Maybe I was simply ahead of the trend with my list of books to read post-Harry Potter. I'm seeing more lists and recommendations on other sites.
I see a lot of people share my love of
Susan Cooper's
The Dark is Rising series.
The other most common recommendation I see is
Philip Pullman's
His Dark Materials series, described
as: "Another smart British orphan, this one named Lyra Belacqua, living outside Oxford University in a world unlike our own. Better-written and sadder than Potter... well-suited for older adolescents and adults."
The
St. Joseph County Public Library, the
Boston Public Library, and the
Los Angeles Library have excellent lists.
The American Library Association has a
wonderful, long list of high-quality books.
The
Cleveland Plain Dealer's list includes:
The Bartimaeus Trilogy by
Jonathan Stroud.
"Nathaniel, a 12-year-old London boy in wizard training... a sarcastic, 5,000-year-old jinni and a worthy rival in a commoner named Kitty."
Artemis Fowl by
Eoin Colfer.
"Funnier and lighter than the Potter books, and centers on a 12-year-old criminal mastermind, Artemis Fowl, who tangles with some un-Disney-like underground fairies."
The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien.
"Slower but more profound than the Potter series."
The Dresden Files by
Jim Butcher.
"Gripping adult fare."
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The
NY Times says Harry Potter can't save the world singlehanded: reading for fun
continues to drop significantly as children get older.... One Harry Potter novel every few years is not enough to reverse the decline in reading.
This goes back to
adults not reading. Great books aren't enough; studies show that if adults don't read, kids don't read.
"Unless there's... an enthusiastic adult saying, 'Here's the next one' — it's not going to happen," said Nancie Atwell, the author of The Reading Zone.
After Harry Potter
All is not lost. 3/4 of Harry Potter readers are "interested in reading other books":
Fifth grade boys shouted with enthusiasm for the "Cirque du Freak" series, about a boy who becomes entangled with a vampire.
Parents? Teachers? These young adult and children's books might tempt a Harry Potter reader. You'd enjoy them too--my parents did.
Mary Stewart
-
A Walk in Wolf WoodTwo children go back in time to rescue a friendly werewolf.
-
The Little BroomstickA girl and a cat join a school for young magicians.
Susan Cooper-
The Dark Is Rising seriesGreat characters, good/evil, coming of age/into power, and Arthurian legend tie-in. A
film version of The Dark is Rising is due out in October.
Alan Garner-
The Weirdstone of BrisingamenWonderful myth-based children's story
Gerald Durrell-
The Talking ParcelChildren and a parrot try to save the magical land of Mythologia from marauding Cockatrices.
-
My Family and Other AnimalsHis animal/travel books are wonderful.
L Frank Baum
- The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
Lucy Boston
- the Green Knowe books
Frances Hodgson Burnett
- Everyone knows The Secret Garden
- What about The Lost Prince
Roald Dahl
- James and the Giant Peach
Madeleine L'Engle
- A Wrinkle in Time series
Andre Maurois
- Fattypuffs and Thinifers
A magical land divided between two countries that don't get along.
Norton Juster
- The Phantom Tollbooth
A pun-filled book about a war between words and numbers.
Robin McKinley
- Beauty: A Retelling of Beauty and the Beast
- The Blue Sword
Jane Yolen
- Wizard's Hall
One of JK Rowling's influences
Beverly Nichols
- The Stream That Stood Still
For younger kids:
JP Martin
- Uncle
Sheer silliness. An elephant who lives in a castle.
Tove Jansson
- the Moomin books
James Howe
- Bunnicula: A Rabbit-Tale of Mystery
For teens:
Salman Rushdie
- Haroun and the Sea of Stories
A screwed-up fairytale
Ann Maxwell
- Fire Dancer series
- Timeshadow Rider
TH White
- The Sword in the Stone
Mark Twain
- A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court
Fictionalized mythologies:
Roger Lancelyn Green
- Robin Hood
- King Arthur
- Tales of the Greek Heroes
- Tales of Ancient Egypt
- The Tale of Troy
Unfortunately, I bet my list doesn't address this:Neema Avashia... said it was rare for the Harry Potter series to draw reluctant readers to books.... "Harry Potter isn’t really where my kids are coming from." She noted that her class is 85 percent nonwhite....
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