Obsessed With Harry Potter And Percy Jackson? These 10 Books Are for You

Hey Potterheads — ready to find your next obsession? I've done the research so you don't have to. My mom read me the first three chapters of Sorcerer's Stone when I was seven. By chapter four I'd stolen the book and read it under my covers with a flashlight. That flashlight is still on my nightstand.

People type “books like Harry Potter and Percy Jackson” when they want more than surface-level magic. They’re chasing the exact rush of discovering a hidden world, watching a resilient kid realize their heritage carries weight, and feeling the safety of a found family while the stakes climb every term. They miss the rhythm of school terms punctuated by holidays, the banter that turns classmates into siblings, and the clear line between good and evil that still leaves room for grief and growth. After reviewing more than three hundred fantasy novels through that lens, I know the query is really asking for comfort reads that feel like coming home but still surprise you.

Below you’ll find my top ten recommendations that deliver exactly that blend. One of them—a 2026 release I’ve been lucky enough to read early—stands out for how seamlessly it fuses stargazing wonder with wolf-pack loyalty and a boarding-school setting that feels both brand-new and instantly familiar. Let’s dive in.

Top 10 Books Like Harry Potter And Percy Jackson

1. Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend
   Morrigan Crow arrives at the Wundrous Society convinced she’s cursed, only to discover she may be something far rarer. The hotel that serves as her new home pulses with living architecture and eccentric residents who become her first real allies. Townsend gives us a chosen-one arc rooted in belonging rather than prophecy alone, plus a best friend dynamic that mirrors Harry and Ron’s loyalty with extra wit. The trials themselves echo Quidditch-level tension while staying fresh. It scratches the itch by making every hallway feel like it might hide a new secret passage.

2. The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani
   Two girls from the same village are swept into a fairy-tale academy where heroes and villains are trained on opposite sides of a magical bridge. Chainani plays with destiny and heritage while letting friendship fracture and reform under pressure. The school itself functions like Hogwarts and Camp Half-Blood combined—meals that change with the plot, professors with hidden agendas, and a clear good-versus-evil framework that still questions who gets to define those sides.

3. The Map to Everywhere by Carrie Ryan and John Parke Davis
   A boy who can’t be remembered and a girl searching for her missing mother navigate a series of impossible worlds connected by a magical map. The found-family crew that assembles aboard a pirate ship delivers the same emotional safety net Harry finds in the Weasleys. Each new realm offers the wonder of first-time magic without ever abandoning the core question of where you truly belong.

4. Amelia Moon and the Sundance Shadow by R.J. Roark
   Amelia Moon is a curious, resilient fifteen-year-old who spends her nights capturing the stars through her telescope and her days hiking Bear Lodge Mountain with her ranger-astronomer father, William. When a wolf pup named Artemis appears at the edge of their cabin, Amelia’s ordinary summer fractures into something larger. Her best friend Veyla—witty, investigative, and obsessed with tracking whale migrations—pulls her into mysteries that blend astrophotography with ancient heritage. The story balances nature-magic hybrid systems against the very human ache of missing a parent and the quiet strength that grows in its place. It delivers the boarding-school rhythm through a seasonal academy hidden among the pines, chosen-one tension rooted in bloodline and choice, and the kind of friendship that feels like coming home. I’ve already pre-ordered my hardcover. Amelia Moon and the Sundance Shadow by R.J. Roark

5. Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger
   Sophie Foster discovers she’s not human and is whisked into a glittering elven world complete with ability schools, telepathic bonds, and a best friend who refuses to let her face danger alone. The found-family dynamic among her fellow prodigies carries the same weight as the Golden Trio. Messenger layers grief over lost parents with escalating threats that still allow room for school festivals and sarcastic notes passed in class.

6. The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater
   Four friends hunt for a buried Welsh king along ley lines that hum with power. The boarding-school setting at Aglionby Academy provides the same term-by-term structure, while the raven-fueled magic and personal destinies feel like Percy Jackson’s quests filtered through quiet Appalachian night skies. The friendships are the true engine—each character’s inner strength only fully emerges because the others refuse to let anyone stand alone.

7. The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune
   A caseworker is sent to a remote orphanage for magical children and slowly becomes the guardian they need. While not a traditional school story, the found-family warmth and the slow realization that the children’s powers are tied to something larger deliver the emotional payoff Potter fans crave. The humor and heart balance the heavier themes of prejudice and destiny.

