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Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Witchy Middle Grade Books for Fall

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Top Ten Witchy Middle Grade Books for Fall

10 Witchy Middle Grade Books for Fall

Here in Florida, we have to use a little more imagination to feel the seasons. As we approach Halloween, I’m always looking for books with a cozy, witchy vibe that I can enjoy with a pumpkin-flavored treat. Today, I’m sharing a list of ten witchy middle grade books perfect for fall and the upcoming holiday.

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s theme is a Fall Freebie, giving us bookish bloggers a chance to share lists related to any fall or Halloween theme we want.

Note: This list contains affiliate links, which don’t cost you anything to use. They help support the work I do here at The Story Sanctuary. Thanks for using them to do your shopping!

10 Witchy Middle Grade Books for Fall

Maybe There Are Witches by Jude Atwood

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: In a small town with deep history, a girl with a magical diary must stop a great evil bent on destroying the town. Perfect for the Halloween season.

Published: June 13, 2023 | My Review | Author Q&A

The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: stuff stuff

Published August 9, 2016 | My Review

Just a Pinch of Magic by Alechia Dow

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: A girl desperate to save her family’s struggling magical bakery casts a (slightly illegal) spell that backfires. Lots of delicious descriptions of baking and magical hijinks from one of my favorite authors.

Published: October 10, 2023

Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: I first read this in 2022, I think, but I’ve reread the book several times since. It’s a whimsical, funny fantasy novel about a girl under a curse that makes her look and feel old who hides from the world in a wizard’s castle and discovers some remarkable things about herself. I highly recommend the audiobook version performed by Jenny Werlin.

Published August 1, 2001 (Orig. 1986) | My Review

Witchwood (Ravenfall #3) by Kalyn Josephson

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: Anna and Colin journey to Witchwood where Anna learns about her dad’s side of the family. I’m a huge fan of Max (the cat-who-is-not-a-cat) and Anna. I love that we’re seeing more of her coming into her own in this book. I’ve enjoyed the whole series so far.

Published October 1, 2024 | My Review to Come

The Beetle Books Series (Beetle and the Hollowbones) by Aliza Layne

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

What you need to know: This is the perfect series to pick up around Halloween. The artwork reminds me of The Nightmare Before Christmas, but it has all the cozy vibes of fall in between the eerie elements.

Published 2020 & 2025 | Beetle & the Hollowbones Review | Beetle & the Chimera Carnival Review

Witchlings Series by Claribel A. Ortega

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

My thoughts: I bought a copy of Ghost Squad when it came out, but I still hadn’t managed to read it when I saw an invitation to a blog tour from Rockstar Book Tours for The Golden Frog Games. Tour participants also received a PDF version of the first book in the series, so I figured I’d start there and review both. I loved the village and all the pageantry surrounding becoming a witchling and part of a coven. It felt fresh and clever and reminded me a bit of Cattywampus by Ash Van Otterloo, which I also loved. I heard another book influencer talk about the way that Ortega writes middle grade without ever talking down to readers, and I totally agree. The books feel young, as they should, and yet bear a wisdom beyond the years of the characters that never interferes with the joy of reading them.

Published 2022-present | Witchlings Review | The Golden Frog Games Review

Garlic and the Witch (Garlic #2) by Bree Paulsen

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

My thoughts: I loved the first book in this series and always intended to read more. It’s such a sweet, cozy story about vegetables that have come alive. This was one my seven-year-old really enjoyed.

Published September 6, 2022 | My Review to Come

Hooky (Hooky #1) by Míriam Bonastre Tur

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

My thoughts: I keep seeing this book everywhere, and the story (two twin witches who go on the run) sounded cute. Some of the chapters felt a bit episodic, but considering this story began as a webcomic, I suppose that’s to be expected. I enjoyed the quirky characters and fun elements.

Published September 7, 2021 | My Review

Cattywampus by Ash Van Otterloo

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads | Review

What You Need to Know: The cover copy calls this one “folksy” and “fresh” and it totally is! I loved the southern feel of the town and characters, and the exploration of identity and magic in this book.

Published August 4, 2020 | My Review

Do you love witchy middle grade books?

What are your favorite witchy books? Have you read any of the middle grade books on my list? Let me know if any of those titles sound like ones you’d like to add to your reading list this fall.

Review: Woven from Clay by Jenny Birch

Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , ,

Woven From Clay
Jenny Birch
Wednesday Books
Published August 12, 2025

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Woven From Clay

In this fresh and imaginative contemporary fantasy, a golem must master the magic that binds her together and finds an unexpected ally in the mysterious boy sent to ensure her demise.

