25 Books Like The Magic Tree House Books (Read Alikes)

Rise of the Earth Dragon (Dragon Masters) by Tracey West, illustrated by Graham Howells
In the times of castles and kingdoms, Drake learns he is a dragon master (and that dragons are real!) He must train with the other kids to master his dragon, an earth dragon. This is an adventurous fantasy chapter book that will interest almost any child as it has just the right amount of conflict, adventure, and excitement.

The Last Firehawk: The Ember Stone by Katrina Charman, illustrated by Jeremy Norton
Tag is in training to become an Owl of Valor. One day while playing tag with his squirrel friend, Skyla, Tag finds a golden egg who hatches into a Firehawk, the last one alive. Tag and friends must keep the Firehawk, Blaze, safe. Then they’ll quest to find the magical stone that may save their land from the Vulture and his army of tiger bats. This easy chapter book introduces kids to epic fantasy stories with the theme of good vs. evil.

Super Detectives Simon and Chester by Cale Atkinson
A new, funny beginning graphic novel! Nic and his ghost friend Simon are bored so they dress up and pretend to be detectives. The friends advertise but no one shows up — except a mysterious pug who doesn’t belong to them. Who is the pug? The detectives ask around and follow clues — and it’s hilarious!

Dragon Slayer’s Academy by Kate McMullan
This is a funny 20-book series about Wiglaf, who attends a fairly terrible school for dragon slayers, has a pet pig who speaks pig Latin (HA), and is friends with Eric, who is Erica, a princess longing for adventure. The hapless and greedy director sends his students to kill the dragons and steal its gold. In order to kill the dragons, the students must find figure out the dragon’s weakness which, in the first book, is bad knock-knock jokes that make the dragon explode!

The Secrets of Droon by Tony Abbott, illustrated by Tim Jessell
My oldest daughter read most of this series of books about kids who are transported to another world — one where there are magic and magical creatures. But how will they get home? The traveling to other worlds reminds me of the magic Tree House books!

Key Hunters and the Mysterious Moonstone (Key Hunters #1) by Eric Luper
In this first book, two friends discover a letter from their favorite librarian saying she’s trapped in a book. They decide to go into a book to rescue her. They arrive in 19th century England to help a detective find a stolen gem. Here the story starts racing along with perfect pacing and entertainment value. If you like this story, there are already five more books in the series to keep you reading.

Mrs. Frogbottom’s Field Trips I Want My Mummy by Nancy Krulik
Welcome to 4th grade with a teacher whose magic map transports the entire class worldwide. Mrs. Frogbottom takes the class to Egypt — and our narrator, Tony, does not like it one bit, not the black cat following them, not that his friend Sofia disappears, and not that Aiden wanders into a tomb where the friends get trapped! Camels, too much sand, pyramids, tombs, and an actual mummy make this terrified student very glad to return home.

Secret Spy Society The Case of the Missing Cheetah by Veronica Mang
Three friends find out that their teacher is a spy…and when she catches them watching her, they get to meet her historically famous spy friends from different time periods. The girls help them spy on a neighbor who maybe kidnapped Josephine Baker’s pet cheetah. Afterward, the girls decide to emulate their new spy friends and make a spy club of their own.

The Philly Fake Ballpark Mysteries by David A. Kelly, illustrated by  Mark Meyers
Not only is this a well-written mystery, but I also love how the author included so much history within the story. It’s one of my top picks for early chapter books.

The Fabled Stables Willa the Wisp by Jonathan Auxier, illustrated by Olga Demidova
Auggie, the only human, lives on an island of mythical creatures but he’s lonely. When a new stall magically appears, Auggie enters and meets a Wisp who is hunted by ruthless magical poachers. It’s a darling start to a new series perfect for fantasy-loving readers.

The Magical Animal Adoption Agency Clover’s Luck by Kallie George, illustrated by Alexandra Boiger
Clover discovers and volunteers to work at the magical animal adoption agency in a deep part of the woods. But after just one day, Mr. Jams leaves Clover alone. That’s when Clover faces a wicked witch and an irritating princess while trying to take care of the animals. Fans of the Magic Tree House books will like the kids in charge storyline.

Magic on the Map: Let’s Moooove! by Courtney Sheinmel and Bianca Turetsky, illustrated by Stevie Lewis
The sibling’s parents buy a camper that turns out to be magical and transports them to locations around the United States where the two experience the local culture with adventures and excitement. In this first book, Finn and Molly go to Colorado. Yes, it sounds like the Magic Tree House books but with a camper and in the present day. However, it makes up for that with its settings that will build a child’s knowledge of U.S. geography and culture.

Zoo Camp Puzzle by Gail Herman
Ava and Rosie reluctantly move to the zoo for the summer with their brother, writer mom, and teacher dad. They become worried about missing pronghorns and suspicious trucks just outside the fences. With the help of their brother Ethan, the siblings must figure out what’s happening and how to keep the animals safe. Throughout the book, you’ll find pages with activities like puzzles and mazes as well as information about the animals at the zoo.

Hamster Princess Harriet the Invincible by Ursula Vernon
This is a HILARIOUS remix of Sleeping Beauty. In this (much better) retelling, the princess realizes she can’t die until she’s 18 so therefore, she must be INVINCIBLE!! So far we have loved every story in this series and I think fans of the Magic Tree House books will, too.

Of Giants and Ice by Shelby Bach
When Rory finds out that her new after-school club at Ever After School is a fairy tale for fairy tale characters. In fact, her first day she fights a real dragon! We learn that all the kids will be assigned their own character in a familiar tale – and the chance to prove themselves. It’s also the beginning of acceptance for Rory – finding friends for the first time and learning about herself. Love it!

Ranger in Time #1: Rescue on the Oregon Trailby Kate Messner, illustrated by Kelley McMorris
Ranger, a golden retriever trained for search-and-rescue, travels back to the Oregon Trail to help a family in need. It’s a simple story that introduces the ups and downs of traveling on the Oregon Trail, first in a historical fiction series for beginning readers. Traveling through time is similar to the Magic Tree House books!

Whatever After: Fairest of All by Sarah Mlynowski
Once upon a time, a regular girl and her brother accidentally went into a fairy tale. And messed it all up. (Whoops.) We love all the books in this series so far. The author cleverly reminds us of familiar fairy tales and the perils when you mess with the plot… These kept both my kids reading and reading.

The Whodunit Detective Agency The Diamond Mystery by Martin Widmark, illustrated by Helena Willis
Friends and detectives, Jerry and Maya, go undercover in a jewelry store to figure out which of the three employees is stealing diamonds from the owner. It’s puzzling since all the employees are searched before they can leave the store. How are the diamonds going missing, and who is taking them?