10 Books to Read if You Like Harry Potter

I finished Harry Potter and what should I read now? Harry Potter is a ground-breaking series of books full of friendship, fun, and magic. The story follows an orphan boy through his discovery of a magical world. I love the Harry Potter books and read the entire series about once a year. After being part of such an amazing world, it is kind of hard to figure out where to go next. Here are ten series for readers to explore with fantasy novels similar to Harry Potter. The books are in order of maturity/reading level from young readers to young adults.

Midnight for Charlie Bone by Jenny Nimmo

Charlie Bones is a ten-year-old living with his cruel grandmother and her three evil sisters. After finding a photo of a missing person he discovers that he can hear voices in photographs. He learns that his ancestor is a powerful magician, the Red King. Shortly after Charlie goes to Bloor’s Academy, a school for geniuses, to be around other children with magical powers. While exploring hidden rooms and uncovering secrets, he balances new friendships and evades the evil Dr. Bloor.

This is an easy and fast-paced read for grades 3-8. Midnight for Charlie Bone has 416 pages. It is the first book in an eight-book series exploring other members of Charlie’s family and even going back in time. This book has plenty of normal magical gifts and even more unique ones bringing life into this magical world hidden within our own. Check out this post for more about Charlie Bone.

Magyk by Angie Sage

Septimus Heap was born the seventh son of a seventh son but pronounced dead the day he was born by the midwife and stolen. That same night Silas, Septimus’s father, comes across a newborn baby girl in the snow with violet eyes. As the Heaps raise the little girl they named Jenna, they still wonder what happened to their little Septimus. This story is filled with adventure, mystery, mistaken identity and magyk.

Magyk is part of seven book series similar to Harry Potter! Magyk has 564 pages but they are smaller and easy to fly through. Each book uses some Olde English spelling to truly transport the reader to a new world but may not be the best for a struggling speller. A recommended reading level of 3rd grade and up. For more about this book check out this post.

Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief is where mythology comes alive. He thought his biggest problem was trying not to get kicked out of boarding school… again until his art history teacher turned into a mythological fury trying to kill him. To protect him from other mythological attacks, he is sent to Camp Half-Blood filled with other demi-gods. Percy discovers that he is the son of Poseidon. Instantly, he is thrown into a quest to find the master lightning bolt that he supposedly stole.

This book is full of witty down to earth humor that will leave you laughing for all 375 pages. It is the first of the five-book Olympians series. This series is the first of three series involving Percy and his friends. Recommended for grades 3- 7 but fun for all. I love how funny and witty all of Rick Riordan’s books are. Some of his wit reminds me of the witty remarks Rowling sneaks into the Harry Potter books. They always make me laugh with the perfect amount of sarcasm and dad jokes. Even if the story slows down in places I can always count on a good laugh. This is my full review of Percy Jackson and the Olympians here.

Fablehaven by Brandon Mull

Kendra and Seth are staying with their grandparents while their parents go on vacation. Little do they know their grandfather is the caretaker of Fablehaven, a hidden refuge that mystical creatures have been flocking to for centuries to prevent extinction. However, this sanctuary of magic is far from safe. Curiosity and a few broken rules throw Kendra and Seth in the middle of a fight for their lives against the forces of evil. On their journey, they must conquer their fears to save the ones they love.

Fablehaven is full of a range of mystical creatures like trolls, witches, satyrs, and fairies. This is the first of five books and has 351 pages. This book is full of curiosities and problems to solve as Kendra and Seth learn that rules are there for a reason, and aren’t meant to be broken. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the rest of the series as I was immersed in a new world with a new playbook. These books are perfect for readers in grades 3-7. Here is more about Fablehaven.

The Alchemyst: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel by Michael Scott

Sophie and Josh Newman just wanted normal summer jobs. One day while Josh is working at a bookshop a man called Dr. John Dee comes in looking for the Codex, also called the Book of Abraham the Mage. In the middle of everything, Josh sees his boss Nick use magic against the magic-wielding Dee. Dee manages to steal all but two pages of the Codex right out of Josh’s fingers. The Codex holds the recipe for the elixir of life and so much more. Josh and Sophie tracking down the Codex while trying to avert the end of the world.

This is the first in a six-book series where Josh and Sophie meet famous people throughout history. The Alchemyst has 390 pages packed with magic and problem-solving that take the twins all over the world. Recommended for 6th-12th grades. These books are great. I really liked how I was learning about history and various mythologies while enjoying this action-packed adventure. The Alchemyst, along with the rest of the series, will make you think alongside the protagonists as they try and figure out who the bad guy is and what to do about it. See here for more about The Alchemyst.

Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25 by Richard Paul Evans

Michael Vey looks like a normal fourteen-year-old boy, except for the occasional stutter from Tourette’s Syndrome. But he is far from ordinary with his electrical powers. He thought that he was unique but then he discovers that a cheerleader named Taylor has similar powers. They decide to team up with Michael’s best friend to discover where their powers came from and why they can manipulate electricity. The team learns how to work together as they face large moral decisions.

