It seems impossible, but Brandon Mull’s bestselling Fablehaven novels have been delighting readers for two decades now! It’s understandable: the middle grade fantasy series is the perfect blend of adventure, mystery, and magic, with two wonderful, relatable young characters.
When Kendra and her younger brother, Seth, are sent to stay at their grandparents’ mysterious estate while their parents are on a cruise, the siblings discover that behind the gates of Fablehaven are ancient woods that house magical (and dangerous) creatures, and their grandfather is the caretaker of this wondrous place. Soon, the two are investigating and discover a journal and keys that can unlock Fablehaven’s secrets, but at their own peril.
This delightful series reminded me of a few of my favorite magical fantasy novels from when I was younger, like The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles by Julie Andrews Edwards and Up from Jericho Tel by E.L. Konigsburg. If you’re a fan of excellent fantasy stories full of imagination and excitement that whisk you away to another place, like Fablehaven, here are seven more books you should pick up. (And BTW, don’t forget that Fablehaven is going to be a movie next year!).
Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins
Before Suzanne Collins wrote The Hunger Games, there was this portal fantasy series! Like Kendra and Seth, Gregor and his little sister have a missing family member, lost to a magical place. In this case, a hole behind the washing machine in their building in NYC leads them to a land where creatures live with humans, and Gregor might be the key to stopping an underworld war.
The Field Guide (The Spiderwick Chronicles) by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black
If you love the parts about the mysterious estate and the fairies in Fablehaven, then you’ll enjoy this series about the three Grace siblings. After moving into their old aunt’s decrepit mansion, they uncover a journal in the attic that reveals an unbelievable world of magic and fairies that exists alongside their own world.
Kwame Crashes the Underworld by Craig Kofi Farmer
This winner of the Coretta Scott King John Steptoe Award also features the loss of a relative. While grieving the death of his beloved grandmother in Ghana, Kwame is accidentally pulled into a magic whirlpool. There, he discovers his grandmother, alive (and his own age!), and decides to fight the underworld gods after learning of their plans to devastate his world above.
Kiki Kallira Breaks a Kingdom by Sangu Mandanna
This exciting novel is full of mythical creatures that the young hero didn’t know existed! Kiki Kallira has anxiety, and she spends her time drawing creatures from Indian myths to stay calm. But she learns that the creatures she has drawn are real when they come to life on the page. Kiki falls into their magic world and realizes it’s up to her to fight the evil god of the land to protect the kingdom.
Love Sugar Magic by Anna Meriano
For another great read about family ties and secret legacies, pick up this charming tale. Once again, Leonora Logroño is told she is too young to help her family prepare confections for the annual Dia de los Muertos festival. Tired of being treated like the baby of the family, Leonora sneaks into the bakery anyway and discovers her family members are all brujas! Armed with the knowledge that she’s a witch, too, Leonora decides to try magic to help a friend, but it backfires spectacularly.
Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell
Like the grandfather in Fablehaven, the family in this award-winner protects a secret about mythical creatures in the human world. While visiting his grandfather, Christopher discovers a magical, hidden lake beneath which the Archipelago lies, populated by unusual creatures. His excitement is short-lived when he learns the creatures are dying off as magic disappears from their world. So with the help of an unusual girl named Mal, Christopher sets off to find the problem and stop it.
The Guardian Test by Christina Soontornvat
And to end, instead of a novel about protecting and caring for magical creatures as they do in Fablehaven, how about one where the kids turn into magical creatures? That’s what happens in this dynamic series! Plum can’t wait to attend Guardian Academy and learn how to change into a magical animal. But once she’s there, she has a hard time learning the trick to transforming, and worries she’ll never become a Guardian of her world.
For more fantastic fantasy books for young readers, check out these lists of fantasy adventure books for middle grade readers and science fiction and fantasy middle grade series!
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