Best Magical and Fantasy Series for 11 and 12 year olds

Looking for magical and fantasy book series that spark the imagination? We’ve rounded up the best picks for ages 11+, featuring epic adventures, spellbinding worlds, and unforgettable characters. These aren’t just books—they’re entire universes to escape into. Whether your reader loves ancient prophecies, fierce dragons, secret schools of magic, or brave heroes battling dark forces, there’s a series here to get lost in. Chosen by real young readers, these books are packed with action, heart, and just the right amount of magic.

If you're looking for more recommendations for this age-group, check out our 50 Best Book Series for 11 and 12 year olds.

Georgina Atwell

Toppsta

2026-05-31

2024-11-01

Best Magical and Fantasy Series for 11 and 12 year olds

Percy Jackson Series

Percy Jackson is the much-loved Greek mythology fantasy series written by Rick Riordan. Percy is a hero that many young readers will relate to, his struggle with ADHD and dyslexia proving that it’s not bad to be different – that can be what makes you creative and extraordinary. Start with book 1 Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief and you’ll race through the whole series in no time. The books can also be read as stand-alones but you’ll get the most out of them by reading them in order.

View Percy Jackson Series

The School for Good and Evil Series

Now a Netflix film and New York Times bestselling series, The School for Good and Evil is the series that all fairy tale twist lovers NEED! Best friends Sophie and Agatha have been chosen to be students at the fabled School for Good and Evil, where ordinary boys and girls are trained to be fairy-tale heroes and villains. One will train for Good, one will become Evil's new hope. Each thinks they know where they belong, but when they are swept into the Endless Woods, things don't quite go as planned.

View The School for Good and Evil Series

The Hunger Games Series

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins is the ultimate Young Adult dystopian series. The books are set in Panem – an alternate world in the near future, where a terrifying reality TV show is taking place. Twelve boys and twelve girls are forced to appear in a live event called The Hunger Games. There is only one rule: kill or be killed. The series follows sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen’s quest for survival, as she battles in the Games, fighting for her life, her family, her friends and her people.

View The Hunger Games Series

Summoner Series

Demons, magic, apprenticeships and epic adventures await in this spellbinding New York Times bestselling fantasy series. From the very first page, readers get to meet Fletcher, a blacksmith's apprentice who will eventually discover he can summon demons from another world. Thanks to a special demon he's summoned, Ignatius, he will then find his way to the Vocans Academy, where he will learn more about his gift... and the burden of it.

View Summoner Series

His Dark Materials Series

Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy has captured children’s and adult’s imaginations everywhere, with the books selling millions of copies and winning awards. The story follows the coming of age of two children, Lyra Belacqua and Will Parry, born into different, parallel worlds but with the ability to travel between them. Lyra’s adventures throughout the trilogy are as exciting as they are fantastic – travelling to the icy North and crossing into unknown worlds, Lyra and Pan make friends with the most unlikely companions.

View His Dark Materials Series

Orphans of the Tide Series

This series has been described as ‘unputtdownable’, ‘enthralling’, ‘atmospheric’, ‘gripping’ and ‘brilliant’ by the likes of The Times and The Guardian. Set in a city atop a mountain surrounded by water, our story begins with a mysterious orphan boy who washes ashore. The citizens of the City believe his is an enemy. Everyone but one other orphan, Ellie, a young inventor who lives in her workshop of curiosities.

View Orphans of the Tide Series

Maze Runner Series Series

Get ready to race through a LABYRINTH of adventure, tension and destruction with this YA series. Main characer Thomas has no idea who he is or where he is from. He only remembers his name. And he's not alone. The Maze Runner cast is a group of other boys, the Gladers, who together live in a place far from anywhere else on the planet, surrounded by a giant maze made of tall stone walls. Thomas has no idea what is beyond the maze, but there's only one way for him to find out. And once he crosses it, defying the terrible Grievers, half-machine, half-animal creatures, there is no turning back.

View Maze Runner Series Series

Shadow Skye Series

A gorgeous fantasy adventure YA series set in Scotland, this series has some of our favourite ingredients in a story, from secret magic and dangerous alliances to dark secrets and old enemies. Everyone who has read this series say the same thing: once they started, they weren't able to put it down. Our two main characters, Agatha and Jaime, have two very different roles in the society they belong to, but when disaster strikes, the pair must embark on a terrifying journey together, during which new friends will be made but the chance of survival is slim.

View Shadow Skye Series

Geomancer Series

It's no secret we're big-time fans of the brilliant award-winning Kiran Millwood Hargrave here at Toppsta, and this upper middle-grade series is a treat for fantasy lovers. This is a series that Kiran Millwood Hargrave had wanted to write for years: it's deeply personal and draws from her mixed heritage roots. It follows a young girl, Ysolda, whose sister has gone missing after a mysterious earthquake. Finding her sister becomes her mission, but it's no easy task. She must strike a bargain with the Wolf Queen, embark on an epic quest to save her sister and unlock the earth's most powerful magic...

View Geomancer Series

Wereworld Series

Curtis Jobling's Wereworld series is a gripping fantasy saga that follows Drew Ferran, a young man who discovers he is the last werewolf in a realm ruled by werelords—noble families who can transform into beasts. As Drew embarks on a quest to reclaim his throne, he navigates a world of political intrigue, alliances, and betrayals. Aimed at readers aged 12 and up, the series blends action, horror, and coming-of-age themes, making it suitable for teens and young adults.

View Wereworld Series

MORE TO EXPLORE:

Adia Kelbara by Isi Hendrix (Usborne)

Chaos Walking by Patrick Ness (Walker)

Evenfall by Alexander Armstrong and Tom Roberts (Farshore)

Geomancer by Kiran Millwood Hargrave (Hachette)

Inkheart by Cornelia Funke (Chicken House)

Isles of Storm and Sorrow by Bex Hogan (Hachette)

Magicborn by Peter Bunzl and Maxine Lee-Mackie (Usborne)

Power of Five by Anthony Horowitz (Walker)

Shadow Thieves by Peter Burns (Farshore)

The Bartimaeus Sequence by Jonathan Stroud (Puffin)