Books like

Books like The Witches

12 books with a reading profile close to The Witches by Roald Dahl. Practical, outward-looking, clear-cut and escapist; an easy read.

  1. 1 James and the Giant Peach

    James and the Giant Peach

    by Roald Dahl

    Also practical and outward-looking · narrative, accessible

    After the sudden death of his parents, young James Henry Trotter is forced to live with his cruel aunts, Spiker and Sponge, who treat him as a servant.

  2. 2 The BFG

    The BFG

    by Roald Dahl

    Also practical and outward-looking · narrative, accessible

    Sophie, an orphan living in London, is snatched from her bed late at night by a twenty-four-foot giant.

  3. 3 The Hobbit

    The Hobbit

    by Chuck Dixon

    Also practical and outward-looking · narrative, accessible

    Bilbo Baggins, a quiet inhabitant of the Shire, joins a company of thirteen dwarves led by Thorin Oakenshield and the wizard Gandalf.

  4. 4 The Ickabog

    The Ickabog

    by J.K. Rowling

    Also practical and clear-cut · narrative, accessible

    In the prosperous kingdom of Cornucopia, King Fred the Fearless rules over a land famous for its pastries and cheeses.

  5. 5 Book of a Thousand Days

    Book of a Thousand Days

    by Shannon Hale

    Also practical and clear-cut · narrative, accessible

    When Lady Saren refuses an arranged marriage with the violent Lord Khasar, her father brick her inside a stone tower for seven years.

  6. 6 Norse Mythology

    Norse Mythology

    by Neil Gaiman

    Also outward-looking and clear-cut · narrative, accessible

    Neil Gaiman adapts the primary cycles of Nordic legend, beginning with the fashioning of the nine worlds from the corpse of the giant Ymir.

  7. 7 The Thief Lord

    The Thief Lord

    by Cornelia Funke

    Also clear-cut · narrative, accessible

    After runaway brothers Prosper and Bo flee to Venice to escape their cruel aunt and uncle, they find refuge in a derelict cinema.

  8. 8 The Complete Adventures of Curious George

    The Complete Adventures of Curious George

    by Margret Rey

    Also practical and outward-looking · narrative, accessible

    This collection gathers the original seven stories featuring a small monkey named George and his guardian, the Man with the Yellow Hat.

  9. 9 Over Sea, Under Stone

    Over Sea, Under Stone

    by Susan Cooper

    Also clear-cut · narrative, accessible

    While vacationing in a seaside cottage in Cornwall, siblings Simon, Jane, and Barney Drew discover a centuries-old parchment hidden within a dusty attic.

  10. 10 A Book of Narnians

    A Book of Narnians

    by C. S. Lewis

    Also clear-cut · narrative, accessible

    This volume serves as a comprehensive visual encyclopedia of the diverse inhabitants of the Narnian universe.

  11. 11 The Idaho Four: An American Tragedy

    The Idaho Four: An American Tragedy

    by James Patterson

    Also practical and outward-looking · narrative, accessible

    James Patterson chronicles the 2022 murders of four University of Idaho students—Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin—in their off-campus home.

  12. 12 We're Going on a Bear Hunt

    We're Going on a Bear Hunt

    by Michael Rosen

    Also practical and outward-looking · narrative, accessible

    In this rhythmic picture book, five siblings and their dog set out on a communal adventure to find a grizzly bear.

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