11 Fantastic Fantasy Books for Kids Ages 9-12

I’m always on the lookout for new fantasy books for kids. As much as my kids love to read other genres and formats, fantasy is a staple in their reading diet.

And who can blame them? Fantasy offers a complete escape from reality. It allows the imagination to take flight in ways that nothing else can. Plus, I like reading fantasy books too. Often, my kids and I will read the same books and then fangirl about them together afterward. It’s honestly the best.

Here are the BEST fantasy books for kids that my daughters and I have read recently. Most of the books on this list received a 5-star review from me and almost all of them are the start of a series, so you have many more fantastic books to look forward to!

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Fantastic Fantasy Books for Kids Ages 9-12

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Wizard for Hire by Obert Skye

Oh man, this series is a blast to read! When his parents get abducted from their secretive house in the woods of Oregon, young Ozzy is left to fend for himself. Years later as a young teen, he hires a wizard to help him solve the mystery of his parents’ disappearance.

Beautifully written with plenty of laugh-out-loud humor, this is just the kind of modern fantasy novel older middle grade readers and young teens will love.

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Willa of the Wood by Robert Beatty

If your kid loved the Serafina books, then Willa of the Wood is a must-read. Set in the same world as the Serafina series, this spin-off introduces us to a new heroine and a new adventure. Willa and her people have always been connected to the earth, but with the arrival of loggers in the woods, everything Willa knows and understands will change. This is a lovely story about family, love, loss, and adventure.

With the same intense action that kids adored in Serafina, this book will keep your bookworm glued to the page.

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The Rose Legacy by Jessica Day George

Horse lovers will go wild over this new series from the author of Dragon Slippers and Tuesdays at the Castle. It’s about a young orphan girl who goes to live with a long-lost uncle in exile and learns that he owns a secret horse ranch. Horses are illegal and have been outlawed for years.

Packed with secrets, action, and loads of girl-and-horse bonding, this novel is every girl’s horse fantasies come to life.

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The Adventurers Guild by Zack Loran Clark and Nick Eliopulos

This is one of those books that everyone should be raving about. Both my daughter and I read it and fangirled for weeks afterward.

Magic, elves, and a dystopian society nestled in the middle of a forest filled with monsters. Oh yes, this book is epic. Kids that read it will be anxious to start the next installment, Twilight of the Elves. This is a series you absolutely don’t want to miss!

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Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend

Harry Potter fans (so pretty much everyone) will adore this new fantasy series.

Morrigan is fated to die, but when an unusual man named Jupiter shows up and whisks her away to a secret world and his enchanted hotel. In order to stay in this secret world (and alive) Morrigan must complete a series of trials to earn a spot in one of the city’s guilds.

With all the magic and fantasy you could want, this new series fills a very HP-sized hole in young readers’ hearts.

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Ghosts of Greenglass House by Kate Milford

This series is technically categorized as a mystery, but it has some fantasy elements to it, so I’m including it here.

Milo and his family are once again the reluctant hosts to some unusual characters during the Christmas break. With new characters and familiar ones, the second Greenglass House adventure has all the mystery and excitement of the first.

My kids and I have fallen in love with the world of Greenglass House and the wild assortment of guests that stay there.

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Aru Shah and the End of Time by Roshani Chokshi

Oh my goodness, if you read anything on this list, read this. It’s wildly entertaining and a brilliant journey through Indian culture and mythology.

When Aru lights a cursed lamp, she accidentally frees a demon whose mission is to wake the Lord of Destruction. With the help of a grouchy pigeon and a germophobic girl, Aru sets off on a quest to stop the demon and save the world.

This book is jam-packed with adventure, humor, and Hindu legends. In the same arena as Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Aru Shah will appeal to kids that love modern twists on ancient lore.

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The Storm Runner by J.C. Cervantes

This is another incredible adventure based on mythology. MAYAN mythology! Oh yes, you read that right. If Aru Shah and the End of Time got you excited (see the previous book), then you’ll want to add this to your list of fantasy books for kids as well.

Set in a volcano in New Mexico, this funny and adventurous tale tackles ancient Mayan lore with a modern twist. Zane, his dog Rosie, and his friend Brooks get caught up in a quest to save the world from the warring gods. This is another wonderful addition to the bookshelf of any Percy Jackson fan, you’ll love every quirky, action-filled page.

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Arlo Finch and the Valley of Fire by John August

My ten-year-old daughter got this book in her Amazon Book Box and went crazy for it. She read the entire thing in two days and couldn’t stop talking about it. It’s a quirky fantasy story from the author of Big Fish. Set in the mountains of Colorado, Arlo joins the Rangers, a scout troop dedicated to harnessing wild magic from the woods. With loads of mystery, adventure, and monsters, it’s no wonder my daughter gobbled this up!

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Carmer and Grit series by Sarah Jean Horwitz

The apprentice of a failing magician, a rebellious fairy princess, and a diabolical plot combine to create a stunning fantasy tale. With elements of mystery, steampunk, and magic, this book sucked me in and kept me reading well past my bedtime.

There are two books in the series so far: The Wingsnatchers and The Crooked Castle. If your middle grade reader likes magic and save-the-world plots, add this to your list of fantasy books for kids and snag it next time you’re at the library. It’s definitely worth the read.

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Ice Wolves by Amie Kaufman

From the co-author of The Illuminae Files and These Broken Stars comes her first solo novel in the form of a middle-grade fantasy. Shapeshifters, mortal enemies, and a magical school are just a few of the reasons this book is on my list of best fantasy books for kids. Beyond that, we have a fantastic family dynamic and loyalty dilemmas. Not to mention the unusual and fascinating premise for the book — kids that can shift into ice wolves or ice dragons? Um, yes, thank you.

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