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Now what? Post Harry Potter withdrawal  

post #1 of 31
10/15/07 at 6:55pm
Thread Starter 
We finished Harry Potter 7 last night, and while Kenna was so excited to finally hear how it ended ... now it is OVER. And there are no more. So now what? Anyone have any excellent suggestions for a series to read after Harry Potter (I am reading aloud to her)? I think she would want something more in that same vein, with magic and that gets very intimate with the characters ... she kept telling me that she was sad it was over because Harry, Ron and Hermione are like her friends. Help!
post #2 of 31
10/15/07 at 6:57pm
My kids liked Eragon and The Dragon Rider.
post #3 of 31
10/15/07 at 7:02pm
Thread Starter 
How old are your kids? Kenna is 7. I was thinking of Eargon, but I know a friend of mine has the Eragon books and she said she will not read them to her ds until he is older, and he is 9 now ...
post #4 of 31
10/15/07 at 7:09pm
I've not thought about reading Eragon to my daughter, who is 7, but that is more because I don't think she'd care for it. You could always read it yourself first and see. My daughter loved listening to the first few Chronicles of Narnia. Certainly not like Harry Potter, but there is magic there. Or maybe the Dark is Rising series by Susan Cooper. You can't always go by age, you know. I mean, I read books at 15 that some people probably couldn't handle at 25. There are some books that my son will probably be able to read earlier than my daughter. Somethings he just catches better than she does (like sarcasm, even though she's 7 and he's 4). Their minds are just so different.

Crystal
post #5 of 31
10/15/07 at 11:18pm
How about Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson? It is the first of 3 (so far) and is a prequel to Peter Pan. It's a great story in and of itself, but it's also great fun to explore who the lost boys are, why Peter never grows up, where Tinkerbell came from, etc. And, of course with Dave Barry, there are some wickedly funny bits, too.
post #6 of 31
10/15/07 at 11:24pm
We are reading the Deltora Quest series right now and Ds loves them. I also second the suggestion for Dragon Rider, but you could consider getting it on tape or CD. The reader (Brendan Fraser) is incredible... he gives each character such a distinct voice and personality. There is no way I could have read it with as much expression and brought it to life like he did. Both my son and I were so sad to have it end.
post #7 of 31
10/15/07 at 11:39pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Wilhemina View Post
How about Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson? It is the first of 3 (so far) and is a prequel to Peter Pan. It's a great story in and of itself, but it's also great fun to explore who the lost boys are, why Peter never grows up, where Tinkerbell came from, etc. And, of course with Dave Barry, there are some wickedly funny bits, too.
I put that on my library list for Wednesday. A friend of mine has been recommending that for a while as well
post #8 of 31
10/15/07 at 11:40pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by b&c'smama View Post
We are reading the Deltora Quest series right now and Ds loves them. I also second the suggestion for Dragon Rider, but you could consider getting it on tape or CD. The reader (Brendan Fraser) is incredible... he gives each character such a distinct voice and personality. There is no way I could have read it with as much expression and brought it to life like he did. Both my son and I were so sad to have it end.

I had Dragon Rider on my ebay watch list, lol. I remember someone else here posting about how great it is on tape and I put it on my watch list then, but had forgotten about it. I will have to look that one up again.
post #9 of 31
10/15/07 at 11:47pm
Our favs since HP (or waiting in between) are the Septimus Heap Trilogy (Magyk, Flyte and Physik), Inkheart and Inkspell (with the third book due soon) and Faerie War Chronicles (Faerie Wars, The Purple Emperor, Ruler of the Realm and Faerie Lord due out just after Christmas).

The Septimus Heap books especially are very *Potteresque*, the heap family is very much like the Weasleys, but all of these are very good (imo) and meet all the criteria; there is magic, and you get to know the characters.
post #10 of 31
10/15/07 at 11:50pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by 3momkmb View Post
Our favs since HP (or waiting in between) are the Septimus Heap Trilogy (Magyk, Flyte and Physik), Inkheart and Inkspell (with the third book due soon) and Faerie War Chronicles (Faerie Wars, The Purple Emperor, Ruler of the Realm and Faerie Lord due out just after Christmas).

The Septimus Heap books especially are very *Potteresque*, the heap family is very much like the Weasleys, but all of these are very good (imo) and meet all the criteria; there is magic, and you get to know the characters.
Putting those on my list to check out - thank you!


