If You Like This Animated Movie or TV Show... Read This Book

Book recommendations for fans of animated media of all sorts from Disney to anime and more

I love animated movies and TV shows, generally more so than live-action ones. Given that, I thought it would be cool to recommend books I have read to fans of my favourite animated media, though you can take these recommendations in the other direction as well if you have read the book but not watched the movie or show. I have avoided recommending books that are a retelling of the movie or show or books that the movie or show is based on because doing either of those things seems too obvious and I like making things harder for myself for some unexplainable reason. The thirteen recommendations in this post have been sorted into three categories, Disney, anime, and other and are arranged by release date within each category.

Disney

If you like The Fox and the Hound, read Clarice the Brave by Lisa McMann

I love, love, loved The Fox and the Hound when I was a child. My family had it on VHS (yes, I am old enough to know what those are) and it was my favourite movie for a good number of years. With a forest setting, some funny moments, and the most adorable animal friendship ever seen, this movie has so much that captured my attention from a young age. While the book I recommend for people who like this movie is set on a pirate ship in the ocean rather than a forest full of animals, I believe it captures the same heart of The Fox and the Hound that made me love it so much. Clarice the Brave is a sweet middle-grade adventure story following the mice siblings Clarice and Charles Sebastian, and, like The Fox and the Hound, it features an unlikely animal friendship that I truly adored.

If you like Beauty and the Beast, read The Ickabog by J. K. Rowling

Okay, at first glance, these two stories may not appear to have much in common, as Beauty and the Beast is primarily romance-focused, whereas The Ickabog is not. But stick with me here because I actually do have reasons for this recommendation! The weird thing is, I am pretty sure I have watched the animated Beauty and the Beast a total of one time, and that was when I was in college, although I did watch the live-action remake some years before that. This one is my second favourite pre-2010 Disney princess movie as I obviously share Belle’s love of books and the song “Belle” is such a cool way to introduce viewers to the people of the “quiet village.”¹

As for The Ickabog, this is a middle-grade fantasy book set in the magical kingdom of Cornucopia in which there is lots of fancy food and a creature known as “the ickabog.” Two children go to the mysterious marshlands where they encounter the ickabog and discover what this creature is really like. Both stories are very fairy-tale-esque and revolve around the theme of something supposedly monstrous turning out to be not so monstrous after all with plenty of magic whimsicalness to go around.

If you like The Lion King, read Bravelands by Erin Hunter

As with Beauty and the Beast, I watched the supposedly-live-action-but-not really-live-action-remake of The Lion King before ever seeing the original. Yeah, I know I had “no childhood” or something like that. I am kind of sad to have missed out on this movie as a kid though because it is really good. As for the books, Bravelands is a middle-grade series set on the African savannah with protagonists Fearless the lion, Thorn the baboon, and Sky the elephant. The setting is far from the only thing this series has a lot in common with The Lion King; Fearless is basically Simba and he gets cast out of his lion group when a big bad lion kills his dad, who was the leader. There is even an elephant graveyard in the books as well.

Although it clearly takes a lot of influence from The Lion King, Bravelands does some unique things and adds interesting twists to the story that make it worth a read. Thorn is my favourite character from the series and I loved the whole “murderous baboon” plotline; I mean, how many other books have you read with a murderous baboon? There are even two sequel series that come after the original six books which are called Curse of the Sandtongue and Thunder on the Plains.

If you like Onward, read The Land of Stories by Chris Colfer

One of Pixar’s more underrated movies, Onward, tells the story of Ian and Barley, two elves who go on a quest to see their deceased father one last time with the help of a magical artifact. Though magic exists in this world, it has fallen into obscurity with the development of modern technology which makes for an interesting setting. For those who like this movie, I suggest reading The Land of Stories, a six-book middle-grade fantasy series about twins Alex and Connor who have also lost their dad. Though they live in the real world, they are transported to a magical realm in which fairy tale characters reside through a gift from their grandma and must find certain objects to create a portal back home. Throughout this journey, they learn things about their father they never knew before, making it an ideal book series for people who want something similar to Onward. There is a prequel series as well, called A Tale of Magic that I also really love.

