M. A. Larson is best known for writing big-hearted fantasy adventures that feel both classic and gleefully modern. In Pennyroyal Academy, he blends fairy-tale motifs, dragon-slaying action, boarding-school intrigue, and a playful sense of humor into a story that appeals to middle grade readers and fantasy fans alike. His background in animation, including work on My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, also shows in his sharp pacing, memorable ensembles, and knack for balancing comedy with sincere emotional stakes.
If what you love most about M. A. Larson is the mix of magical training, witty dialogue, adventurous heroines, and fairy tales with a twist, these authors are excellent next picks:
Soman Chainani is an especially strong recommendation for readers who enjoy fantasy schools, fairy-tale logic turned inside out, and stories that question what makes someone a hero or a villain. His books are funny, fast-moving, and packed with dramatic reversals, but they also dig into identity, loyalty, ambition, and the stories people tell about themselves.
Start with The School for Good and Evil, which imagines a world where children are trained for fairy-tale roles. Like Larson, Chainani enjoys using familiar fantasy ingredients—princesses, quests, destiny, dark forests—and making them feel fresh, surprising, and wonderfully sharp.
Jessica Townsend writes with a buoyant imagination that will appeal to anyone who loves magical institutions, eccentric side characters, and heroines who discover hidden strength under pressure. Her worldbuilding is exuberant without losing emotional clarity, and her stories have the same sense of momentum that makes Larson’s work so readable.
In Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow, a cursed girl enters a dazzling and dangerous magical society. Fans of Pennyroyal Academy will likely appreciate the combination of trials, secrets, found family, and a heroine learning where she belongs.
Shannon Hale excels at writing fairy-tale-adjacent fantasy that feels emotionally grounded and quietly empowering. Her prose is graceful, her protagonists are thoughtful and capable, and her books often center on self-worth, friendship, and the unexpected forms courage can take.
Princess Academy is a natural match for Larson readers because it combines training, social hierarchy, personal growth, and a resourceful young heroine. Although Hale’s style is gentler and less overtly comedic, she shares Larson’s gift for making fantastical setups feel meaningful and character-driven.
Gail Carson Levine is one of the great modern writers of fairy-tale retellings for younger readers. Her books are light on their feet, full of charm, and anchored by protagonists who must think for themselves in worlds shaped by enchantment, custom, and expectation.
Ella Enchanted remains her signature title, and it’s easy to see why. Like Larson’s fiction, it takes a familiar fairy-tale frame and injects it with humor, energy, and a heroine whose growth matters just as much as the magical plot.
Terry Pratchett is a great choice for readers who most enjoy Larson’s wit and his playful treatment of fantasy conventions. Pratchett’s work is more satirical and wide-ranging, but he shares that same delight in taking the machinery of fantasy—witches, monsters, prophecies, heroic roles—and exposing both its absurdity and its humanity.
The Wee Free Men is an ideal starting point. Tiffany Aching is practical, brave, and wonderfully distinctive, and the novel mixes laughs, mythic stakes, and genuine insight in a way that should strongly appeal to readers who like clever, character-rich fantasy adventures.
Diane Duane writes fantasy with a strong sense of wonder and a real respect for young readers’ intelligence. Her stories often treat magic as both exhilarating and ethically serious, giving her adventures a sense of weight beneath the excitement.
So You Want to Be a Wizard follows two young people who discover that magic comes with responsibility as well as power. Readers who like Larson’s mix of youthful protagonists, magical systems, and high-stakes adventure may enjoy seeing those elements explored in a slightly more expansive and philosophical way.
Garth Nix is a strong pick for readers who want to keep the fantasy adventure element but are ready for something darker and more atmospheric. He is especially good at building coherent magical worlds, creating capable heroines, and sustaining tension without sacrificing emotional depth.
