Has your child finished reading the Harry Potter series and is already asking “what next?” It’s always a bittersweet moment for a young reader to reach the end of a series they’ve fallen in love with. The good news is there’s a whole world of magical, adventure-filled books waiting for them.
If your child has been swept up in J.K. Rowling’s mysterious wizarding world, they’ll love these other books like Harry Potter that we’ve picked out below. Most of these are part of a series too, so there should be plenty to keep them reading for months to come.
Sign up for our free monthly newsletter stuffed full of ideas, competitions and offers. PS Did we mention it’s free?
You May Also Enjoy: 30 Amazing Books for Kids Who Love David Walliams
Exciting Books Like Harry Potter
The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani
The School for Good and Evil is the first of a five-book series. In the first book, best friends Sophie and Agatha discover where all the lost children go: the fabled School for Good & Evil, where ordinary boys and girls are trained to be fairy tale heroes and villains.
Continue with the rest of the series: A World without Princes, The Last Ever After, Quests for Glory and A Crystal of Time.
Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend
Morrigan Crow is cursed. Born on an unlucky day, she is blamed for all local misfortunes, from hailstorms to heart attacks — and, worst of all, the curse means Morrigan is doomed to die at midnight on Eventide. But as Morrigan awaits her fate, a strange and remarkable man named Jupiter North appears.
Chased by black-smoke hounds and shadowy hunters on horseback, he whisks her away into the safety of a secret, magical city called Nevermoor. There, Morrigan discovers Jupiter has chosen her to contend for a place in the city’s most prestigious organisation: the Wundrous Society.
Read the follow-on book, Wundersmith: The Calling of Morrigan Crow.
A Place Called Perfect by Helena Duggan
Violet never wanted to move to Perfect. Who wants to live in a town where everyone has to wear glasses to stop them going blind? And who wants to be neat, tidy and perfectly behaved all the time?
But Violet quickly discovers something weird going on — she keeps hearing noises in the night, her mum is acting strange, and her dad has disappeared. When she meets Boy, she realises her dad is not the only person to have been stolen away, and that the mysterious Watchers are guarding a perfectly creepy secret.
Read The Trouble with Perfect next.
You May Also Enjoy: 20 Brilliant Books to Celebrate Bold Girls
The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart
The Mysterious Benedict Society is the first of a trilogy. When a peculiar advertisement appears in the newspaper for children to take part in a secret mission, children everywhere sit a series of mysterious tests. In the end, just four children succeed: Reynie, Kate, Sticky and Constance.
They have three things in common: they are all honest, all remarkably talented, and all orphans. They must go undercover at the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened, where the only rule is that there are no rules, and work as a team to save not only themselves but the world outside the walls.
Read the follow-on books, The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey and The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner’s Dilemma.
Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer
Just twelve years old, Artemis Fowl is already a criminal genius, plotting to restore his family’s fortune with a spot of corruption and kidnapping. Kidnapping a fairy for ransom, to be precise.
Artemis Fowl has discovered a world below ground of armed, dangerous and extremely high-tech fairies. But he may have underestimated their powers. They will fight back. Is the boy about to trigger a cross-species war?
There are seven further Artemis Fowl books to read next.
A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin
The first of the Earthsea trilogy, A Wizard of Earthsea tells the story of Ged, the greatest sorcerer in Earthsea, who in his youth was the reckless Sparrowhawk.
In his hunger for power and knowledge, he tampered with long-held secrets and loosed a terrible shadow upon the world. This is the tumultuous tale of his testing, how he mastered the mighty words of power, tamed an ancient dragon, and crossed death’s threshold to restore the balance.
If you’re looking for more, read The Tombs of Atuan and The Farthest Shore afterwards.
Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief is the first bestselling book in Rick Riordan’s phenomenally successful Percy Jackson series.
After a harrowing school trip cut short by a series of incidents, including being attacked by the Minotaur, Percy Jackson finds himself at Camp Half-Blood, a training camp for demigods like him. He discovers he is a demigod, son of Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea.
