A Hat Full of Sky

The second Tiffany Aching book finds eleven-year-old Tiffany apprenticed to the witch Miss Level — and then promptly possessed by a Hiver, a bodiless entity that feeds on powerful minds. Pratchett uses that premise to ask a genuinely hard question: what happens to your identity when something else is driving? It is funny, warm, and philosophically sharper than most adult fiction, and Tiffany herself is one of the most satisfying heroines in middle-grade fantasy. The Nac Mac Feegle provide reliable comic relief without undercutting the emotional stakes. A heads-up for parents: witchcraft is the story's positive, practical backbone. The Hiver threat wraps up a touch quickly, but that is a small complaint. Discworld newcomers may want to start with The Wee Free Men, but this earns its place on any fantasy shelf.