A Wrinkle in Time cover – Books Like The Chronicles of Narnia

Books Like The Chronicles of Narnia: The Best Fantasy and Faith-Based Stories

Updated September 2026

Books Like The Chronicles of Narnia: The Short Answer

The best books like Narnia are The Hobbit, the Wingfeather Saga, The Green Ember, the Chronicles of Prydain, George MacDonald's The Princess and the Goblin and A Wrinkle in Time. Like The Chronicles of Narnia, they send ordinary children into another world, draw a clear line between good and evil, and mean more than they say.

Here they are, starting with the ones closest in spirit:

  • The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien (1937): by Lewis's close friend, who lent him the manuscript.
  • The Wingfeather Saga by Andrew Peterson (2008): the best modern Christian fantasy series for families.
  • The Green Ember by S.D. Smith (2014): rabbits with swords, courage and hope.
  • The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander (1964): a five-book quest that ends in a Newbery Medal.
  • The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald (1872): the Victorian fairy tale Lewis loved.
  • A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle (1962): children crossing worlds in a battle between light and darkness.
  • The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster (1961): a portal story for kids who like wordplay.

Below are twelve picks in all, with first books, years, ages and content notes. If you want to read more by Lewis himself, including the Space Trilogy and The Screwtape Letters, our complete C.S. Lewis reading list covers it, and our Narnia reading order guide settles the publication-versus-chronological debate.

In this guide:

The Books Behind Narnia: Lewis's Friends and Influences

One way to find books like Narnia is to read what Lewis read. These books shaped him, and children who love Narnia often feel at home in them right away.

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

Start with: The Hobbit (1937). Tolkien lent Lewis the manuscript years before it was published, and Lewis reviewed it warmly for The Times. It's a comfortable, funny adventure with a dragon at the end and a quiet sense of providence running through it. It's also the natural bridge to The Lord of the Rings. See our Tolkien reading guide for what comes next.
Ages: 8 and up as a read-aloud, 10 and up alone. Content note: battle scenes and a few deaths near the end.

The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald

Start with: The Princess and the Goblin (1872). Princess Irene finds her mysterious great-great-grandmother in a tower room, while the miner's boy Curdie battles the goblins under the mountain. MacDonald was a Scottish minister, and his fairy tales are full of quiet faith. Lewis mentions the Curdie books by name in his own fiction. The sequel is The Princess and Curdie.
Ages: 7–11 as a read-aloud. Content note: none; the Victorian prose takes a little patience.

Five Children and It by E. Nesbit

Start with: Five Children and It (1902). Five siblings dig up a grumpy sand-fairy who grants one wish a day, and every wish goes wrong by sunset. Lewis borrowed Nesbit's brisk, funny way of writing about ordinary English children. The Magician's Nephew even opens by placing its story in the days when "the Bastables were looking for treasure," a nod to Nesbit's other famous family.
Ages: 7–11. Content note: some dated attitudes typical of its era.

The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan

Start with: The Pilgrim's Progress (1678). This is the great Christian allegory: Christian leaves the City of Destruction for the Celestial City and meets Giant Despair, Vanity Fair and the Slough of Despond on the way. Lewis wrote his own version, The Pilgrim's Regress. For younger children, look for Helen L. Taylor's retelling, Little Pilgrim's Progress.
Ages: retellings from 6; the original from about 12. Content note: none; the original's 17th-century language is the challenge.

Modern Christian Fantasy for Families

These newer series are written by Christians and, like Narnia, let faith shape the story instead of preaching at the reader.

The Wingfeather Saga by Andrew Peterson

Start with: On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness (2008). The three Igiby children live under the rule of the lizard-like Fangs of Dang. Then they learn who they really are, and everything changes. The first book is silly, full of footnotes and made-up creatures, and the four-book series builds to something moving about sacrifice and redemption. Angel Studios has also turned it into an animated series.
Ages: 8–13, and a very good family read-aloud. Content note: real peril and some frightening monsters in later books.

The Green Ember by S.D. Smith

Start with: The Green Ember (2014). Heather and Picket are young rabbits whose peaceful life ends when wolves and raptors attack. They get caught up in a fight to restore a lost kingdom. The book has swords, loyalty and a lot of hope, and it's hugely popular with homeschool families. There are several sequels and prequels.
Ages: 7–12. Content note: battle violence and the loss of loved ones, handled with care.

Through the Wardrobe: Other Portal Stories

The wardrobe door is the most famous portal in children's books, but it isn't the only one.

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle

Start with: A Wrinkle in Time (1962). Meg Murry, her little brother Charles Wallace and their friend Calvin travel across the universe to rescue Meg's father from a darkness that is taking over whole planets. It won the Newbery Medal in 1963, and L'Engle said it expressed what she felt about God and the universe. It's the first of five books.
Ages: 10–14. Content note: some Christian parents object to its mix of Scripture with other religious figures and its "witch" characters, so read it first if that matters to you. It's also more abstract than Narnia.

