Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

By J.K. Rowling, Mary Grandpré (illustrator),

Book cover of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Book description

When the Quidditch World Cup is disrupted by Voldemort's rampaging supporters alongside the resurrection of the terrifying Dark Mark, it is obvious to Harry Potter that, far from weakening, Voldemort is getting stronger. Back at Hogwarts for his fourth year, Harry is astonished to be chosen by the Goblet of…

Shepherd is reader supported. When you buy books, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Why read it?

4 authors picked Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

The dragons are only a small part of this very popular book, but it is very memorable. The challenge that Harry (and others) must complete is very creative. The dragons in this story are closer to beasts than sentient creatures, and it forces the character and reader to realize that the dragons must be defeated with intelligence, not brute force. Although this is quite different from many stories, including mine, I can appreciate the difference and the value it brings to the trial Harry is trying to complete.

I have a bad habit of reading books after the adaption is made. I watched the first three Harry Potter films, but I couldn’t wait. After the third movie, I saw the book for Goblet of Fire was already out and I grabbed it within days. For me, Goblet is the first experience I had reading Harry Potter and I loved it!

We have dragons and an awesome competition to move the plot, but we also have budding teenage emotions. Love. Death. Friendship. Fights. The menacing presence of Voldemort. Together everything combines to deliver a coming-of-age staple! Many of these…

Read the introduction to Chapter 4 in Happy Potter and the Goblet of Fire and you will have a perfect description of the brain’s stress response. Spoiler alert – Harry finds himself in a scary maze, with monsters lurking in dark corners at every curve, and he needs to think quickly to get himself out. He starts sweating, his heart beats fast, he feels anxious. A maze is a classic trigger of the brain’s stress response. Mazes have been used for over one hundred years to study the anxiolytic effect of drugs in rats and mice, because mazes trigger the…

One Giant Leap

By Ben Gartner,

Book cover of One Giant Leap

Ben Gartner Author Of The Eye of Ra

New book alert!

Who am I?

I love to read a good action-adventure story. I’ve also written a few. And I know that no matter how high the stakes, if there’s no heart in the characters then there’s very little engagement to make it any more memorable than a temporary thrill. I love thrills, but the stories that stick with you after the excitement of the moment is over, those are the true gems. Besides the fun of reading that type of book, maybe you even learn something about yourself or the world and come out a wee bit wiser than when you went in. And isn’t that a fantastic use of our imaginative powers?!

Ben's book list on new action-packed middle grade with heart

What is my book about?

I’m pretty sure I’m about to die in space. And I just turned twelve and a half.

Blast off with the four winners of the StellarKid Project on a trip to the International Space Station and then to the Gateway outpost orbiting the Moon! It’s a dream come true until space junk collides with the ISS, turning their epic trip into a nightmare of survival. Alone aboard the Aether starship, the kids have to work as a team to save the adults before the ISS is destroyed. Suit up, cadet, and launch into adventure with One Giant Leap!

By Ben Gartner,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked One Giant Leap as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

I’m pretty sure I’m about to die in space. And I just turned twelve and a half.

Blast off with the four winners of the StellarKid Project on a trip to the International Space Station and then to the Gateway outpost orbiting the Moon! It’s a dream come true until space junk collides with the ISS, turning their epic trip into a nightmare of survival. Alone aboard the Aether starship, the kids have to work as a team to save the adults before the ISS is destroyed. Suit up, cadet, and launch into adventure with One Giant Leap!

Praise for…


Dragons form one of the main and most dangerous trials faced by the young wizard competitors in this installment of the wildly popular series. I’m not a huge fan of modern YA novels, but these ones are well done, and even the movies were terrific.

From Ted's list on fantasy books featuring dragons.

Want books like Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire?

Our community of 9,000+ authors has personally recommended 69 books like Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

Browse books like Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in wizards, magic-supernatural, and Hogwarts?

9,000+ authors have recommended their favorite books and what they love about them. Browse their picks for the best books about wizards, magic-supernatural, and Hogwarts.

Wizards Explore 92 books about wizards
Magic-Supernatural Explore 551 books about magic-supernatural
Hogwarts Explore 10 books about Hogwarts