that the library building is set to be remodeled, and so the Lahdukan will lose their home. With the help of a former Qalba, Matthew’s grown daughter Nora, Gwen moves the MacKinnon Lahdukan to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, where they join up with another clan. Gwen’s role in this grand plan requires both diplomacy and physical bravery, but the rewards are great. With the help of her understanding uncle, an exemplary children’s librarian, and the Lahdukan themselves, Gwen learns that she is worthy of love and respect. Birdsall’s endearing fantasy features loving and lovable new friends both human and Lahdukan, with Phelan’s winsome black-and-white illustrations interspersed. MAEVE VISSER KNOTH

Return to Sender
by Vera Brosgol; illus. by the author
Intermediate    Roaring Brook    320 pp.
5/25    9781250292186    $18.99
e-book ed.  9781250292179    $11.99

Brosgol (most recently Plain Jane and the Mermaid, rev. 5/24) pivots from graphic novels and picture books to an illustrated middle-grade novel (finished art unseen). After the death of his father, ten-year-old Oliver and his mother have “moved on, and on, and on, exploring the corners of his mom’s address book,” relying on the kindness of relatives for places to live. When his eccentric great-aunt Barb dies, leaving her small New York City apartment to Oliver’s mother, Oliver wonders how long it will be until they have to move again. It’s a creepy place: butterflies pinned to the walls, dead caterpillars in the oven, a taxidermied cat perched on a stool, and a neighbor (named Elizabeth Appleblood) who considers Oliver “a perfectly edible child.” Odder still is a mail slot in the living room wall that leads nowhere. When Oliver discovers that it grants wishes, the novel’s “be careful what you wish for” theme kicks in. First, a free pizza is delivered. Expensive sneakers help him fit in better at his new ultra-wealthy private school (where his mother works as a custodian). But the wishes have unforeseen repercussions, and Oliver and his new friend, Colette, must navigate the school as outsiders and face the consequences of their actions. Readers with a taste for absurdity and social satire will relish this imaginative tale. DEAN SCHNEIDER

Severe and Unusual Weather
by Jessie Ann Foley
Intermediate, Middle School    Quill Tree/HarperCollins    272 pp.
5/25    9780063207783    $19.99
e-book ed.  9780063207806    $8.99

When Nadine moves to Centralia, Illinois, to live with her grandmother while her mom goes to rehab for drug addiction, her goal is to keep her head down, stay out of middle school drama, and get back to Chicago as soon as possible. That becomes impossible when she and sixth-grade outcast Francis Pepper are paired together on a local history project. They decide to research the F4 tornado that destroyed half the town and killed Francis’s mother — a choice of topic that raises eyebrows and puts them on the wrong side of the city’s mayor. As Nadine and Francis dive into Centralia’s history, they uncover secrets and outcomes that make their project a threat to the mayor’s interests. Nadine is an engaging protagonist, cautious and jaded after growing up with her mother’s addiction, but not entirely cynical. Francis is intriguing, largely unbothered by his outcast status but also hungry for Nadine’s friendship. The novel’s weather-related magical elements, which are not hinted at in the first third of the book, feel almost secondary, but everything is brought to a satisfying and heartfelt resolution. Mayor Trev’s role as antagonist is obvious from his first appearance on the page, but the extent of his villainy comes as a surprise. Throughout, Foley balances deep topics with tween drama and handles both with aplomb. SARAH RETTGER

Into the Wild Magic
by Michelle Knudsen
Intermediate, Middle School    Candlewick    368 pp.
8/25    9781536227697    $18.99
e-book ed.  9781536244977    $18.99

Eleven-year-old Bevvy, a quiet sixth grader more comfortable with kittens and fantasy novels than with her peers, finds herself drawn to a mysterious new girl, Cat. After Cat provokes a confrontation at school and disappears, Bevvy is left bewildered — until Cat returns, pursued by shadowy forces. Fleeing through the woods, the girls leap through an opening in the air and into the kingdom of Lorelkey. The land is in chaos: the king is dead, and war looms between wielders of wild magic and a dangerous villain with dark powers. As Bevvy and Cat are reluctantly swept into the resistance, Bevvy discovers she has a gift that connects her to Lorelkey’s natural forces. She begins to understand why she was brought to Lorelkey — and what’s at stake. Knudsen successfully weaves elements of classic fantasy — portal travel, hidden royalty, a heroine who must grow into her unexpected destiny — with themes of friendship and bravery and an emphasis on moral complexity and emotional intelligence. Her world-building is immersive, and the story balances action and magic with deeply felt emotional stakes. Bevvy and Cat’s friendship is tested and strengthened through their adventures, and the novel’s ensemble of magical characters adds warmth and nuance to the plot. Recommended for readers who dream of other worlds — and wonder if they could be brave enough to face what lies within them. ALICIA ROGERS

The Last Rhee Witch and the Nine-Tailed Fox
by Jenna Lee-Yun
Intermediate, Middle School    Disney-Hyperion    272 pp.
5/25    9781368100984    $17.99

In this page-turning sequel to The Last Rhee Witch (rev. 7/24), it’s been six months since Seattle tween Ronnie Miller discovered she was a witch during summer camp and helped free her deceased mother’s ghost from a wrathful witch hunter. Now Ronnie and her friends return to Rhee Manor for winter break camp. Danger still lurks in the forest-covered estate, this time in the form of a ravenous gumiho (Korean fox spirit) who promises that Ronnie’s mother can be reanimated if the girl feeds it enough gi (life force). Soon, campers fall ill, one by one, with a strange freezing disease, and Ronnie and her friends must solve the problem before things turn lethal. Horror elements mix with fraught emotions when Ronnie has to decide whether she values her friendships more than her mother’s potential reanimation. A sudden spirit possession provides yet another twist and opportunity for our protagonist to develop additional empathy and compassion for others. A gripping read, with occasional lighter moments (a snowball fight; making ice sculptures) amidst the suspenseful supernatural drama. MICHELLE LEE

