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Reading levels and needs

12 books to read after Harry Potter (ages 11-13)

When a child finishes the Harry Potter series, the question is what next. These are fantasy series and stand-alones with magic, school, or a chosen kid.

Chosen from award lists, school and library reading lists, and reviews, and each title and author checked against Open Library, Oct 2026. Checked 2026-10-25. Nobody paid to be here. The buy links are plain search links, not affiliate links, so Peabody earns nothing from them.

  1. The Lightning Thief

    Rick Riordan · Ages 9-13

    Percy Jackson learns he is a son of Poseidon and sets out across America to stop a war between gods. Funny, fast, and a gateway to Greek myth.

    Watch for: Fantasy fighting with monsters; first of a five-book series.

    Buy: Bookshop.org · Amazon

  2. Eragon

    Christopher Paolini · Ages 10-14

    A farm boy finds a dragon egg and runs from an evil king. Written when the author was a teen, and a long, absorbing read for fantasy fans.

    Watch for: Battle violence.

    Buy: Bookshop.org · Amazon

  3. A Wizard of Earthsea

    Ursula K. Le Guin · Ages 11-15

    A young mage unleashes a shadow and must hunt it across the sea. A thoughtful fantasy with a quiet, beautiful style.

    Buy: Bookshop.org · Amazon

  4. The Golden Compass (Northern Lights)

    Philip Pullman · Ages 11-15

    Lyra travels north to find kidnapped children in a world where souls live outside the body as animals. Rich and long.

    Watch for: Strong anti-church themes in later books; some child cruelty.

    Buy: Bookshop.org · Amazon

  5. The Mysterious Benedict Society

    Trenton Lee Stewart · Ages 9-13

    Four gifted children pass strange tests and go undercover at a sinister school. Puzzles, codes, and a long, funny adventure.

    Buy: Bookshop.org · Amazon

  6. Skulduggery Pleasant

    Derek Landy · Ages 10-14

    A skeleton detective and a girl investigate a magical crime. Fast, snarky.

    Watch for: Cartoonish violence.

    Buy: Bookshop.org · Amazon

  7. Artemis Fowl

    Eoin Colfer · Ages 10-14

    A boy genius kidnaps a fairy for ransom. Funny and tech-heavy.

    Watch for: Mild violence.

    Buy: Bookshop.org · Amazon

  8. Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow

    Jessica Townsend · Ages 9-13

    A cursed girl is rescued by a magical city and enters a contest to join a society.

    Buy: Bookshop.org · Amazon

  9. Fablehaven

    Brandon Mull · Ages 9-13

    Two kids discover grandpa's farm is a preserve for magical creatures.

    Watch for: Some peril.

    Buy: Bookshop.org · Amazon

  10. The Amulet of Samarkand

    Jonathan Stroud · Ages 11-15

    A teen magician and a sarcastic djinni get tangled in a plot in a magical London.

    Watch for: Violence.

    Buy: Bookshop.org · Amazon

  11. Inkheart

    Cornelia Funke · Ages 10-14

    Meggie's father can read characters out of books, and the villain wants his gift. A love letter to reading.

    Watch for: Some villainous menace.

    Buy: Bookshop.org · Amazon

  12. The Hobbit

    J.R.R. Tolkien · Ages 10-14

    Bilbo Baggins leaves his hole for a quest with dwarves to take back a mountain from a dragon. The right door into Middle-earth.

    Watch for: Battle deaths near the end.

    Buy: Bookshop.org · Amazon

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