Books like…

Books Like The Bad Beginning

by Lemony Snicket · about this book

Loved The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket? If its series, orphans and middle grade hooked you, these 20 books hit the same notes — starting with The Witches, Magyk and Dealing with Dragons. Every pick is matched by what’s actually inside the book, not just its genre, and we skip other books by the same author so you find someone new.

What’s inside The Bad Beginning: Series · Orphans · Middle Grade · Kids in Danger · Omniscient Narrator

1. 

   The Witches

   Roald Dahl

   Middle Grade · Kids in Danger · Dark Comedy · Death of a Parent · Funny

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2. 

   Magyk

   Angie Sage

   Middle Grade · Omniscient Narrator · Kids in Danger · Series · Series Starter

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3. 

   Dealing with Dragons

   Patricia C. Wrede

   Middle Grade · Dry Humor · Funny · Omniscient Narrator · Series Starter

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4. 

   The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

   C. S. Lewis

   Middle Grade · Omniscient Narrator · Kids in Danger · Series · Series Starter

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5. 

   Ordinary Monsters

   J.M. Miro

   Orphans · Kids in Danger · Series Starter · Series · Dark

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6. 

   The Wild Robot

   Peter Brown

   Middle Grade · Omniscient Narrator · Series Starter · Death of a Parent · Series

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7. 

   Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

   J. K. Rowling

   Middle Grade · Death of a Parent · Series · Funny · Series Starter

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8. 

   La Belle Sauvage

   Philip Pullman

   Kids in Danger · Omniscient Narrator · Middle Grade · Series · Series Starter

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9. 

   Dungeon Crawler Carl

   Matt Dinniman

   Dark Comedy · Funny · Series · Series Starter · Dark

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10. 

    Titus Groan

    Mervyn Peake

    Omniscient Narrator · Dark Comedy · Series · Dark · Funny

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11. 

    Gideon the Ninth

    Tamsyn Muir

    Dark Comedy · Omniscient Narrator · Funny · Series · Series Starter

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12. 

    Chains

    Laurie Halse Anderson

    Middle Grade · Kids in Danger · Death of a Parent · Series Starter · Series

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13. 

    Refugee

    Alan Gratz

    Middle Grade · Kids in Danger · Death of a Parent · Loss of a Home · Short Chapters

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14. 

    The Lies of Locke Lamora

    Scott Lynch

    Dark Comedy · Funny · Series · Series Starter · Omniscient Narrator

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15. 

    The Hitch Hiker's guide to the galaxy

    Douglas Adams

    Omniscient Narrator · Dry Humor · Series · Series Starter · Funny

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16. 

    Sense and Sensibility

    Jane Austen

    Omniscient Narrator · Dry Humor · Death of a Parent · Funny · Loss of a Home

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17. 

    The Red Pyramid

    Rick Riordan

    Middle Grade · Death of a Parent · Funny · Series · Series Starter

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18. 

    A Carnival of Snackery: Diaries 2003-2020

    David Sedaris

    Dark Comedy · Dry Humor · Funny · Death of a Parent · Satirical Humor

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19. 

    The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

    Lyman Frank Baum

    Middle Grade · Omniscient Narrator · Series Starter · Series · Children's

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20. 

    The Way of the Warrior

    Chris Bradford

    Middle Grade · Death of a Parent · Series · Series Starter · Grief Over a Parent

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