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Quick answer: If you loved Spiderwick, read Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi's The Spiderwick Chronicles: The Field Guide, then Pseudonymous Bosch's The Name of This Book Is Secret, then Holly Black's Doll Bones, and Eoin Colfer's Artemis Fowl and Frank Beddor's The Looking Glass Wars. All are magical adventure for middle-grade readers.
Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi's Spiderwick Chronicles follow three siblings who find a field guide to faeries. These picks share its mix of fantasy and mystery.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Doll Bones | Holly Black | 9-13 | readers who like friendship stories |
| Artemis Fowl | Eoin Colfer | 10-14 | readers who like clever heroes |
| The Looking Glass Wars | Frank Beddor | Teen | Wonderland reimagined |
| The Sisters Grimm: The Fairy-Tale Detectives | Michael Buckley | 8–12 | fairy-tale detectives |
| Serafina and the Black Cloak | Robert Beatty | Ages 9-13 | Biltmore mystery |
| The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell | Chris Colfer | 8-12 | fairy-tale fans |
| Inkheart | Cornelia Funke | 10-14 | book lovers |
| Dragon Rider | Cornelia Funke | 8-12 | readers who love a quest |
| Greenglass House | Kate Milford | 9-13 | cozy mysteries |
| Coraline | Neil Gaiman | 8-12 | readers who like gothic fantasy |
| A Tale Dark & Grimm | Adam Gidwitz | 8-12 | readers who like fairy tales |
| The Wizards of Once | Cressida Cowell | 8-12 | readers who like humor |
| Circus Mirandus | Cassie Beasley | 9-13 | young readers |
1. 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.
2. 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.
3. Doll Bones by Holly Black
Zach, Poppy and Alice take a road trip to bury a doll said to be made from a dead girl. Haunting and thoughtful.
Best for: readers who like friendship stories.
4. 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.
5. The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor
Princess Alyss of Wonderland is exiled and must return. Fast and inventive.
Best for: Wonderland reimagined.
6. 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.
7. Serafina and the Black Cloak by Robert Beatty
A girl who lives secretly in a mansion hunts a child-stealing figure. Mysterious and exciting.
Best for: Biltmore mystery.
8. The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell by Chris Colfer
Twins fall into a fairy-tale world and meet Cinderella, Red Riding Hood and more. Funny and fast.
Best for: fairy-tale fans.
9. 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.
10. Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke
Firedrake the silver dragon, a brownie and a boy named Ben travel to find the legendary Rim of Heaven, a safe home for the last dragons. Funke builds a vivid world with real stakes.
Best for: readers who love a quest.
11. Greenglass House by Kate Milford
Milo, the innkeeper's son, spends his winter holiday trying to solve a mystery with mysterious guests. Cozy, atmospheric and full of puzzles.
Best for: cozy mysteries.
12. Coraline by Neil Gaiman
Coraline finds a door to a world where her other mother has button eyes. Eerie but loving, and a modern classic.
Best for: readers who like gothic fantasy.
13. A Tale Dark & Grimm by Adam Gidwitz
Hansel and Gretel continue their story through other Grimm tales. Violent, witty and unusual.
Best for: readers who like fairy tales.
14. 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.
15. Circus Mirandus by Cassie Beasley
A boy tries to find a magical circus to save his grandfather. Sweet and magical.
Best for: young readers.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with Spiderwick: 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 Spiderwick. 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 similar mysteries, read The Name of This Book Is Secret. For fantasy, try Percy Jackson or Artemis Fowl. For gentle magic, pick Tuck Everlasting.
Related: 15 Books Like Wings of Fire Kids Will Love: Dragons, Quests and Animal Adventures · 12 Dystopian Books Like the Hunger Games | Best Books to Read Like Hunger Games
Frequently Asked Questions
Who wrote The Spiderwick Chronicles?
Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi.
Is there a TV series?
Yes, a 2024 series.
What age is it for?
About 8 to 12.
Which book here is best for young readers?
Try Circus Mirandus by Cassie Beasley, which suits readers looking for young readers.
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.