What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedThe Secret World of Arrietty
Hiromasa Yonebayashi · Film · 2010
If you loved The Secret World of Arrietty, start with The Borrowers (1997) — a film from the same story. Below: 4 books, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to The Secret World of Arrietty across media.
If you loved The Secret World of Arrietty, you crave stories that explore hidden lives existing just beneath the surface of our own.
Start with the source
The source
The Borrowers
Film · 1997
Books on the same thread
Harry Potter
J.K. Rowling · Book
Shares a thread with The Secret World of Arrietty: magical realism.
Like The Secret World of Arrietty, this book invites you into a magical reality hidden in plain sight, where the protagonist must navigate a world vastly larger than their own.
Ronia, the Robber's Daughter
Astrid Lindgren · Book · 1981
Shares a thread with The Secret World of Arrietty: Environmentalism.
The Secret World of Arrietty captures the wonder of living in nature, and you will find that same profound connection between the environment and personal growth in this classic tale.
A Wizard of Earthsea
Ursula K. Le Guin · Book · 2012
Explores: magic school, responsibility, consequences.
This coming-of-age journey mirrors the quiet, introspective development seen in The Secret World of Arrietty, focusing on the heavy responsibilities that come with discovering a wider, more dangerous world.
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind
Hayao Miyazaki · Book · 2004
Shares a thread with The Secret World of Arrietty: Environmentalism.
If the environmental stakes of The Secret World of Arrietty resonated with you, this story offers a grander look at the tension between human progress and the survival of natural ecosystems.
Series on the same thread
Horimiya
Series · 2021
Shares a thread with The Secret World of Arrietty: Coming of Age.
Much like the characters in The Secret World of Arrietty, the leads here maintain secret lives, creating a compelling bond rooted in the vulnerability of being misunderstood by the outside world.
Future Boy Conan
Series · 1978
Shares a thread with The Secret World of Arrietty: Environmentalism.
This series shares the environmental consciousness found in The Secret World of Arrietty, placing a young protagonist in a precarious, ruined world where survival depends on resourcefulness and quiet courage.
Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia
Guillermo del Toro · Series · 2016
Shares a thread with The Secret World of Arrietty: Coming of Age.
You will appreciate how this show expands the theme of secret worlds present in The Secret World of Arrietty, as a young person learns to balance two vastly different realities simultaneously.
Over the Garden Wall
Patrick McHale · Series · 2014
Explores: Brotherhood, Lost in the Woods, Nostalgia.
The sense of wonder and isolation found in The Secret World of Arrietty is mirrored here, as characters traverse a mysterious landscape that feels both haunting and beautifully, dangerously alive.
Podcasts on the same thread
The Truth
The Truth · Podcast · 2026
Explores: human condition, experimental storytelling, moral ambiguity.
The Secret World of Arrietty excels at intimate storytelling, and this podcast captures that same spirit by crafting short, immersive worlds that invite you to listen closely to hidden narratives.
The Archers
Podcast
Explores: family life, community, farming.
While grounded in reality, the focus on community and daily life in this long-running drama echoes the quiet, domestic rhythm that makes the household in The Secret World of Arrietty special.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is The Secret World of Arrietty based on the same story as the 1997 movie The Borrowers?
Yes, both The Secret World of Arrietty and the 1997 film The Borrowers are adaptations based on the same source material. While both films center on a family of tiny people living in secret, they offer different visual interpretations of the classic story.
What is the premise of The Secret World of Arrietty?
The Secret World of Arrietty follows 14-year-old Arrietty and her family, the Clocks, who live in anonymity by borrowing items from human inhabitants. Their peaceful existence is disrupted when a human boy discovers Arrietty, forcing the family to navigate the risks of being seen.
How old is the main character in The Secret World of Arrietty?
The main character, Arrietty, is 14 years old. She lives with her family, the Clocks, beneath the floorboards of a house where they survive by borrowing small items from the human residents until her encounter with a human boy changes their lives.
Should I watch The Borrowers after finishing The Secret World of Arrietty?
If you enjoyed the themes of The Secret World of Arrietty, you may want to watch the 1997 film The Borrowers. Both movies explore the lives of tiny people living in secret, allowing you to see how different directors adapted the same original source material.