It’s almost impossible to recreate the kind of world-building that J. K. Rowling achieved in her legendary Harry Potter series—which is why Harry Potter readalikes are the holy grail of book recommendations.

Similar books need to contain magic, of course, but they also need to embrace the idea of finding your tribe or your house or your people; the connection to characters through time, as they grow and change; and the sense that magic and wonder might be at work in our ordinary Muggle world.

The Cursed Child, which was released last weekend, is the closest thing to a new Harry Potter book since 2007… but it might not quite scratch that Harry Potter itch. It’s a play set in the future, based on Rowling’s work but written by a different author—and it’s only a few hours of reading time. It  reignited our desire to go back and live, for just a little while, in the Harry Potter Universe once again.  

So, while acknowledging that Harry Potter readalikes are our white whale, here are a few suggestions for books with some of the things we love about Harry Potter.

For kids:

The Chronos Chronicles by Anne Ursu, starting with The Shadow Thieves
Charlotte Mielswetzski has to save the world—the underworld of Greek mythology as well as the regular one—in this fun and funny middle-grade series.

The Bartimaeus trilogy by Jonathan Stroud, starting with The Amulet of Samarkand
Nathaniel is more like Draco Malfoy than Harry Potter—but his djinn, Bartimaeus, isn’t like any magical creature you’ve ever met.

Splendors and Glooms by Laura Ann Schlitz
A Victorian-era story of magical puppets, orphans and wizards, good and evil.

The Fairyland series by Cathrynne Valente, starting with The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making
At six volumes and counting, this series begins with the Green Wind (wearing a green jacket) appearing at the kitchen window of 12-year-old September and takes readers on her adventure to Fairyland.  

Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
The family dynamics and sense of history in this three-book series remind us a bit of Harry Potter, while adding the perks of  cool old photos and a talking dog.

The Percy Jackson & the Olympians series by Rick Riordan, starting with The Lightning Thief
The ultimate middle-grade Greek mythology saga, rife with complex family dynamics and packed with action.

For teens:

Carry On by Rainbow Rowell
No Harry Potter readalike list could ignore this one. The magical world depends on Simon Snow defeating a terrifying threatening force, but Simon’s magic is unpredictable, his mentor is unstable, and his roommate is a vampire who happens to be in love with him.

The Gemma Doyle trilogy by Libba Bray, starting with A Great and Terrible Beauty
A historical spin on the magical world, set in a boarding school in Victorian England and populated by all manner of spirits and powerful heroines.

The Lie Tree by Frances Hardinge
Faith’s world starts off just like our normal Muggle world, but after her family moves to a remote island and she finds a tree that produces fruit when she whispers a lie to it, the layers of reality begin to peel away.

The Lord of the Rings trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien, starting with The Fellowship of the Ring
The sense of finding your tribe—not to mention embarking on a great quest—is strong in this classic fantasy series.

The Stars Never Rise by Rachel Vincent
Things get very dark for 16-year-old Nina after she discovers that the Church controlling her whole world is ruled by magical demons.

For adults:

The Magicians trilogy by Lev Grossman, starting with The Magicians
It’s not exactly Hogwarts, but the secret boarding school where Quentin finds himself at the beginning of this trilogy becomes the gateway to a new magical existence.

The Thinking Woman’s Guide to Real Magic by Emily Croy Barker
In this modern-day fairy tale set in a parallel universe, Nora Fischer flees her regular life as a grad student and enters into a world of spells and secrets.

Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke
Find a new tribe of British magicians who populate this hypnotic novel, which blends fantasy and magic with a compelling alternative history.

The Kingkiller Chronicles by Patrick Rothfuss, starting with The Name of the Wind
Another magical school here—but a much darker one, with a complex hero/anti-hero at the center of the story.  

The Witches trilogy by Deborah Harkness, starting with A Discovery of Witches
This series focuses on the last woman in a line of powerful witches. Diana is trying to reject her family’s magic; instead, she finds herself pulled deeper into its world after she finds a valuable book in the Bodleian Library that all sorts of creatures are dying to get.

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Have trouble reading standard print? Many of these titles are available in formats for patrons with print disabilities.