Percy also learns that the Greek gods are accusing him of stealing Zeus’ master lightning bolt, the most powerful weapon in the world. To clear his name, save the world from another war between the Olympian gods, and maybe even save his mother, Percy sets out to retrieve the bolt from Hades, who is suspected of being the real thief.
The Uncommoners #1: The Crooked Sixpence by Jennifer Bell
In The Uncommoners, you’ll find a world where nothing is quite as it seems. When their grandmother Sylvie is rushed to hospital, Ivy Sparrow and her annoying big brother Seb cannot imagine what adventure lies in store. Soon their house is ransacked by unknown intruders, and a very strange policeman turns up on the scene, determined to apprehend them with a toilet brush.
Ivy and Seb make their escape only to find themselves in a completely uncommon world, a secret underground city called Lundinor where ordinary objects have amazing powers. But the forces of evil are closing in fast, and when Ivy and Seb learn their family is connected to one of the greatest uncommon treasures of all time, they must race to unearth it before it’s too late.
Enjoy The Smoking Hourglass and The Frozen Telescope next.
The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
The Golden Compass is the first of the His Dark Materials series. Lyra is rushing to the cold, far North, where witch clans and armoured bears rule. North, where the Gobblers take the children they steal, including her friend Roger. North, where her fearsome uncle Asriel is trying to build a bridge to a parallel world.
Can one small girl make a difference in such great and terrible endeavours? Lyra is a savage, a schemer, a liar, and as fierce and true a champion as Roger or Asriel could want. But what Lyra doesn’t know is that to help one of them will be to betray the other.
After you’ve finished The Golden Compass, continue with The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass.
The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is actually the second book in C.S. Lewis’s classic fantasy series, which has been enchanting readers of all ages for over sixty years, but it’s a good starting book as it introduces four adventurous siblings: Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy Pevensie.
The brothers and sisters step through a wardrobe door and into the land of Narnia, a land frozen in eternal winter and enslaved by the power of the White Witch. But when almost all hope is lost, the return of the great lion Aslan signals a great change, and a great sacrifice.
This is a stand-alone novel, but if you want to return to Narnia, there are seven books in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew; The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe; The Horse and His Boy; Prince Caspian; The Voyage of the Dawn Treader; The Silver Chair; and The Last Battle.
You May Also Enjoy: 10 of the Most Highly Recommended Kids’ Books by Age
Winterling by Sarah Prineas
In Winterling, you’ll meet Fer. With her boundless curiosity and wild spirit, Fer has always felt she doesn’t belong. Not when the forest is calling to her, when the rush of wind through branches feels more real than school or the quiet farms near her house. Then she saves an injured creature — he looks like a boy, but he’s really something else. He knows who Fer truly is and invites her through the Way, a passage to a strange, dangerous land.
Fer feels an instant attachment to this realm, where magic is real and oaths forge bonds stronger than iron. But a powerful huntress named the Mor rules here, and Fer can sense the land is perilously out of balance. Fer must unlock the secrets about the parents she never knew and claim her true place before the worlds on both sides of the Way descend into endless winter.
The follow-on books are Summerkin and Moonkind.
The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
A modern classic, The Phantom Tollbooth is an ingenious fantasy centred around Milo, a bored ten-year-old who comes home to find a large toy tollbooth sitting in his room.
Joining forces with a watchdog named Tock, Milo drives through the tollbooth’s gates and begins a memorable journey. He meets characters such as the foolish yet lovable Humbug, the Mathemagician, and the not-so-wicked “Which,” Faintly Macabre, who gives Milo the “impossible” mission of returning two princesses to the Kingdom of Wisdom.
You May Also Enjoy: 10 of the Coolest Classic Books for Teens
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
A Wrinkle in Time is a groundbreaking science fiction and fantasy classic, later adapted into a film starring Oprah Winfrey and Reese Witherspoon.
