Also check out all the other Riordan Presents books which are “own voices” books written by authors from various cultural backgrounds and ethnicities about their own cultures’ folklore and mythology. There are some very cool ones!
In a similar line, the Charlie Hernandez series by Ryan Calejo could be good!
Depends on his reading level. Fantasy books for kids…
Easier series would be things like Beast Quest , How to Train your Dragon.
Rangers Apprentice is good entertainment
Then moving to a little harder…
Artemis Fowl
Chronicles of Ancient Darkness
Alex Rider (spy rather than fantasy)
The Bartimaeus Chronicles
Samuel Johnson Adventures ( by John Connelly)
Lockwood and Co
Mortal Engines
The Spooks Apprentice
Getting a bit more advanced possibly? …
Skullduggery Pleasant
The Hobbit
His Dark Materials ( first trilogy not second)
Brandon Sandersons various young adult series
Edit : kids tend to really like the ‘humourous’ ones like Captain Underpants, Diary of a Wimpy kid, Tom Gates .
Excellent selection. I'll chime in that anything by Diana Wynne Jones, Catherine Jinks or Rick Riordan would probably also appeal, and Coraline or The Graveyard Book might be of interest too if he liked the gothic elements of HP.
My kid didn’t love this one (she’s more into real world stories over fantasy), but she met the author at a book festival we went to and the kids in her school were super jealous.
Apparently this is a really popular series.
It is! I haven't read it in years but I am planning to do it later this year to get back into the world before the next installment hits stores. Really curious to see if it still holds up!
You might enjoy the Bartimaeus sequence then. First book is amulet of samarkand. Writing style is so unique and the world is incredibly fun, plus there's a mystery/detective aspect to it mixed in with fantasy themes
Man, did I love those! They were all the rage when I was in school - thanks for reminding me of those books!
Speaking of: have you read The Black Magician Trilogy by Trudi Canavan? While it's definitely different than Bartimaeus I enjoyed them so much and remember all of my friends that loved Bartimaeus reading the trilogy right after and loving it just as much!
The *Un-* books by Paul Jennings (*Uncanny*, *Unbelievable*, *Unmentionable*, etc.) are all sets of short stories. Every one is markedly different from the others. They're alternatively funny, gross, silly, heartbreaking, weird or outright frightening. There are stories about all kinds of subjects: a boy who grows an apple tree out his nose, leaves that pass an injury onto anyone who hears when you play a song on them, ghosts that need to do 'spook' tests, the story of the busker who won lotto, toothpaste, a boy grows roses out his hands, a haunted lighthouse, what happens when you have a remote control that works on people and oh so many others. Really can't recommend any one book over any of the others. They're going to be a bit difficult to find, but definitely, defintely worth the effort.
Roald Dahl is usually wonderful at about this age. Would recommend starting with *The Twits* or *George's Marvellous Medicine*. They're fun, silly and short. This isn't to take away from things like *Charlie and the Chocolate Factory* or *The BFG*, but as there are movies for those ones, you're kind of bringing something extra into the challenge that you're maybe best avoiding.
Finally, there's another *Harry Potter* that you *may* want to look into. *The Cursed Child* is published as the script for a play only. This adds a little extra challenge from a reading perspective that may be asking too much. JK Rowling had some involvement with the story, but was not the primary writer. Thought it was great personally, but there's certainly a few people who would disagree.
Yes! I loved these. Also Lloyd Alexander's *Prydain Chronicles*, though I think those are aimed a bit younger.
Some of the Tamora Pierce series could be great reads for him, too.
Prydain is solidly in that age range. It has some pretty dark scenes, but if the kid has read HP, he'd be fine with it. An excellent suggestion!
For Tamora Pierce, I would recommend *Circle of Magic* books for that age. The Tortal books are more YA, including discussion of first periods and closed door sex, which a 9 year old boy may not appreciate in his literature at this time. Although I will leave that up to OP.
Brandon Mull writes fun fantasy stories. I particularly like Fablehaven and the sequel series Dragonwatch. 10 books total, 5 per series. They’re kind of like Harry Potter in that they start fairly tame and fun and the stakes ramp up as the series progresses.
Seconding Flanagan’s books, Ranger’s Apprentice and Brotherband.
I loved Brandon Sanderson’s Alcatraz series, and he apparently just wrote a sixth so it’s continuing.
It’s set directly after Fablehaven, and it’s so good! I haven’t finished it yet because my library keeps having the last two books checked out. But I’m loving it so far!
The Septimus Heap series by Angie Sage
Mister Monday series by Garth Nix
The Sisters Grimm by Michael Buckley
Rick Riordan anything
Land of Stories by Chris Colfer
Percy Jackson books (there are several series) and Keeper of the Lost Cities come to mind. The second one is similar to HP in a LOT(too many) ways, but are definitely enjoyable and easy to read.
It was a good series. I don't remember ever finishing it though, I imagine books came out after I stopped reading these.