The Gate, the Girl, and the Dragon
by Grace Lin; illus. by the author
Intermediate    Little, Brown    352 pp.
5/25    9780316594684    $18.99
e-book ed.  9780316478311    $10.99

On one side of the Old City Gate live the Gongshi: stone spirits that are awakened when carved into statues. The spirits’ job is to protect the humans on the other side of the gate. The Stone Lions — cub Jin and his parents — must also guard the Sacred Sphere, which maintains the open gate between the two worlds, but fun-loving Jin is far more interested in playing zuqiu (a soccer-type game) than in protecting anything. When a game is called off, Jin angrily kicks the zuqiu ball, which knocks into the Sacred Sphere, sending it through the gate. Chasing it, Jin becomes trapped in the human world, where he joins forces with a girl named Lulu and with Worm, a wise dragon stuck in a worm’s form. The small cub, young girl, and tiny dragon prove that size does not necessarily equal courage as they face terrifying natural disasters and the deceitful Dragon-Head creature in order to retrieve the Sacred Sphere from a mysterious, shadowy figure. Lin (Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, rev. 9/09, and sequels) once again cleverly uses embedded narratives to provide background information about characters in her story. Small spot illustrations open each chapter, while occasional full-page art in gorgeous, saturated color accompanies key moments in Jin’s journey. The tale’s themes (touching on joy, grief, and the interconnectedness of all life) are naturally integrated into the diverting adventure, and an endnote discusses the author’s various inspirations. JENNIFER M. BRABANDER

Beinoni
by Mari Lowe
Intermediate, Middle School    Levine/Levine Querido    288 pp.
7/25    9781646145065    $18.99

Seventh grader Ezra has a lot on his shoulders. Born with “a constellation of the Scales” on his skin that indicates he’s the Nivchar, or chosen one, for his generation, he’s spent years training for what’s destined to happen when he becomes a bar mitzvah, which is now approaching. He’ll have to fight the gurya, a creature that will emerge from a cave, in order to continue the Beinoni (“in-between”) time, “where no evil can endure.” Now Ezra is beginning to see signs that the Beinoni time may not be fully holding — and his own achievements and behaviors begin to fall short of what’s expected of him. Lowe’s (Sydney Taylor Book Award winner for Aviva vs. the Dybbuk, rev. 1/22, and The Dubious Pranks of Shaindy Goodman, rev. 11/23) inventive, ambitious fantasy set in an Orthodox Jewish community gives readers intricate world-building concepts to follow as Ezra uncovers more about his predecessors’ battles and what awaits him. But beneath the high-stakes premise is an insightful look at a preteen protagonist under extreme pressure who is learning to rethink both how he sees himself and what the world needs from him. A glossary of Hebrew and Yiddish terms is appended. SHOSHANA FLAX

Nic Blake and the Remarkables: The Book of Anansi
by Angie Thomas
Intermediate    Clarion/HarperCollins    480 pp.
9/25    9780063225183    $19.99

This second book in a projected trilogy (The Manifestor Prophecy, rev. 5/23) is as energetic as the first. Recently relocated from Jackson, Mississippi, Nic Blake once again must adjust to a new town with new kids…but this town just happens to be Uhuru, an advanced world full of supernatural humans like her, known as the Remarkables. Because she and her father had “lived secretly as exiles in the Unremarkable world for ten years,” Nic must adjust to living with her mom, twin brother Alex, and supportive if slightly aloof grandparents. As if that weren’t enough, Nic must wrestle with the signs that have singled her out as the Manowari, the prophesied destroyer of the Remarkable world. Her newfound power further cements her fate, and her family is divided on how to keep her safe and her identity protected. When her secret is discovered, Nic is blackmailed into helping a shadowy organization find the Book of Anansi, an artifact no one is sure exists. As Nic, Alex, and best friend JP attempt to discover the lore behind the tale, they learn that Uhuru is a far cry from the utopia about which they have been told (particularly by Nic’s grandmother, the president of Uhuru). In a fast-paced and intriguing narrative, Thomas infuses elements of tried-and-true mystical tales with a West African bent, with an exciting conclusion that will leave readers clamoring for more. EBONI NJOKU

Sea Dragons [Monsters of Fife]
by Jane Yolen; illus. by Celia Lowenthal
Intermediate, Middle School    Charlesbridge Moves    128 pp.
6/25    9781623544737    $17.99

Fourteen-year-old Cat Douglas is the newest (and smallest) member of her Scottish fishing village’s Royal and Ancient team of monster hunters, led by no-nonsense Mr. Harris, and with classmates Calum and Jamie. The story begins with Cat’s first hunt against a cow-eating monster, which is quickly dispatched, but down at the harbor a much larger sea dragon has just killed two fishermen, and the R&A is called on to track it to its island lair. Yolen’s tale is a short but intense outing exploring the practices of the monster-fighting crew, including Jamie’s unique invention: an electric “zapper” that can temporarily stun a dragon. The story’s drama revolves around whether the R&A will prevail over the sea dragon or vice versa and, for Cat, whether she will have the courage to meet the moment. Yolen’s depiction of 1890s Scottish culture and setting is impressive, including dialect that will either delight or befuddle readers and adroit details such as the copper coins Cat takes with her to “buy the wind” at sea. Graphic novel–style panel illustrations at interludes throughout the book add panache and a bit of swagger to a straightforward adventure that will set hearts racing at just the right speed for middle-grade and middle-school readers. ANITA L. BURKAM

From the November 2025 issue of Notes from the Horn Book.