The classic series of Percy Jackson and Harry Potter millions of readers since they were released. While their stories still hold up decades later, there are so many new stories with that same cozy, magical feel. From battles otherworldly battles to curses and witchy schools, get your readers hooked on these new picks for middle graders.

The Blue Witch by Alane Adams

Destined to be the greatest witch of all when she grows up, Abigail Tarkana’s magic has yet to be summoned. In fact, she’s about to fail her Spectacular Spells class, and it doesn’t help that Endera, her enemy, is trying to get her thrown out. However, a frantic Abigail manages to call upon her magic when her new friend Hugo’s life is threatened by a stampeding sneevil. To her surprise, she ends up having the most unique abilities at the Tarkana Witch Academy! Just as Abigail is seeking her true parents’ identity, among other mysteries, she gets stuck trying to undo one of her spells before it’s too late, and the coven kicks her out forever!

Make sure to check out the accompanying readalong that helps young readers fall all the way in love with books!

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Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend

Morrigan Crow was born on Eventide, the most day ill-fated day a child could arrive into the world. Now, she’s cursed. Everyone blames her for anything ranging from hailstorms to heart attacks, and, even worse, she’s destined to die on her eleventh birthday once the clock strikes midnight. But that all changes once the peculiar yet remarkable man Jupiter North appears. He whisks Morrigan away into Nevermoor, a secret magical city that will keep her safe. Once she’s there, she realizes that Jupiter has chosen her to compete for a position in the city’s most renowned organization: the Wundrous Society. To earn a spot, Morrigan must participate in four dangerous trials against other children who each possess a phenomenal talent. Morrigan swears she doesn’t have such a talent. But she must figure out how to pass the tests in order to stay in Nevermoor and not face her fatal fate.

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Amari and the Night Brothers by B.B. Alston

Although the police told her the opposite and bullies swore he was gone forever, Amari Peters is still hopeful that her missing brother, Quinton, is alive. When she discovers a ticking suitcase in his closet that contains a Bureau of Supernatural Affairs summer tryout nomination, she’s positive the organization holds crucial information about Quinton’s location. But first, Amari has to convince herself that many supernatural creatures–like magicians, fairies, and aliens–are real. Even though she’s doing her best, she can’t seem to compete with or escape the criticism of the other kids who have known about magic their entire lives, especially since her supernatural talent is “illegal.” With a wicked magician on the loose and Amari’s classmates believing she’s an adversary, she has never felt more isolated. But in order to find out what happened to Quinton, Amari must put on a brave face.

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Poseidon’s Academy by Sarah A. Volger

In this world, everyone is born with a gift: a swell of Poseidon, a flash of Apollo, a shimmer of Aphrodite, and so much more. This is all courtesy of the gods dying, of course. But what did thirteen-year-old Hailey Woods get? Zeus. The ability to summon storms may sound amazing, but the problem is that she’s the only Zeus in a hundred years. There’s even a prophecy drifting around saying she’ll have to save the world! However, Hailey doesn’t care about saving anything. She’d prefer to survive high school without unleashing some sort of storm during class. But when she’s offered a seat at Poseidon’s Academy, an underwater school where her powers are pointless, she takes the chance at a normal life. Oh, and there’s sea-nymphs planning to revive the gods. Saving the world may not be optional now.

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Serafina and the Black Cloak by Robert Beatty

Serafina has always obeyed her pa and never explored the grounds of the beautiful Biltmore Estate. The house is large enough, and she has plenty of space to scurry around there. However, she has to be careful as she can’t be seen. The rich guests upstairs have no idea Serafina exists, even though her and her pa, the maintenance man of the estate, have secretly lived in the basement for a very long time. However, when the estate’s children begin vanishing, Serafina is sure of the culprit: a man wearing a black cloak who haunts the corridors at night. In order to help, Serafina teams up with the Biltmore owners’ young nephew, Braeden Vanderbilt. They must discover the mysterious man’s identity before all the children are gone. Her hunt pulls her to the forest she has been taught to fear. However, she ends up uncovering a long-lost magic that is tied to her own identity.

