Summertime is a great time for tweens to take adventures and to stretch their imaginations to new heights. These five great reads will allow you to ride with dragons, enter fantastical places, take to the stars, and exploring chilling mysteries. From space adventures to feminist treats, this list has something for every tween to enjoy.

The edition breathes life into the origin story behind the legendary Dragonwatch from the Fablehaven series. Brandon Mull delves into the Dragon War by exploring the events that brought Dragon Slayers together and sent dragons into sanctuaries. The story of the first Dragon Slayer is brought to life in Legend of the Dragon Slayer through a time when monsters terrorized the land and the kingdom needed a hero. Konrad wants to prove that he’s more than just a cobbler’s son and is willing to do whatever it takes even if it brings him up against dangerous creatures. None of the monsters compare to the threat that the Dragon brings which is a threat that will push Konrad to face his greatest quest. The edition comes with amazing features such as stunning illustrations from Brandon Dorman, a catalog of Dragon Slayers, and a map that will let you explore the kingdom of Selona.

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The Graceling Realm series receives another dazzling installment from Kristin Cashore that delivers another charming tale. Bitterblue has spent the last few years as Queen rebuilding the nation with the determination to give her people a second chance after taking the throne from her father. The land of Torla is now on her radar which inspires her to send envoys to Winterkeep which is the nearest nation. Winterkeep is a wondrous place with telepathic foxes, bonds formed between foxes and humans, and amazing airships, but all is not as it seems when she learns that her envoys drowned which raises questions about the nation’s intentions. Bitterblue takes it upon herself to investigate by venturing to the nation with her two most trusted allies but their journey is quickly derailed by a tragedy that has severe repercussions. Elsewhere, Lovisa Cavenda from Winterkeep could be just the key that Bitterblue is searching for but Lovisa has her own choice to make about whom to become. The books in the series can be read in any order.

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In the thrilling first book in the series Fright Watch, Lorien Lawrence embodies everything you love about frights, chills, and ghost stories. Quinn Parker has neighbors down the street that she’s convinced are strange as they’ve been long-time residents on Goodie Lane and never seem to age which has earned them the nickname: the Oldies. Before her father died, he used to her come up with crazy theories about the Oldies that ranged from aliens to vampires and now she has her heart set on keeping the investigation going in his honor. She turns to her crush (and fellow neighbor) for help digging into the secrets that the Oldies hold. Their search takes a surprising turn when they discover the local pond has its own secrets and comes with shocking answers after the Oldies catch onto their investigation.

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The tavern has been Tanya’s home since she was a child, and by the time she reached eleven, she even had mastered how to kick out the drunkards. The bar has provided her with a home and allowed her to grow into an empowered confident teenager. She learned to not let anyone take advantage of her and has even come to know how to run the tavern inside out, but the death of her guardian could change everything. Now she may have to watch everything she loves slowly slip away from her and she’ll do whatever it takes to get the bar in her name even it takes a visit to the queen. She embarks on an epic quest where she takes on guards, thieves, and even the presence of a magical feather. Wench is a stunning feminist read that is original, funny, and charming.

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Trouble is a shapeshifter with a problem. They’re running from something that they can’t remember and doing everything they can to stay a step ahead of the StarLeague. Trouble changes their form from blob to puppy to the eventual form of a human boy. They soon find their way onto the ship Hindsight where they find safety even under Captain Astra and learn how to be a human boy. That safety soon comes to an end when a StarLeague cadet enters the ship in search of them which pushes Trouble into an unexpected shapeshifter. Trouble will do whatever it takes to find freedom and a place to call home which leads to a chase across the galaxy in an adventure about finding a family. Sarah Prineas delivers an epic journey about a band of misfits with an unlikely hero at the heart and an adventure that pulls you in from the beginning.

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