The wonderful wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum - Dorothy thinks she is lost forever when a terrifying tornado crashes through Kansas and whisks her and her dog, Toto, far away to the magical land of Oz

Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer - When a twelve-year-old evil genius tries to restore his family fortune by capturing a fairy and demanding a ransom in gold, the fairies fight back with magic, technology, and a particularly nasty troll

The city of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau - In the year 241, twelve-year-old Lina trades jobs on Assignment Day to be a Messenger to run to new places in her decaying but beloved city, perhaps even to glimpse Unknown Regions

The dark is rising by Susan Cooper - On his eleventh birthday Will Stanton discovers that he is the last of the Old Ones, destined to seek the six magical Signs that will enable the Old Ones to triumph over the evil forces of the Dark

Redwall by Brian Jacques - When the peaceful life of ancient Redwall Abbey is shattered by the arrival of the evil rat Cluny and his villainous hordes, Matthias, a young mouse, determines to find the legendary sword of Martin the Warrior

A wrinkle in time by Madeleine L'Engle - Meg Murry and her friends become involved with unearthly strangers and a search for Meg's father, who has disappeared while engaged in secret work for the government

Ella enchanted by Gail Carson Levine - Based on the story of Cinderella, Ella struggles against the childhood curse that forces her to obey any order given to her

The lion, the witch, and the wardrobe by C.S. Lewis - Four English schoolchildren find their way through the back of a wardrobe into the magic land of Narnia and assist Aslan, the golden lion, to triumph over the White Witch

The giver by Lois Lowry - Given his lifetime assignment at the Ceremony of Twelve, Jonas becomes the receiver of memories shared by only one other in his community and discovers the terrible truth about the society in which he lives

The Unwanteds by Lisa McMann - In a society that purges thirteen-year-olds who are creative, Aaron and Alex are separated, one to attend University while the other, supposedly Eliminated, finds himself in a wondrous place where youths learn magic

Keeper of the lost cities by Shannon Messenger - At age twelve, Sophie is brought to Eternalia to hone her elf skills and discovers that she has secrets buried in her memory for which some would kill

The dark side of nowhere by Neal Shusterman - Fourteen-year-old Jason faces an identity crisis after discovering that he is the son of aliens who stayed on earth following a botched invasion mission