Back to Magic School (Harry Potter Alternatives) Book List

 

I’ve talked before about why we need to stop supporting JK Rowling and let Harry Potter go. If you are looking for some magical schools that are more inclusive than Hogwarts, these books are great places to start.

You can shop the full list at Bookshop.

Eva Evergreen, Semi-Magical Witch by Julie Abe
If she wants to keep being a witch, Eva will have to use her small magic to do good around a seaside town to complete her training by her thirteenth birthday.

Amari and the Night Brothers by BB Alston
When thirteen-year-old Amari is invited to join the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs she knows it’s her best chance to find her missing older brother–and learn more about the magic she never knew she had!
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Maya and the Rising Dark by Rena Barron
Twelve-year-old Maya has to tap into powers she never realized she had to find her missing father and continue his work of protecting the veil between our world and the Dark.

Miss Ellicott’s School for the Magically Minded by Sage Blackwood
Chantel would much rather practices magic than manners at her finishing school. Which is just as well when she and her friends need to step up to protect the kingdom after its magical shield disappears.

In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan
Elliott is an unlikely candidate to be transported to a magical world but he has to make do–and attend school–when the unlikely lands him in a fantastical land.

The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani
Best friends Sophie and Agatha always knew they’d go to the School for Good and Evil. But no one is more surprised than them when Agatha is sent to train to be a princess while Sophie ends up on the villain track.

Aru Shah and the End of Time by Roshani Chokshi
Twelve-year-old Aru’s latest attempt to fit in at her private school goes terrible wrong when she frees an ancient demon from a lamp.

The Marvellers by Dhonielle Clayton
As the first Conjuror to attend the Arcanum Training Institute, eleven-year-old Ella Durand has to work with other misfit students to clear her family name and find her favorite teacher when the Ace of Anarchy escapes prison and starts causing trouble.

A Tale of Magic … by Chris Colfer
A secret section of the library leads Bristal Evergreen into a world of magic and fairies.

Legendborn by Tracy Deonn
Sixteen-year-old Bree Matthews hopes that a residential program at UNC Chapel Hill for gifted high schoolers will help distract her from grieving her mother’s sudden death but she gets more than she bargained for when she witnesses a magical attack on campus.

Witches of Brooklyn by Sophie Escabasse
When Effie moves to Brooklyn she discovers that her mysterious aunt is a witch. And Effie might be too!

Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko
At the age of eleven Tarisai is sent to compete for a spot on the Crown Prince’s Council of 11 which will give Tarisai the family she has always craved. But it will also bring her one step closer to completing her mother’s magical request: killing the Crown Prince after Tarisai has earned his trust.
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The Mystwick School of Musicraft by Jessica Khoury
Following in her mother’s footsteps, twelve-year-old Amelia arrives at the Mystwick School hoping to become a Maestro who uses music to create magic.

Pennyroyal Academy by MA Larson
Princesses and knights travel from far and wide to attend Pennyroyal Academy and train to battle witches and dragons.

Mischief Season by John Bemelmans Marciano and Sophie Blackall
Five cousins in Beneveto–an ancient town famous for witches–will have to work together to stop nightly mischief caused by witches called the Janara.

Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun by Tola Okogwu
When twelve-year-old Onyeka finds out that is a Solari–a secret group of Nigerian mutants–she is sent to the Academy of the Sun to learn how to use her psychokinetic powers.

Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor
When American-born albino Sunny Nwazue moves back to Nigeria with her family she learns she has magical powers that are only starting to manifest–and she isn’t the only one.

The Witch Boy by Molly Knox Ostertag
When Aster meets Charlie–a new girl in town who refuses to let anyone else define her–Aster knows he has to keep following his dreams to become a witch even though witches in his family are always girls.
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Cameron Battle and the Hidden Kingdoms by Jamar J. Perry
When his favorite childhood book transports Cameron and his friends to the magical kingdom of Chidani, he will have to figure out if he’s ready to be a hero.

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
Demigod Percy Jackson has to figure out what it means to be the son of his human mother and the god of the sea, Poseidon, while navigating new powers and summer camp.

The Other Merlin by Robyn Schneider
In order to learn magic in Prince Arthur’s court Emry, daughter of the famous Merlin, will have to disguise herself as her twin brother.

The Okay Witch by Emma Steinkellner
Moth Hush has never felt like she fits in among the other kids in Founder’s Bluff. On her thirteenth birthday she finds out that might not be entirely her fault since she comes from a long line of witches.
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Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend
Cursed child Morrigan Crow is destined to die on her eleventh birthday until Jupiter North whists her away to a secret realm called Nevermoor and gives her the chance to compete for a place in the prestigious Wundrous Society.
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