If your kid lives in Minecraft and turns into a statue when handed a traditional book, Mob Squad is a reliable bridge. Delilah S. Dawson takes the game's sandbox logic and turns it into a legitimate adventure about four misfit friends who leave their hyper-cautious village to explore the Overworld.

It isn't high literary fantasy, but it does not try to be. The story moves quickly, hits familiar mob encounters, and gives kids a fun reason to practice reading stamina or listen along to the audiobook.