Vancouver Public Library

If You Liked Harry Potter, You Will Like These

Harry Potter fans worldwide have discovered the joy of fantasy and how it can sweep you away into wondrous worlds where often amazing adventures await.

The following fantasies include those rich in the humour and playful language found in Rowling's books while others are classics like Alice in Wonderland or fine examples of heroic fantasy where serious battles are waged between good and evil. Enjoy! Note that there are many other fine fantasies, especially in the time travel, miniature world and animal fantasy sub-genres, which are not on this list.

	Alchemy Mahy, Margaret YA FIC At once romantic and tender, scary and thrilling, this fantasy by New Zealand's favourite author ends with a powerful battle of magic. Her amazing novel The Changeover: a Supernatural Romance has teen characters with equally wondrous special abilities.
	The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents Pratchett, Terry J FIC An industrious cat hatches the ultimate Pied Piper of Hamelin scheme when he trains rats to infest small towns. Readers young and old will appreciate Terry Pratchett’s uproarious wit and a nod to the classic rat fairy tale.
	Artemis Fowl Colfer, Eoin J FIC When a twelve-year-old evil genius tries to restore his family fortune by capturing a fairy and demanding a ransom in gold, the fairies fight back with magic, technology, and a particularly nasty troll.
	Arthur : The Seeing Stone Crossley-Holland, Kevin J FIC A magical stone allows a boy named Arthur living in the Middle Ages to see the events that shaped the life of the legendary King Arthur. This compelling series is told with simplicity and grace. Sequel: At the Crossing Places.
	Awful End Ardagh, Philip J FIC When eleven-year-old Eddie Dickens's ill parents become "a bit crinkly round the edges," he is taken by his great-uncle and great-aunt, Mad Uncle Jack and Mad Aunt Maude, and embarks on adventures that involve strolling actors, St. Horrid's Home for Grateful Orphans, and a carnival float shaped like a giant cow.
	The Bad Beginning Snicket, Lemony J FIC Oh, woe! What terrible trials befall the Baudelaire orphans in this first title in the very popular melodrama, Series of Unfortunate Events. Latest in the series is The Carnivorous Carnival.
	Beast Napoli, Donna Jo YA FIC A rich and romantic retelling of Beauty and the Beast from the Beast's perspective. Napoli has also worked her magic to bring old stories new life in Spinners, Sirena, and Zel.
	Beyond the Deepwoods Stewart, Paul J FIC First in the exciting Edge Chronicles series. Funny, inventive and action-packed, boys especially will identify with the orphan Twig as he battles goblins, trogs and myriad monsters of the fiendish kind. Imaginative illustrations throughout by Chris Riddell. Sequels: Stormchaser, Midnight over Sanctaphrax, Curse of the Gloamglozer, Last of the Sky Pirates and Vox.
	Blat Magic Stephens, Michael J FIC The Blats may be small but their magical abilities make them formidable. Adopted by a sorcerer and raised among the Blats, Pinguel (a Titan, but not much bigger than a Blat) grows up to lead an incredible band of heroes against the evil Duke Pinchie and his fierce Knights of Work. Other titles in this fun-filled Australian series: A Flock of Blats and Titans!
	The Blood-and-Thunder Adventure on Hurricane Peak Mahy, Margaret J FIC Delightful silliness at the Unexpected School, high atop Hurricane Peak, where magic is taught instead of maths and science, and where villains and wizards, talking cats, and kids with too much imagination find themselves in a truly 'blood-and-thunder' adventure. Blood-and-Thunder Adventure on Hurricane Peak.
	The Blue Sword McKinley, Robin YA FIC First an orphan, then a hero, Harry Crewe is a young woman of great courage and resourcefulness. In the kingdom of Damar, she rides into legend, blue sword at her side. In the prequel, The Hero and the Crown, Princess Aeria wields the same sword to slay a dragon and save her kingdom.
	Dangerous Games Aiken, Joan J FIC Her mission to bring an expert on games back to an ailing King James III in London takes Dido Twite to a small tropical island, where she is caught up in the conflict between a conniving city dweller and the more subtle powers of the native forest people.
	The Dark is Rising Cooper, Susan J FIC On his eleventh birthday Will Stanton discovers that he is the last of the Old Ones, destined to seek the six magical Signs that will enable the Old Ones to triumph over the evil forces of the Dark.
	The Dark Lord of Derkholm Jones, Diana Wynne YA FIC An unconventional family of sorcerers, both human and griffin, rather haphazardly save their world from the evil sway of a nasty businessman. Funny, original and hard to put down. Follow this with Year of the Griffin and enter the mayhem of Elda's first year at Wizards' University.
