The Author Who Made Me Love Reading
I wasn’t really a reader as a kid. Eva Ibbotson books are the reason that changed.
Which feels a little funny to admit now, because reading has become such a big part of my life. But when I was young, books just weren’t something I naturally reached for. I didn’t understand what people meant when they talked about getting lost in a story.
Then my mom gave me an Eva Ibbotson book.
And something clicked.
Suddenly, reading wasn’t something I was supposed to do. It was something I wanted to do.
Why Eva Ibbotson Books Are Worth Reading
Eva Ibbotson became one of those authors who opened the door to a whole new world for me. Her books have this wonderful combination of magic, adventure, humor, romance, and slightly oddball characters that made me want to keep turning the pages.
If you love Harry Potter, I think Eva Ibbotson is such a fun author to discover—especially if you’re looking for something that has that same feeling of magic and adventure without quite as much intensity. Her stories are whimsical and imaginative, but they also feel warm and wonderfully human.
Some of my favorites include The Secret of Platform 13, Which Witch?, and Journey to the River Sea. Each one has that unmistakable Eva Ibbotson feeling: eccentric characters, unexpected adventures, a little magic, and a story that makes you want to crawl right into its pages.
But honestly, what makes her books special to me isn’t just the stories themselves.
It’s that one of them made me a reader.
My mom probably didn’t know she was doing anything particularly significant when she handed me that book. Maybe she just thought I’d like it. But that little decision changed something for me.
It started a lifetime of reading.
And now, whenever I see an Eva Ibbotson book, I can’t help but think about that young girl who didn’t think reading was for her and a wonderful mom who found the right book.
XO Grace
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Our Favorite Eva Ibbotson Books
The Secret of Platform 13 (Ages 9-12)
This is the one I would hand to any kid who loved the first Harry Potter, because it came out first and the idea of a hidden doorway under a London train station feels like something Rowling herself might have read. Once every nine years, the gump opens for exactly nine days, and a rescue party of an ogre, a wizard, a fey, and a very young hag is sent to bring home a prince who was stolen as a baby. But the boy they find is not at all what they expected. It is funny, fast, and full of heart, so it is a great first Eva Ibbotson book.
The Great Ghost Rescue (Ages 8-11)
Humphrey the Horrible is a young ghost who is, unfortunately, not very horrible at all. When developers take over his family’s castle, the ghosts are forced to wander the countryside looking for a new place to haunt. Then they meet Rick, a kind boy who decides that ghosts deserve a sanctuary too, and sets out to convince the government to create one. It is gentle, silly, and surprisingly sweet, which makes it a good pick for kids who like a spooky story but not a scary one.
Dial a Ghost (Ages 7-10)
Two ghost agencies, one mix-up, and a very unlucky pair of villains. The nasty Snodde-Brittles order a set of terrifying ghosts to frighten an orphan boy out of his inheritance. But because of a clerical error, they get the Wilkinsons instead, a warm, lovable ghost family who would never hurt anyone. What follows is one of the funniest Eva Ibbotson books, and it is also one of the easier reads on this list, so it is a good place for younger or more reluctant readers to start.
Island of the Aunts (Ages 9-11)
Three aging aunts run a secret island where mermaids, selkies, and other creatures come to heal. But they are getting old, so they need help, and they decide the only way to get it is to kidnap a few children. That sounds alarming, but the children they choose end up finding the home they have always needed. This one is more tender and thoughtful than the ghost books, with a lot to say about caring for the natural world.
Journey to the River Sea (Ages 9-13)
This is Eva Ibbotson’s most celebrated book, and for good reason. In 1910, an orphan named Maia is sent from England to live with distant relatives on a rubber plantation deep in the Amazon. She arrives full of hope, but the family that takes her in is cold and cruel. Then she meets Finn, a boy hiding from the people who want to drag him back to England, and her real adventure begins. It is a longer, richer read than the others here, so save it for kids who are ready to sink into a big story.
The Star of Kazan (Ages 9-13)
Annika was found as a baby in a church in the Alps and raised by two kind servants in Vienna. She has always dreamed that her real mother would one day come for her, and then a glamorous aristocrat arrives claiming to be exactly that. But the new life she is swept into is not the fairy tale she imagined. There are Lipizzaner horses, a mysterious trunk of jewels, and a mystery that keeps you guessing until the very end. If your reader loved Journey to the River Sea, this is the natural next step.
The Dragonfly Pool (Ages 8-14)
Tally is sent to Delderton, an unusual boarding school where kids are trusted to think for themselves, just as Europe is sliding toward World War II. When the school is invited to a folk dancing festival in the tiny country of Bergania, Tally befriends the young prince, Karil. Then his father is assassinated, and the students hatch a plan to smuggle him out of the country. It is part adventure and part history lesson, and it handles a serious time period in a way that still feels safe for younger readers.
Which Witch? (Ages 9-11)
Arriman the Awful, a wizard of darkness, is tired and wants an heir. So he holds a contest: whichever witch performs the most wicked spell will win his hand. Belladonna wants to win more than anything, but she has a small problem. She is a white witch, and everything she touches turns out sweet and good. This is the silliest book on the list, and it is a wonderful read-aloud because the jokes land just as well for parents as they do for kids.
Eva Ibbotson 3 Books collection Set (The Star of Kazan, The Dragonfly Pool, Journey to the River Sea)
If you want to skip straight to the three big historical adventures, this set bundles Journey to the River Sea, The Star of Kazan, and The Dragonfly Pool together. It makes a lovely gift for a 9 to 13 year old who is ready to graduate from shorter chapter books, and it is an easy way to build a little shelf of Eva Ibbotson books all at once.
Where to Start
For younger kids (ages 7 to 10), start with Dial a Ghost or Which Witch?, because they are short, funny, and easy to read aloud. For 9 to 12 year olds who loved Harry Potter, The Secret of Platform 13 is the obvious first pick. Then, once they are ready for something longer, hand them Journey to the River Sea. If your reader is just moving into chapter books, our favorite book series for kids starting chapter books is a good place to look first, and if they are a little older, we also have a roundup of our favorite middle school books.
