What to Read Next Based on Your Favorite Kids’ Book

If you loved The Phantom Tollbooth, read The Gentleman, by Forrest Leo
Norton Juster’s classic is full of wonderful puns and weird, wacky happenings. Even better: it absolutely makes you laugh. Forrest Leo’s The Gentleman will do the same. Lionel Savage is a Victorian poet, which means, of course, he’s broke. But when he marries Vivien for her money, he finds himself unable to write. Unfortunately, in his desperation to recover his poetic genius, he accidentally sells Vivien to the Devil—which is made even more unfortunate by the fact that Lionel might actually like her. What ensues is a hilarious romp to get her back, complete with a motley crew of oddballs that’ll rival even Tock and the Humbug.

If you loved Harriet the Spy, read Attachments, by Rainbow Rowell
If you like books in which private information falls into the wrong hands, Rainbow Rowell’s Attachments has you covered. Beth and Jennifer have been wholeheartedly ignoring their company’s email policy. It’s Lincoln’s job to enforce that policy. The thing is, he enjoys their conversations far too much to put a stop to things. In fact, he might even like Beth. But how can he talk to her now, when he knows all the intimate details of her personal life—including the things she has said about him? Enter missed connections, awkwardness, and a lot of cute crushing.

If you loved Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, read Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?, by Mindy Kaling
Whether you’re 12 or 32, some things never change—especially all those wholly relatable insecurities and fleeting thoughts you’re never sure if you should really share out loud. For all those times you wanted reassurance that yes, someone else has felt that way, Mindy Kaling is here for you. Hilarious, heartfelt, and full of perfectly entertaining anecdotes, Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me will fill the Judy Blume–shaped hole in your to-be-read stack.

If you loved Walk Two Moons, read Where’d You Go, Bernadette, by Maria Semple
If there’s anything you learn from these two books, it’s that mothers on the verge of a meltdown might just disappear. When Bee Fox wins a trip to Antarctica for earning a perfect report card, her agoraphobic mother vanishes, leaving Bee behind to pick up the pieces. Just like Salamanca, Bee tries to chase down the missing mother she loves, filling in the blanks with tidbits from her mother’s life (and learning more about just how troubled she was). It’s the perfect read if you want something warm and sad all at once.

If you loved Goosebumps, read Pines, by Blake Crouch
Secret Service agent Ethan Burke is sent to Wayward Pines on a mission. But his mission is interrupted when he’s involved in an accident immediately after his arrival, leaving him stranded and unable to contact anyone outside the town. With no lead on his investigation and circumstances getting more and more troubling, Burke is starting to fear the worst. If you’re looking for those creepy-crawly chills, the town of Wayward Pines will definitely give them to you.

If you loved A Series of Unfortunate Events, read A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, by Dave Eggers
Just like A Series of Unfortunate Events, A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius is full of clever writing about really, really sad circumstances. Sure, Dave Egger’s story is a little less outlandish (because, you know, it’s mostly true), but if you’re looking a bleak, orphan-type plot, this is the book for you. When his parents die within five months of each other, Eggers, 22, finds himself the new single “parent” of his eight-year-old brother. Full of unexpected moves, questionable guardianship, and self-conscious narration, this book will take you back to your Snicket days.

If you loved Harry Potter, read A Darker Shade of Magic, by V.E. Schwab
Orphaned main character with mysterious background? Check. Magical world that’s extraordinary well built? Check. Additional characters that are equal parts lovable and frustrating? Check. Very bad baddie trying to take over London? Check. Kell has the unique ability to travel between Londons, which seems great, until his London (Red London, the best London) is threatened by dark magic from another London. The Kell has to do everything he can to stop the darkness from spreading and taking over his world—and hopefully do it without getting himself (or his friends) killed.