	Dealing with Dragons Wrede, Patricia J FIC Spunky Princess Cimorene volunteers to be captured by a dragon rather than marry an undeserving prince. There are three other titles in The Enchanted Forest Chronicles.
	Dragon's Blood Yolen, Jane YA FIC First in a fantasy series set on the planet Austar IV, where dragons are trained to fight in gaming pits. A young slave named Jakkin aspires to train his own winning dragon and to buy his freedom. Sequels: Heart's Blood and A Sending of Dragons.
	The Dragonslayers Coville, Bruce J FIC A brave squire, an earnest page, and a strong-willed princess set out, each for individual reasons, to try to slay the dragon created to carry out a witch's revenge.
	Dragonsong McCaffrey, Anne YA FIC On the planet Pern, humans can telepathically bond with dragons. In this series, young musicians train under a Masterharper who helps them sharpen their musical gifts and use them to communicate with dragons. Sequels: Dagonsinger and Dragondrums.
	The Fall Nix, Garth J FIC First in a very exciting, original fantasy series which tells the story of Tal and his adventures among the Selski people in search of another Sunstone to restore his family's place among the privileged "Chosen". Escaping outside the darkness of his people's tower world, he discovers many secrets and obstacles! The series is called Seventh Tower and includes: The Castle, Aenir, Above the Veil, Into Battle, and The Violet Keystone.
	Five Children and It Nesbit, E. J FIC The classic Watch-what-you-wish-for story. The Psammead proves a tricky playmate, but what marvelous adventures result! Sequels: The Phoenix and the Carpet and The Story of the Amulet.
	The Folk Keeper Billingsley, Franny YA FIC Orphan Corinna disguises herself as a boy to pose as a Folk Keeper, one who keeps the Evil Folk at bay, and discovers her heritage as a seal maiden when she is taken to live with a wealthy family in their manor by the sea.
	The Golden Compass Pullman, Phillip YA FIC Lyra Belacqua leaves the security of Oxford and follows Lord Asriel into the vast Arctic in search of the mysterious elemental dust. As she moves ever northward, Lyra uncovers an insidious experiment on kidnapped children. A sweeping tale with a large cast of remarkable characters.
	Half Magic Eager, Edward J FIC Jane, Mark, Katharine and Martha are delighted to find a magic coin, but dismayed when the coin grants them only half of every wish they make. Seven-Day Magic is fun, too.
	Hob and the Goblins Mayne, William J FIC Hob is an engaging and helpful house spirit, visible only to children, animals and other spirits. He has his eccentricities, including living in his cutch, or cupboard, under the stairs, expecting rewards for his good work at the end of the day, and leaving a household if he ever is given clothes. Other titles include The Book of Hob Stories and Hob and the Peddler.
	The Hobbit Tolkien, J. R. R. J FIC Be swept away into the world of Bilbo Baggins, an ordinary hobbit with little taste for adventure - but what grand adventures he has! This is heroic fantasy at its best. The saga continues in The Lord of The Rings trilogy, each volume harder to put down than the last.
	The Hounds of the Morrigan O'Shea, Pat YA FIC In this long, lavish and funny story you will follow the misadventures of young Pidge and his sister Brigit as they are harried from place to place by hounds and the two wicked assistants of the evil Queen Morrigan.
	Howl's Moving Castle Jones, Diana Wynne YA FIC Howl is a young wizard of great talent. He can keep his fire demon Calcifer in check, move his home about the countryside at will and perform terrifying feats of wizardry, but he meets his match in a young shopkeeper named Sophie.
	The Hunter's Moon Melling, O. R. YA FIC Gwenhyvar and Findabhair travel to Ireland to seek the truths of the Faerie myths. When they knowingly spend the night in a sacred mound, Gwen awakens alone; Findabhair has been captured by the King of Faerie. Sequels in the Chronicles of Faerie series are: The Summer King, The Light-bearer's Daughter, and The Book of Dreams.
	The Last Unicorn Beagle, Peter S. YA FIC A wise and wondrous tale of the last unicorn's search for others of her kind. A spoof on fantasy while being one of the best ever written. Giant Bones would also be a treat.
	The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe Lewis, C. S. J FIC Four English schoolchildren walk through the back of a magical wardrobe into the land of Narnia, where they help Aslan, the Great Lion, in his battle against the evil of the White Witch. There are seven titles in this classic fantasy series.
	Magic Steps Pierce, Tamora YA FIC If Hermione is your favourite Potter character, you'll like the strong young heroines in this series, The Circle Opens. The young sorcerers of the Circle of Magic are finding apprentices to train in their magical arts. Pierce's Lioness series about Alanna and The Immortals series about Daine will also appeal.