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Witchlings by Claribel A. Ortega

Each year when the Black Moon Ceremony takes place in the magical town of Ravenskill, the willing Witchlings are placed into covens and fulfill their powers as developed witches. Twelve-year-old Seven Salazar is thrilled to be placed in the most powerful coven with her best friend, but her excitement quickly turns into sadness. During the ceremony, Seven isn’t placed anywhere… she’s a Spare! Spare covens are looked down upon since they contain fewer, less powerful witches. To make matters even worse, when Seven and the other two Spares attempt to seal their coven and sisterhood, it fails! Now they’re stuck as Witchlings, unable to perform any extraordinary magic. Seven decides to call upon her only option: the impossible task. If the three spares can succeed, their coven will be sealed and they’ll access their full powers. But if they fail… again… they may just end up as toads like the previous coven. Maybe their friendship will save them?

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Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mbalia

Ironically enough, seventh grader Tristan Strong doesn’t feel very strong after he failed to save his best friend from a bus accident. Eddie’s story journal is the only thing Tristan has left of him. To make matters worse, he’s now being sent to his grandparent’s farm in Alabama to recover from the tragedy. However, a sticky creature appears in his bedroom and steals Eddie’s notebook during his first night there. When Tristan runs after it, a game of tug-and-war occurs between them underneath a Bottle Tree. In a final attempt to grasp the notebook, Tristan punches the tree and accidently uncovers a chasm into the MidPass, an unpredictable place containing a blazing sea, ghostly bone ships, and iron monsters that are hunting the citizens of this world. There, he finds Black American heroes John Henry and Brer Rabbit exhausted from battle. Now Tristan must team up with his new allies to convince the god Anansi, the Weaver, to stop hiding and close the hole in the sky. However, bargaining with Anansi always comes at a cost.

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The Wizards of Once by Cressida Cowell

The bestselling author of How to Train Your Dragon now presents a wonderful world of Wizards and Warriors! Long ago there were Wizards, who contained magic, and Warriors, who did not. However, the son of the King of Wizards, Xar, can’t seem to cast a single spell while the daughter of the Warrior Queen, Wish, possesses a forbidden magical object. However, a new adventure begins when the two of them run into each other in the wildwood while on the path of a lethal witch. With Cressida Cowell’s beloved wit along with amazing stories of action, humor, and heart, The Wizards of Once is sure to enchant its readers.

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The House at the Edge of Magic by Amy Sparkes

Currently dwelling in the Nest of a Thousand Treasures, Nine is an orphaned pickpocket determined to escape to a better life. One day, when she picks up a house-shaped ornament from a mysterious woman’s bag, she knocks on its little door and suddenly finds it growing into a ginormous, haphazard building! Here, Nine is introduced to the bizarre people who live in the house: Dr. Spoon the alchemist, Flabberghast the young wizard, and Eric the troll housekeeper. They have far too-long been desperate to end the curse that prevents them from leaving, finding the bathroom quickly, or opening the tea cabinet. Unfortunately, Nine doesn’t have a charitable bone in her body after leaning on herself for so long, but she’s their only option for help. However, with a promise of a life-altering reward, she uses her street smarts against the odds as she discovers details about the curse… and herself.

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The Missing Magic of Sparrow Xia: An Illustrated Novel by Leia Ham

Power feels like fire or red-hot sparks along the fingertips to Sparrow Xia. In a world where children possess magic but adults don’t, being an ultra rare fire-mage should give her the confidence she needs to take advantage of her magical years. But Sparrow actually feels like a fake–even though her power is rare, it’s rather weak. Starting school at Zenith Academy for Magical Development is just what she needs to strengthen her abilities and turn her tiny, pathetic flame into something special. While Sparrow attempts to master her magic, a mysterious illness begins lingering around the school, causing the student’s powers to dwindle. As Sparrow and her friends search for a cure, they’ll soon realize that to some people magic means everything, and they’ll go to frightening lengths to keep it.

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