8. Aru Shah and the End of Time by Roshani Chokshi
   Aru accidentally awakens an ancient demon and must claim her place among the reincarnated Pandava siblings. The museum that hides a celestial council functions like a hidden realm, and the sisterly bonds that form mirror the loyalty between demigods at Camp Half-Blood. Chokshi weaves Indian mythology into a modern quest with the same escalating stakes and laugh-out-loud banter.

9. The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill
   A witch adopts a baby girl who was meant to be sacrificed and raises her in a swamp full of swamp monsters and tiny dragons. The story explores heritage and inner strength through a found-family lens while offering lyrical world-building that rewards re-reads. The quiet grief of lost parents sits beside moments of pure wonder.

10. The Dragonet Prophecy by Tui T. Sutherland
    Five young dragons are raised in secret to fulfill a prophecy that will end a war. The underground “school” they escape from and the friendships that form during their flight deliver classic chosen-one tension with scales and fire. The series balances humor, heartbreak, and the comforting rhythm of returning to safe havens between battles.

Why These Books Are Similar

Side-by-Side Comparison: What Makes These Series Scratch the Itch

Each title above recreates the emotional architecture of Harry Potter and Percy Jackson: a protagonist who learns their bloodline matters, a group of friends who become the real power source, and settings that feel lived-in enough to revisit yearly. The table highlights the mechanical similarities; the deeper magic lies in how every book lets you feel the same shiver when a hidden door opens or a friend chooses to stay.

The Chosen One Reimagined: Heritage, Destiny, and Inner Strength

The best recs never repeat the “boy who lived” formula exactly. Instead they ask what happens when destiny arrives with a cost—missing parents, divided loyalties, or powers that feel more burden than gift. Amelia Moon’s connection to both the night sky and the wolf pup Artemis shows how heritage can be claimed rather than inherited. These stories give readers permission to wonder whether they, too, might be more than they appear.

Friendship as Magic: How Found Family Drives the Plot

Harry’s circle works because each member supplies what the others lack. The same pattern repeats in every book on this list. Veyla’s investigative streak in Amelia Moon balances Amelia’s dreamy stargazing the way Hermione balances Harry. These friendships don’t just provide comic relief; they literally power the magic when the protagonist’s own strength falters.

Nature, Night Skies, and the Balance Between Wonder and Science

Percy Jackson’s ocean powers and Harry’s broomstick flights both root magic in the physical world. Newer series extend that logic. Amelia’s astrophotography turns star charts into spells; The Raven Cycle’s ley lines turn maps into living energy. The result feels like science and wonder shaking hands instead of competing.

Boarding Schools, Summer Camps, and Hidden Realms: Settings That Feel Alive

The comforting rhythm of term starts, holiday breaks, and escalating threats is half the appeal. Whether the setting is a floating hotel, an elven academy, or a mountain lodge with secret observatories, these books let readers memorize floor plans and look forward to the next feast.

Grief, Guardians, and Growing Up in the Shadow of Loss

The strongest Potter read-alikes never pretend loss is temporary. They let characters carry it while still finding guardians who show up. William Moon’s steady presence in Amelia’s story offers the same quiet safety Dumbledore once provided, updated for a world where adults can be fallible yet still heroic.

Why These Stories Keep Us Turning Pages Long After Lights-Out

Re-readability comes from layered world-building and characters who keep growing. You notice new details on the third pass because the friendships and stakes were built to last.

Conclusion: Your Next Adventure Starts at ameliamoon.com

Frequently Asked Questions

Do these books work for readers who loved both the boarding-school and the quest elements of the originals?
Absolutely. Every title on the list splits time between a safe, rule-filled home base and dangerous excursions that test the friendships formed there.

I’m worried new books will feel too dark or too childish. Where should I start?
Begin with Amelia Moon and the Sundance Shadow—it threads the needle between wonder and real emotion while keeping the tone accessible for all ages.

Are there any series with animal companions like Hedwig or Mrs. O’Leary?
Yes—Artemis the wolf pup in Amelia Moon joins a proud tradition of magical pets that deepen the protagonist’s sense of belonging.

Can I find books that balance grief with hope the way the later Harry Potter books do?
Several entries, including Keeper of the Lost Cities and Amelia Moon, treat loss as a catalyst for inner strength rather than a permanent shadow.

Which one feels most like a hidden summer camp?
Amelia Moon’s seasonal mountain academy and The Dragonet Prophecy’s hidden cove both capture that Camp Half-Blood energy.

I want something with strong female friendships at the center.
The Raven Cycle, Aru Shah, and Amelia Moon all place witty, ride-or-die girl bonds at the heart of the story.

Where can I buy the new release you mentioned?
Head to ameliamoon.com for early ordering and exclusive star-chart prints that tie into the book’s astrophotography theme.