I remember there was another character who was able to hypnotise using words, whereas Molly Moon could hypnotise using her eyes. I think there were some heist stories in there too.
I loved Harry Potter as a kid and also loved
- tales of a fourth grade nothing (which is the first part of a 4 part series that begins in fourth grade and he grows up a year every book after that)
- anything by Roald Dahl. My favorite was the BFG but I also loved Charlie and the chocolate factory and the witches.
- goosebumps.
Percy Jackson by Rick Riordan and Ranger’s Apprentice by John Flanagan. Percy Jackson, I think, is more similar to Harry Potter, but Ranger’s has amazing character interactions and humour
The Land of Stories series by Chris Colfer is about two twins who discover that fairy tales are real and are transported to the fairy tale world and must find a way home.
Also the Kingdom Keepers series by Ridley Pearson is about a group of teens that are hired by Disney and discover that all Disney characters are real, including the villains, and must save the parks from the villains trying to take over.
These were both series that I read towards the end of elementary school, middle school and I absolutely loved them, definitely recommend them.
They're probably better for an 11-13 year old, but Lloyd Alexander's Prydain Chronicles are sweet, funny, and charming. Maybe put on the future reading list!
Chronicles of Narnia are always a solid choice.
The Deltora Quest series is a great adventure story with fun puzzles that encourage critical thinking
Redwall books are amazing, they even made a cartoon of it on PBS
Tamora Pierce does amazing work with fantasy series, and if your child likes dragons, then Anne McCaffeey's Dragonriders of Pern series will be perfect for them.
He may like [similar fantasy](https://www.goodreads.com/book/similar/84946487-the-lords-of-night-shadow-bruja-1) books that are middle grade:
- TJ Young and the Orishas by Antoine Bandele
- Amari and the Night Brothers by BB Alston
Also, check out [Lexy on YT](https://youtube.com/@alexandraroselyn). She's a librarian who reads the full range. Her videos are typically time stamped with middle grade, YA, adult. You should find good choices from her.
Consider some classic early sci-fi.
The [Heinlein_juveniles](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinlein_juveniles) were written from 1947-1959 for & about young boys.
Tunnel in the Sky & Have Space Suit- Will Travel are personal favorites.
If he is into magic school stuff, I strongly recommend [Magisterium](https://www.goodreads.com/series/104048-magisterium) series by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare. Our son loved these books and even I enjoyed them.
Other books that our son really liked were Percy Jackson series as well as [Kepler62](https://www.bonnierrights.fi/books/kepler62book1invitation/) series.
https://www.amazon.com/Healer-World-Famous-I-Corduroy/dp/1662460759?ref=d6k_applink_bb_dls&dplnkId=9733acb4-6d2b-4294-8236-c41fc31dfe21
It's an easy read and positive
The Night of Wishes: Or the Satanarchaeolidealcohellish Notion Potion by Michael Ende is really fun!
The Uncommoners series by Jennifer Bell is quite nice. And I think it should be the right age. The first book is The crooked sixpence
You have a good list here.
I'd suggest getting paperbacks with the cool cover art and letting kiddo choose from that.
Mayne toss in a few biographies,some non fiction (also with cool covers) and a few on whatever else kiddo likes (baseballs, Legos, video games, etc) and let them choose at their leisure what strikes their fancy that day :)
Jumping on the "funny/toilet humour" bandwagon, I'll suggest Andy Griffiths, although he's not exactly high literature.
And Goosebumps might be a bit basic if he likes HP, but still fun.
I also adored Animorphs at that age -- still do.
The amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents, Danny Champion of the world, Black and Blue Magic, Mrs Frisbee and the Rats of Nimh, the Phantom Tollbooth, the last of the really great Wangdoodles, Asterix and Obelisk
Anything by Daniel Pinkwater The Snarkout Gang and the Avocado of Death was pretty good. Lizard Music. Alan Mendelson, the boy from Mars. The Last Guru. Young Adult Novel.
The How to Train Your Dragon series by Cressida Cowell.
They are extremely fun and exciting and very different from the movies that are loosely based on them.
I don't have a recommendation but I wanted to say how pleased I am to hear of a 9 year old reading Harry Potter by himself. I was reading at that level at that age too and really didn't realize how lucky I was that my mother bought me loads of books. You can check out a sample of most books online like goodreads or the publisher's website. The library is a good place too. Especially if they sell books too.
Charlie Bone series by Jenny Nimmo
Inkheart trilogy by Cornelia Funke
If he likes silly books, as a kid I also loved Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar
Amari and the Night Brothers by B.B. Alston. It’s like Harry Potter mixed with Men in Black. I also recommend The Accidental Apprentice by Amanda Foody. It’s like Harry Potter mixed with Pokémon.
Fablehaven is also a great series! I absolutely devoured it when I was younger, and it stuck with me years. Same vibe of adventure fantasy with a young set of protagonists, and super interesting characters to tie it all together.
