There’s no doubt about Harry!  He has got more children reading over the last few years than any other character. But, having read his first five adventures and while eagerly awaiting his future, what can they read to keep their fascination with magical worlds going?   

There is plenty. Fantasy and magical fiction has a long history and both children and adults have a wide range from which to choose.

 Many are in series, and the big name here is JRR Tolkien with The Hobbit and its sequel, the Lord of the Rings trilogy.  While The Hobbit can be enjoyed by readers from middle primary level up, Lord of the Rings probably needs a bit more mature reading.  But Harry’s battles against the dark forces owe a lot to Bilbo, Frodo and Gandalf.

 A similar classic is CS Lewis’ Narnia series, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and its sequels.  Like Harry, they deal with ordinary kids trying to deal with extraordinary circumstances. But, similarly to Tolkien, their language can be a little more involved than the common playground patois and may need a little guidance.  Still, that is a great opportunity to read together!   

 Australian writers are among the best creators of fantasy worlds.  Emily Rodda has two immensely popular (and well written!) series available – Rowan of Rin is the first of Rowan’s adventure, another boy facing the odds, while the Deltora series has established itself as a top seller among upper primary readers with its monsters and challenges.   

Bendigo’s own Sara Douglass has also created some wonderful worlds of magic and danger with her Axis and Wayfarer Redemption series, though they are probably suited more to older readers.  Similarly, Isobelle Carmody (Obernewtyn Chronicles), Garth Nix (Sabriel, Lirael) and Michael Pryor (The Doorways trilogy) are Australian writers who have all written gripping adventure fantasies for teen readers.  Victor Kelleher has probably been the top Australian author in this area for twenty years and his prize-winning books like Master of the Grove, Taronga and Where the Whales Sing show why.

 Brian Jacques from Western Australia has a huge international following with his Redwall series.  This uses animals as the characters with good and evil battling around a medieval world and would suit readers from upper primary on.  Catherine Jinks acclaimed Pagan quartet is historical, set in the Crusade era, but has that same "other-worldliness" as the magic fantasies.

 For much younger readers who might not have even made it to Harry yet, Anna Fienberg’s Tashi books are a delight.  They are adventure tales with a whimsical twist and are a great encouragement to read independently. Kim Gamble's drawings accompany them perfectly.

 But Harry, of course, is British and his home has produced many more brilliant magical stories from the folk tales of King Arthur, through the pixies of Enid Blyton to modern tales of challenge and wonder.

 There are many, many King Arthur stories, following his story of a chosen boy trying to come to grips with an adult world (just like Harry).  TH White’s The Sword in the Stone has far more substance than the Disney cartoon and also has 4 sequels to make The Once and Future King sequence.  Kevin Crossley-Holland is an acclaimed scholar of English folk tales and history, and has written a "cross-over" Arthur trilogy linking historical and mythical Arthurs.  Susan Cooper’s 5 part Dark is Rising series brings many of the Arthur legends into a modern battle between the powers of Light and Dark.

 Philip Pullman’s Dark Materials trilogy has actually beaten the Harry Potter books to several major awards recently.  It is a fascinating series that looks at the magic of children in worlds where adults try to control them. 

 One of the best ways to find good books in this style is by following authors – Patricia Wrightson uses the traditions of the Australian landscape and people, Tamora Pierce, Alan Garner and Diana Wynne Jones have also created magical worlds that need discovering.  Jane Yolen and Anne McCaffery soar with dragons, Terry Pratchett takes outrageous digs at everyone in his Discworld and Ursula le Guin's Wizard of Earthsea series is a classic for any aspiring young magician.  Joan Aiken, David Eddings, Peter Dickinson, the list is almost endless!

 Fantasy and magical worlds are a marvellous way to explore your own feelings and imagination from the safety of a book.  Harry Potter has got so many children enthusiastic about reading and exploring, and there are so many more magical paths still for them to tread.

© 2004 David Beagley

 JK Rowling: 
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
JRR Tolkien: 
The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring,  The Two Towers,  The Return of the King
CS Lewis: 
Narnia series: The Magician's Nephew,  The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,  The horse and his boy,  Prince Caspian,  The Voyage of the Dawn Treader,  The Silver Chair,  The Last Battle
Emily Rodda: 
Rowan of Rin,  Rowan and the Travellers,  Rowan and the Keeper of the Crystal,  Rowan and the Zebak, Deltora Quest 1: The Forest of Silence, The Lake of Tears,  City of the Rats,  The Shifting Sands,  Dread Mountain,  The Maze of the Beast,  The Valley of the Lost,  Return to Del
Sara Douglass: 
Axis: Battleaxe,  Enchanter,  Starman, Wayfarer Redemption: Sinner, Pilgrim, Crusader
Isobelle Carmody: 
Obernewtyn Chronicles: Obernewtyn,  The Farseekers,  Ashling,  The Keeping Place
Garth Nix:
Sabriel,  Lirael: daughter of the Clayr, Abhorsen, Mister Monday, Grim Tuesday
Michael Pryor:
Doorways: The House of Many Rooms,  The Book of Plans,  The Unmaker
Victor Kelleher:
The Master of the Grove,  Forbidden Paths of Thual,  The Makers,  Brother Night,  Del-del,  Fire dancer,  Taronga,  Where the whales sing,  To the Dark Tower,  The Red King,  Parkland
Brian Jacques:
Redwall, Mattimeo,  Mossflower,  Mariel of Rewall,  Salamandastron,  Martin the Warrior, and more
Catherine Jinks:
Pagan's Crusade,  Pagan in Exile,  Pagan's Vows,  Pagan's Scribe
Anna Fienberg:
Tashi series, Horrendo's curse
TH White:
The Once and Future King:The Sword in the Stone,  The witch in the wood,  The ill-made knight,  The candle in the wind,  The book of Merlyn
Kevin Crossley-Holland:
Arthur: The Seeing Stone,  The Crossing Places,  King of the Middle march
Susan Cooper:
Dark is Rising: Over Sea, Under Stone,  The Dark is Rising,  Greenwitch,  The grey Wolf,  Silver on the Tree 
Philip Pullman:
Dark Materials: Northern Lights, The Amber Spyglass, The Subtle Knife