10 Books to Read if You Love Harry Potter

On By Jane @ Greenish BookshelfIn 2019, Book List

Happy Saturday, y’all!

When I thought about what to share in this week’s Saturday Book List, I knew it had to be about Harry Potter.

This is the series that started it all for me. I grew up reading Harry Potter. I was Harry Potter for Halloween before it was cool. I’ve raved about my favorite Harry Potter Fan Sites (my most popular post, actually). I have reviewed all 7 books plus The Cursed Child and Fantastic Beasts: The Screenplay. I just got the Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook for my birthday (it’s so amazing!). And yes, I will be reading at least books 1-3 out loud to my kids when they’re older from my beautiful illustrated editions.

I love Harry Potter!

Now, what do you read when you’ve finished Harry Potter? Here are some of my favorite books for Harry Potter lovers! Enjoy!

Fablehaven Series by Brandon Mull // I absolutely love Fablehaven (just about as much as Harry Potter). It’s a great series about a pair of siblings discovering that their grandparents are caretakers of a magical preserve. Lots of crazy twists, fantastic magic, and great characters!
*Bonus read: Dragonwatch series also by Brandom Mull–a new series set in the Fablehaven universe). Read Fablehaven first then be happy you have more to enjoy!

The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis // I just finished rereading this series and just loved it! These books share the history of the magical land of Narnia including how children from our world play important roles in the fate of Narnia through the ages. I love the beautiful allegorical elements, the memorable characters, and of course, Aslan himself. This is a great series to read aloud too!

The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien // I chose this one instead of Lord of the Rings because it’s a great way to experience Tolkien for the first time. There is more adventure and less history in this book. LOTR is not for the faint of heart and can be hard/slow to read all the way through. This story is a bit simpler following the first adventures of Bilbo Baggins, a hobbit who is recruited as a burglar by a group of dwarves and one familiar wizard to take back their ancestral home: The Lone Mountain. Also, do yourself a favor and skip the 3 part movie series. Read the book, it’s tons better!

The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill // This novel is one of my favorite recent fantasy reads. It’s the story of a girl who is fed moonlight and raised by a witch, a swamp monster, and a very small dragon. Rich in myth and magic, when I first read and reviewed this book, I was blown away by it. Plus, this is the 2017 Newbery Medal winner. A must read for fantasy fans!

Circus Mirandus by Cassie Beasley // I just reviewed this book a few days ago and it’s so good that it belongs on this list. It’s a great coming of age story about a boy with a ridiculously rude great aunt who hates children (sound familiar?) and his discovery that magic and the circus of his grandfather’s stories are both very real. I love the magic, the friendship, and the circus in this book.

The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale // I love everything written by Shannon Hale and this is one of my favorites. The first book in the Books of Bayern series (which is well worth reading in its entirety!), The Goose Girl tells the story of Ani, a princess in hiding as a goose girl and learning to control her power with the wind. One of the most clever, beautiful stories I’ve read.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan // I have only read this original Percy Jackson series, and I really enjoyed it. Like Harry, Percy never knew his father and finds out it wasn’t what he expects…Poseidon, God of the Sea. Percy is swept into the world of the demigods at Camp Half Blood (which feels a bit like Hogwarts). The adventures are frequent and exciting. Plus, you learn a ton about the Greek Gods.

The Secret of Platform 13 by Eva Ibbotson // I loved this book as a kid and loved my reread a few years ago. It’s a children’s novel about a kidnapped prince of a magical kingdom that can only be accessed through a portal in our world (located in a train station, but not called Platform 9 & 3/4) once every nine years. The rescue party of an old wizard, a young hag, an ogre, and a fey must rescue the prince whether he likes it or not. A great book to read aloud to young elementary children!

Half Magic by Edward Eager // Another childhood favorite. Five siblings find a magical coin that grants wishes…but only half at a time. The adventures the ensure are silly and fun as the children try to wish for the right amount and everything gets turned upside down. I haven’t read this one in years–time for a revisit!
*Bonus Read: Five Children and It by E. Nesbit has a similar plot about five children who find a sand fairy that grants them one wish a day with unexpected results.

The Witches by Roald Dahl // I love Roald Dahl and his masterful storytelling. This was one of my favorites as a kid as well. When a young boy discovers the secrets of witches (they are ugly creatures who want to kill all children), he and his grandmother must try to save children everywhere from the witches. A great story with a different twist on witches than in Harry Potter!

What books would you recommend for Harry Potter lovers?

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29 thoughts on “10 Books to Read if You Love Harry Potter”

  2. Kit Dunsmore

    I’m with you regarding the Lord of the Rings. While I am a huge fan, and adore LOTR, I think the Hobbit (book NOT movies) is a great entry into Middle-Earth. I’m looking forward to finding some of these other books. Thanks for the recs.

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  4. I love Harry Potter, although I wasn’t lucky enough to grow up reading the books. I’m super old, so they came out when I was a young mother—I devoured them while (sort of) watching my now 20-year-old son play! Anyway, I adore HP, so this list is a great one for me.

    I’ve read a couple of the Fablehaven books and wasn’t a big fan (although my kids liked them). I’ve read a few of the Bayern books, which I enjoyed, although I’ve yet to finish the series. I need to re-read THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE WARDROBE and then read the rest of Narnia. Oh, and I love THE HOBBIT!

    Right now, I’m reading the first book in The Unwanteds series by Lisa McMann to my daughter. It’s billed as “THE HUNGER GAMES meets Harry Potter”, but it’s much more of the latter in my opinion. I feel like it’s a bit of a rip-off, but my daughter is TOTALLY captivated by the novel’s Hogwarts-ish setting. Have you read The Unwanteds? I’m curious what you think of it if you have …

    Susan
    http://www.blogginboutbooks.com

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    1. Thanks so much for your comment, Susan! Glad you are a fellow Harry Potter fan 🙂

      I’m sad to hear you didn’t like Fablehaven as much. Hope you can finish the Bayern books! And if you read one series on my list, make it Narnia!! I just reread the full series the last few months and I am reminded of how fantastic they are!

      I haven’t read Unwanteds yet. But I’m intrigued by your description. Thanks!

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  6. momslovelearning

    Thanks for the reading tips. My daughter is learning to read and I am thinking about which books I could buy for her. These are very good ideas. And I love Harry Potter too.

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  8. mphtheatregirl

    I am a Harry Potter fan.

    Read the Percy Jackson series in middle school- was always a fan of mythology. Love that series.

    Actually, became a fan of Narnia while at the same time I was becoming a Harry Potter fan- became a fan of both through the movies.

    Also love the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings books

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            4. mphtheatregirl

              I don’t even remember when I first read The Hobbit and all 3 Lord of the Rings books- either in High School or my years in Community College. Cannot believe I didn’t watch them sooner.

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  9. Great list! I love Eva Ibbotson and Edward Eager.

    Some additions:
    Dark Lord of Derkholm and Year of the Griffin by Diana Wynne Jones
    The Evil Wizard Smallbone by Delia Sherman
    Krabat and the Sorcerer’s Mill by Ottfried Preussler

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