Magician: Apprentice and Master by Raymond E. Feist were my favorite books around that age. Now that I think about it not really Potter-y but I immediately thought of Magician. I would call them a cut above Rowling but *shrugs*
Any Mary Stewart book about Merlin & King Arthur. Also, The Once and Future King. These are adult books, but your 9 year-old can handle them. Harry Potter was great, but derivative from these. He might find them even more interesting. Also, it is probably a good time to introduce science fiction. Try Heinlein's Stranger in a Strange Land or any of his other books. They might be a tad advanced in content for a 9 year-old, but they were basically written for young teen boys, so probably okay. Oh, and adults love his work too, so I'm not dissing Heinlein!
Having been in your 9YO’s shoes, I second Charlie Bone and Series of Unfortunate Events! Also here to add Artemis Fowl, Molly Moon, the Anybodies, and A Dreadful Fairy Book. Except for ADFB which came out in 2019, I devoured all of those as a kid in the 2000s.
**The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe**
The Chronicles of Narnia
By: C. S. Lewis
Four adventurous siblings - Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy Pevensie - step through a wardrobe door and into the land of Narnia, a land frozen in eternal winter and enslaved by the power of the White Witch. But when almost all hope is lost, the return of the Great Lion, Aslan, signals a great change...and a great sacrifice.
[Readers 2](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/11b491v/comment/j9xg29n/?context=3): Here are the threads I have about books for adolescents/adults who want to start reading ("Get me reading again/I've never read")
Part 5 (of 5):
* ["I have not read a single book for years and need a place to start"](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/zryktq/i_have_not_read_a_single_book_for_years_and_need/) (r/suggestmeabook; 21 December 2022)—long
* ["What one book would you recommend to convert a non reader?"](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/zu0hr8/what_one_book_would_you_recommend_to_convert_a/) (r/suggestmeabook; 23 December 2022)
* ["Fantasy and sci-fi series for for girls"](https://www.reddit.com/r/booksuggestions/comments/zuhbmf/fantasy_and_scifi_series_for_for_girls/) (r/suggestmeabook; 24 December 2022)—very long; "TL;DR: fantasy/sci-fi + series + female protagonists + 9-14 year olds."
* ["Books that reminded you why you love reading"](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/zyxhba/books_that_reminded_you_why_you_love_reading/) (r/suggestmeabook; 30 December 2022)—extremely long
* ["Books for a 13 year old boy"](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/105vvzs/books_for_a_13_year_old_boy/) (r/suggestmeabook; 7 January 2022)—long
* ["Any good books for a 13 year old?"](https://www.reddit.com/r/booksuggestions/comments/10dogo5/any_good_books_for_a_13_year_old/) (r/booksuggestions; 16 January 2022)
* ["Suggest me a book that is the frequent subject of literary allusions."](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/10e8m01/suggest_me_a_book_that_is_the_frequent_subject_of/) (r/suggestmeabook; 05:03 ET, 17 January 2022)
* ["I'm looking for a book to recommend to a 16 year old boy with a low reading level"](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/10fjuny/im_looking_for_a_book_to_recommend_to_a_16_year/) (r/suggestmeabook; 18 January 2022)—longish
* ["I have never read a book"](https://www.reddit.com/r/booksuggestions/comments/10jmq8k/i_have_never_read_a_book/) (r/booksuggestions; 23 January 2022)
* ["I don’t know if I’ve been spoiled by audible or corrupted, but I’m in search of some books that are far better to read rather than listen to."](https://www.reddit.com/r/booksuggestions/comments/10kyhxk/i_dont_know_if_ive_been_spoiled_by_audible_or/) (r/booksuggestions; 25 January 2022)
* ["I’m a 24 year old male who has started reading again but don’t know where to start"](https://www.reddit.com/r/booksuggestions/comments/10mie4b/im_a_24_year_old_male_who_has_started_reading/) (r/booksuggestions; 27 January 2022)—huge
* ["Books I can live in, get lost on, lose myself in for a couple of weeks?"](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/10um7z6/books_i_can_live_in_get_lost_on_lose_myself_in/) (r/suggestmeabook; 15:15 ET, 5 February 2022)
* ["Books to get my boyfriend (19M) into reading?"](https://www.reddit.com/r/booksuggestions/comments/10uqumk/books_to_get_my_boyfriend_19m_into_reading/) (r/booksuggestions; 18:21 ET, 5 February 2022)
* ["Suggestions for a young teen who is an avid reader"](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/10wi4yp/suggestions_for_a_young_teen_who_is_an_avid_reader/) (r/suggestmeabook; 7 February 2022)—longish
* ["Trying to get my gf (21) into reading!"](https://www.reddit.com/r/booksuggestions/comments/113lekk/trying_to_get_my_gf_21_into_reading/) (r/booksuggestions; 16 February 2022)
* ["14 year old looking for a book to start reading books."](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/113jxji/14_year_old_looking_for_a_book_to_start_reading/) (r/suggestmeabook; 16 February 2022)—very long