It was a dark and stormy night; Meg Murry, her small brother Charles Wallace, and her mother had come down to the kitchen for a midnight snack when they were interrupted by the arrival of a most disturbing stranger. “Wild nights are my glory,” the unearthly stranger told them. “I just got caught in a downdraft and blown off course. Let me sit down for a moment, and then I’ll be on my way. Speaking of ways, by the way, there is such a thing as a tesseract.”
The Time Quintet consists of A Wrinkle in Time, A Wind in the Door, A Swiftly Tilting Planet, Many Waters and An Acceptable Time.
The Sisters Grimm: The Fairy Tale Detectives by Michael Buckley
In the first book of this nine-book series, orphaned sisters Sabrina and Daphne are sent to live with their recently discovered grandmother, Relda Grimm. The girls learn they are descendants of the Brothers Grimm, whose famous book of fairy tales is actually a history book.
The girls are pitted against a giant who has been rampaging through town. But who set the giant loose in the first place? Was it Mayor Charming (formerly Prince Charming), who has plans to get his kingdom back? The Three Not-So-Little Pigs, now working as police officers? Or a giant-killer named Jack, currently working at a Big & Tall store?
The rest of the series includes The Unusual Suspects, The Problem Child, Once Upon a Crime, Magic and Other Misdemeanors, Tales from The Hood, The Everafter War, The Inside Story and The Council of Mirrors.
Ranger’s Apprentice: The Ruins of Gorlan by John Flanagan
The Rangers have always scared Will — with their dark cloaks and shadowy ways, the villagers believe they practise magic that makes them invisible to ordinary people. And now 15-year-old Will, always small for his age, has been chosen as a Ranger’s apprentice.
What he doesn’t yet realise is that the Rangers are the protectors of the kingdom. Highly trained in the skills of battle and surveillance, they fight the battles before the battles reach the people. And as Will is about to learn, there is a large battle brewing: the exiled Morgarath, Lord of the Mountains of Rain and Night, is gathering his forces for an attack on the kingdom. This time, he will not be denied.
There are a further 11 books in the Ranger’s Apprentice series to enjoy.
The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen
The False Prince is the first book in the Ascendance Trilogy. In a discontent kingdom, civil war is brewing. To unify the divided people, Conner, a nobleman of the court, devises a cunning plan to find an impersonator of the king’s long-lost son and install him as a puppet prince.
Four orphans are recruited to compete for the role, including a defiant boy named Sage. Sage knows Conner’s motives are more than questionable, yet his life balances on a sword’s point; he must be chosen to play the prince or he will certainly be killed. But Sage’s rivals have their own agendas too.
Then enjoy The Runaway King and The Shadow Throne.
Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
Sophie has the great misfortune of being the eldest of three daughters, destined to fail miserably should she ever leave home to seek her fate. But when she unwittingly attracts the ire of the Witch of the Waste, Sophie finds herself under a horrid spell that transforms her into an old lady. Her only chance at breaking it lies in the ever-moving castle in the hills: the Wizard Howl’s castle.
To untangle the enchantment, Sophie must handle the heartless Howl, strike a bargain with a fire demon, and meet the Witch of the Waste head-on. Along the way, she discovers there’s far more to Howl — and herself — than first meets the eye.
The book was also adapted into a beautiful animated film by Studio Ghibli’s Hayao Miyazaki. Watch the trailer here:
Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
Inkheart is the first of the Inkheart Trilogy. Meggie loves books. So does her father, Mo, a bookbinder, although he has never read aloud to her since her mother mysteriously disappeared.
They live quietly until the night a stranger knocks at their door. He has come with a warning that forces Mo to reveal an extraordinary secret — a storytelling secret that will change their lives forever.
Follow on with Inkspell and Inkdeath.
The Fire Within by Chris D’Lacey
The Fire Within is the first of the Last Dragon Chronicles. When David moves in with Liz and Lucy, he discovers a collection of handcrafted clay dragons that comes to life and has magical powers. David’s personalised dragon, Gadzooks, can forecast the future and inspires him to write a story that reveals the truth behind an unsolved mystery close to home. The story has an unhappy ending, and when David realises the consequences of it, he is angry.
