10 Fantasy Books Like Harry Potter for 8 - 12 Year Olds

If your child has finished Harry Potter and is already asking "what next?" — you're in the right place.

There's something uniquely magical about the moment a child falls in love with a fantasy series. The world gets bigger, bedtime gets later, and suddenly every family road trip involves a book clutched in small hands. Harry Potter has that effect on kids. But once the series ends, the hunger for more doesn't.

The good news? There are plenty of fantasy books that hit that same sweet spot — rich world-building, young protagonists on impossible quests, loyal friendships, and that perfect blend of wonder and danger. Here are ten of the best fantasy reads for ages 8–12, plus one bonus pick from a Canadian author (that's me lol) you'll want to discover.

What Makes a Great Fantasy Book Like Harry Potter for Kids?

Before the list, here's what we're looking for:

• A young protagonist who feels ordinary at first — then discovers they're anything but

• A fully realized fantasy world with its own rules and magic

• High stakes balanced with warmth and humour

• Strong friendships and found-family dynamics

• An ongoing story that makes kids desperate for the next book

Sound familiar? Let's get into it.

The List

1. Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan

Starting book: The Lightning Thief

Percy Jackson is twelve years old, dyslexic, and convinced he's a failure — until he finds out he's the son of a Greek god. The series takes ancient mythology and drops it right into modern-day America with laugh-out-loud humour, heart-pounding adventure, and a trio of friends that rivals Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Percy's voice is instantly loveable, and the world Riordan builds grows richer with every book. Perfect for kids who like their magic with a side of jokes.

Why kids love it: Greek mythology feels suddenly alive, and Percy is the kind of underdog hero kids root for hard.

2. The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis

Starting book: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

Four siblings step through the back of a wardrobe and into a frozen kingdom ruled by a wicked witch. Few fantasy series have stood the test of time as quietly and powerfully as Narnia. The prose is gentle but never dull, the world is immersive, and the emotional moments land with surprising weight. It's a series that rewards re-reading as children grow older, offering new layers each time.

Why kids love it: The idea of a doorway to another world hidden in an ordinary house is irresistible.

3. The Septimus Heap Series by Angie Sage

Starting book: Magyk

Septimus Heap is the seventh son of a seventh son — and the most powerful young wizard in a kingdom full of magic, rival houses, and ancient secrets. The world-building here is wonderfully dense, the cast of characters is enormous and loveable, and the magic system has a charm all its own. Fans of Hogwarts's quirky architecture and layered history will feel right at home in the Castle.

Why kids love it: It has that same sense of a world that existed long before the story starts — and will continue long after.

4. A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin

Starting book: A Wizard of Earthsea

A young boy with natural magical talent earns a place at a school for wizards on a remote island — and then makes a mistake so serious it threatens the entire world. Le Guin's writing is more lyrical and literary than most middle-grade fantasy, but children aged 10 and up will find it deeply absorbing. Earthsea is widely considered one of the greatest fantasy worlds ever created, and Ged is one of fiction's most fully drawn young heroes.

Why kids love it: The magic feels real, earned, and dangerous — not just a shortcut to power.

5. The Ranger's Apprentice by John Flanagan

Starting book: The Ruins of Gorlan

Will is an orphan who dreams of becoming a knight — but instead becomes the apprentice to a mysterious, cloak-wearing Ranger named Halt. Set in a medieval fantasy world without magic (mostly), this series is a masterclass in quiet tension, skill-based adventure, and slow-burn mentorship. It's especially great for kids who loved the relationship between Harry and Dumbledore.

Why kids love it: Halt is one of the great mentor figures in middle-grade fiction, and the action is gripping from the very first chapter.

6. The Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini

Starting book: Eragon

Eragon is a farm boy who finds a smooth blue stone in the mountains — and watches it hatch into a dragon. From there, an epic quest unfolds across a richly imagined world of elves, dwarves, and an evil king. Christopher Paolini famously began writing this series at fifteen, and the enthusiasm of a young author in love with his own world radiates from every page. Great for confident readers ready for something longer and more complex.

Why kids love it: Dragons. Just — dragons.

7. The Name of This Book Is Secret by Pseudonymous Bosch

Starting book: The Name of This Book Is Secret

Two misfit kids stumble upon the secret of a deceased magician and find themselves entangled in a shadowy organization called the Midnight Sun. What sets this series apart is its hilariously unreliable narrator, who keeps interrupting the story to warn readers away from reading it. It's funny, clever, and wildly inventive — a great pick for kids who like their fantasy with a meta, tongue-in-cheek twist.

Why kids love it: The narrator feels like a mischievous best friend who's always one step ahead.

8. The Redwall Series by Brian Jacques

Starting book: Redwall

In a world populated entirely by talking animals — mice, badgers, otters, and wicked rats — a young mouse named Matthias uncovers an ancient warrior's legacy to defend his beloved abbey from a warlord's army. Redwall is a comfort-read classic that rewards the imagination. The world is vivid, the feasts are described in mouth-watering detail, and the villains are gloriously theatrical.

Why kids love it: It's a big, warm, cosy world — and kids who love animals will be completely enchanted.

9. Brotherband Chronicles by John Flanagan

Starting book: The Outcasts

From the same author as Ranger's Apprentice, this companion series follows Hal — a boy of mixed heritage who forms a misfit brotherband of Viking-inspired warriors and leads them on sea-faring adventures. It has the same warmth and skill-building focus as Ranger's Apprentice, with a broader ensemble cast and a fantastic sense of camaraderie. Perfect for readers who want the next series after finishing Flanagan's first.

Why kids love it: Found family, teamwork, and underdog triumphs — it hits every note.

10. The Inquisitor's Tale by Adam Gidwitz

Starting book: The Inquisitor's Tale: Or, The Three Magical Children and Their Holy Dog

Set in medieval France, three children — a peasant girl, a monk's son, and a Jewish boy — find themselves on the run with a dog that can perform miracles. Told through a Canterbury Tales-style framing device, this book blends history, fantasy, and surprisingly deep moral questions in a way that's both entertaining and thought-provoking. The Newbery Honor is well-deserved.

Why kids love it: It's funny, strange, moving, and unlike anything else on this list.

✨ One More to Add to the List — The Fantastical Adventures of Marqus by J.B. Lyght

If your young reader has worked through the list above and is hungry for more, here's a series that belongs right alongside them.

The Fantastical Adventures of Marqus, Book 2: The Doorway Between Worlds follows Marqus as he steps through into a world where the rules of magic are shifting — and where the choices he makes will ripple far beyond the life he left behind.

Written for readers aged 8–12, the series captures what makes middle-grade fantasy so wonderful: a world that feels genuinely new, a hero you root for from page one, and that particular kind of magic that makes a child reach for the next chapter without thinking.

The Doorway Between Worlds is available on Amazon/KDP beginning May 26, 2026.

Final Thoughts

A child who has fallen in love with Harry Potter hasn't just developed a favourite book — they've discovered what it feels like to be completely lost in a story. That's a gift worth nurturing. Any of the books on this list will do exactly that.

And if you want to be the adult who introduced them to the next great fantasy adventure? The Doorway Between Worldsmight just be the one.

Explore the Series: New to the Marqus series? Start from the beginning with Book 1 and discover the fantastical world J.B. Lyght has built. https://a.co/d/03trrFl6