This book has a unique take on powers and helps us to look at the world through the lens of an outsider. This is the first of a seven-book series recommended for grades 6-12. Michael Vey is a gripping page-turner filled with adventure. The first book has 326 pages. I really liked how Evans made their superpowers realist. Obviously manipulating electricity isn’t a real thing, but I like how he explains it all simply, so the powers are believable. Evans’ writing style allows us to relate to everything that Michael is going through as he tries and fails to fit in at school but ends up finding his true mission in the end. Check out this post for more about this Michael Vey novel.

Mistborn: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson

The Final Empire is set in a dystopian society where they have been ruled by a tyrant emperor for over a thousand years. The sun hasn’t been seen in a thousand years and ash falls constantly from the sky making food hard to come by. An Allomancer (someone who can use metal magic) and his apprentice pull an Eliza Doolittle as they infiltrate the very society they are bent on bringing down to restore justice and bring back the sun.

This is the first of a six-book series bringing rules and physics into magic. There is violence in this book that progresses throughout the series, as they fight a war. If you have read all the Harry Potter series, you will be fine with the amount of violence in these books. The Final Empire has 541 pages. I highly recommend this one because of the down-to-earth characters and how genuine each character is. I especially liked the version of magic used in this world. It is unique and drew me into the world even more. This is an amazing book and I would definitely re-read it (I never re-read a book unless it’s super good!). For a more in-depth look into The Final Empire check out this post.

Eragon by Christopher Paolini

If you weren’t a fan of the Eragon movie don’t worry the movie is way better! Eragon is a fifteen-year-old farm boy with a huge destiny. One day while out hunting a blue dragon egg appears before him and changes his life forever. The Ra’zac -servants of the evil king- destroy his home and family. Eragon must flee for his life with the town storyteller. As Eragon learns what it means to be a Dragon Rider, he attempts to master magic. Each choice that he makes could either save the empire or destroy it.

Eragon is a classic good vs evil story as he must grow up and learn how to control his emotions. He also comes to see that his actions have consequences. This is the first of four books. Each of them is quite large (this one has 513 pages) but they are full of surprising twists and turns.

It’s cool how we learn alongside Eragon as he becomes a Dragon Rider. I liked seeing Eragon master magic just like Harry Potter. I own the entire Inheritance series and highly recommend it to all fantasy lovers. It has a reading level of grade 6 and up. Here is more about this book.

The City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

When fifteen-year-old Clary walks out of the Pandemonium Club in New York City the last thing she expected was to witness a murder. Even stranger the murderers are a group of teenagers covered in tattoos wielding weird weapons. But the mystery surrounding the event deepens when the body disappears leaving no trace of what happened. Within a day Clary Fray is pulled into the world of Shadowhunters – warriors tasked with getting rid of demons on the earth – when her mother is kidnapped and she is attacked by a demon. The question though is why are demons interested in Clary and her mother and how was a normal person born with the ability to see them.

The City of Bones is 485 pages of page-turning, fast-paced action. There is no slow moment for Clary as she is dumped into a new world full of vampires, warlocks, fairies, and more. It also has a love triangle, complete with one jerk and someone stuck in the friend zone. This was one of the first books that I ever bought because I loved it so much. There are so many intricate details woven throughout the entire series that you have to read them more than once. This is the first of six books with other series also exploring the world of the Shadowhunters. There is no adult content and is recommended for grades 9 and up. For more information check out my review.

Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card

Ender’s Game is a militaristic science fiction novel set in the future, and Earth is preparing to stop another alien invasion from happening. Andrew “Ender” Wiggins was born in a world where everyone contributes to defeating the aliens. He is offered a spot in a Battle School in Earth’s orbit to help train the world’s gifted into top-level commanders capable of defeating the aliens during the next invasion. While at the school, Ender rises to the top of his class, and eventually, the school shows his great ability to strategize but it leaves him isolated. Dive into Ender’s brain as he deals with isolation, pressure from teachers, rivalry among peers, and fear of the imminent invasion.

While publishing companies advertise this book for grades 6-12, I would amend it to at least 9th grade because Orson Scott Card was writing for an adult audience and some of the concepts talked about wouldn’t be grasped by younger readers. However, if you have a voracious reader who loves sci-fi let them have it! I loved diving into the mind of a genius and trying to figure out solutions to the unsolvable problems that he was faced with on a regular basis. One caution: the book advocates for violence in response to bullying (and the bully ends up dying). Here is a more in-depth review of Ender’s Game.

Wrap up

Enjoy these amazing books full of magic and friendship. Let me know if you like posts like this one, and what books you want me to do next! What are some of your favorite books to read after a Harry Potter read-a-thon?

Happy Reading!