Then David finds Gadzooks crying and near death, and discovers that these special dragons die when they are not loved. Soon David is forced to save his friend and unlock the powers of the fire within.
The series continues with Icefire, Fire Star, The Fire Eternal, Dark Fire, Fire World and The Fire Ascending.
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
Now a classic, The Hobbit is a tale of high adventure, undertaken by a company of dwarves in search of dragon-guarded gold. A reluctant partner in this perilous quest is Bilbo Baggins, a comfort-loving, unambitious hobbit, who surprises even himself with his resourcefulness and skill as a burglar.
Encounters with trolls, goblins, dwarves, elves and giant spiders, conversations with the dragon Smaug, and a rather unwilling presence at the Battle of Five Armies are just some of the adventures that befall Bilbo. Bilbo Baggins has taken his place among the ranks of the immortals of children’s fiction.
For older kids, they can move onto The Lord of the Rings trilogy next.
Eragon by Christopher Paolini
Eragon is the first book in the Inheritance series. When poor farm boy Eragon finds a polished stone in the forest, he thinks it’s a lucky discovery. Perhaps he will be able to buy his family food for the winter.
But when a baby dragon hatches out of the stone, Eragon realises he’s stumbled upon a legacy nearly as old as the Empire itself. His simple life is shattered, and he’s thrust into a perilous new world of destiny, magic and power. To navigate this dark terrain and survive his cruel king’s evil ways, he must take up the mantle of the legendary Dragon Riders.
Enjoy Eldest, Brisingr and Inheritance next in the series.
Magisterium: The Iron Trial by Holly Black & Cassandra Clare
Think you know magic? Think again. In The Iron Trial, the first book in the Magisterium series, Callum Hunt has grown up believing magic is something to fear, not embrace. His father has always warned him to fail his entrance exam to the Magisterium on purpose. But despite his best efforts, Call is chosen as an apprentice, drawn into the mysterious underground world of the Magisterium alongside two other students, Aaron and Tamara.
As Call settles into his new life, he begins to uncover secrets about the Magisterium, his past, and himself that will change everything he thought he knew about magic and his place in it.
Enjoy the rest of the Magisterium series next.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should my child read after finishing Harry Potter?
Look for other fantasy or adventure series with strong world-building and a young hero at the centre, such as Percy Jackson, Nevermoor, Artemis Fowl or The School for Good and Evil. Series are a great choice, as they give your child plenty more to look forward to once they’re hooked.
Are these books suitable for the same age group as Harry Potter?
Most of the books on this list suit readers roughly aged 9 and up, similar to the Harry Potter series, though some (like A Wrinkle in Time and The Phantom Tollbooth) work well for slightly younger confident readers, and others (like The Hobbit and Eragon) suit older children and teens. It’s worth checking the reading level and themes of any book against your own child’s age and interests before buying.
Do I need to read these books in order?
Yes, in almost every case these are part of a series that follows on in sequence, so it’s best to start with the first book listed for each author before moving on to the sequels.
Are these books available in libraries as well as to buy?
Many of these titles are popular choices in school and public libraries, so it’s always worth checking with your local library before buying, especially if your child wants to try a new series before committing to it.
Related Articles You Might Enjoy
- 30 Amazing Books for Kids Who Love David Walliams
- 20 Brilliant Books to Celebrate Bold Girls
- 10 of the Most Highly Recommended Kids’ Books by Age
- 10 of the Coolest Classic Books for Teens
- 50 of the Best Family Movies of All Time
Keep the Reading Adventure Going
Loved this list? Bookmark it or share it with another Harry Potter fan in your life so you’ve got it handy next time you’re stuck for what to read next. Browse our other books and reading round-ups for even more ideas to keep your child turning pages.
Sign up for our free monthly newsletter for more book recommendations, activity ideas, competitions and offers landing straight in your inbox. It’s free, and it’s one more way to keep the good reading suggestions coming.