Terra Slater might not know anything about her birth family or where she comes from, but that’s never stopped her, and she fully intends her senior year to be her best yet. Until the dark and mysterious Thorne Wilder―a magical bounty hunter―moves to town, bringing revelations that wreck all of her plans.

When Terra learns she is a golem, not born but crafted from mud and magic by a warlock, her world is upended. Worse, Cyrus Quill, the warlock who made her, is a fugitive, on the run from the witches who want to hold him accountable for his past crimes. But Quill’s sentence is death, which would unravel the threads of magic that hold Terra―and all of the other golems that he crafted―together.

Desperate to save herself and her friends, Terra strikes a deal with Thorne and his coven to preserve the warlock’s life and his magic. If she can prove her worth to the coven by mastering the magic within her, the golems will survive. If she can’t, they’ll perish along with Cyrus. As Thorne helps her to see and manipulate the tapestry of magic that surrounds them, their unexpected alliance evolves into something more and Terra comes to understand the depths of her magic, her humanity, and her love for the people most important to her.

My Review

The book description makes it very clear that this is a contemporary fantasy, but I think I kept assuming from the cover that it was some kind of Greek myth retelling. I don’t know why. In any case, when I started reading the book, I was a little jolted by the present-day setting.

At first, it feels like a familiar tale. A girl facing an inexplicable problem meets a grouchy, emotionally-closed boy who’s new in town. There’s the inevitable tug of war over whether they’re on opposing sides or can trust a tentative alliance.

From there, we learn more about Thorne’s coven and the power dynamics at play. Terra experiments with her newfound ability, and Thorne becomes a lot more likeable.

The way the author uses names in the story is interesting. Once you know about Terra’s origin, it becomes easy to recognize the others who share a similar story. Some people might find that a bit heavy-handed, but I thought it was a neat idea.

The story definitely grew on me as I got into the history of Terra’s town and saw more of Thorne’s family. By the end, I was really invested in both Terra and Thorne.

If you enjoy paranormal romance or contemporary fantasy, I think this is a good one to pick up. It has a lot of similar vibes to the kinds of books coming out in the early 2000s, but without the problematic content.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
One instance of the f-bomb, and a sprinkling of other profanity. Not a huge amount.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing.

Spiritual Content
Witches live apart from humans in underground compounds where they use their magic according to the rules of their guild. Creating a golem is considered “warlock magic”, which is against their rules.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. If Terra’s creator dies, she and the other golems will perish as well. Someone tries to harm Terra’s friends, tripping them, sapping their energy, etc.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Review: The Fate of Magic by Sara Raasch and Beth Revis

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The Fate of Magic (Witch and Hunter #2)
Sara Raasch and Beth Revis
Sourcebooks Fire
Published October 1, 2024

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Fate of Magic

The breathtaking sequel to the instant New York Times bestseller Night of the Witch culminates with a sweeping romance and an epic battle to determine the fate of magic…and the world.

Fritzi is a champion. After escaping the clutches of Dieter Kirch, the sadistic leader of the witch hunters, Fritzi and Otto have taken refuge among the witches of the Black Forest. Fritzi is finally ready to assume her place on the council as the coven’s goddess-chosen champion. Plagued by distrust and self-doubt, Fritzi throws herself into her duty to serve the goddesses . . . until she uncovers a powerful secret that could mean the very undoing of magic itself.

Otto is a warrior. He swears himself to Fritzi as her bonded protector, certain the peaceful unity of a witch and hunter will heal the wounds he helped make. But as the horrifying plot that threatens the Black Forest’s magic comes to light, Otto will have to face his both his past and what it means to bind himself to a magic he does not fully understand.

Shadows loom. Truths are revealed. And as dangers new and old arise, Fritzi and Otto must stand together against everything that threatens magic—even if the biggest threat might be the very bond they share.

My Review

This book concludes the Witch and Hunter duology, picking up soon after the first book ended. The story starts off with Otto and Fritzi preparing for a bonding ceremony and sharing some romantic moments together. The pace of the story builds, with stakes growing ever higher, which sent me rocketing from one chapter to another all the way until the end of the book.

I like that the story made space for Otto and Fritzi’s relationship, even though it wasn’t the central plot of the story. It was nice to enjoy those quiet moments in which they returned to the bond between them and why they cared for one another.

