My friend Kristin sent me this request.  “What about a third grader who is in love/obsessed with Harry Potter. Can read it on her own and get the meaning, even though it is clearly above her reading level.”

If She Has a Crush on Harry Potter

Midnight for Charlie Bone by Jenny Nimmo – “Charlie Bone’s life with his widowed mother and two grandmothers undergoes a dramatic change when he discovers that he can hear people in photographs talking.”

Rump:  The True Story of Rumplestiltskin by Liesl Shurtliff – “Relates the tale of Rumpelstiltskin’s childhood and youth, explaining why his name is so important, how he is able to spin straw into gold, and why a first-born child is his reward for helping the miller’s daughter-turned-queen.”

Fantasy Books Featuring Strong Females (Like Hermione)

Igraine the Brave by Cornelia Funke – “The daughter of two magicians, twelve-year-old Igraine wants nothing more than to be a knight, and when their castle is attacked by a treacherous neighbor bent on stealing their singing magic books, Igraine has an opportunity to demonstrate her bravery.”

Molly Moon’s Incredible Book of Hypnotism by Georgia Byng -“Unlucky and unloved, Molly Moon, living in a dreary orphanage in a small English town, discovers a hidden talent for hypnotism and hypnotizes her way to stardom in New York City.”

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin – “Minli, an adventurous girl from a poor village, buys a magical goldfish, and then joins a dragon who cannot fly on a quest to find the Old Man of the Moon in hopes of bringing life to Fruitless Mountain and freshness to Jade River.”

Classic Fantasy Series

Half Magic by Edgar Eager – “Faced with a dull summer in the city, Jane, Mark, Katharine, and Martha suddenly find themselves involved in a series of extraordinary adventures after Jane discovers an ordinary-looking coin that seems to grant wishes.”

The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis – “Four English schoolchildren find their way through the back of a wardrobe into the magic land of Narnia and assist Aslan, the golden lion, to triumph over the White Witch, who has cursed the land with eternal winter.”

A Final Idea

The Secret of Platform 13 by Eva Ibbotson – “Odge Gribble, a young hag, accompanies an old wizard, a gentle fey, and a giant ogre on their mission through a magical tunnel from their Island to London to rescue their King and Queen’s son who had been stolen as an infant.”