The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

Start with: The Phantom Tollbooth (1961). Milo is bored with everything. Then a tollbooth appears in his bedroom, and he drives through it into the Kingdom of Wisdom to rescue the princesses Rhyme and Reason. It's full of puns, with line drawings by Jules Feiffer, and it's about learning to love learning.
Ages: 8–12. Content note: none.

The Neverending Story by Michael Ende

Start with: The Neverending Story (German 1979, English 1983). A lonely boy steals a book and finds himself drawn into it, until he becomes part of the story of Fantastica. The book goes much further than the 1984 film, which only covers the first half.
Ages: 10–14. Content note: the second half deals with the boy losing himself to pride, which is thoughtful but darker.

Epic Battles Between Good and Evil

The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander

Start with: The Book of Three (1964). Taran, an assistant pig-keeper who dreams of being a hero, sets out after an oracular pig and gets caught up in a war against the Horned King. The series is based on Welsh legend, and the fifth book, The High King, won the 1969 Newbery Medal. Of everything on this list, this is the series most like Narnia in shape. Our Prydain reading guide has all five books.
Ages: 9–13. Content note: battles and some deaths, increasing toward the end.

The Dark Is Rising Sequence by Susan Cooper

Start with: Over Sea, Under Stone (1965), or with The Dark Is Rising (1973) for a more magical opening. English children are drawn into the ancient war between the Light and the Dark, with roots in Arthurian legend. The fourth book, The Grey King, won the 1976 Newbery Medal.
Ages: 10–14. Content note: atmospheric menace; the Light and Dark are not specifically Christian.

Redwall by Brian Jacques

Start with: Redwall (1986). The peaceful mice of Redwall Abbey have to defend it against Cluny the Scourge and his rat army. A young novice named Matthias looks for the legendary sword of Martin the Warrior. The books have feasts, riddles and courage, with a clear line between good creatures and bad ones. Our Redwall reading guide covers the long series.
Ages: 9–13. Content note: a lot of battle violence and character deaths.

Narnia Read-Alikes at a Glance: Ages and Faith Content

Book First published Ages Faith element
The Pilgrim's Progress 1678 6+ (retold) Explicit allegory
The Princess and the Goblin 1872 7–11 Gentle, woven in
Five Children and It 1902 7–11 None
The Hobbit 1937 8+ Implied providence
The Phantom Tollbooth 1961 8–12 None
A Wrinkle in Time 1962 10–14 Present, unconventional
Prydain 1964 9–13 Moral, not religious
The Dark Is Rising 1965 10–14 Light vs. Dark, not Christian
The Neverending Story 1979 10–14 None
Redwall 1986 9–13 Abbey setting, moral
Wingfeather Saga 2008 8–13 Woven in, like Narnia
The Green Ember 2014 7–12 Woven in, hopeful

Reading Narnia-Style Books as a Family

Narnia was written to be read aloud, and most of these books were too. If your children are younger than the ages listed, don't wait. Read The Hobbit, The Princess and the Goblin or the Wingfeather books aloud at bedtime. Children can follow far more complicated stories by ear than they can read on their own.

For homeschoolers, the Narnia-adjacent classics make a good literature unit. Read The Pilgrim's Progress and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader side by side and talk about the difference between allegory and what Lewis called "supposal." Our Christian chapter books for kids list has more ideas for younger readers.

Find These Books Used

Many of these are old enough that a good used hardcover is easy to find, often in a nicer edition than today's paperbacks. Browse Christian books, fantasy and classic literature, or use the search links above. Stock turns over daily, and shipping is free on orders over $15.

Frequently Asked Questions

What books are most similar to The Chronicles of Narnia?

The Wingfeather Saga by Andrew Peterson and The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander are the closest series. The Hobbit by Lewis's friend J.R.R. Tolkien and The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald are the classics most like Narnia in spirit.

What are good Christian fantasy books for kids?

The Wingfeather Saga, The Green Ember series, and retellings of The Pilgrim's Progress such as Little Pilgrim's Progress are family favorites. George MacDonald's fairy tales are an older choice with the same quiet faith.

What should I read after Narnia?

For most children, The Hobbit is the natural next step, followed by The Chronicles of Prydain. Older readers who want more Lewis can move on to his Space Trilogy.

Is A Wrinkle in Time a Christian book?

Madeleine L'Engle was a Christian and the book quotes Scripture, but it also places Jesus alongside other historical figures. Some Christian families love it and others prefer to skip it, so it's worth reading first.

Were Tolkien and C.S. Lewis friends?

Yes. They were close friends and colleagues at Oxford. Tolkien lent Lewis The Hobbit in manuscript, and Lewis reviewed it for The Times when it was published in 1937.

What age are the Narnia books for?

Most children read them on their own between about 8 and 12, and they work as read-alouds from about 5 or 6. Adults still find plenty in them on a reread.

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