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Quick answer: If you loved Charlie Bone, read Eoin Colfer's Artemis Fowl, then Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi's The Spiderwick Chronicles: The Field Guide, then Pseudonymous Bosch's The Name of This Book Is Secret, and Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief and Soman Chainani's The School for Good and Evil. All are boarding-school fantasy.
Jenny Nimmo's Charlie Bone series begins with Midnight for Charlie Bone, about a boy with a magical gift. These picks share its school-and-magic setting.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Artemis Fowl | Eoin Colfer | 10-14 | readers who like clever heroes |
| The Spiderwick Chronicles: The Field Guide | Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi | 7-11 | younger fantasy fans |
| The Name of This Book Is Secret | Pseudonymous Bosch | 9–13 | jokey narrators |
| Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief | Rick Riordan | 10-14 | teens who want a quick start |
| The School for Good and Evil | Soman Chainani | 9–13 | fairy-tale school |
| Amari and the Night Brothers | B.B. Alston | 9-13 | readers who like secret worlds |
| A Wizard of Earthsea | Ursula K. Le Guin | All ages | readers who prefer shorter books |
| Inkheart | Cornelia Funke | 10-14 | book lovers |
| The Looking Glass Wars | Frank Beddor | Teen | Wonderland reimagined |
| The Sisters Grimm: The Fairy-Tale Detectives | Michael Buckley | 8–12 | fairy-tale detectives |
| Circus Mirandus | Cassie Beasley | 9-13 | young readers |
| The Girl Who Drank the Moon | Kelly Barnhill | Teen/Adult | readers who like fairy tales |
| Wishtree | Katherine Applegate | 8-12 | readers who like animals and nature |
| Cogheart | Peter Bunzl | 9–13 | clockwork mysteries |
| The Wizards of Once | Cressida Cowell | 8-12 | readers who like humor |
1. Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer
Twelve-year-old criminal genius Artemis Fowl kidnaps a fairy to steal its gold. Clever and high-tech.
Best for: readers who like clever heroes.
2. The Spiderwick Chronicles: The Field Guide by Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi
Three kids find a field guide to faeries in their attic. Short and richly illustrated.
Best for: younger fantasy fans.
3. The Name of This Book Is Secret by Pseudonymous Bosch
Two kids chase a mysterious sound-based secret. The narrator keeps telling readers not to read it.
Best for: jokey narrators.
4. Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
Percy learns he is the son of a Greek god and is sent to Camp Half-Blood, then accused of stealing Zeus's lightning bolt. Fast, funny and packed with mythology.
Best for: teens who want a quick start.
5. The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani
Two girls are taken to a school that trains fairy-tale heroes and villains, and each lands in the wrong place. Darker and bigger.
Best for: fairy-tale school.
6. Amari and the Night Brothers by B.B. Alston
Amari discovers a Bureau of Supernatural Affairs and trains to find her missing brother. Fast and fun.
Best for: readers who like secret worlds.
7. A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin
Ged, a talented young wizard, unleashes a shadow. A short and wise classic.
Best for: readers who prefer shorter books.
8. Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
A girl and her father can bring characters out of books by reading aloud. A love letter to stories.
Best for: book lovers.
9. The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor
Princess Alyss of Wonderland is exiled and must return. Fast and inventive.
Best for: Wonderland reimagined.
10. The Sisters Grimm: The Fairy-Tale Detectives by Michael Buckley
Two sisters discover that fairy tales are real and they are descended from the Brothers Grimm. Mystery and humor.
Best for: fairy-tale detectives.
11. Circus Mirandus by Cassie Beasley
A boy tries to find a magical circus to save his grandfather. Sweet and magical.
Best for: young readers.
12. The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill
Luna, a girl accidentally fed moonlight by a kindly witch, grows up with magic. A story about love and memory.
Best for: readers who like fairy tales.
13. Wishtree by Katherine Applegate
A red oak tree called Red narrates the story of a Muslim family facing hate in the neighborhood. Gentle and lovely.
Best for: readers who like animals and nature.
14. Cogheart by Peter Bunzl
A girl, a clockwork fox and a mechanic boy chase a mystery in Victorian London. Charming and clever.
Best for: clockwork mysteries.
15. The Wizards of Once by Cressida Cowell
Wish and Xar, a witch girl and a wizard boy, face a world where magic is fading. Funny, illustrated and fast.
Best for: readers who like humor.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with Charlie Bone: its tone, its themes, its pace or the kind of characters it puts at the center. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious titles, and we noted who each book suits best so you can match it to the reader. Where a book belongs to a series, we list the first volume so you can start at the beginning.
If you are not sure where to begin, start with the first three picks in the table: they are the closest match to Charlie Bone. The rest of the list moves further out, so it works well once you know which part of the original you liked most.
How to Choose
For school magic, read Harry Potter alternatives like Artemis Fowl. For quests, try The Spiderwick Chronicles. For mystery, pick The Name of This Book Is Secret.
Related: 15 Books Like Shadow and Bone You’ll Love: Dark Magic, Chosen Heroines and Royal Courts · 15 Books Like Children of Blood and Bone You’ll Love: African-Inspired Fantasy and Magic
Frequently Asked Questions
Who wrote Charlie Bone?
Jenny Nimmo.
How many books?
Eight.
What age is it for?
About 8 to 12.
Which book here is best for readers who like humor?
Try The Wizards of Once by Cressida Cowell, which suits readers looking for readers who like humor.