	The Magicians of Caprona Jones, Diana Wynne J FIC When an evil enchantress tries to destroy Caprona, two young children and the wizard Chrestomanci join forces to defeat her. A gorgeous concoction of humour, suspense and romance. There are many other madcap magical adventures in the "Worlds of Chrestomanci" series.
	Matilda Dahl, Roald J FIC Matilda applies her untapped mental powers to rid the school of the evil, child-hating headmistress, Miss Trunchbull, and restore her nice teacher, Miss Honey, to financial security.
	Midnight for Charlie Bone Nimmo, Jenny J FIC First in a new series about a boy named Charlie Bone who has magical abilities. Like Harry, he attends boarding school, has nasty relatives and must use his powers to counter evil plots but Charlie is a likeable character in his own right and his story is compelling. Sequel is Time Twisters.
	Mortal Engines Reeve, Philip YA FIC SF An award-winning ingenious fantasy set in a bizarre "town-eat-town" world where the floating, moveable City of London battles it out with the Anti-traction League. Each chapter is a cliff-hanger.
	Obernewtyn Carmody, Isobelle YA FIC In a post-apocalypse world where mutants are burned, Elspeth's awakened mental powers are a danger and a precious gift. Arriving at the mysterious mountain keep of Obernewtyn, she finds answers and purpose. Other titles in this exciting Australian series are The Farseekers, Ashling, and The Keeping Place.
	On Fortune's Wheel Voigt, Cynthia YA FIC A rich, sophisticated tale of an innkeeper's daughter who meets and falls in love with a young runaway earl. As she travels with him, they overcome many hardships, eventually finding freedom and happiness. The Wings of a Falcon, Jackaroo, and Elske also take place in this land, The Kingdom.
	On Wings of a Dragon Taylor, Cora YA FIC Kour'el wakes up in a prison tower, in pain and with no memory. Gradually, with the help of her dragon companion Api'Naga, she remembers her mission and escapes the ruthless Queen Mariah. Canadian author Cora Taylor skilfully weaves two other stories with Kour'el's, and brings them all to a satisfying conclusion.
	The Phantom Tollbooth Juster, Norton J FIC Bored Milo opens a mysterious package containing a tollbooth and drives into lands of playful words, numbers and other sensory delights.
	Queen of Attolia Turner, Megan Whalen YA FIC This is the complex and compelling sequel to The Thief. Set in a fantasy world similar to Ancient Crete, the incomparable thief Eugenides finds himself loved by two young and warring queens. Can his daring wiliness save his kingdom and his life?
	Redwall Jacques, Brian J FIC When the peaceful life of ancient Redwall Abbey is shattered by the arrival of the evil rat Cluny and his villainous hordes, Matthias, a young mouse, determines to find the legendary sword of Martin the Warrior which, he is convinced, will help Redwall's inhabitants destroy the enemy.
	The Rope Trick Alexander, Lloyd J FIC Motivated by her quest to learn a legendary rope trick, the magician Princess Lidi and her troupe embark on a journey through Renaissance Italy that intertwines adventure, love, and mystery.
	The Ropemaker Dickinse, Peter YA FIC When the magic that protects their Valley starts to fail, Tilja and her companions journey into the evil Empire to find the ancient magician Faheel, who originally cast those spells.
	Rowan of Rin Rodda, Emily J FIC First volume in an award-winning fantasy series for younger readers. Rowan and his six companions brave a forbidden mountain and a very angry dragon in order to save their village. Rowan's adventures continue in: Rowan and the Travellers, Rowan and the Keeper of the Crystal, and Rowan and the Zebak. Older readers will enjoy Rodda's Deltora Quest and Deltora Shadowlands series as well.
	Sabriel Nix, Garth YA FIC Eighteen-year-old Sabriel, swordsman and magician, is on a quest to the Old Kingdom to rescue her mage father from the realms of Death. A magic cat and a young man help her discover her destiny: to become the greatest mage of all! Sabriel's compelling sequels are: Lirael: Daughter of the Clayr and Abhorsen.
	The Secret of Platform 13 Ibbotson, Eva J FIC The infant prince of a magical island was abducted through a secret doorway between worlds, and now, nine years later, the doorway is open again. An ogre, a hag, a wizard and a fey are the would-be rescuers in this delicious adventure. Also try: Which Witch and Island of the Aunts or Ibbotson's Carnegie Award-winning adventure, Journey to the River Sea.
	Silverwing Oppel, Kenneth J FIC Meet Shade, a runty silverwing bat, and be swept into his extraordinary journey in search of his father. This exciting, award-winning Canadian series continues with Sunwing and Firewing.
	So You Want to be a Wizard Duane, Diane J FIC Thirteen-year-old Nita, tormented by a gang of bullies because she won't fight back, finds the help she needs in a library book on wizardry which guides her into another dimension.
