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Quick answer: If you loved Heidi, read Frances Hodgson Burnett's The Secret Garden and A Little Princess, then Astrid Lindgren's Pippi Longstocking, then Jean Craighead George's My Side of the Mountain, and Dorothy Canfield Fisher's Understood Betsy and Louisa May Alcott's Little Women. All are heartwarming classic stories for children.
Johanna Spyri's Heidi is a Swiss classic about an orphan girl in the Alps. These picks share its warmth and love of nature.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Secret Garden | Frances Hodgson Burnett | Adult | readers who need comfort |
| A Little Princess | Frances Hodgson Burnett | Ages 8-12 | orphan at school |
| Pippi Longstocking | Astrid Lindgren | 6-10 | readers who like bold heroines |
| My Side of the Mountain | Jean Craighead George | 9-13 | nature lovers |
| Understood Betsy | Dorothy Canfield Fisher | Ages 8-12 | city to farm |
| Little Women | Louisa May Alcott | Adult | readers who love sisters |
| Alice's Adventures in Wonderland | Lewis Carroll | All ages | readers who want the source |
| The Wind in the Willows | Kenneth Grahame | 6-10 | younger readers who love friendship |
| Peter Pan | J.M. Barrie | 7-12 | readers who want a classic |
| Black Beauty | Anna Sewell | 8-12 | horse lovers |
| Mr. Popper's Penguins | Richard and Florence Atwater | 7-10 | readers who like humor |
| The Wonderful Wizard of Oz | L. Frank Baum | 7-12 | readers who want the original |
| Pinocchio | Carlo Collodi | All ages | wooden puppet |
| National Velvet | Enid Bagnold | 10–14 | racing dreams |
| Caddie Woodlawn | Carol Ryrie Brink | 8-12 | pioneer girls |
1. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Mary Lennox, a lonely orphan, discovers a locked garden and brings it back to life. Healing and calm.
Best for: readers who need comfort.
2. A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett
A wealthy girl loses her fortune at a boarding school. Gentle and hopeful.
Best for: orphan at school.
3. Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren
Pippi, the strongest girl in the world, lives alone with a horse and a monkey. Funny and free.
Best for: readers who like bold heroines.
4. My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George
Sam runs away to live in a hollow tree in the Catskills. A classic of self-reliance.
Best for: nature lovers.
5. Understood Betsy by Dorothy Canfield Fisher
A timid city girl learns confidence on a Vermont farm. Gentle and wise.
Best for: city to farm.
6. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
The four March sisters grow up during the Civil War, and Jo dreams of being a writer. A beloved classic about family.
Best for: readers who love sisters.
7. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
Alice falls down a rabbit hole into a world of odd characters. The original that inspired everything.
Best for: readers who want the source.
8. The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
Mole, Rat, Badger and Toad share riverbank adventures in a gentle classic. Cozy and funny.
Best for: younger readers who love friendship.
9. Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie
Wendy, John and Michael fly to Neverland with Peter Pan. A classic of childhood.
Best for: readers who want a classic.
10. Black Beauty by Anna Sewell
A horse tells his life story in Victorian England. A classic that promoted kindness to animals.
Best for: horse lovers.
11. Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater
A house painter receives a penguin and then a flock. Gentle and funny.
Best for: readers who like humor.
12. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
Dorothy is swept away to Oz and seeks the Wizard. A classic of friendship and courage.
Best for: readers who want the original.
13. Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi
A puppet longs to become a real boy and makes mistakes. A classic with surprising darkness.
Best for: wooden puppet.
14. National Velvet by Enid Bagnold
A girl wins a horse in a raffle and dreams of the Grand National. Lively and charming.
Best for: racing dreams.
15. Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink
A tomboy grows up on the Wisconsin frontier. Lively and funny.
Best for: pioneer girls.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with Heidi: 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 Heidi. 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 classics, read The Secret Garden or A Little Princess. For adventure, try Pippi Longstocking. For mountain tales, pick My Side of the Mountain.
Related: The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett: Summary and Key Takeaways · My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George: Summary and Key Takeaways
Frequently Asked Questions
Who wrote Heidi?
Johanna Spyri.
When was it published?
1880–1881.
What age is it for?
About 8 and up.
Which book here is best for pioneer girls?
Try Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink, which suits readers looking for pioneer girls.
Which book here is best for racing dreams?
Try National Velvet by Enid Bagnold, which suits readers looking for racing dreams.
Which book here is best for wooden puppet?
Try Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi, which suits readers looking for wooden puppet.
Which book here is best for readers who want the original?
Try The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, which suits readers looking for readers who want the original.