Anyone ever read "The Alchemyst" by Micheal Scott? It has Nicholas Flamel in it and I think Kenna may enjoy that because of the HP connection (but then again I think she will be looking for Dumbledore in that book and may be disappointed when he doesn't show up).
post #11 of 31
10/16/07 at 12:01am
Quote:
Originally Posted by 3momkmb View Post
Our favs since HP (or waiting in between) are the Septimus Heap Trilogy (Magyk, Flyte and Physik), Inkheart and Inkspell (with the third book due soon) and Faerie War Chronicles (Faerie Wars, The Purple Emperor, Ruler of the Realm and Faerie Lord due out just after Christmas).

The Septimus Heap books especially are very *Potteresque*, the heap family is very much like the Weasleys, but all of these are very good (imo) and meet all the criteria; there is magic, and you get to know the characters.
Are the Septimus Heap books "darker" than HP? I thought I heard they were, wasn't sure if I wanted to read them to ds yet, but maybe I heard wrong???
post #12 of 31
10/16/07 at 12:13am
Doesn't anyone read Lloyd Alexander's Chronicles of Prydain anymore? The five-book series starts with The Book of Three and finishes with the Newbery award winning The High King.

Alexander (who died this year, RIP) could and did write rings around Rowling. He also wrote the terrific Westmark Trilogy.
post #13 of 31
10/16/07 at 12:37am
There are some great suggestions there...but another addition to the list, and one my daughter loves are the Diana Wynne Jones books...lots of parallel worlds, lots of magic, and a central character that draws them all together. Wonderful stuff!
post #14 of 31
10/16/07 at 1:20am

The Belgariad

by David Eddings :

Lovely easy to read fantasy with great characters and magic, quests, the whole good triumphing over bad sorta thing is in there too AND it's not something you'd run out of soon lol.. there are 5 books in the Belgariad...then the Mallorean follows the same characters thru more adventures.
post #15 of 31
10/16/07 at 1:35am
Quote:
Originally Posted by CariOfOz View Post
by David Eddings :

Lovely easy to read fantasy with great characters and magic, quests, the whole good triumphing over bad sorta thing is in there too AND it's not something you'd run out of soon lol.. there are 5 books in the Belgariad...then the Mallorean follows the same characters thru more adventures.


I agree with this reccomendation. And if you want something meatier, Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy.
post #16 of 31
10/16/07 at 8:55am
I second the suggestion of The Belgariad. I read it when I was nine and loved it.

If you are interested in any single books, I recently read (and thoroughly enjoyed) The Book of Story Beginnings by Kristin Kladstrup and The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke.

Our children's librarian has recommended (but I haven't read) the Charlie Bone series, the Spiderwick Chronicles, and Artemis Fowl.

dm

ETA: There is a book that's already out in the UK that is coming out in the US in January called Tunnels. It is by Roderick Gordon and has been described as "the next Harry Potter" and "Harry Potter and the Next Lucrative Venture" (because it was originally published by the guy who discovered JKR and Cornelia Funke). I'm so excited about it that I pre-ordered it from Amazon.
post #17 of 31
10/16/07 at 9:06am
Quote:
Originally Posted by b&c'smama View Post
Are the Septimus Heap books "darker" than HP? I thought I heard they were, wasn't sure if I wanted to read them to ds yet, but maybe I heard wrong???
I haven't read the last one yet (Christmas present for DD) but so far I don't think so. They have a lot of the same themes, but I didn't find them any darker then HP. I have seen them reccomended for the *younger* HP fans actually.
post #18 of 31
10/16/07 at 9:08am
Quote:
Originally Posted by dharmamama View Post
Our children's librarian has recommended (but I haven't read) the Charlie Bone series, the Spiderwick Chronicles, and Artemis Fowl.

We liked those too :
post #19 of 31
10/16/07 at 9:23am
I second the Lloyd Alexander and Diana Wynne Jones recommendations. I love J K Rowlng and devour each HP book as it comes out, but I honestly don't think anything she's written is as good as either Lloyd's Prydain books or the Wynne Jones's Chrestomanci Chronicles.

If you're looking for the most Harry Potter-like book start with Charmed Life, book one of the Chrestomanci Chronicles. They are the original wizard school books.

Uh ... hey ... wait a minute. Speaking of wizardry school books. I assume your kids HAVE read the Earthsea Trilogy by Ursula K LeGuin? Right? Everyone's read those, right? Anyone who hasn't, go directly to the bookstore, and do not pass go except to buy a copy. A Wizard of Earthsea is the single best fantasy coming of age book ever. AND the real original wizarding school book, which I'd forgotten about because, well, Ursula LeGuin is just her own genre all to herself.
post #20 of 31
10/16/07 at 9:56am
I can't say enough good things about Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy. Love it, love it.

I am currently reading the first book in The Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud. I am completely drawn in and can't wait to pick it back up.

I have also really enjoyed the first two Artemis Fowl books by Eoin Coifer.
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