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Book Riot's 50+ Must-Read Portal Fantasy Books

"In portal fantasy, a person is transported from one world to another by some sort of magic, usually (but not always!) through a specific place or object such as a wardrobe, rabbit hole, or mirror. Most often, a child or children travel from our world to another, magical world…but sometimes the travel is between dimensions, sometimes the traveler(s) are adults, and sometimes time travel looks a lot like portal fantasy. I have used a fairly broad definition of portal fantasy here, and divided portal fantasy books roughly by age range as well as including a few classic titles to help you get an idea of what we're talking about when we say must-read portal fantasy."
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Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (Lewis Carroll)
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
1
Lewis Carroll
Fog Magic (Julia L. Sauer)
Fog Magic
2
Julia L. Sauer
Howl's Moving Castle (Diana Wynne Jones)
Howl's Moving Castle
3
Diana Wynne Jones
The Labyrinth Gate (Kate Elliott)
The Labyrinth Gate
4
Kate Elliott
Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
5
Peter Pan (J.M. Barrie)
Peter Pan
6
J.M. Barrie
Seven-Day Magic (Edgar Eager)
Seven-Day Magic
7
Edgar Eager
Tom's Midnight Garden (Philippa Pearce)
Tom's Midnight Garden
8
Philippa Pearce
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (L. Frank Baum)
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
9
L. Frank Baum
Pandava Quartet 1: Aru Shah and the End of Time (Roshani Chokshi)
Pandava Quartet 1: Aru Shah and the End of Time
10
Roshani Chokshi
Fairest of All (Sarah Mlynowski)
Fairest of All
11
Sarah Mlynowski
The Gauntlet (Karuna Riazi)
The Gauntlet
12
Karuna Riazi
The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making (Catherynne M. Valente)
The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making
13
Catherynne M. Valente
Gregor the Overlander (Suzanne Collins)
Gregor the Overlander
14
Suzanne Collins
Haroun & the Sea of Stories (Salman Rushdie/Paul Birkbeck(Illus))
Haroun & the Sea of Stories
15
Salman Rushdie/Paul Birkbeck(Illus)
The Lightning Thief (Rick Riordan)
The Lightning Thief
16
Rick Riordan
Nutcracked (Susan Adrian)
Nutcracked
17
Susan Adrian
Sal and Gabi Break the Universe (Carlos Hernandez)
Sal and Gabi Break the Universe
18
Carlos Hernandez
The Serpent's Secret (Sayantani Dasgupta)
The Serpent's Secret
19
Sayantani Dasgupta
The Stonekeeper (Amulet #1) (Kazu Kibuishi)
The Stonekeeper (Amulet #1)
20
Kazu Kibuishi
The Storm Runner (J.C. Cervantes)
The Storm Runner
21
J.C. Cervantes
Akata Witch (Nnedi Okorafor-Mbachu)
Akata Witch
22
Nnedi Okorafor-Mbachu
The Astonishing Color of After (Emly X. R. Pan)
The Astonishing Color of After
23
Emly X. R. Pan
A Blade So Black (L.L. McKinney)
A Blade So Black
24
L.L. McKinney
The Cruel Prince (Holly Black)
The Cruel Prince
25
Holly Black
A Curse So Dark and Lonely (Brigid Kemmerer)
A Curse So Dark and Lonely
26
Brigid Kemmerer
Daughter of Smoke and Bone (Lani Taylor)
Daughter of Smoke and Bone
27
Lani Taylor
The Epic Crush of Genie Lo (F.C.Yee)
The Epic Crush of Genie Lo
28
F.C.Yee
Every Heart a Doorway (Seanan McGuire)
Every Heart a Doorway
29
Seanan McGuire
The Girl From Everywhere (Heidi Heilig)
The Girl From Everywhere
30
Heidi Heilig
The Hazel Wood (Melissa Albert)
The Hazel Wood
31
Melissa Albert
In Other Lands (Sarah Rees Brennan)
In Other Lands
32
Sarah Rees Brennan
Inkheart (Cornelia Funke)
Inkheart
33
Cornelia Funke
Labyrinth Lost (Zoraida Córdova)
Labyrinth Lost
34
Zoraida Córdova
The Legend of Korra: Turf Wars Part One (Michael Dante Dimartino and Irene Koh)
The Legend of Korra: Turf Wars Part One
35
Michael Dante Dimartino and Irene Koh
The Library of Fates (Aditi Khorana)
The Library of Fates
36
Aditi Khorana
The Light Between Worlds (Laura Weymouth)
The Light Between Worlds
37
Laura Weymouth
The Magicians (Lev Grossman)
The Magicians
38
Lev Grossman
Magonia (Maria Dahvana Headley)
Magonia
39
Maria Dahvana Headley
Wintersong (S. Jae-Jones)
Wintersong
40
S. Jae-Jones
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