	Songquest Roberts, Katherine J FIC In this first volume of The Echorium Sequence, talented young singers are sent to The Echorium, a special school on the Island of Echoes where students are taught songs of power and how to use them to maintain harmony in the world. Other titles in series: Spellfall and The Crystal Mask.
	The Stones are Hatching McCaughrean, Geraldine J FIC Reluctant young Phelim and his friend Alexia find they alone can save the world from the evil Stoor Worm that is awakening. Terrible trials and terrifying beasts lie in wait as its hatchlings are already loose in the land. A magnificent tale!
	Stravaganza: City of Masks Hoffman, Mary YA FIC A sweeping time travel fantasy which brings the beauty and pageantry of Renaissance Italy, the mystery of alchemy, and the intrigue of court politics into the life of Lurien, a seventeen-year-old English boy who is struggling to overcome a brain tumor. Life in the past is rich and exciting, but dangerous. Should Lurien trade his safe but possibly short modern life for it? Sequel: Stravaganza: City of Stars.
	The Sword in the Stone White, T. H. J FIC The classic story of young Wart's upbringing by Merlin the Magician and how his unorthodox education prepares him for greatness - to assume the mantle of king - King Arthur! Wise, grand and satisfying.
	The Third Magic Katz, Welwyn Wilton YA FIC This award-winning fantasy is a complex interweaving of Arthurian legend and another world called Nwm. Morgan Lefevre, 15, is mistaken for one of her own ancestors and time-travels to Nwm where she and her boy companion Arddu struggle for the ancient sword of the Third Magic.
	Treasure at the Heart of the Tanglewood Pierce, Meredith Ann YA FIC Here myth and fantasy blend to create a wondrous tale of a young woman's escape from a shape-shifting sorcerer and her search for her identity. Surrounded by wild animal friends, with hair abloom with flowers and vines, Hannah traverse the countryside bringing bounty and contentment in her wake.
	Tuck Everlasting Babbitt, Natalie J FIC The Tuck family is confronted with an agonizing situation when they discover that a ten-year-old girl and a malicious stranger now share their secret about a spring whose water prevents one from ever growing any older.
	Two Princesses of Bamarre Levine, Gail Carson J FIC Sixteen-year-old Princess Addie overcomes her timidness in a quest to find a cure for her bolder sister Meryl's fatal disease. Encounters with wizards, ogres, dragons, and fairies abound. Kids who loved Ella Enchanted will enjoy this.
	Under the Cat's Eye : A Tale of Morph and Mystery Rubinstein, Gillian J FIC Jai Kala is sent to Nexhaoth School when his parents are deported on an immigration technicality. The mystery confounding Jai and his friends involves them in alternate worlds and shape shifting, ultimately leading them to the source of the headmaster's evil plans. Another unique read would be her historical novel, Across the Nightingale Floor (written under the name Lian Hearn).
	Water: Tales of Elemental Spirits McKinley, Robin YA FIC SS Two of the world's best fantasists each tell three exquisite stories of the mer-people. Be swept away!
	The Weirdstone of Brisingamen : A Tale of Alderley Garner, Alan J FIC A young girl and her brother are catapulted into a battle between good and evil for possession of a magical stone of great power that is contained in her bracelet.
	The Wind Singer Nicholson, William YA FIC In the kingdom of High Domain a rigid class system based on exams governs family status. Kestrel, her twin Bowman, and their parents dare to rebel and end up on a dangerous and wildly imaginative quest in search of the Wind Singer's voice, and freedom. The award-winning first volume in the Wind on Fire series. Sequels: Slaves of the Mastery and Firesong.
	A Wizard of Earthsea LeGuin, Ursula YA FIC A boy grows to manhood while attempting to subdue the evil he unleashed on the world as an apprentice to the Master Wizard. Sequels: The Tombs of Atuan (1971) The Farthest Shore (1972) Tehanu (1990) The Other Wind (2001)
	Wizard's Hall Yolen, Jane J FIC Unlike Harry Potter, Henry sets off for Wizard School reluctantly. He has no talent for magic but, through persistence, he manages to save the school from a very strange enchantment. Kids will also enjoy Yolen's Young Merlin trilogy: Passager, Hobby and Merlin.
	A Wrinkle in Time L'Engle, Madeleine J FIC This classic children's science fiction novel is being filmed for television here in Vancouver. The galactic adventures of three children, Meg, Calvin and Charles Wallace, and their three unusual guides, Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Which and Mrs. Who, are always a hit. First volume in the Time Quartet. Other volumes are A Wind in the Door (1973), A Swiftly Tilting Planet (1978) and Many Waters (1986).