What to read after Harry Potter: magical books kids will love

Skandar and the Unicorn Thief by A.F. Steadman (9+)

Thirteen-year-old Skandar Smith has only ever wanted to be a unicorn rider. To be one of the lucky few selected to hatch a unicorn. To bond with it for life; to train together and race for glory; to be a hero.

But just as Skandar's dream is about to come true, things start to take a more dangerous turn than he could ever have imagined. A dark and twisted enemy has stolen the Island's most powerful unicorn – and as the threat grows ever closer, Skandar discovers a secret that could blow apart his world forever…

Get ready for unlikely heroes, elemental magic, sky battles, ancient secrets and ferocious unicorns. This is the first book in the bestselling Skandar series which will keep kids reading after lights out! 

Greenwild written by Pari Thomson and illustrated by Elisa Paganelli (9+)

Daisy Thistledown has escaped from boarding school and has a mystery to solve. Her search for her missing mother will lead her across London and through a hidden doorway to another world, filled with plants and bursting with magic: the Greenwild.

But all is not well in this astonishing land. Before long Daisy finds herself confronting a dangerous presence that threatens green magic on both sides of the door. Daisy must band together with a botanical genius, a boy who can talk to animals, and a cat with an attitude, to channel the power that can revive the Greenwild and find her missing mother – and save her own world too.

The first book in the bestselling series, set in a world where the wilderness is alive and a deep magic rises from the earth itself.

Northern Lights by Philip Pullman (11+)

Lyra Belacqua lives half-wild and carefree among the scholars of Jordan College, with her daemon, Pantalaimon, always by her side. But the arrival of her fearsome uncle, Lord Asriel, draws her to the heart of a terrible struggle – a struggle born of stolen children, witch clans and armoured bears.

As she hurtles towards danger in the cold far North, Lyra never suspects the shocking truth: she alone is destined to win, or to lose, the biggest battle imaginable.

The first book in the groundbreaking His Dark Materials trilogy is a modern masterpiece in children's literature.

Amari and the Night Brothers by B. B. Alston (8+)

When Amari gets an invitation to the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs, she's certain this is her chance to find her brother. But first she has to get her head around the new world of the Bureau, where mermaids, aliens and magicians are real, and her roommate is a weredragon.

Amari must compete against kids who've known about the supernatural world their whole lives, and when each trainee is awarded a special supernatural talent, Amari is given an illegal talent – one that the Bureau views as dangerous.

With an evil magician threatening the whole supernatural world, and her own classmates thinking she is an enemy, Amari has never felt more alone. But if she doesn’t pass the three tryouts, she may never find out what happened to Quinton…

The first book in an epic supernatural adventure series, soon to be a major movie starring Marsai Martin.

Nevermoor by Jessica Townsend (9+)

Morrigan Crow is cursed, destined to die on her eleventh birthday. But, as the clock strikes midnight, she's whisked away by a remarkable man called Jupiter North and taken to the secret city of Nevermoor.

There she's invited to join the Wundrous Society. Mystery, magic and protection are hers – if only she can pass four impossible trials, using an exceptional talent. Which she doesn't have...

There are currently four books in the Trials of Morrigan Crow series, which takes readers into an extraordinary Wundrous world.

The Marvellers by Dhonielle Clayton (9+)

Eleven-year-old Ella Durand is the first Conjuror to attend the Arcanum Training Institute, a magic school in the clouds for Marvellers from around the world. Ella discovers that being the first isn't easy but she finds friendship in fellow misfits Brigit, a girl who hates magic, and Jason, a boy with a fondness for magical creatures and support from her Elixirs teacher, Masterji Thakur.

Then the notorious Ace of Anarchy escapes prison, supposedly with a Conjuror's aid, and Ella finds herself as the prime suspect. Worse, Masterji Thakur mysteriously disappears while away on a research trip. With the help of her friends and her own growing powers, Ella must find a way to clear her family's name and track down her mentor before it's too late.

A spellbinding, richly imagined standalone magical fantasy adventure.

The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani (10+)

Every four years, two girls are kidnapped from the village of Gavaldon. Legend has it these lost children are sent to the School for Good and Evil, the fabled institution where they become fairytale heroes or villains.

With her glass slippers and devotion to good deeds, Sophie knows she'll join the ranks of past students like Cinderella, Rapunzel, and Snow White at the School for Good. Meanwhile, Agatha, with her shapeless black dresses and wicked black cat, seems a natural fit for the villains in the School for Evil.

But the two girls soon find their fortunes reversed – Sophie's dumped in the School for Evil to take Uglification, Death Curses and Henchmen Training, while Agatha finds herself in the School for Good, thrust among handsome princes and fair maidens for classes in Princess Etiquette and Animal Communication.

But what if the mistake is actually the first clue to discovering who Sophie and Agatha really are?

The first book in a dark and enchanting fantasy-adventure series for those who prefer fairytales with a twist. 

Legendborn by Tracy Deonn (13+)

After her mother dies in an accident, sixteen-year-old Bree Matthews wants to escape. A residential programme for bright high-schoolers seems like the perfect opportunity – until she witnesses a magical attack her very first night on campus…

A flying demon feeding on human energies.

A secret society of so-called "Legendborn" that hunt the creatures down.

A mysterious mage who calls himself a “Merlin” and who attempts – and fails – to wipe Bree’s memory of everything she saw.

The mage's failure unlocks Bree’s own unique magic and a buried memory about her mother. Now Bree will do whatever it takes to discover the truth, even infiltrate the Legendborn. But when the Legendborn reveal themselves as the descendants of King Arthur's knights and foretell a magical war, Bree must decide how far she’ll go for the truth. Should she use her magic to take the society down – or join the fight

The first book in an explosive fantasy series, filled with mystery and Southern Black Girl Magic.