If you like Raya and the Last Dragon, read Anya by Sofiya Pasternack

Who does not love a good dragon story? If you enjoyed Raya and the Last Dragon and are looking for something similar—a fun and whimsical story about a girl on a quest to find the world’s last dragon—the historical fantasy duology Anya is a wonderful choice. Unlike the South Asian influences seen in this Disney movie, the books have a medieval Eastern European setting, though both obviously feature a dragon! Anya is a young Jewish girl who befriends a boy in her village named Ivan and makes it her goal to track down and kill the last dragon. When she discovers it, however, the dragon is not how she expected it to be. The series is such a sweet middle-grade cozy fantasy that I think will prove popular with those who love Raya and the Last Dragon.

If you like The Owl House, read Nevermoor by Jessica Townsend

I truly fell in love with The Owl House last year while binging through the entire show as it has so much in it that I adore. While thinking about writing this post, I knew I had to include it and Nevermoor was the first book series that came to mind. Both of these are adorable and adventurous fantasy stories with all kinds of quirky magic, interesting creatures, and fun characters. If you love The Owl House as much as I do, which you totally should, Nevermoor is a must-read. This series follows a girl named Morrigan Crow who is taken to a magical world with the opportunity to join the Wundrous Society. With positive messages and whimsical vibes, both The Owl House and Nevermoor are amazing works of fantasy fiction and I truly think most fans of one will love the other too.

Anime

If you like Spirited Away, read The Spirit Glass by Roshani Chokshi

Spirited Away is an absolutely beautiful and enchanting movie about Chihiro, a young girl who gets a job working in a bathhouse for spirits of Japanese folklore after her parents get turned into pigs in an abandoned theme park. I realize that sounds super weird but I promise it is so good! In contrast to the Japanese elements of Spirited Away, The Spirit Glass borrows from Filipino mythology, though spirits and the spirit realm are a large focus in both stories. Here, Corazon is a girl who wants to learn how to use magic and bring her parents back from the dead and ends up going on a quest in the spirit world. It is truly a heartwarming story that I think any fan of Spirited Away will love.

If you like Fairy Tail, read Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger

Fairy Tail was the first anime I ever watched, back when I was in high school. I never did watch the entire thing as I was too busy with other things after I graduated and I lost track of which episode I was on but watching it was always a lot of fun. I think there are a lot of things a Fairy Tail fan would like about Keeper of the Lost Cities. Not only are they both fantasy series featuring a spunky blonde female protagonist with special powers, but they also have adorable magical creatures and interesting characters, each with a unique ability that makes a powerful team when they all fight together.

Like Lucy, Sophie is a newcomer to the world of magic. As an advanced twelve-year-old, she finds out that she is actually an elf and is taken to live in the elven world to learn to control her supernatural abilities. Both of these have a large amount of humour, a powerful cast of characters, and creative worldbuilding. As a plus, the person who introduced me to Fairy Tail is also the same one who got me into reading Keeper of the Lost Cities, so I take that as a good indication that many fans of one will also love the other.

If you like Black Clover, read The Fowl Twins by Eoin Colfer

Now, I have not yet watched the entirety of the anime Black Clover, as it is quite long, but I love what I have seen of it so far. In a magical world ruled by a wizard king, Asta and Yuno are adopted brothers who have next to nothing in common. Though Yuno is very magically gifted, Asta possesses not even the smallest bit of magical power but both are adamant in their ambition to become the next wizard king. As the sequel series to the beloved middle-grade science fiction fantasy series Artemis Fowl, The Fowl Twins has much to offer fans of Black Clover. Not only do they both feature a pair of brothers that are complete opposites of each other but they are also filled with a delightful mix of action and humor. I would highly recommend reading the Artemis Fowl series before this one as it sets up a lot of the worldbuilding with the fairies and everything else but you could still read The Fowl Twins without having read that one. In these three books, twins Myles and Beckett are the younger brothers of Artemis Fowl who go on some crazy adventures with a fairy named Lazuli and they are all so much fun.

Other

If you like Quest for Camelot, read The Princess Bride by William Goldman

I have no idea if Quest for Camelot is a movie that my audience is familiar with, as it appears not to be very well-known, but the younger me would be disappointed if I did not include it on this list, so here goes. This was another one of those movies my family had on VHS and it was my favourite movie at one point, though I have not watched it in many years and it is probably pretty cheesy. But for anyone else who loved Quest for Camelot as a child, you should read The Princess Bride. Yes, this is the book that the famous movie is based on, but even if you have watched it a thousand times, you should still read the book! There is a lot more detail and background information here that I loved learning.

