Top 5 Book Collections for Pre-teen Harry Potter Fans

Harry Potter readers don't have to stop reading just because the next Harry Potter book isn't on the shelves yet. The fantasy fiction genre has become a favorite for the tween set in recent years, peaking with the release of the first Harry Potter book. Since that time, many old favorites have resurfaced, and new, wizard and fantasy series have been written. The top five series of books for kids between about 9 and 13, all have some magic and fantasy to offer.

1. Charlie Bone Series

Who exactly is Charlie Bone? Charlie Bone is a descendant of the Red King, a magician-king of sorts, who left Africa sometime in the 1300's. As a descendant of the Red King, Charlie is endowed with special powers. Charlie is able to hear the voices talk to him from photographs and paintings. He stands among a group of the endowed who also possess interesting and enchanting powers.

The words flow easily on the pages and most young readers at the middle school level of reading should have little difficulty reading this book. Each chapter averages about 20-25 pages, for a total of 402 pages of reading in all.

Potter fans will like Charlie Bone. He fights on the side of good against those that use their magic for evil and he has super-powered friends that assist him with his adventures at Bloor's Academy. The reading level is slightly easier than Harry Potter books, so this series is a good substitute for kids who enjoy wizard tales but need slightly easier books to begin with. There are several Charlie Bone books available for tween readers, with a new book due to arrive on the market in June 2007, Charlie Bone and the Beast. Other books in the series include:

Charlie Bone and the Hidden King
Charlie Bone and the Time Twister
Charlie Bone and the Invisible Boy
Charlie Bone and the Castle of Mirrors
Midnight for Charlie Bone
Charlie Bone and the Blue Boa

2. The Magician Trilogy