20 Titles to Celebrate 20 Years of Harry Potter
Twenty years ago this September, readers across the country felt the roar of a flying motorcycle, heard the soft cries of a mysterious child, and glimpsed a haughty tabby cat in the company of a strange old man in a robe. If you're anything like us, Harry Potter awakened an appetite you didn't even know you had—one for sprawling tales of magic and adventure and the kind of intricate, imaginative "worldbuilding" that's been imitated many times but very rarely equalled.
Scholastic is celebrating Harry's anniversary with a gorgeous new set of paperbacks designed by the inimitable Brian Selznick (available for purchase at your favorite West Houston bookstore, FYI). We're getting in on the action this Saturday at 3p.m., with a special anniversary party complete with trivia, costumes, and fun prizes. But perhaps the best way to celebrate Harry Potter is to recreate that special kind of magic you felt when you first read the books. And for that, you need books.
Lucky for you, books happen to be our area of expertise. We've compiled a list of twenty wonderful titles, ranging in age from middle grade to adult, that we think are perfect for Harry Potter fans. Some you've probably heard of. Others, we hope, are brand new. All are magical to one degree or another, and we can personally vouch for every last one. So pick up a couple and try them out—they may not be Harry, but we think they're not too far a cry from the feeling of your very first broom ride.
There is magic in the forest that surrounds the Protectorate—magic, witches, monsters and dragons, some good and much evil. To placate an evil witch, every year on the Day of Sacrifice, by the Elders’ decree, the people of the Protectorate leave the village’s youngest baby in the forest to die. The Elders know there is no witch, but the villagers comply unquestioningly and live their lives burdened by sorrow. And every year without anyone’s knowledge, the kindhearted witch Xan rescues those babies, finding new families for them in the Free Cities. One year, Xan accidentally feeds the latest sacrificed baby moonlight, enmagicking this tiny girl. Xian calls her Luna, and raises her as her own in the woods with the help of her trusty friends, a swamp monster and a perfectly tiny dragon. As the years pass, Luna’s untrained magic explodes while Xan’s weakens. Meanwhile, a few villagers have begun to question their customs: a young father resolves to kill the witch to save his own youngest baby and free his village, and Luna’s own mother escapes her prison tower to wreak her own revenge on the witch. But there is an even more menacing force lurking about, and as they all converge in the forest, it will take the most powerful magic of all to overcome evil. Barnhill’s lyrical storytelling, perfect for reading aloud, is sure to cast a spell on readers. Highly recommended for grades 4 and above.
—Jennifer
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Hundreds of years ago, an ancestor of twelve-year-old Prosper Redding made a deal with the demon Alastor, guaranteeing the family everlasting good fortune, prestige, and wealth in return for eternal servitude. That same ancestor reneged on the contract, and Alastor has been trapped in young Prosper, biding time and gathering strength until he can exact revenge on the Redding family. With no idea whom he can trust, Prosper has less than two weeks to break the family curse. Betrayals, twists, and turns combine with historical elements and humor to make a deliciously smart read. Best for readers 12 and older.
—Jennifer
In her middle-grade debut, Chokshi spins a fantastical narrative that seamlessly intertwines Hindu cosmology and folklore, feminism, and witty dialogue for an uproarious novel for young readers. Chokshi comes into her own in this novel, reminding readers of the power of language and of stories.
―Kirkus (starred review)
"Equal parts screwball comedy, coming-of-age story, and tearjerker-I loved, loved, loved it!" --Varian Johnson, author of The Parker Inheritance
With a madcap sense of humor and a lot of heart (not to mention other body parts), The Mortification of Fovea Munson is Young Frankenstein for today's middle grade audience!
She's twelve. He's dead. But together they're going to save the world. Hopefully.
The iconic first book in the bestselling Skulduggery Pleasant series.
Stephanie's uncle Gordon is a writer of horror fiction. But when he dies and leaves her his estate, Stephanie learns that while he may have written horror, it certainly wasn't fiction.
This “clever opener likely to leave readers breathless both with laughter and anticipation” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) is the first in the New York Times bestselling series from the author of the Half Upon a Time trilogy.
Life is boring when you live in the real world, instead of starring in your own book series.
Following a series of murders, an apothecary’s apprentice must solve puzzles and decipher codes in pursuit of a secret that could destroy the world in this “spectacular debut” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review).
“Tell no one what I’ve given you.”
Until he got that cryptic warning, Christopher Rowe was happy, learning how to solve compl
Don't miss Selznick's other novels in words and pictures, Wonderstruck and The Marvels, which together with The Invention of Hugo Cabret, form an extraordinary thematic trilogy!
2008 Caldecott Medal winnerThe groundbreaking debut novel from bookmaking pioneer, Brian Selznick!Orphan, clock keeper, and thief, Hugo lives in the walls of a busy Paris train stati
“This middle grade series starter is tailor-made for Harry Potter’s fans.” —Kirkus Reviews
For fans of the Land of Stories and the Wings of Fire Series, this first enchanting adventure from acclaimed novelist Scarlett Thomas is set in a wondrous realm where magic most decidedly exists, a growing evil lurks, and a group of children is destined to sav
A breathtaking, enchanting new series by debut author Jessica Townsend, about a cursed girl who escapes death and finds herself in a magical world--but is then tested beyond her wildest imagination.
See the Grishaverse come to life on screen with the Netflix series, Shadow and Bone -- Season 2 streaming now!
Meet Kaz Brekker and his crew: Jesper, Inej, Wylan, and the star-crossed Nina and Matthias, on the heist of a lifetime in Six of Crows from #1 bestselling author, Leigh Bardugo.
Welcome, welcome to CARAVAL, Stephanie Garber’s enchanting, NEW YORK TIMES bestselling fantasy debut about two sisters swept up in a mysterious competition filled with magic, heartbreak, and danger
"Magnificent." -- Holly Black, New York Times Book Review
Come to the crossroads, to the crossroads comeSierra Santiago planned an easy summer of making art and hanging with her friends. But then a corpse crashes the first party of the season. Her stroke-ridden grandfather starts apologizing over and over.
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From bestselling author Maggie Stiefvater, a gripping tale of darkness, miracles, and family.
Here is a thing everyone wants: A miracle.Here is a thing everyone fears:What it takes to get one.Any visitor to Bicho Raro, Colorado, is likely to find a landscape of dark saints, forbidden love, scientific dreams, miracle-mad owls, estranged affections, one or two orphans, and a sky full of
From National Book Award finalist Laini Taylor comes an epic fantasy about a mythic lost city and its dark past.
The dream chooses the dreamer, not the other way around--and Lazlo Strange, war orphan and junior librarian, has always feared his dream chose poorly.
AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER!
A 2018 Most Anticipated Young Adult book from debut author Adrienne Young, Sky in the Deep is part Wonder Woman, part Vikings—and all heart.
OND ELDR. BREATHE FIRE.
A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: Washington Post • NPR • Entertainment Weekly • Real Simple • Marie Claire • New York Public Library • LibraryReads • The Skimm &bull
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A mad scientist's concoction of teen detectives, H. P. Lovecraft, and a love of Americana, this is a story filled with rich horror, thrilling twists, outright hilarity, and surprising poignancy.
Shirley Jackson's beloved gothic tale of a peculiar girl named Merricat and her family's dark secret
Witness the fate of beloved heroes and notorious foes in the heart-stopping conclusion to V.E. Schwab’s New York Times bestselling Shades of Magic trilogy.
*Kirkus' Best Fiction of 2017*
This edition will include the following special features:
*Full glossary of terms from the entire series
*Q&A between V.E. Schwab and her editor