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Books like Harry Potter

Harry Potter pairs a lonely young hero with a hidden world and a school full of friends and rivals. These six books offer different slices of that appeal, from classic portal fantasy to newer stories of young magic.

Books to read next

  • The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

    C.S. Lewis

    Four siblings step through a wardrobe into a land locked in winter, in a short classic for younger readers.

  • The Lightning Thief

    Rick Riordan

    A 12-year-old learns he is the son of a Greek god and is sent to a camp for young demigods, in a brisk adventure.

  • A Wizard of Earthsea

    Ursula K. Le Guin

    A gifted boy trains at a school for wizards on an island, in a quieter and more serious story that adults read too.

  • Howl's Moving Castle

    Diana Wynne Jones

    A young woman cursed with old age takes a job in a wizard's walking castle, in a comic and inventive tale.

  • The Graveyard Book

    Neil Gaiman

    A boy is raised by a graveyard's ghosts after his family is killed, in an eerier tale with plenty of humor.

  • Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow

    Jessica Townsend

    A girl believed to be cursed is whisked away to a magical city to compete for a place in a secret society.

How to choose

Start with what you miss most. If it is the thrill of stepping into another world, try The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe or Nevermoor. If it is school life and friendship, The Lightning Thief and A Wizard of Earthsea are the nearest fits, though Earthsea is quieter and more serious. For humor and odd, memorable characters, choose Howl's Moving Castle. When you want something eerier, pick The Graveyard Book, which opens with a murder. Five of the six begin a series, so you can stop after one volume or keep going. Reading with a child? The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, The Lightning Thief and Nevermoor are written for younger readers, and The Graveyard Book is the spookiest of the group.

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