What to Read While You're Waiting for the Next Harry Potter:

Updated August 5, 2020 | Infoplease Staff

Favorites from Other Fantastic Series

by Holly Hartman

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Harry Potter wasn't the first child to discover he possessed magical powers, or the first to become entangled in a battle of Good vs. Evil. Check out the classic books in this list for more fantasy, suspense, and wicked humor. Best yet, each is part of a series, and you won't have to wait a year for the next installment.

• The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander (U.S., 1964)
  When evil threatens the mythical land of Prydain, a young pig-keeper named Taran must face the monstrous Horned King.
• The Dark Is Rising by Susan Cooper (England, 1973)
  On his eleventh birthday, Will Stanton discovers that he possesses ancient powers.
• Five Children and It by E. Nesbit (England, 1902)
  Five children encounter a hideous, cranky creature that grants their wishes--for better or for worse.
• Half Magic by Edward Eager (U.S., 1954)
  What looks like an old coin on the sidewalk turns out to be a quirky magic talisman.
• The House with a Clock in Its Walls by John Bellairs (U.S., 1973)
  The shy orphan Lewis Barnavelt learns that his uncle's mansion harbors a deadly secret.
• The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C. S. Lewis (England, 1952)
  Edmund, Lucy, and their vile cousin Eustace enter a magic painting of a sailing ship and join the quest of a legendary king.
• The Weirdstone of Brisingamen by Alan Garner (England, 1960)
  Wizards and goblins are among the unearthly figures lurking in a remote and mysterious part of England.
• A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. LeGuin (U.S., 1968)
  A young boy is chosen to enroll at a school for wizards, where he learns the language of magic and dragons.
• The Wolves of Willoughby Chase by Joan Aiken (England, 1962)
  Two cousins plot a dramatic escape from the orphanage run by evil Miss Slighcarp.
• A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle (U.S., 1960)
  Otherworldly visitors guide Meg and her brother Charles Wallace on a journey through time and space.