Beyond Harry Potter

By Kathleen Krull

Next, Please!

So we’ve stayed up late, waiting in line for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. And gorged on a bleary-eyed weekend of reading. But what's next? But what is a poor Muggle to read for the rest of the summer?

For readers who love the pure pleasure of immersion in another universe with its own logic, customs, perils and delights, here are some suggestions to get started on life beyond Harry. Get thee to a Muggle library or bookstore, where staff will be only too pleased to guide you through the fantasy shelves to other titles and other series, both classic and new. Depending on their reading level and maturity, children ages 8 to 12 will enjoy these titles – all of which make fabulous family read-alouds, as well:

The Classics

My favorites among the classic titles are Edward Eager's magical books – Half Magic, Seven-Day Magic, Magic or Not and several others (Harcourt). The writing is deft, witty and conversational. His children are everyday kids, very real – even when their reality shifts. Their delicious challenge is to figure out the magic – like how to double their wishes when using a half-magic coin – and make it work for them, not against them.