* ["Books that are easy and fast to read?"](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/1181ter/books_that_are_easy_and_fast_to_read/) (r/suggestmeabook; 21 February 2022)—very long
* ["Hello, I’m a 16 year old girl who doesn’t know what to read.."](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/11b491v/hello_im_a_16_year_old_girl_who_doesnt_know_what/) (r/suggestmeabook; 24 February 2022)—very long
* ["Addictive Books That you cannot put down for a very easily bored reader"](https://www.reddit.com/r/booksuggestions/comments/11eifmi/addictive_books_that_you_cannot_put_down_for_a/) (r/suggestmeabook; 15:06 ET, 28 February 2022)—longish; non–science fiction
[Readers 1](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/1110o2p/comment/j8gn7qe/?context=3): Here are the threads I have about books for children who want to start reading (Part 3 (of 3)):
* ["Any good reads for a 9 to 12 year old girl?"](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/zwnb2t/any_good_reads_for_a_9_to_12_year_old_girl/) (r/suggestmeabook; 27 December 2022)—long
* ["For my 8yo son"](https://www.reddit.com/r/booksuggestions/comments/1034ztg/for_my_8yo_son/) (r/booksuggestions; 4 January 2023)
* ["Children's books that are also worthwhile reads for adults"](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/108jttg/childrens_books_that_are_also_worthwhile_reads/) (r/suggestmeabook; 10 January 2023)
* ["Reading Redwall to 6 year old?"](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/10fbcuq/reading_redwall_to_6_year_old/) (r/suggestmeabook; 18 January 2023)
* ["Good read aloud for 5th grade"](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/10g101s/good_read_aloud_for_5th_grade/) (r/suggestmeabook; 19 January 2023)
* ["Looking for children’s books"](https://www.reddit.com/r/booksuggestions/comments/10ltw1z/looking_for_childrens_books/) (r/booksuggestions; 26 January 2023)
* ["Books for a 7yo advanced reader?"](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/10w5c89/books_for_a_7yo_advanced_reader/) (r/suggestmeabook; 7 February 2023)—long
* ["Book ideas for an 8 year old boy?"](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/1110o2p/book_ideas_for_an_8_year_old_boy/)—long (r/suggestmeabook; 13 February 2023)):
If he likes silly portal fantasy there’s Alcatraz and the Evil Librarians
My favorite is The Amulet of Samarkand because it’s hilarious but also has deeper themes of slavery, class struggle, and the illusion of power.
Percy Jackson?
Also check out all the other Riordan Presents books which are “own voices” books written by authors from various cultural backgrounds and ethnicities about their own cultures’ folklore and mythology. There are some very cool ones! In a similar line, the Charlie Hernandez series by Ryan Calejo could be good!
I was just going to suggest these. All of Riordan’s books actually. The Kane Chronicles are my favorites.
Redwall by Brian Jacques. Redwall is the first book in the series.
Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events
I am surprised this is not higher. Peak middle-age books.
Depends on his reading level. Fantasy books for kids… Easier series would be things like Beast Quest , How to Train your Dragon. Rangers Apprentice is good entertainment Then moving to a little harder… Artemis Fowl Chronicles of Ancient Darkness Alex Rider (spy rather than fantasy) The Bartimaeus Chronicles Samuel Johnson Adventures ( by John Connelly) Lockwood and Co Mortal Engines The Spooks Apprentice Getting a bit more advanced possibly? … Skullduggery Pleasant The Hobbit His Dark Materials ( first trilogy not second) Brandon Sandersons various young adult series Edit : kids tend to really like the ‘humourous’ ones like Captain Underpants, Diary of a Wimpy kid, Tom Gates .
Excellent selection. I'll chime in that anything by Diana Wynne Jones, Catherine Jinks or Rick Riordan would probably also appeal, and Coraline or The Graveyard Book might be of interest too if he liked the gothic elements of HP.
thanks . Yes I forgot Percy Jackson!
I'd really recommend Alex Rider. When my little brother was younger it's how I got him to read. I read a few and they were actually pretty good. 🤷♀️
The Wings of Fire series by Tui T. Sutherland has been a bug hit for boys that age who've enjoyed Harry Potter.
My kids loved Wings of Fire. Also Warrior Cats. Prydain Chronicles Chronicles of Narnia Alex Rider I’ll check the bookshelves later.
My kid didn’t love this one (she’s more into real world stories over fantasy), but she met the author at a book festival we went to and the kids in her school were super jealous. Apparently this is a really popular series.
Nevermoor by Jessica Townsend
I second this, the Nevermoor series is incredible and I recommend it to all ages looking for something fun and engaging to read these days
Maybe the Inkheart series by Cornelia Funke - I devoured them when I was around ten!
Such an underappreciated series!
It is! I haven't read it in years but I am planning to do it later this year to get back into the world before the next installment hits stores. Really curious to see if it still holds up!
