Image Credit: Netflix
Ever since Netflix’s Wednesday released in November 2022, my students have been talking non- stop about how much they love the series. This wasn’t much of a surprise for me because I grew up watching The Addam’s Family and Addam’s Family Values, and even as a child, the dark humour always used to send my friends and I into peals of laughter.
For the uninitiated, Wednesday is a binge- worthy series that tells the gripping story of Wednesday Addams. After getting expelled from yet another school, Morticia and Gomez Addams decide to send their first born girl Wednesday to Nevermore Academy, a school that nurtures outcasts, and students with ‘special gifts’. Will Wednesday fit in at Nevermore? You will have to watch the series yourself to find out more. 🙂
Although Netflix has marketed Wednesday as a teen drama series, I personally wouldn’t recommend this show with its flair for macabre to children under 14 years of age. But since many of my young learners have already watched the series, I have curated a list of age- appropriate books for 8-15 year olds. If you have a little Wednesday fan at home, these books would be right up their alley.
by Charis Cotter
Let’s start the list with a mystery for 9-12 year olds. Alice and her mother move in to the strange Blackwood House as her mother takes a job as a live- in nurse to a wealthy older woman. Is the house really haunted, as the housekeeper’s daughter had warned Alice? When she finds a dollhouse replica of Blackwood House with dolls that look like real girls inside it, Alice becomes obsessed with solving their mystery.
by Joe Hill; illustrated by Gabriel Rodriguez
I discovered Locke & Key as a Netflix Original series of the same name first, and remember binge- watching season 1 with my siblings. My genuine curiosity to find out what happens after S1 led me to this series of books for ages 13 and above, that tell the sprawling tale of a house full of secrets. After the death of their father under mysterious circumstances, the three Locke siblings and their mother move into their ancestral house, Keyhouse, which they discover, is full of magical keys. Are the keys connected to their father’s death? This captivating story is sure to keep your young reader engrossed in the world of the keys in no time!
Access the complete series here.
by M.A. Larson
A girl from the forest, who has no recollection of who she is, arrives in a bustling kingdom with no name, only to find herself at the centre of a world at war. She enlists at Pennyroyal Academy, where princesses and knights are trained to battle the two great menaces of the day: witches and dragons. Set in Grimm’s fairytale world, M.A Larson’s series masterfully combines adventure, horror, suspense and mischief. If your child is a Nevermore fan, this is the perfect book for them! I would recommend this book for ages 11 and above.
by Sophie Escabasse
If your little one is under 13 years of age, I would recommend this book for them. Could there really be witches in Brooklyn? This graphic novel tells the story of Effie, and how her life turns around when she discovers magic runs in the family! With new friends who will do whatever they can to be there for her, a cursed pop-star, and her magically-inclined aunts– Effie’s life is about to get interesting.
Access the set of the first three books in the series here.
by Jilly Murphy
The Worst Witch is a series of illustrated books that tell the story of Mildred Hubble, a young witch who attends Miss Cackle’s Academy for Witches, a school of magic. Although well-meaning, Mildred’s clumsy personality leads the girl to disastrous situations, and she is thus considered the worst student in the school. These books would be a perfect addition to your library if your little one is above 8 years, and loves all things magic, fantasy and humour.
Access a set of eight The Worst Witch books here.
a creative writing course on fantasy fiction for young learners
Last but not the least, I also wanted to add my 5-day course on fantasy fiction writing for 9-12 year olds to the list. If your child would enjoy any of the titles mentioned above, they would surely have an amazingly fun time at The Dark Forest course. In this program, children get to create their own fantastical worlds, mythical characters, magic systems and even a language of their own! The course also comes with a meticulously designed workbook to encourage learning beyond the classroom too. If you would like to know more about the course, click here.
