Terrific middle grade magical fiction Summer 2026
Magical mysteries? Yes please! And these have a side helping of social issues! The first one is called "Raven, Rising". It's written by Christine Hartman Derr. I haven't read any of her other books but I really liked this one. It's about Raven, a 13 year old girl who lives with her aunt because her parents were killed 8 months ago. Raven and her aunt Coral have relocated to the Cherokee Nation in NC from Oklahoma because of an amazing job opportunity for Coral. They had been living in the Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma, and this is an important part of both Coral and Raven's lives. Raven misses her parents desperately and one of the things Raven used to do with her mom is bake, but the accident that killed her parents was a gas leak and Raven was the last one who used the stove, so she blames herself. She has vowed to never bake again. Except that ingredients seem to be following her around, trying to get noticed, and...