The Emerald Atlas by John Stephens

Here is another fantasy for the "if you liked Harry Potter" list.  Three children are torn away from their parents when they are very young and put into an orphanage.  The oldest has a sense that their parents are still alive, but they don't remember much about them, or even know their own last name.  They are moved from one orphanage to another until they end up at a strange castle run by a mysterious Dr. Pin  It turns out that Dr. Pin is a wizard, and they soon discover a magic book in his study that allows them to travel to different times and places. When they do they find magical creatures and evil magical villains who are trying to get the magical book.  This was a decent fantasy.  They author gave the children distinct and likeable personalities, and surrounded them with interesting and varied secondary characters.  The pacing is good, with the story moving forward with good energy to the end. The book ends with a satisfying victory, but there will certainly be sequels because there are three magical books, and they have only recovered one of them. I listened to the story on CD and it is read by Jim Dale.  He is the one who performed the Harry Potter book, and it was easy to imagine, while listening to the recording, that this book takes place in the same world.  (417 p)