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“It was written later than The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, but in the timeline it comes first. I prefer it, and I think it’s criminally underrated. Polly and Digory are neighbours and friends, and they are exploring the attics joining their houses, when they realise that they have accidentally found a way into the forbidden study of Digory’s uncle. I think a lot of good portal fantasy starts with something that feels like it should lead to another world – anyone who explored a strange, liminal, slightly-off-limits space as a child will remember the feeling that they were on the brink of discovering somewhere entirely other. “ Read more...
If it’s the magic in Harry Potter that appeals, it’s also worth reading The Magician’s Nephew (1955) by CS Lewis. Most people are familiar with the Chronicles of Narnia: this book, The Magician’s Nephew, is part of the series but precedes The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by a millennium. Like JK Rowling, CS Lewis is very good at juxtaposing the everyday and the magical. As the book opens, you can almost feel yourself in 1950s London, as Polly and Digory meet over the garden wall.
From our article Books like Harry Potter
