Magic and Fantasy

The Harry Potter books have persuaded huge numbers of children to overcome their reluctance to reading. The problem is where to go next so here are some suggestions.

The Amulet of Samarkand
by Jonathan Stroud
(Random House)
Set in a parallel version of England ruled by corrupt and greedy magicians, this exciting story features an apprentice magician set on revenge and the djinni he summons. When they steal the Amulet of Samarkand, they find themselves up caught up in a plot of intrigue and murder involving the most powerful magicians in the land. The book is written partly in the viewpoint of the boy apprentice and partly in the delightfully tongue-in-cheek viewpoint of the djinni, Bartimaeus. This sounds peculiar but it works well and isn't confusing as each chapter is written in one consistent viewpoint.
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The Wizards' Den
Magician's Circle
(Souvenir Books)
Both these books are collections of stories about magic and wizardry. Written by well-known authors such as Philip Pullman, Jaqueline Wilson, Roald Dahl and E Nesbit, they are a good way to let children try a variety of styles and tempt them to read longer books by the same people. In addition to the authors already named, the writers of the sixteen stories in The Wizard's Den include Gillan Cross, Joan Aiken, John Wyndham and Diana Wynne Jones while the writers of the fifteen stories in Magician's Circle include Charles Dickens, Alan Garner, L Frank Baum and Ray Bradbury.
Buy The Wizards' Den from Amazon
Buy Magician's Circle from Amazon