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Quick answer: If you loved The Witches, try Matilda, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The BFG, James and the Giant Peach, The Twits and The Worst Witch. Each one is a darkly funny, slightly scary story where kids take on wicked grown-ups.
Roald Dahl's 1983 novel follows a boy who learns from his Norwegian grandmother that real witches hate children and look like ordinary women. On holiday at a seaside hotel, he stumbles on a secret meeting of witches led by the terrifying Grand High Witch, who plans to turn every child in England into a mouse. Readers love its scary fun and its brave grandmother. These books share its wicked villains and its humor.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Age | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Matilda | Roald Dahl | 7-11 | readers who want more Dahl |
| Charlie and the Chocolate Factory | Roald Dahl | 7-11 | readers who want Dahl's most famous book |
| The BFG | Roald Dahl | 7-11 | readers who like friendly giants |
| James and the Giant Peach | Roald Dahl | 7-10 | readers who like escaping cruel aunts |
| The Twits | Roald Dahl | 6-9 | younger readers |
| The Worst Witch | Jill Murphy | 7-10 | readers who like witch schools |
| A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Bad Beginning | Lemony Snicket | 8-12 | readers who like wicked villains |
| Coraline | Neil Gaiman | 9-12 | readers who like creepy |
| The Graveyard Book | Neil Gaiman | 10+ | readers who like spooky |
| The Wolves of Willoughby Chase | Joan Aiken | 8-12 | readers who like cruel adults |
| Gangsta Granny | David Walliams | 7-11 | readers who like funny grannies |
| Room on the Broom | Julia Donaldson | 3-7 | younger readers |
| The Witch Boy | Molly Knox Ostertag | 9-12 | readers who like comics |
| Goosebumps: Welcome to Dead House | R.L. Stine | 8-12 | readers who like scary series |
| Fantastic Mr Fox | Roald Dahl | 6-9 | readers who like clever heroes |
1. Matilda by Roald Dahl
A clever girl outwits her awful headmistress.
Best for: readers who want more Dahl.
2. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
A boy wins a tour of a magical factory.
Best for: readers who want Dahl's most famous book.
3. The BFG by Roald Dahl
A girl befriends a giant who catches dreams.
Best for: readers who like friendly giants.
4. James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
A boy travels in a giant peach.
Best for: readers who like escaping cruel aunts.
5. The Twits by Roald Dahl
Two nasty people play tricks on each other.
Best for: younger readers.
6. The Worst Witch by Jill Murphy
A clumsy girl at witch school.
Best for: readers who like witch schools.
7. A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket
Orphans are pursued by Count Olaf.
Best for: readers who like wicked villains.
8. Coraline by Neil Gaiman
A girl finds a sinister other mother.
Best for: readers who like creepy.
9. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
A boy is raised by ghosts.
Best for: readers who like spooky.
10. The Wolves of Willoughby Chase by Joan Aiken
Two girls escape a cruel governess.
Best for: readers who like cruel adults.
11. Gangsta Granny by David Walliams
A boy learns his granny is a jewel thief.
Best for: readers who like funny grannies.
12. Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson
A kind witch shares her broom.
Best for: younger readers.
13. The Witch Boy by Molly Knox Ostertag
A boy wants to learn witchcraft.
Best for: readers who like comics.
14. Goosebumps: Welcome to Dead House by R.L. Stine
A family moves to a creepy town.
Best for: readers who like scary series.
15. Fantastic Mr Fox by Roald Dahl
A fox outwits three farmers.
Best for: readers who like clever heroes.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with The Witches: 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 The Witches. The rest of the list moves further out, so it works well once you know which part of the original you liked most. If a pick is part of a longer series, read the first book before you commit, and check the age or content notes in the table before passing a book to a younger reader.
How to Choose
For more Dahl, Matilda and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory are favorites. If you liked the scary side, Coraline and A Series of Unfortunate Events are perfect. For witches, The Worst Witch is funny and gentle. Gangsta Granny has another wonderful grandmother.
Related: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl: Summary and Key Takeaways
Frequently Asked Questions
What is The Witches about?
A boy and his grandmother try to stop a group of witches who plan to turn children into mice.
Is The Witches scary?
It is a little scary, with dark humor, so it suits most readers 8 and up.
How does The Witches end?
The boy, still a mouse, and his grandmother plan to destroy all the witches in America.
Is there a movie?
Yes. There are films from 1990 and 2020.
Who illustrated The Witches?
Quentin Blake.
Who is the Grand High Witch?
The leader of all the witches, who plans the mouse-making formula.
Does the boy stay a mouse?
Yes. He remains a mouse at the end.