Alternatives to Harry Potter
You liked Harry Potter but you’re angry at the author for being a huge transphobe and you would like some alternatives because you don’t want to give money to her so she can finance transphobia and you have enough of Harry Potter’s racist stereotypes like Cho Chang and other problematic themes in this saga? You’re in the right place! Note: I haven’t read all, if some are misplaced, let me know! Note: if you want more fantasy recs, I have a queer fantasy list! Note:It is addressed to all ages.
created by sourya.noceda
last updated April, 2026
Comments
Love this!! I have a couple of older recs I read as a kid that definitely gave me similar feelings to HP:
- The Secret of Platform 13 by Eva Ibbotson (mistreated orphan boy protagonist gets swept up into a magical world! Also very british)
- Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke (another lonely orphan boy goes on a quest to save the dragons and discovers found family!)
As far as newer releases, I've also heard good things about Amari and the Night Brothers! It's a middle-grade series that has similar vibes to a lot of the books in this list.
Thank you, I’m adding all your recs!
Amazing list!! I like that most of them are queer/feature queer characters!
Thank you so much!! ☺️
Great list!! I think "The Wee Free Men" by Terry Pratchett would fit this list as well! It's part of Discworld but this series is called "Young Witches" and aimed at younger readers. It's about Tiffany Aching, a young girl that finds out she's a witch and during the series we follow her adventures and shenanigans across 5 books! Super fun and a great alternative to HP imo ^^
Ooooo good list!! I’d recommend the Septimus Heap series by Angie Sage and The Dark Hills Divide series by Patrick Carmen. Those were my childhood alternatives to HP at least :)
Thank you! Adding it!!!
Such an awesome list! I'm not sure if Ace of Spades really fits here, tho. It doesn't really have any magic or fantasy elements and the themes are pretty dark for a middle grade or even a YA audience. It's more of a dark academia thriller than a magical school adventure type of book.
I think The Girl Who Drank the Moon would be a great addition. It's very whimsical and has witches and magical creatures and stuff. Aru Shah and the End of Time, and Greenglass House also came to mind when I saw this list, although Aru Shah has more in common with Percy Jackson than Harry Potter. I haven't read them in a long time so my memory is quite foggy, but I remember loving these in like early middle school!
Ok thank you for your recommendations! Also for Ace of Spades, I haven’t read it yet so thanks for the warning! I just knew it was about a school and it was a bit dark so I added it! I’m adding all your recs in this list, thanks! ☺️
Great list! 💖 I'd also recommend "The Marvellers" by Dhonielle Clayton and "Ice Apprentices" by Jacob North. Both are really diverse magic school middle grade books that are sooo much better than HP, and "Ice Apprentices" even has a trans main character!
Ok I’m adding it! Thank you for the recommendations! I didn’t know either!
Witchlings is a cute middle-grade fantasy that might fit! Lovely list 💌
Thank you! I’m adding it!
I've been meaning to read the Nevermoor series! My friend says it's a great alternative to HP.
Ok thanks! I’m adding it!