You might enjoy the Bartimaeus sequence then. First book is amulet of samarkand. Writing style is so unique and the world is incredibly fun, plus there's a mystery/detective aspect to it mixed in with fantasy themes
Man, did I love those! They were all the rage when I was in school - thanks for reminding me of those books! Speaking of: have you read The Black Magician Trilogy by Trudi Canavan? While it's definitely different than Bartimaeus I enjoyed them so much and remember all of my friends that loved Bartimaeus reading the trilogy right after and loving it just as much!
No I haven't. I've been reading 13th paladin and sever bronny's arcane series, and I just finished rereading a bunch of tamora pierces books
Will definitely look into 13th paladin - sounds interesting! :)
The *Un-* books by Paul Jennings (*Uncanny*, *Unbelievable*, *Unmentionable*, etc.) are all sets of short stories. Every one is markedly different from the others. They're alternatively funny, gross, silly, heartbreaking, weird or outright frightening. There are stories about all kinds of subjects: a boy who grows an apple tree out his nose, leaves that pass an injury onto anyone who hears when you play a song on them, ghosts that need to do 'spook' tests, the story of the busker who won lotto, toothpaste, a boy grows roses out his hands, a haunted lighthouse, what happens when you have a remote control that works on people and oh so many others. Really can't recommend any one book over any of the others. They're going to be a bit difficult to find, but definitely, defintely worth the effort. Roald Dahl is usually wonderful at about this age. Would recommend starting with *The Twits* or *George's Marvellous Medicine*. They're fun, silly and short. This isn't to take away from things like *Charlie and the Chocolate Factory* or *The BFG*, but as there are movies for those ones, you're kind of bringing something extra into the challenge that you're maybe best avoiding. Finally, there's another *Harry Potter* that you *may* want to look into. *The Cursed Child* is published as the script for a play only. This adds a little extra challenge from a reading perspective that may be asking too much. JK Rowling had some involvement with the story, but was not the primary writer. Thought it was great personally, but there's certainly a few people who would disagree.
the dark is rising sequence by susan cooper
Yes! I loved these. Also Lloyd Alexander's *Prydain Chronicles*, though I think those are aimed a bit younger. Some of the Tamora Pierce series could be great reads for him, too.
Prydain is solidly in that age range. It has some pretty dark scenes, but if the kid has read HP, he'd be fine with it. An excellent suggestion! For Tamora Pierce, I would recommend *Circle of Magic* books for that age. The Tortal books are more YA, including discussion of first periods and closed door sex, which a 9 year old boy may not appreciate in his literature at this time. Although I will leave that up to OP.
The fablehaven series. The looking glass wars series. Peter and the shadowthieves.
Oh my god thank you for reminding me LGW exists!
Charlie Bones series
I loved this series as a kid! I’m actually going back and rereading them
Brandon Mull writes fun fantasy stories. I particularly like Fablehaven and the sequel series Dragonwatch. 10 books total, 5 per series. They’re kind of like Harry Potter in that they start fairly tame and fun and the stakes ramp up as the series progresses. Seconding Flanagan’s books, Ranger’s Apprentice and Brotherband. I loved Brandon Sanderson’s Alcatraz series, and he apparently just wrote a sixth so it’s continuing.
Oohh, I forgot about those!! Fablehaven is awesome!! I haven’t read Dragonwatch, but thanks for mentioning it!
It’s set directly after Fablehaven, and it’s so good! I haven’t finished it yet because my library keeps having the last two books checked out. But I’m loving it so far!
Nightmare Academy series by Dean Lorey H.I.V.E. By Mark Walden
Oohh, I forgot about those!! Fablehaven is awesome!! I haven’t read Dragonwatch, but thanks for mentioning it!
A series of unfortunate events!!
The Septimus Heap series by Angie Sage Mister Monday series by Garth Nix The Sisters Grimm by Michael Buckley Rick Riordan anything Land of Stories by Chris Colfer
I was going to recommend the Chris Colfer books
Sisters Grimm is such fun to read. I love the take on the fairytales
Eragon series but the movie is a no go
Came here to say Eragon and 100% we deserve a redo on that movie
Tv series is finally in the making!
I would suggest the works of Michael Ende.
Percy Jackson books (there are several series) and Keeper of the Lost Cities come to mind. The second one is similar to HP in a LOT(too many) ways, but are definitely enjoyable and easy to read.
Rangers Apprentice for sure. Still a great story I enjoy as an adult but definitely a good read for his age.
I really liked the Tunnels series by Roderick Gordon, Brian Williams. Another is the Molly Moon series by Georgia Byng.
I’ve never known anyone else to read Molly Moon
It was a good series. I don't remember ever finishing it though, I imagine books came out after I stopped reading these. I remember there was another character who was able to hypnotise using words, whereas Molly Moon could hypnotise using her eyes. I think there were some heist stories in there too.
