The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson
If you want more characters like Melody and Joel...
The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
Orphan Lyra Belacqua's carefree life among the scholars at Oxford's Jordan College is shattered by the arrival of her fearsome uncle, Lord Asriel, who appears with evidence of mystery and danger in the far North, and the near simultaneous kidnapping of her playmate, Roger. All around her, children are disappearing, so Lyra sets out for the top of the world in search of them. And somehow, both Lord Asriel and the woman whom he left to care for Lyra, are involved.
Pullman is a master at combining impeccable characterizations and seamless plotting... - Publishers' Weekly
Orphan Lyra Belacqua's carefree life among the scholars at Oxford's Jordan College is shattered by the arrival of her fearsome uncle, Lord Asriel, who appears with evidence of mystery and danger in the far North, and the near simultaneous kidnapping of her playmate, Roger. All around her, children are disappearing, so Lyra sets out for the top of the world in search of them. And somehow, both Lord Asriel and the woman whom he left to care for Lyra, are involved.
Pullman is a master at combining impeccable characterizations and seamless plotting... - Publishers' Weekly
The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
Over the course of seven novels, the story of Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, unfolds. Originally living with his aunt and uncle after his parents' deaths, Harry is pulled from obscurity in the Muggle world at age 11 and told he is the most famous wizard in the wizarding world, the only wizard to ever have survived the death curse. He attends Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where he makes both friends and enemies, and, in an overarching story of love, friendship, loyalty, moralty, and what it means to be human, learns the truth about his own past and future and faces those truths head on in the form of the evil Lord Voldemort.
Rowling's wonderful ability to put a fantastic spin on sports, student rivalry, and eccentric faculty contributes to the humor, charm, and, well, delight of her utterly captivating story. - Publishers' Weekly
Over the course of seven novels, the story of Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, unfolds. Originally living with his aunt and uncle after his parents' deaths, Harry is pulled from obscurity in the Muggle world at age 11 and told he is the most famous wizard in the wizarding world, the only wizard to ever have survived the death curse. He attends Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where he makes both friends and enemies, and, in an overarching story of love, friendship, loyalty, moralty, and what it means to be human, learns the truth about his own past and future and faces those truths head on in the form of the evil Lord Voldemort.
Rowling's wonderful ability to put a fantastic spin on sports, student rivalry, and eccentric faculty contributes to the humor, charm, and, well, delight of her utterly captivating story. - Publishers' Weekly