100 books like Pages & Co.

I have recommended this book to so many people over the years! I loved the unique setting—deep beneath the sewers of New York City—and the way Gregor travels to this world—through a chute in his apartment’s laundromat. 

My ten-year-old son and I both read this one and loved all the talking creatures and subterranean adventure—giant anthropomorphic rats, cockroaches, and bats you can ride! All those creepy crawlies might sound a little icky to some, but I loved how inventive and unexpected it all was. One of my favorite characters is a smart-mouthed, grumpy warrior rat named Ripred, who, deep down, has a soft side (plus a powerful love for stinky food).  

This was a hard book to put down. Nearly every chapter ends with a high-stakes, dangerous development. I just had to keep turning the pages to find out what would happen next. 

This is a “big” book in that it is reminiscent of Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson series.

It is epic in scope, in action, and in humor—it is laugh-out-loud funny! The portals are many and, to further complicate things, have guardians. I loved the mixture of Hindu mythology with modern-day references (there are a lot!) along with a very modern kid sensibility. A thrill ride of an adventure.

When I think about magical books that talk about real-world stuff, my first thought is this incredible retelling of The Twelve Dancing Princesses that examines (through a magical lens) the toll of parental alcoholism.

Four sisters all have different ways of coping with the dysfunction caused by their mother’s alcoholism, but together they escape into magical worlds through their house’s closets. The youngest sister, Silly, has been left out for a long time, but she makes their magic stronger once her sisters finally let her join them.

The metaphors are so rich here—the escapism, the secrets and shadows hidden in family closets, and the seemingly perfect but oblivious dad—that this story goes beyond fairytale and becomes personal myth. I love it so much. It’s gorgeous.

As in Philip Pullman’s The Subtle Knife, our protagonist in Tristan Strong has the ability to create his own portal, versus stumbling upon one already in existence (as in the wardrobe in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe).

I love the empowerment implicit in that and haven’t seen it very often in portal fantasies. I also am from the U.S. South and lived for over a decade in Chicago so I connected with a lot of things in this novel.

I read the Canadian printing of this book, but hopefully the publishers won’t be changing too much for the American printing.

Like the heroine in The Wizard of Oz (and I’m assuming the title is a nod to that classic line, “There’s no place like home.”), Lan is whisked away by a mysterious wind, but I really like the fact that she discovers she has called for the wind herself. I also love that the wind takes her into the novel she’s reading (I’m sure you can see a theme here with one of my other picks!) and that she can then change the story’s outcome. 

I love main characters who are a little bit quirky, awkward, or just plain misfits. Isabelle Bean is all of those things. For starters, Isabelle would rather dig through her neighbor’s junk piles than go shopping for new clothes with her mom. Her taste in fashion is zany at best—oversized, pointy-toed, red leather boots paired with baggy jeans and hoodie.

Plus, she’s the only one who can hear the weird buzzing sound coming from somewhere inside her middle school. Isabelle is quiet but odd, which tends to annoy her teachers. This lands her in the principal’s office, which, in a unique turn of events, ends up being the gateway to another world. 

From a dark and spooky forest to a witchy old woman who gathers herbs, Falling In feels like an old-time fairytale but with modern and hilarious sensibilities. I really enjoyed the themes of belonging and finding our place… show more.

This was one of my favorite books as a kid. One of the things I loved about it was that it featured a regular girl with no special abilities embarking on a grand adventure.

I could easily relate to Rose Larkin and imagine myself in her shoes. I was captivated by the simple way Rose entered the new world—stepping into her aunt’s root cellar and traveling back in time to Civil War-era United States.

As a kid, I loved that Rose brought modern money with her and that just a little bit was enough to purchase quite a lot in the 1860s. I also appreciated the little historical details, like how everyone in the past assumed Rose was a boy just because she had short hair and wore jeans.

The Root Cellar thrilled my eleven-year-old heart and was such a fun way to explore another time and place.

This book charmed me from the very beginning. I loved all the enchanting characters that populate the story—a mysterious flying bird woman, an invisible tiger, a magical messenger parrot, and a powerful magician known as The Man Who Bends Light.

As the story opens, Micah needs a miracle—his grandfather is dying, and the only one who might be able to save him is a magician who owes the family a favor.

The Circus Mirandus is a wonderous, whimsical world of its own. This book made me want to find my own circus ticket, swing from a trapeze, and befriend a wise old elephant. I love stories that highlight the joys and complexities of family life, and this does just that. It’s also a tale filled with wonder, intrigue, and all the sparkle of a one-of-a-kind circus. 

I loved this book, and all the ones that came after. Author Derek Landy knows how to write complicated characters. No one wants the protagonist to be perfect. Where’s the fun in that? This series is full of dark humor and twisty plots that keep the adrenaline pumping. I love odd and different characters. My job as a fantasy writer is to create characters that are real and unforgettable. Derek Landy has done this to perfection. If you like fantasy, adventure, and intrigue this book cannot be missed.

A lone thief, Sancia Grado is great at what she does. To be a skillful thief within the environment portrayed in Foundryside is something amazing in and of itself. This trilogy is heavy with corrupt politics, an unsavoury history, and a fascinating magic system, one that impacts Sancia in more ways than she ever imagined. But she handles them well, and it’s great to see her embrace a leadership role as the story progresses.