Heading back to school? Bring the magic of summer into the school semester with these great YA & middle grade fantasy reads that take place during school time. That’s right—fantastical adventures can happen even between classes. If you’re looking for some fun clean young adult fantasy books as well as middle grade, check these out!
Back to school young adult fantasy
Lost in Averell by Tara Grayce
Find Lost in Averell on Amazon (affiliate link)
Homework, high school crush, and negotiating peace between dragons and unicorns—all in the daily life of Amy, a regular teenager in Minnesota and a princess in the fantasy land of Averell. With a portal between the two worlds in her basement, Amy must keep both sides of her life completely separate and secret to keep them safe. But when her crush wanders through the portal into a land of man-eating ogres and territorial tree spirits, Amy must find him before he causes an international incident—or ends up dead. You know, typical high school drama, right?
What I enjoyed most about this book is the spectacular humor. Amy’s a very relatable character who gets into some extraordinary circumstances with her shapeshifting unicorn friend. The fantastical world of Averell is also quite interesting, with a fresh take on fantasy staples like dragons, water and tree spirits, and of course, unicorns. For more about this book and a behind-the-scenes interview with the author, check out my post: Author Interview: Tara Grayce, Lost in Averell.
Back to school middle grade fantasy
Ordinary Magic by Caitlen Rubino-Bradway
If you’re in high school, don’t be put off by the “middle grade” genre here. This story is a delight regardless of reading age, and not for the faint of heart!
In a world full of magic, Abby is an “ord”—a person with no magical ability whatsoever. That makes her a target, not just for everyday ridicule, but also for monsters seeking prey that can’t fight back or, even worse, criminals who need someone who can walk through a magical trap unaffected. Sent to a boarding school to equip ords for survival without magic, Abby finds that even this safe haven isn’t safe—and she’ll have to find her own way to save the day.
One of the really special things about this book is the vibrant family relationships. If, like me, you don’t come from a big family, experiencing the support of the siblings and parents for their outcast sister is a true delight. Plus, this book features clever imaginings of what an advanced world like ours would look like if it ran on magic instead of technology, including magic carpet chases! It also has a great dollop of humor to counterbalance the high stakes action.
Fun fantasy reads
So there you have it! Two good options to bridge the magic of summer into the school year. There are a few days or weeks left before school starts to fit in some more fantasy reading, so get started now. Enjoy!
You can also check out these other classic fantasy books.
What are your favorite fantasy books that take place at school? Share below!
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