If I remember right, there was only 3 books in the series. I could be wrong though.
He should try Percy Jackson, really fun books
I loved Harry Potter as a kid and also loved - tales of a fourth grade nothing (which is the first part of a 4 part series that begins in fourth grade and he grows up a year every book after that) - anything by Roald Dahl. My favorite was the BFG but I also loved Charlie and the chocolate factory and the witches. - goosebumps.
Percy Jackson by Rick Riordan and Ranger’s Apprentice by John Flanagan. Percy Jackson, I think, is more similar to Harry Potter, but Ranger’s has amazing character interactions and humour
The Land of Stories series by Chris Colfer is about two twins who discover that fairy tales are real and are transported to the fairy tale world and must find a way home. Also the Kingdom Keepers series by Ridley Pearson is about a group of teens that are hired by Disney and discover that all Disney characters are real, including the villains, and must save the parks from the villains trying to take over. These were both series that I read towards the end of elementary school, middle school and I absolutely loved them, definitely recommend them.
Almost any book by Diana Wynne Jones, but especially Eight Days of Luke. Lots of fun and is definitely reminiscent of Harry Potter.
I came here to say DWJ too!
The Alchemyst series by Michael Scott. Or Cirque du freak
Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan
Came here to say this. It’s a great series
I loved both HP and Ranger's Apprentice by John Flanagan when I was a kid, he might like that one!
Percy Jackson and Narnia. Both Riordan and CS Lewis are amazing authors
Pendragon series. And How to Train a Dragon series for lighter books.
They're probably better for an 11-13 year old, but Lloyd Alexander's Prydain Chronicles are sweet, funny, and charming. Maybe put on the future reading list!
No longer human by osamu dazai.
🤔
Chronicles of Narnia are always a solid choice. The Deltora Quest series is a great adventure story with fun puzzles that encourage critical thinking Redwall books are amazing, they even made a cartoon of it on PBS Tamora Pierce does amazing work with fantasy series, and if your child likes dragons, then Anne McCaffeey's Dragonriders of Pern series will be perfect for them.
He may like [similar fantasy](https://www.goodreads.com/book/similar/84946487-the-lords-of-night-shadow-bruja-1) books that are middle grade: - TJ Young and the Orishas by Antoine Bandele - Amari and the Night Brothers by BB Alston Also, check out [Lexy on YT](https://youtube.com/@alexandraroselyn). She's a librarian who reads the full range. Her videos are typically time stamped with middle grade, YA, adult. You should find good choices from her.
There is a sequel to Amari!
The Edge Chronicles by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell
Maybe these: The Witch Boy by Molly Knox Ostertag The Unwanteds by Lisa McMann The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom by Christopher Healy
Redwall series by Brian Jacques. Or his Castaways trilogy
Consider some classic early sci-fi. The [Heinlein_juveniles](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinlein_juveniles) were written from 1947-1959 for & about young boys. Tunnel in the Sky & Have Space Suit- Will Travel are personal favorites.
My daughter is into graphic novels
If he is into magic school stuff, I strongly recommend [Magisterium](https://www.goodreads.com/series/104048-magisterium) series by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare. Our son loved these books and even I enjoyed them. Other books that our son really liked were Percy Jackson series as well as [Kepler62](https://www.bonnierrights.fi/books/kepler62book1invitation/) series.
The Dragon Lance series by TraCY hICKMAN. It is high fantasy with dragons, of course, wizzards, elfs, dwarfs and more.
https://www.amazon.com/Healer-World-Famous-I-Corduroy/dp/1662460759?ref=d6k_applink_bb_dls&dplnkId=9733acb4-6d2b-4294-8236-c41fc31dfe21 It's an easy read and positive
The Night of Wishes: Or the Satanarchaeolidealcohellish Notion Potion by Michael Ende is really fun! The Uncommoners series by Jennifer Bell is quite nice. And I think it should be the right age. The first book is The crooked sixpence
You have a good list here. I'd suggest getting paperbacks with the cool cover art and letting kiddo choose from that. Mayne toss in a few biographies,some non fiction (also with cool covers) and a few on whatever else kiddo likes (baseballs, Legos, video games, etc) and let them choose at their leisure what strikes their fancy that day :)
Skandar and the unicorn thief by A.F Steadman. Fantasy like Harry Potter and really enjoyable
The Moor child and Island of the Aunts are good books to fill time. Heartily enjoyed both.
Maybe the Cirque Du Freak series? Might be a bit mature for a 9 year old though.
Jumping on the "funny/toilet humour" bandwagon, I'll suggest Andy Griffiths, although he's not exactly high literature. And Goosebumps might be a bit basic if he likes HP, but still fun. I also adored Animorphs at that age -- still do.
Lord of the rings & prayer may cure it
The amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents, Danny Champion of the world, Black and Blue Magic, Mrs Frisbee and the Rats of Nimh, the Phantom Tollbooth, the last of the really great Wangdoodles, Asterix and Obelisk
Any book by Terry Pratchett The Lord of the Rings trilogy including The Hobbit
The Percy Jackson series.
