Skyward is a total win. It's rare to find a book that hits this hard on the 'fun' factor while still having something meaningful to say about courage and social stigma.

It avoids the typical 'chosen one' tropes by making the hero work for every single inch of progress. It’s clean enough that you don’t have to worry about 'surprises,' but sophisticated enough that you might end up stealing it from your kid's nightstand to finish it yourself.