In a land where heroic quests are assigned and undertaken in an orderly manner (with perhaps too much red tape), Peri of the Southern Plains does not play the role of a hero—she merely outfits them for their journeys. . . until she must strike out on an illicit adventure of her own. The Wandering Shop series is a charming illustrated middle-grade fantasy, perfect for fans of The Adventurers Guild and Wilderlore.

THE WANDERING SHOP SERIES: SOCKS & SECRET QUESTS
by Triona Murphy
Atheneum/Simon & Schuster, September 2026
(via Writers House)

Peri has been waiting for her magic to show up . . .

But there’s been no sign of it since she was chosen as an Apprentice Shopkeeper a year ago. Now she travels with a magical shop that equips adventurers for their quests, unsure if she’ll ever do more than stock shelves, mend mittens, and knit non-magical hats that mostly just keep heads warm.

Then a dark wizard kidnaps the Master Shopkeeper, intent on using her power to create an unstoppable army.

To save her master, Peri must leave the cozy shop and seek help from the closest adventuring team, who are really good at arguing and really bad at working together. As Peri’s magic unexpectedly begins to show itself in the items she’s knitting, it’s up to her and her team to stop the dark wizard before war breaks out—or it won’t be just her shop at stake, but the entire kingdom.

Triona Murphy designs (unfortunately non-magical) knitting patterns, which provided the inspiration for Peri’s unique magic. She lives near Portland, Oregon, with her husband and three kids in a house overflowing with board games and books.