You’ve just finished reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. You have turned over the cover, took a deep breath, maybe even shed a tear, and then the life altering question descends upon you, what do I read now that Harry Potter is over? Rest assured that there are many books out there for the Harry Potter fan; they might not hold the power of Hogwarts and the magical world that J.K. Rowling created, but they certainly will entertain any Harry Potter fan from 10 to 60-years old.
Books for Young Harry Potter Fans
Percy Jackson and the Olympians (by: Rick Riordan, Hyperion Books, 2006)
The Percy Jackson and the Olympians series is an excellent display of taking an old, boring subject like Greek mythology and spicing it up to keep readers interested. The series starts with the book The Lightning Thief and follows the quests and demands of modern day demi-god, Percy Jackson, as he learns that his father is actually a Greek god and that there is a summer camp called Camp Half-Blood to train children like himself to be heroes. All five books by author Rick Riordan flow together with one another in an intricate web of narratives and vivid characters. Certainly worth a glance by any Potter fan.
The Mysterious Benedict Society (by: Trenton Lee Stewart, Little, Brown, 2007)
Any Harry Potter fan who enjoyed the school aspect of the wizardry world will also enjoy Trenton Lee Stewart’s The Mysterious Benedict Society. Rather than spells and mythical creatures to learn and contend with, Mr. Stewart’s book is set around a school for children who are gifted with a heightened intelligence.
The main character in the book is an orphaned eleven-year-old boy (sound familiar?) named Reynard who, after taking a series of tests is invited to come and join the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened (L.I.V.E.), which was created by the a man named Nicholas Benedict.
The plot revolves around Reynard and a series of highly intelligent friends who set out to destroy a machine called the Whisperer that was created to subconsciously take over every mind in the world. This is an ongoing series that is sure to please readers for years to come. A solid choice for Potter fans wanting to take a step away from the world of magic.
Books for Older Harry Potter Fans
A Wizard of Earthsea (by: Ursula K. La Guin, Parnassus Press, 1968)
This fantasy classic has been read and cherished for generations since it first went into print in the late 1960’s. Any Harry Potter fan would immediately recognize individual similarities between La Guin and J.K. Rowling’s work.
A Wizard of Earthsea chronicles the development and education of a young wizard named Duny as he tries to cope with his new powers. During a bout of pride in his extreme power, Duny summons up a dead spirit that kills his school master and nearly takes his own life before being forced away. From then on Duny is wracked with guilt and is determined to find and destroy the spirit he brought up from the dead. A Wizard of Earthsea is listed as a children's book, but with it’s dark imagery and strong character development it reads as a superb fantasy novel.
The Alchemyst (by: Michael Scott, Random House, 2007)
The Alchemyst is the first book in an ongoing series now at three books. In contrary to the slow pace of the Harry Potter series that spans one school year at a time, The Alchemyst takes place in a matter of days. One moment the main characters, teenage twins Josh and Sophie Newman, are minding their own business working away at their respective jobs and the next they are swept away into a world of magic and immortals. All the while they are being led around by the immortal Nicholas Flamel who all Harry Potter fans should remember from Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. A tremendous book to read after Harry Potter is over.
Remember, Harry Potter may be finished, but there are still great books and authors out there to discover.
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