As for why I recommend The Princess Bride to those who like Quest for Camelot, they are both fantasy quest stories with a central romance between the two most important characters. With swords, creatures, and royalty, they contain many of the same elements. More than that, they just have similar vibes with lots of funny moments and a medieval-esque feel.

If you like Avatar: The Last Airbender, read The Unwanteds by Lisa McMann

I really hope everyone here knows about this show, because it is amazing, and if you have not watched it, you must do so immediately. But if you love Avatar: The Last Airbender as much as I do, you need to read The Unwanteds, and its sequel series, The Unwanteds Quests. Set in a dystopian world ruled by High Priestess Justine, all children are sorted into one of three groups upon reaching age thirteen, Wanted, Necessary, and Unwanted. Twin brothers Alex and Aaron are separated, as Aaron is a Wanted whereas Alex is Unwanted as he is taken away with the other Unwanteds to be killed. Although, (big shocker!), he does not actually die. The Unwanteds instead find themselves taken to a magical mansion where they learn magic using art.

That may not sound a whole lot like Avatar, but I promise there are similarities! Both have an old wise mentor figure, a large flying animal, multiple forms of magic, an incredible redemption arc, and a sibling relationship at the centre. Throughout the seven books, characters explore each of the seven islands and discover what they have to offer, from other human civilizations to fearsome beasts and everything in between. Like ATLA, The Unwanteds is ultimately a fun fantasy adventure story with a cast of tween and teen characters that perfectly blends comfort and heartwarming moments with suspense and action.

If you like How to Train Your Dragon, read the Underland Chronicles by Suzanne Collins

How to Train Your Dragon is undoubtedly the best animated movie trilogy ever made (IMO). All three installments are fantastic AND OH MY GOODNESS THE MUSIC BY JOHN POWELL IS JUST… PERFECT.² So I obviously had to include it on this list, and the Underland Chronicles is a series I must recommend. Gregor is just some random boy living in NYC with his mom and two younger sisters, or so he thinks. It turns out that he is actually a prophesied hero in the “Underland,” a strange underground civilization with giant rats, bats, and cockroaches. No, they are not any dragons, but the giant bats are kind of dragonlike in the way they are ridden by the Underlanders. So, when Gregor follows his toddler sister Boots down a vent in their laundry room to the Underland, he wants nothing to do with this prophecy and only wants to return home.

Not only are there big flying creatures ridden by humans in both stories, they both have a blonde girl who is the protagonist’s love interest, and both Hiccup and Gregor have a parent who went missing years ago and is presumed dead. Spoiler alert, neither of them are. And, of course, the relationship between Gregor and the bat that becomes will certainly remind readers of the one between Hiccup and Toothless.

If you like Into the Spider-Verse, read Renegades by Marissa Meyer

If you like superhero stories, you have almost certainly watched this much-acclaimed movie. With heart-pumping action scenes, a strong cast of characters, and a stunning animation style, Into the Spider-Verse and its sequel have much to offer. And so, you should read the Renegades trilogy! A young adult mix of fantasy, science fiction, and romance, Renegades takes place in a futuristic world where superpowers are real. Nova, the protagonist, is a villain on a mission to infiltrate the superhero organization while hiding her identity. With the power to make someone fall asleep with her touch and being able to go without sleep, she gets in and quickly gains the trust of Adrian, a boy her age. The entire series is filled with suspense, and it is truly so good. Fans of the Spider-Verse will love the superpowers, action, world, and characters of this excellent series.

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Well, that turned out to be longer than I expected it to be! Initially, I had difficulty thinking of which books to pair up with which movies but thanks to some scrolling through my Goodreads shelves and Wikipedia lists, I was able to come up with a good set of recommendations. There are some other animated movies I adore that I could unfortunately not think of a book to go with such as Frozen, Finding Nemo, Toy Story, Encanto, and more, so if you have any ideas for these movies, put them in a comment! I would be curious to hear your thoughts on if you agree or disagree with my choices.

1. My favourite pre-2010 Disney princess movie is Aladdin if you must know. And yes, I had to do the “quiet village” thing because… because I just had to. Sorry not sorry but I could not pass up on the opportunity.

2. I played two of the songs from the first movie (“This is Berk” and “Coming Back Around”) in my high school band and that was my favourite thing I have ever played in any band. Just hearing the songs has literally brought me to tears; they are phenomenal.