You don’t need to wait until Halloween season to enjoy a good witch story. Whether your readers’ tastes run to fantasy, mystery, or adventure, there’s a magical tale waiting for them. Our picks are perfect for lovers of Harry Potter, Roald Dahl, or anyone who appreciates an underdog saving the day.
Put on your witch hat, jump on your broom, and fly into the fun of these fantastic reads.
Spooky, Silly Stories for Young Witches
The preK crowd likes a side of silliness with their witchy fun, and The Littlest Witch delivers. Wilma the witch longs to fly in the big broom-flying demonstration. She’s prepared — she knows the whole flying routine by heart. But can she take to the sky with her family, or is she just too little?
Newly independent readers will get a similar kick out of Unicorn Diaries #10: Bo and the Witch, featuring Unicorn Bo and a young witch named Charm who crashes out of the clouds one day. With an engaging story, colorful artwork, and a fast-paced plot, this early chapter book will keep your young readers turning the page to see what happens next.
Meanwhile, graphic novel fans in the 7 to 10 age group will gobble up Baby-Sitters Little Sister Graphix #1: Karen's Witch. Our heroine, Karen Brewer, is sure that her next-door neighbor, Mrs. Potter, is actually a witch named Morbidda Destiny.
All the evidence is there. Wild gray hair? Check. Black cat? Check. Always in her garden? Check. And now Morbidda — er, Mrs. Potter — is having a gathering of friends. Could they be having a secret witches’ meeting? And if so, will they cast a spell on Karen? Obviously, spying on Karen’s neighbor is the only solution.
When Magic Runs in the Family, Anything Can Happen
Anyone who’s ever felt out of step with their family will appreciate our next book. The Glass Witch is a middle-grade read featuring the adventures of Adelaide Goode, supposedly the weakest witch in her family for generations. But when a curse turns her bones to glass and gains the attention of a 300-year-old witch hunter, Adelaide must find a way to break the spell and save her family (and their magic!).
The Witching Wind tells the story of Roxie and Grayson and their quest to find their missing family. Roxie is sure her Granny wouldn’t go anywhere without saying goodbye; Grayson knows her sister Beanie wouldn’t abandon her. Then the pair learn about the Witching Wind, a force that steals people’s loved ones. Can these friends outwit the Witching Wind and save their families?
Plus, fantasy fans will also love Amulet – the epic middle-grade fantasy series.
Witchy, Wizardy Tales for Harry Potter Fans
Lovers of Harry Potter will adore Witchlings, a series of tales about a coven of would-be witches and their mission to come into their powers.
In the first volume, the Witchlings discover that they are Spares, members of covens with fewer members and less power. To make matters worse, when they try to perform a binding spell to cement themselves as sisters, their magic fails. If they can’t join together to succeed in an Impossible Task, they’ll be Witchlings forever, stuck without powers.
In Witchlings #2: The Golden Frog Games, the friends face even more treacherous forces. Someone or something is turning champions in a magical tournament to stone. To make matters worse, one of the Spares has a secret: she can hear the voice of the monstrous, evil creatures that live in the Enchanted Grim.
No roundup for Harry Potter fans would be complete without these books, beloved by students at Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. This beautiful boxed set contains three volumes: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Quidditch Through the Ages, and The Tales of Beedle the Bard. Look for commentary by Albus Dumbledore!
Adventurous Tales in Which Good Triumphs Over Evil
Witches can be silly or serious, funny or frightening. But the witchy tales that pique our imagination the most are the ones that feature magical beings that could only be described as wicked witches.
Start with the first volume in The School for Wicked Witches. You’ll follow Ava Heartstraw, the first girl in the west to be sent to reform school for young witches who harbor dark magic. But once Ava arrives, she discovers that not everything is as it seems. For starters, the school is run by witches who are more wicked than the girls and boys they’re supposed to reform. Can Ava make her escape — or is the School for Wicked Witches really the right place for her?
And finally, we can’t talk about witches without mentioning The Witches, the classic Roald Dahl novel for young readers was originally published in the 1980s and has been made into two films since. It’s easy to see why: kids love this darkly comic tale in which a young boy and his grandmother fight the forces of evil — in the form of real, live witches. This graphic novel edition, adapted and illustrated by Eisner Award winner Pénélope Bagieu, features glorious full-color illustrations.
Looking for a brand new title to inspire a reader? Discover the best new books of the month.
Ready to find your next magical read? Wave your magic wand and conjure up tales of fantasy and adventure. Or head to the The Scholastic Store and search for witch books for any age group or interest.