I also enjoyed the intensity of the hunt for the magic stones. It wasn’t clear whether they would be able to find them or get to them first, which kept the intensity high. I’ve seen other books that have a quest like this in which the clues don’t really fit together or feel forced. That isn’t the case here. I liked the way the various clues and the quest unfolded. It felt natural and made sense to me.

I also really appreciated that this is a duology. I was absolutely prepared to read more of the series, but it was a pleasant surprise to find that this one book delivered all the things I’d been waiting for from the story. It might be even better than the first book. I’m not sure. They were both great.

If you like historical fiction with a heaping serving of magic, this is definitely a series to put on your list. Start with Night of the Witch before reading this one.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Major characters are German.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used somewhat frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. References to sex. A few scenes show a lead into sex, and one briefly describes it.

Spiritual Content
Otto is Catholic but has rejected some of the church’s teachings, especially those regarding killing or hunting witches. Fritzi and other characters serve a trio of goddesses.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Brief battles. References to torture and brief scenes showing torture. Otto and Fritzi enter a square in which people have been burned at the stake for being witches. In one scene, they discover the bodies of two people who’ve been beheaded. Someone lights someone else on fire. Monsters pursue some characters.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Review: Lies We Conjure by Sarah Henning

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Lies We Conjure
Sarah Henning
Tor Teen
Published September 17, 2024

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Lies We Conjure

Knives Out meets The Inheritance Games with magic in this standalone supernatural thriller by Sarah Henning: thirteen witches, a locked-room murder, and two non-magical sisters trapped in a deadly game of Clue

Ruby and her sister, Wren, are normal, middle-class Colorado high school students working a summer job at the local Renaissance Fest to supplement their meager college savings.

So when an eccentric old lady asks them to impersonate her long-absent grandchildren at a fancy dinner party at the jaw-dropping rate of two grand―each―for a single night… Wren insists it’s a no-brainer. Make some cash, have some fun, do a good deed.

But less than an hour into the evening at the mysterious Hegemony Manor, Ruby is sure she must have lost her mind to have agreed to this.

My Review

I’ve really enjoyed everything by Sarah Henning that I’ve read, and Lies We Conjure is no exception. I think it’s the darkest of her books so far, and I’d say ‘Knives Out plus magic’ is a pretty fair description of this one in a nutshell.

I loved the sisters, Wren and Ruby. Wren is impulsive and chipper while Ruby is the more methodical, quieter one. The story alternates between the perspectives of Ruby and Auden, one of the Hegemony cousins and grandson of the magical matriarch. I liked the tension of Ruby and Wren being imposters locked into the estate once the murder takes place.

I kind of expected there to be some hidden magical connection between their family and the other magical families, but that didn’t play out in the way I anticipated, which was fine. They do have a nostalgic connection to the estate.

The story has some great moments between characters and some scenes I didn’t predict at all. I loved the way things were pieced together and how the mystery resolved in the end.

I think reader who enjoy a murder mystery dripping with threatening magic will not be able to put this one down. If you like books by Mary Watson or Deep is the Fen by Lili Wilkinson, definitely check out Lies We Conjure.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Wren and Ruby are white. One of the magical families is BIPOC. One character is nonbinary.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
A few F-bombs and profanity used fairly infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
Some characters have the ability to perform magic and are called witches. There are four main types of magic: elemental, blood, star, and death. Death magic is pretty grisly. Blood magic allows someone to control others.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Apparent murder. Descriptions of fatal injuries.

Drug Content
A few characters drink alcohol.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Review: Deep Is the Fen by Lili Wilkinson

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Deep Is the Fen
Lili Wilkinson
Delacorte Press
Published April 16, 2024

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Deep Is the Fen

Merry doesn’t need a happily-ever-after. Her life in the charming, idyllic town of Candlecott is fine just as it is. Simple, happy, and with absolutely no magic. Magic only ever leads to trouble.

But Merry’s best friend, Teddy, is joining the Toadmen—a secret society who specialize in backward thinking and suspiciously supernatural traditions—and Merry is determined to stop him. Even if it means teaming up with the person she hates most: her academic archnemesis, Caraway Boswell, an ice-cold snob who hides his true face under a glamour.

An ancient Toad ritual is being held in the sinister Deeping Fen, and if Merry doesn’t rescue Teddy before it’s finished, she’ll lose him forever. But the Toadmen have been keeping dangerous secrets, and so has Caraway. The farther Merry travels into Deeping Fen’s foul waters, the more she wonders if she’s truly come to save her friend . . . or if she’s walking straight into a trap.

