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Quick answer: If you like Philip Pullman, read A Wizard of Earthsea, Mortal Engines, The Dark Is Rising, The Graveyard Book and The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents. All offer richly imagined worlds and young heroes facing big questions.
Philip Pullman is best known for His Dark Materials, a trilogy that begins with The Golden Compass and follows Lyra through parallel worlds. His books blend adventure, philosophy and wonder. The picks below share that depth and ambition for younger readers, teens and adults, with fantasy that rewards careful reading.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mortal Engines | Philip Reeve | Teen | steampunk adventure |
| A Wizard of Earthsea | Ursula K. Le Guin | Teen | classic fantasy |
| The Dark Is Rising | Susan Cooper | 10-14 | British myth |
| The Graveyard Book | Neil Gaiman | 10-14 | spooky charm |
| Coraline | Neil Gaiman | 9-13 | creepy fairy tales |
| Howl's Moving Castle | Diana Wynne Jones | 10-14 | witty fantasy |
| The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents | Terry Pratchett | 10-14 | humour and darkness |
| The Wee Free Men | Terry Pratchett | 10-14 | funny fantasy |
| Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow | Jessica Townsend | 9-13 | wondrous cities |
| The Girl Who Drank the Moon | Kelly Barnhill | 10-14 | fairy-tale depth |
| The Hobbit | J.R.R. Tolkien | All ages | quest classics |
| Un Lun Dun | China Mieville | 10-14 | weird cities |
| Inkheart | Cornelia Funke | 10-14 | book lovers |
| A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Bad Beginning | Lemony Snicket | 8-12 | gloomy humour |
| The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making | Catherynne M. Valente | 10-14 | poetic whimsy |
1. Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve
Cities roam on wheels and eat smaller towns, and a young historian is thrown into a chase. Inventive, fast and darkly funny.
Best for: steampunk adventure.
2. A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin
A young wizard unleashes a shadow and must face it. A thoughtful and beautifully written classic of fantasy.
Best for: classic fantasy.
3. The Dark Is Rising by Susan Cooper
On his eleventh birthday Will learns he is one of the Old Ones. Atmospheric and mysterious, set during an English winter.
Best for: British myth.
4. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
A boy raised by ghosts in a graveyard grows up. Spooky, warm and moving.
Best for: spooky charm.
5. Coraline by Neil Gaiman
A girl finds a door to a world with another mother who wants to keep her. Creepy and quick.
Best for: creepy fairy tales.
6. Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
A girl cursed to look old goes to work for the wizard Howl. Funny and magical.
Best for: witty fantasy.
7. The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents by Terry Pratchett
A talking cat and his rats run a scam in a town that is not what it seems. Clever, funny and darker than it looks.
Best for: humour and darkness.
8. The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett
A young witch fights the Queen of the Fairies with tiny blue warriors. Sharp and funny.
Best for: funny fantasy.
9. Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend
Morrigan is cursed to die on her birthday until a stranger takes her to Nevermoor. Whimsical and fast.
Best for: wondrous cities.
10. The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill
A witch accidentally feeds a baby moonlight and raises her as a granddaughter. Won the Newbery Medal.
Best for: fairy-tale depth.
11. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
Bilbo joins dwarves on a quest to reclaim treasure from a dragon. The classic adventure.
Best for: quest classics.
12. Un Lun Dun by China Mieville
Two London girls find a mirror city of broken umbrellas and talking pin cushions. Weird and witty.
Best for: weird cities.
13. 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.
14. A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket
The Baudelaire orphans face a villainous guardian. Dark humour and a mysterious narrator.
Best for: gloomy humour.
15. The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente
September travels to Fairyland and meets odd creatures. Lyrical, witty and full of invention.
Best for: poetic whimsy.
How to Choose
For the closest match in tone and ambition, begin with A Wizard of Earthsea, Mortal Engines or The Dark Is Rising. For spooky stories, choose The Graveyard Book, Coraline or Inkheart. For humour and cleverness, pick The Amazing Maurice, The Wee Free Men or Howl's Moving Castle. If you want a whimsical world with strong heroines, try Nevermoor or The Girl Who Drank the Moon. Check ages for younger readers. If you want to read in order, His Dark Materials begins with The Golden Compass, followed by The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass. Audiobooks of Pullman's own work use a full cast, which makes them a good way to revisit Lyra's world while you read the books above.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is Philip Pullman's best-known series?
His Dark Materials, which begins with The Golden Compass (Northern Lights in the UK).
Is His Dark Materials for kids or adults?
It is published for young readers but loved by adults.
What should I read after His Dark Materials?
The Book of Dust series continues Lyra's world.
Is Mortal Engines like Pullman?
Yes, it has big ideas and a strong young heroine.
Are Pratchett's Tiffany Aching books for kids?
Yes, they suit ages 10 and up and are also loved by adults.
Is the series controversial?
It questions authority and organized religion, which some readers have debated.
Is Coraline too scary?
It is creepy, but most readers aged 9 and up handle it well.
Where does Mortal Engines fit in?
It is the first of the Hungry City Chronicles, and the story continues in three more books.
Which book here is best for adults?
A Wizard of Earthsea, The Dark Is Rising and The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland all reward adult readers.