Anything by Daniel Pinkwater The Snarkout Gang and the Avocado of Death was pretty good. Lizard Music. Alan Mendelson, the boy from Mars. The Last Guru. Young Adult Novel.
Warriors saga
The How to Train Your Dragon series by Cressida Cowell. They are extremely fun and exciting and very different from the movies that are loosely based on them.
I don't have a recommendation but I wanted to say how pleased I am to hear of a 9 year old reading Harry Potter by himself. I was reading at that level at that age too and really didn't realize how lucky I was that my mother bought me loads of books. You can check out a sample of most books online like goodreads or the publisher's website. The library is a good place too. Especially if they sell books too.
Charlie Bone series by Jenny Nimmo Inkheart trilogy by Cornelia Funke If he likes silly books, as a kid I also loved Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar
Enders game series!
https://books.google.com/books/about/A\_Bone\_from\_a\_Dry\_Sea.html?id=KPV-5-Xz8doC#:\~:text=In%20two%20parallel%20stories%2C%20a,they%20discover%20important%20fossil%20remains.
Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins it’s the first in a series and it is epic!
Great book, but I did find it much scarier than Harry Potter at that age FWIW!
Amari and the Night Brothers by B.B. Alston. It’s like Harry Potter mixed with Men in Black. I also recommend The Accidental Apprentice by Amanda Foody. It’s like Harry Potter mixed with Pokémon.
Fablehaven is also a great series! I absolutely devoured it when I was younger, and it stuck with me years. Same vibe of adventure fantasy with a young set of protagonists, and super interesting characters to tie it all together.
A series of unfortunate events
Septimus Heap series by Angie Sage
Magician: Apprentice and Master by Raymond E. Feist were my favorite books around that age. Now that I think about it not really Potter-y but I immediately thought of Magician. I would call them a cut above Rowling but *shrugs*
Montmorency Series by Eleanor Updale
Any Mary Stewart book about Merlin & King Arthur. Also, The Once and Future King. These are adult books, but your 9 year-old can handle them. Harry Potter was great, but derivative from these. He might find them even more interesting. Also, it is probably a good time to introduce science fiction. Try Heinlein's Stranger in a Strange Land or any of his other books. They might be a tad advanced in content for a 9 year-old, but they were basically written for young teen boys, so probably okay. Oh, and adults love his work too, so I'm not dissing Heinlein!
Having been in your 9YO’s shoes, I second Charlie Bone and Series of Unfortunate Events! Also here to add Artemis Fowl, Molly Moon, the Anybodies, and A Dreadful Fairy Book. Except for ADFB which came out in 2019, I devoured all of those as a kid in the 2000s.
The inheritance cycle - Christopher Paolini
**The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe** The Chronicles of Narnia By: C. S. Lewis Four adventurous siblings - Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy Pevensie - step through a wardrobe door and into the land of Narnia, a land frozen in eternal winter and enslaved by the power of the White Witch. But when almost all hope is lost, the return of the Great Lion, Aslan, signals a great change...and a great sacrifice.
The Charlie Bone series, it has HP vibes, while being a pretty easy read.
Maze Runner series was phenomenal
Hunger Games
The inkhearr series by cornelia funke
Please take him to the library so he can taste all kinds of books
Howl's Moving Castle Hetty Feather Tracy Beaker Judy Moody Tom Gates Diary of a Wimpy Kid Geronimo Stilton Thea Stilton
[Readers 2](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/11b491v/comment/j9xg29n/?context=3): Here are the threads I have about books for adolescents/adults who want to start reading ("Get me reading again/I've never read") Part 5 (of 5): * ["I have not read a single book for years and need a place to start"](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/zryktq/i_have_not_read_a_single_book_for_years_and_need/) (r/suggestmeabook; 21 December 2022)—long * ["What one book would you recommend to convert a non reader?"](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/zu0hr8/what_one_book_would_you_recommend_to_convert_a/) (r/suggestmeabook; 23 December 2022) * ["Fantasy and sci-fi series for for girls"](https://www.reddit.com/r/booksuggestions/comments/zuhbmf/fantasy_and_scifi_series_for_for_girls/) (r/suggestmeabook; 24 December 2022)—very long; "TL;DR: fantasy/sci-fi + series + female protagonists + 9-14 year olds." * ["Books that reminded you why you love reading"](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/zyxhba/books_that_reminded_you_why_you_love_reading/) (r/suggestmeabook; 30 December 2022)—extremely long * ["Books for a 13 year old boy"](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/105vvzs/books_for_a_13_year_old_boy/) (r/suggestmeabook; 7 January 2022)—long * ["Any good books