There’s nothing the Toadmen love more than a damsel in distress.

My Review

Something about this book reminded me of some of my favorite things in Mary Watson’s books. I guess it’s that it feels both like it’s set in the real UK world and simultaneously in a separate, fantasy world at the same time. I love that worldly/otherworldly vibe in this book.

The story also contains some themes that beg to be explored. (Think THE TROUBLED GIRLS OF DRAGOMIR ACADEMY, but YA) Women who have power are witches and imprisoned. Men form secret societies in which they promote and celebrate forbidden power. It invites some thinking.

It also has a great rivals-to-lovers thread weaving through it, and since that’s one of my favorite tropes, I knew I would be hooked on it. And I was! I loved Merry and Caraway’s characters. (And their names.) I liked the pacing of their getting to know one another and learning things about each other. Also, I liked the evolution of Merry’s besties trio. I liked that the author didn’t write Teddy and Sol out of the story.

I devoured this whole book in a single afternoon. The setting is immersive and the characters engaging. By the time I finished the last page, I was already looking at what else Wilkinson had written so I could get more of this incredible storytelling.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
One of Merry’s best friends is Black and transgender. Several characters are queer.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. Merry stumbles onto two people in bed together and quickly leaves.

Spiritual Content
Some characters have the ability to perform magic, most often women. These people are labeled as witches and imprisoned in a forced rehabilitation program. Only 100 spells are legal. Anything outside the legal spells must be purchased from an approved vendor, one of the three companies that basically run everything.

Merry can see threads of magic in people. Some people have unnatural threads that she believes come from using illegal magic. The threads can be used for other nefarious things.

The Toadmen are an elite society with secret, sacred rituals that promise power and opportunity to members.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Some brief torture and scary images. A man severs a nerve in another man’s face, effectively making him unable to smile ever again. Someone tortures a man in an attempt to manipulate someone. Someone cuts a man’s throat. Another man dies by suicide in order to protect someone else.

Someone uses stones and rings to control others.

Drug Content
Drugged (or magicked, I guess) food and drink make people see things that aren’t there or make them easily manipulated.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of Deep Is the Fen in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Review: Hooky by Míriam Bonastre Tur

Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Graphic Novel or Adaptation, Middle Grade 8-12, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , ,

Hooky (Hooky #1)
Míriam Bonastre Tur
Clarion Books
Published September 7, 2021

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Hooky

Two twins, one prophecy, and a whole lot of hijinks. From WEBTOON, the #1 digital comic platform, comes a fantastical story about twin siblings Dani and Dorian who have missed the bus to magic school and scramble to find a mentor to teach them before their parents find out. Perfect for fans of THE OKAY WITCH and the 5 Worlds series. 

When Dani and Dorian missed the bus to magic school, they never thought they’d wind up declared traitors to their own kind! Now, thanks to a series of mishaps, they are being chased by powerful magic families seeking the prophesied King of Witches and royals searching for missing princes.

But they aren’t alone. With a local troublemaker, a princess, and a teacher who can see the future on their side, they might just be able to clear their names…but can they heal their torn kingdom?

Based on the beloved webcomic from WEBTOON, Hooky is in stunning print format for the first time with exclusive new content sure to please fans new and old.

My Review

This is such a cute book! I felt like the original premise got a little lost at first. Dani and Dorian are technically playing hooky from school, but they keep looking for a mentor so they can still learn magic, so are they actually, truly playing hooky? I quickly gave up pondering this question in favor of following the twins through their goofy, fun adventures.

There’s a bright, quirky cast of characters, from the princess who used to be scared of witches and dreams of rescuing her true love to the troublemaking boy with abandonment issues. It’s definitely a wild ride.

Some chapters of the book felt more episodic than others. I’m not sure if that’s simply a function of its origin as a web cartoon, but I didn’t mind the transitions much at all. I didn’t realize when I read the book that there are two more in the series. I’d like to follow the story in the next book, but it might be a little bit before I get to it.

On the whole, this was just the silly, fun romp in a fantasy world that I was hoping it would turn out to be.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 10 up.

Representation
Major characters are white.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used very infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Some hints at attraction between male and female characters.

Spiritual Content
Some characters have the ability to perform magic and are called witches.

Violent Content
It is now illegal to execute witches by burning them, but that wasn’t always so. A prophecy predicts a powerful witch will come to power and cause mayhem.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog.