Woo-hoo! The amazing world of children’s science fiction and fantasy continues to rock and roll. Have you checked out all the incredible ongoing series that have been released lately??! Well, now is a great time to do that. It’s never a bad time for kids to read amazing books about the far-out and fantastical.
Below you will find five amazing, award-nominated and award-winning SFF series for middle grade readers (and everyone else) that you will want to add to your TBR immediately. Plus, links to upcoming titles in the series, if they’re available.
That’s right, not all of them are complete yet, but the exciting news is that there is still more to come. And in a world where most everything is available at our fingertips, it’s good to have a few things left that are worth waiting for.
Abeni’s Song by P. Djèlí Clark
Once again proving my theory that there’s a P. Djèlí Clark book for every SFF category, there’s this awesome West African-inspired fantasy series. It starts with the story of Abani, a young girl who wants to escape her apprenticeship with a witch. If she can free herself, then Abani can head off to find the people of her village, who have been lured away by the music of a cursed flute.
The first book: Abeni’s Song. Subsequent book: Abeni and the Kingdom of Gold. Upcoming book: Abeni and the People Who Could Fly.
All Access members, read on for four more excellent SFF middle grade series.
The Last Storyteller by Donna Barba Higuera
This is an excellent, award-winning sci-fi series! Each novel works as a stand-alone, but as a whole, they tell the story of a failing Earth and the search for a new planet to call home. The first takes place on a spaceship, the second back on Earth, and the third on Sagan, the new planet. Each novel involves kids being brave and helping to change humanity’s situation.
The first book: The Last Cuentista. Subsequent book: Alebrijes. Upcoming book: Firesnake.
The Last Hope School for Magical Delinquents by Nicki Pau Preto
Who doesn’t love a magic school? In this case, it’s the Last Hope School for Magical Delinquents, a last chance for magical misfits to right the ship. Vin is sent to the school when she is unable to control her magic, but instead of finding strict rules and mean teachers, the students are encouraged to be themselves. When sabotage and attacks plague her new school, Vin is determined to put a stop to the danger.
The first book: The Last Hope School for Magical Delinquents. Subsequent book: The Forbidden Room.
Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell
This is a sweeping epic series about magic and conservation! While visiting his grandfather one summer, Christopher learns two incredible things: one, magical creatures exist in a place called the Archipelago, and two, his family is in charge of guarding the secret. Practically as soon as he learns these things, he and another child are swept up in a wild adventure through the portal, racing to stop magic from dying out and save these amazing creatures from extinction.
The first book: Impossible Creatures. Subsequent book: The Poisoned King. Upcoming book: The Neverfear.
Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend
Finally, there’s this incredible series that will delight and amaze you! It’s about Morrigan Crow, a young girl raised to believe she was unlucky and that she would die on her eleventh birthday. But, nope! Instead, on her birthday, she is taken to the land of Nevermoor, a land of magic, excitement, and danger. Morrigan is believed to have an unrealized potential locked inside her, and to find it, she must compete in four difficult trials.
The first book: Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow. Subsequent books: Wundersmith: The Calling of Morrigan Crow, Hollowpox: The Hunt for Morrigan Crow, and Silverborn: The Mystery of Morrigan Crow.
Bonus recommendation: Scarlet Morning by ND Stevenson. While it’s the only book right now, and the date for the second installment is unknown, it’s already one of the best middle grade fantasy books out there, so mark it down!
Okay, star bits, now take the knowledge you have learned here today and use it for good, not evil. If you want to know more about books, I talk about books pretty much nonstop (when I’m not reading them), and you can hear me say lots of adjectives about them on the Book Riot podcast All the Books! and on Instagram.
This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.