The difference between a witch and a wizard in children’s books is mostly a matter of homework. Witches tend to be born strange; wizards are made — apprenticed, examined, sworn in, and handed a staff along with a reading list. That is why so many of these stories look like school stories with the volume turned up: there is a master who refuses to explain himself, a book of names nobody is supposed to open, a spell performed very slightly wrong, and a long stretch in the middle where the hero is simply not good at this yet. The wonder is real, but so is the tuition.
Drawing from Bookroo’s collection of 237 wizard books, our editors chose apprentice novels, Merlin retellings, wizard schools with entrance requirements, funny first chapter books, and the classics the whole genre still borrows from. Start with our fixed shortlist of 12 favorites, then browse wizard picture books and chapter books by age — this shelf leans decisively toward independent readers, so the youngest titles are worth pointing out.
A boy snatches a bad word out of the air at a grown-up party, and only the gardener — who happens to be a wizard — knows how to get rid of it.
An onion farmer’s son is summoned to the castle, handed a glowing stone, and told a wizard will teach him to command a dragon.
A cheerful, not-very-powerful wizard sets out to be heroic, with a deeply skeptical crow supplying the commentary.
A street thief picks a wizard’s pocket, survives touching a stone that should have killed him, and is taken on as an apprentice.
Two friends embark on a quest to find a missing wizard and save their world from eternal darkness.
A wizard without magic and a warrior with forbidden power must unite against a deadly witch.
A girl hiding from bullies in the library finds a manual for wizards on the shelf, and the oath printed inside turns out to be binding.
A hatter’s daughter is cursed into the body of an old woman and takes a job keeping house for the wizard the whole town is afraid of.
A young magician's apprentice seeks revenge, unleashing a powerful djinni and chaos.
A seventh son vanishes at birth, a foundling is raised in his place, and the realm’s ExtraOrdinary Wizard acquires an apprentice almost by accident.
An overlooked boy training as a squire is tutored by a wizard who lives backward through time and keeps turning his pupil into fish, hawks, and geese.
A young sorcerer's quest to undo a shadow he unleashed threatens the balance of Earthsea.
Pointed hats, borrowed spells, and a wizard on hand to solve an ordinary problem in a thoroughly unreasonable way, for read-aloud ages 3–8.
Experience Harry's first magical Christmas at Hogwarts, filled with wonder and surprises.
Two friends chase a cunning robber and his magical ally. Can they outsmart him?
A hero worm is captured by a villainous lizard. Can his friends save him?
Two storytellers clash over chaos and magic, discovering the power of collaboration.
A magic hat transforms townsfolk into animals, but a wizard's arrival changes everything.
A dragon's sneezes ignite chaos. Can magic cure his fiery cold?
Pirates devour words from books. Can the Word Wizard's pen save stories from vanishing forever?
Can Tom and Elenna defeat the swamp-dwelling beast and rescue the lost adventurers from the Netherworld?
A prince must break a sorcerer's curse to reunite with his swan princess.
A young goblin's mission challenges trust and history's fate.
A young boy and his dragon must work together to stop a werewolf from terrorizing a village
A king's endless wishes create chaos only he can fix.
Apprenticeships, wizard schools, staffs, oaths, and quests that go badly before they go well, for independent readers ages 7–14.
A boy discovers his magical destiny at a mysterious school, facing friends and foes alike.
A girl and a skeleton sorcerer must stop evil forces threatening the world.
A rebellious princess seeks adventure with a powerful dragon, facing magical dangers and unexpected allies.
A young prince disguises himself as a commoner to attend school and make friends, but his adventure takes a turn when he and his friend embark on a quest to find the queen's lost emerald
Twin dragons seek a wizard to cure a fiery cold, facing unexpected dangers.
A group of young Dragon Masters must stop a powerful wizard from stealing a magical key that could give him control over a legendary dragon
A group of young dragon masters must work together to save the prime Dragon Stone, which is dying and threatening to sever their connections with their dragons
A warning, a diary, and petrified students. Is Harry the heir of Slytherin?
A magical tournament tests courage and friendship.
A young wizard faces new challenges at a magical school.
A group of young dragon riders must work together to stop an evil wizard from stealing a powerful dragon stone
A final showdown between good and evil decides the fate of the wizarding world.
