50+ More Diverse Middle Grade Fantasy Novels

Way back in 2017, I started working on a list of diverse MG fantasy novels.  It took three years to compile the first list, and since many books on it begin a series, it has only been growing ever since.  But finding a stopping point was also difficult because I kept coming across more books.  Certainly there were some I’d overlooked or had not been able to access, but there was another reason my list of recommended diverse fantasy novels was quadruple what I’d scraped together five years ago – new releases!

We are living in a time when MG fantasy is rapidly diversifying.  With the success of a few bold publishers and authors, others seem more willing to consider diverse fantasy, or are just interested in market share of an uncornered niche.  Or maybe even, people have been pushing for diversity a long time and the environment is finally right.  I’m not sure why now but this explosion of diverse literature is wonderful.

Today there is no excuse for a fantasy list that does not have even a single book with a character of color, let alone diverse authors.   And there are enough books and series to make not just one, but many lists of diverse MG fantasy!  I did make one change – on this list I included a few white fantasy novels with main characters who had disabilities, were LGBTQ, or had diverse living circumstances. This list also includes books in translation, and a handful of out-of-print but (as of this writing) still obtainable books.