DISASTER! You’ve survived the Deathly Hallows, and now there’s nothing else to read! Never fear—whether it’s the school setting, the magic, or the adventure that kept you coming back to Hogwarts, there is undoubtedly another series out there, just waiting for you to stumble across it.
If you don’t believe me, here are a few series to check out to help with some of that post-wizarding blues…
- The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani
(The School for Good and Evil Series)
If you miss Hogwarts, try the School for Good and Evil on for size—a magical academy where children are stolen away and trained to be fairytale heroes and villains! Our series follows Sophie and Agatha, best friends who enter the school with high expectations…only things don’t go exactly as planned. The series is actually a hexalogy, with the final book of the second trilogy due out next year, which means it’s the perfect time to join in on the excitement! - The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud
(The Bartimaeus Sequence)
In an alternate London, magic and magicians have helped shape the world into something very similar, yet very different from our real one. When magician’s apprentice Nathaniel summons a djinni named Bartimaeus, he gives him a difficult task to complete—a task which soon lands both of them in hot water, as they find themselves embroiled in a plot much deeper and darker than anything he could imagine. - Aru Shah and the End of Time by Roshani Chokshi
(The Pandava Quintet)
Aru Shah is twelve and constantly fibbing. With an archaeologist mother constantly away on trips and endless time spent in the Museum of Ancient Indian Art and Culture, it’s no wonder that her imagination sometimes gets the better of her. But when she tries to prove to her classmates that the Lamp of Bharata is cursed, she unleashes an ancient demon upon the world that never should have been woken. Now it’s up to Aru to save everyone before it’s too late. This is a series rich with Hindu mythology that any reader would love! - Over Sea, Under Stone by Susan Cooper
(The Dark is Rising Sequence)
The Dark is Rising is regarded as a British classic among many fans of fantasy, and if you haven’t read it, there’s no time like the present! The first book, Over Sea, Under Stone, is a little light on the fantasy, but sets up the series later on. It features the Drew children, on holiday in Cornwall when they find a strange map that leads them down into a mysterious adventure. - The Serpent’s Secret by Sayantani DasGupta
(Kiranmala and the Kingdom Beyond Series)
Kiranmala is a normal eleven-year-old living in Parsippany, New Jersey—but when a rakkhosh demon destroys her kitchen on her twelfth birthday, she learns “normal” may have been an understatement. Kiranmala is actually a real Indian princess…and now two princes are here to rescue her and bring her back to a different world! Like Harry Potter, there’s a whole other world out there alongside our own, one filled with magic and mayhem and adventure! - The Iron Trial by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare
(The Magisterium Series)
A five book series co-written by queens of fantasy Holly Black (Cruel Prince, Modern Tales of Faerie) and Cassandra Clare (The Mortal Instruments), The Magisterium Series follows Callum Hunt from the ages of 12 to 17 as he works to train as a mage at a legendary underground school, the Magisterium. Like Harry Potter, the series is chock full of magic, bravery, and surprises.
…Unlike Harry Potter, there’s also a puppy! - The Crooked Sixpence by Jennifer Bell
(The Uncommoners Series)
Ivy and Seb live a relatively normal life, until their grandmother lands in the hospital. Then their house is ransacked and the police suddenly want to arrest them…using a toilet brush?
The Crooked Sixpence is the start of a series filled with underground cities and ordinary items with extraordinary powers. And along the way, Lily and Seb are about to find out that their family may not be as common as they had hoped. - Wizard’s Hall by Jane Yolen
Henry’s mother decides to ship him off to Wizard’s Hall, a wizarding school where he enrolls as the 113th student. Unfortunately, it isn’t long before Henry—rennamed Thornmallow—finds out that maybe wizardry isn’t for him…except he seems to be the only wizard who can save Wizard’s Hall from certain danger!
This book is a standalone, a nice change from the frequent multi-book spanning epics we see so much of these days, but I’m not going to lie: by the time I finished this book as a kid, I was pretty disappointed to find out there weren’t any more!
…I’d say that’s all, but there’s so many great (and diverse!) fantasy titles out there for kids and tweens these days! Just because our Hogwarts adventures may have ended doesn’t mean there can never be another one in another world. So take a trip to your nearest branch and peruse the shelves. You’ll never know what you might find!
Until then…mischief managed!
— Recommended by Samantha Y., Programming Assistant