Sabriel is more mature in tone than Larson’s work, but it shares key pleasures: a young protagonist stepping into a larger destiny, a vivid magical setting, and a story propelled by danger, discovery, and courage. If you liked the quest side of Larson’s writing, Nix is well worth trying.
Diana Wynne Jones is one of the best possible recommendations for fans of imaginative, funny fantasy that never feels formulaic. She had a genius for magical chaos, skewed family dynamics, elusive wizards, and stories that seem whimsical on the surface but are intricately constructed underneath.
If Larson’s blend of humor and enchantment is what draws you in, Howl's Moving Castle is an excellent next read. Sophie’s transformation, Howl’s theatrical nonsense, and the novel’s delight in upending fantasy expectations make it a particularly satisfying companion recommendation.
Roshani Chokshi brings lush imagery, humor, and mythological richness to middle grade fantasy. Her stories are often more ornate in style than Larson’s, but they share a love of magical adventure, strong character voices, and protagonists who are both vulnerable and brave.
Aru Shah and the End of Time is a great place to begin. It combines contemporary settings with Hindu mythology, quick banter, and high stakes, offering the same kind of energetic, accessible fantasy that makes Larson so appealing while bringing in a distinct mythic flavor.
Catherynne M. Valente is ideal for readers who love the fairy-tale side of Larson and want something even more lyrical and strange. Her work is imaginative, ornate, and emotionally resonant, full of dazzling ideas and unusual turns of phrase.
The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making follows a young heroine through a dreamlike world that is whimsical, dangerous, and deeply inventive. It has more stylistic flourish than Larson’s prose, but the sense of wonder, adventure, and self-discovery makes it a rewarding match.
Jonathan Stroud is a terrific choice for readers who particularly enjoy smart humor and brisk fantasy plotting. His books are known for their wit, momentum, and vividly voiced characters, especially when sarcasm and supernatural danger are allowed to mingle.
The Amulet of Samarkand introduces the unforgettable Bartimaeus, whose commentary gives the novel much of its comic spark. Readers who liked Larson’s lively tone and sense of adventure may find Stroud’s sharper, more mischievous style especially addictive.
Cornelia Funke writes immersive fantasy with a storyteller’s love of atmosphere, danger, and wonder. Her books often explore the power of stories themselves, while still delivering the action, suspense, and emotional payoff younger fantasy readers crave.
Inkheart is her best-known gateway book, and it’s easy to recommend to Larson fans. It offers a strong young cast, a thrilling magical premise, and a deep affection for books and imagination that feels both adventurous and heartfelt.
Chris Colfer specializes in highly accessible fantasy that remixes fairy tales with humor, fast pacing, and broad adventure. His stories are especially well suited to readers who enjoy ensemble casts, recognizable fantasy figures, and an upbeat narrative voice.
The Wishing Spell, the first book in The Land of Stories series, throws twins Alex and Conner into a realm where classic tales intersect in unexpected ways. If you liked the fairy-tale framework and energetic storytelling in Larson’s work, Colfer is a very natural next step.
T. Kingfisher writes fantasy that is funny, inventive, and refreshingly practical about how ordinary people respond to extraordinary problems. Her protagonists are often resourceful rather than grand, and that grounded quality makes her magical worlds feel especially appealing.
A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking is a standout recommendation for Larson fans because it combines absurdly delightful magical premises with real tension and emotional sincerity. Its blend of humor, danger, and unconventional heroism feels very much in the spirit of fantasy that knows how to entertain without talking down to readers.
E. D. Baker is a wonderful option for readers who want more light, playful fantasy rooted in fairy-tale tradition. Her books are approachable, cheerful, and full of comic complications, especially when curses and magical misunderstandings spiral into full-scale adventures.
The Frog Princess is a particularly good match for anyone who enjoys Larson’s lighter side. With its humorous premise, likable heroine, and reimagined fairy-tale setup, it delivers the same kind of entertaining magical escapism that makes books like Pennyroyal Academy so easy to love.
