Books Like Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

Jessica Townsend

Like Harry, Morrigan Crow is an unloved child swept into a dazzling secret city, where she must pass trials to join a magical society. It has the same mix of wonder, humour and belonging.

Jill Murphy

A shorter, gentler magic-school story about clumsy Mildred Hubble at Miss Cackle's Academy. Fans of Hogwarts classrooms, strict teachers and broomstick mishaps will enjoy its funny, cosy boarding-school charm.

B. B. Alston, Lluïsa Moreno Llort

Amari discovers a secret Bureau of Supernatural Affairs and joins a summer training programme while hunting for her missing brother. It shares Harry's outsider-finds-a-hidden-world energy and puzzle-driven plotting.

C. S. Lewis

Four children step through a wardrobe into Narnia, a land under a wicked witch's spell. Readers who loved Harry's first glimpse of magic will find the same sense of doorway-into-wonder.

J.R.R. Tolkien

An unlikely, home-loving hero is pulled into a quest with wizards, dragons and riddles. Like the Philosopher's Stone, it balances real danger with warmth and humour, perfect for reading aloud.

Ursula K. Le Guin

Young Ged attends a school for wizards and learns that power carries responsibility. For older readers who want a quieter, deeper take on growing up with magic.

Rick Riordan

Percy Jackson learns he is half-god and heads to a training camp, then on a quest with two loyal friends. Its trio dynamic and humour echo Harry, Ron and Hermione closely.

Kelly Barnhill

A girl accidentally filled with magic grows up hidden in a forest with a witch, a swamp monster and a tiny dragon. Like Harry, it's about love protecting a child from darkness.

Jessica Townsend

Wait—this is a sequel; instead try more Townsend only via Nevermoor. Skip.

Neil Gaiman

An orphaned boy whose family was murdered is raised by ghosts in a graveyard, while his family's killer still hunts him. It mirrors Harry's survivor's story with eerie, tender atmosphere.

Roald Dahl

A poor, kind boy escapes a grim home into a fantastical place full of surprises and rule-breaking children. Readers who enjoyed the Dursleys' awfulness will love Dahl's wicked humour.

Trenton Lee Stewart

Four gifted children solve puzzles to infiltrate a sinister school. Fans of Harry's sleuthing around the third-floor corridor will enjoy its clever clues, loyal friendships and steady suspense.