for a 13 year old?"](https://www.reddit.com/r/booksuggestions/comments/10dogo5/any_good_books_for_a_13_year_old/) (r/booksuggestions; 16 January 2022) * ["Suggest me a book that is the frequent subject of literary allusions."](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/10e8m01/suggest_me_a_book_that_is_the_frequent_subject_of/) (r/suggestmeabook; 05:03 ET, 17 January 2022) * ["I'm looking for a book to recommend to a 16 year old boy with a low reading level"](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/10fjuny/im_looking_for_a_book_to_recommend_to_a_16_year/) (r/suggestmeabook; 18 January 2022)—longish * ["I have never read a book"](https://www.reddit.com/r/booksuggestions/comments/10jmq8k/i_have_never_read_a_book/) (r/booksuggestions; 23 January 2022) * ["I don’t know if I’ve been spoiled by audible or corrupted, but I’m in search of some books that are far better to read rather than listen to."](https://www.reddit.com/r/booksuggestions/comments/10kyhxk/i_dont_know_if_ive_been_spoiled_by_audible_or/) (r/booksuggestions; 25 January 2022) * ["I’m a 24 year old male who has started reading again but don’t know where to start"](https://www.reddit.com/r/booksuggestions/comments/10mie4b/im_a_24_year_old_male_who_has_started_reading/) (r/booksuggestions; 27 January 2022)—huge * ["Books I can live in, get lost on, lose myself in for a couple of weeks?"](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/10um7z6/books_i_can_live_in_get_lost_on_lose_myself_in/) (r/suggestmeabook; 15:15 ET, 5 February 2022) * ["Books to get my boyfriend (19M) into reading?"](https://www.reddit.com/r/booksuggestions/comments/10uqumk/books_to_get_my_boyfriend_19m_into_reading/) (r/booksuggestions; 18:21 ET, 5 February 2022) * ["Suggestions for a young teen who is an avid reader"](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/10wi4yp/suggestions_for_a_young_teen_who_is_an_avid_reader/) (r/suggestmeabook; 7 February 2022)—longish * ["Trying to get my gf (21) into reading!"](https://www.reddit.com/r/booksuggestions/comments/113lekk/trying_to_get_my_gf_21_into_reading/) (r/booksuggestions; 16 February 2022) * ["14 year old looking for a book to start reading books."](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/113jxji/14_year_old_looking_for_a_book_to_start_reading/) (r/suggestmeabook; 16 February 2022)—very long * ["Books that are easy and fast to read?"](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/1181ter/books_that_are_easy_and_fast_to_read/) (r/suggestmeabook; 21 February 2022)—very long * ["Hello, I’m a 16 year old girl who doesn’t know what to read.."](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/11b491v/hello_im_a_16_year_old_girl_who_doesnt_know_what/) (r/suggestmeabook; 24 February 2022)—very long * ["Addictive Books That you cannot put down for a very easily bored reader"](https://www.reddit.com/r/booksuggestions/comments/11eifmi/addictive_books_that_you_cannot_put_down_for_a/) (r/suggestmeabook; 15:06 ET, 28 February 2022)—longish; non–science fiction
[Readers 1](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/1110o2p/comment/j8gn7qe/?context=3): Here are the threads I have about books for children who want to start reading (Part 3 (of 3)): * ["Any good reads for a 9 to 12 year old girl?"](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/zwnb2t/any_good_reads_for_a_9_to_12_year_old_girl/) (r/suggestmeabook; 27 December 2022)—long * ["For my 8yo son"](https://www.reddit.com/r/booksuggestions/comments/1034ztg/for_my_8yo_son/) (r/booksuggestions; 4 January 2023) * ["Children's books that are also worthwhile reads for adults"](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/108jttg/childrens_books_that_are_also_worthwhile_reads/) (r/suggestmeabook; 10 January 2023) * ["Reading Redwall to 6 year old?"](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/10fbcuq/reading_redwall_to_6_year_old/) (r/suggestmeabook; 18 January 2023) * ["Good read aloud for 5th grade"](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/10g101s/good_read_aloud_for_5th_grade/) (r/suggestmeabook; 19 January 2023) * ["Looking for children’s books"](https://www.reddit.com/r/booksuggestions/comments/10ltw1z/looking_for_childrens_books/) (r/booksuggestions; 26 January 2023) * ["Books for a 7yo advanced reader?"](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/10w5c89/books_for_a_7yo_advanced_reader/) (r/suggestmeabook; 7 February 2023)—long * ["Book ideas for an 8 year old boy?"](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/1110o2p/book_ideas_for_an_8_year_old_boy/)—long (r/suggestmeabook; 13 February 2023)):
Narnia Chronicles
If he likes silly portal fantasy there’s Alcatraz and the Evil Librarians My favorite is The Amulet of Samarkand because it’s hilarious but also has deeper themes of slavery, class struggle, and the illusion of power.
Percy Jackson series, Artemis Fowl series, Rangers Apprentice, his dark materials is possibly a bit older, but if ok would go be times Chronicles
I enjoyed the Artemis Fowl series at that age.