A wild journey: 8 new fantasy and adventure books

In the year that 2020 was, escaping to a world outside our own seemed idyllic – and books provided that escapism. Books were (and still are) the key for readers of all ages to unlock new worlds in a time when we needed to stay put. The bonus is, reading allows us to step away from reality and get lost in a book at any time, in any year.

We’ve put together a shortlist of new adventure-packed fantasy series’ and books released this year for middle-grade bookworms.

The Grandest Bookshop in the World by Amelia Mellor

It’s 1893 and Pearl and Vally Cole live in a bookshop at Cole’s Book Arcade in Melbourne. But it’s not just any bookshop – it’s the grandest bookshop in the world, brimming with every curiosity imaginable. When Pearl and Vally learn that Pa has risked the Arcade – and himself, the siblings hatch a plan. Winner of the May Gibbs Children’s Literature Trust’s Ian Wilson Memorial Fellowship, Amelia creates a story of impossibly high stakes with a determination to succeed. 10+ years

The Wizard In My Shed by Simon Farnaby 

Merdyn the Wild is from the Dark Ages. He’s the world’s greatest Warlock (don’t call him a wizard), banished to the twenty-first century for bad behaviour. He creates a whole load of trouble for 12-year-old Rose, who’s on a mission to mend her broken family. This debut children’s book by Simon Farnaby takes readers on a hilarious adventure that might just end in an epic wizard battle in the garden – if you’re lucky. 12+ years

The Secret Library of Hummingbird House by Julianne Negri 

It used to be the four of them – Mum, Dad, Ivy and Hattie. Hattie Maxwell is trying to make sense of her life since the Big Split. Her one escape is Humminbird House, an old mansion with a giant mulberry tree just perfect for climbing to hide from the world. Author Julianne Negri opens the doors to a world of a hidden library, a mysterious new friend, and a lost treasure that could stop Hummingbird House being demolished. Can the past help Hattie fix her present? 10+ years

The Ickabog by J.K. Rowling 

The kingdom of Cornucopia was once the happiest in the world. It had plenty of fold, a king with the finest moustache you could possible imagine, and more. Everything was perfect – except for the misty Marshlands to the north which, according to legend, were home to monstrous Ickabog. From bestselling author J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series, comes a brilliantly original fairy tale about the power of hope and friendship to triumph against all odds. 10+ years

The Left-Handed Booksellers of London by Garth Nix 

Eighteen-year-old art student Susan Arkshaw arrives in London in search of her father. But before she can question crime boss Frank Thringley he’s turned to dust by the prick of a silver hatpin in the hands of the outrageously attractive Merlin. From the bestselling author of Angel Mage, this fantasy adventure set in 190s London follows one girl’s quest to find her father. This adventure leads her to a secret society of magical fighting booksellers who police the mythical Old World when it disastrously intrudes into the modern world. 14+ years

The Tunnel of Dreams by Bernard Beckett 

In the dusty shadows of an abandoned house, twins Stefan and Arlo discover a secretive girl. Alice is smart and strong and not happy to have her hideout found, but she needs their help – her twin sister is locked in a cage suspended high above the mysterious mine in a parallel world. Bernard Beckett is a multi-award-winning author of books for adults and young adults. The Tunnel of Dreams is his first middle-grade novel which takes readers on a fantasy adventure about friendship and loyalty, and about dreaming big and achieving the impossible. 8+ years

A Clock of Stars by Francesca Gibbons and Chris Ridell

Imogen and her sister Marie find themselves falling into a magical kingdom where they’re swept up in a thrilling race against time. With all the magic of Narnia and the humour of Mary Poppins, this is a future middle-grade fantasy classic – and the beginning of an unforgettable journey. Thrilling, sharply funny, and with characters you will fall in love with, A Clock of Stars is a timeless fantasy from Fransesca Gibbons’ astonishing voice – the first book in the trilogy to come. 8+ years

The Silver Arrow by Lev Grossman 

Kate wasn’t expecting much when she wrote to her wealthy estranged uncle to ask for a birthday present. And certainly not a colossal steam train called the Silver Arrow to arrive on her doorstep. Despite parental misgivings, curiosity overwhelms Kate and her brother Tom, and they climb aboard, only for the train’s engine to roar into life. Packed with exciting creatures, Lev Grossman’s first children’s book is a story that takes readers on a journey about saving our endangered animals and the places they live. 10+ years