Book Series To Love

Remember as a child, curling up with your favorite Nancy Drew, Little House on the Prairie, or Boxcar Mystery? Once you finished it, you begged your parents to take you to the local bookstore or library to get the next book in the series? For decades, series books have provided a wonderful way to get children “hooked” on reading. Once they become enamored with a series, they simply want more. While Harry Potter is a great example of the power series books can have on young readers, there are literally dozens of series books available. Here are some of the more popular series books—both new and old—that keep children coming back for more.

A to Z Mysteries
Ages 9 to 12
This 26-book series is a favorite among super sleuths and those children looking for adventure-filled reads. The books’main characters work diligently to solve mysteries in their hometown and throughout the world – introducing readers to faraway places, as well as small towns.

A Series of Unfortunate Events
Thirteen books are planned for Lemony Snicket’s series, which feature unique, often hilarious adventures, misfortunes, and escapades of the Baudelaire children.

Amelia Bedelia
Since 1963, Amelia Bedelia has been entertaining young readers with her mind-boggling antics. Although Peggy Parish, the original author of the Amelia Bedelia series dies in 1988, her nephew Herman Parish has continued sharing the stories of much-loved Amelia and her literal mind.

American Girls
Ages 7 and up
Who wouldn’t love history when it involves favorite American Girl characters and some of the most entertaining historical depictions of American life. Showcasing each American girl and how they lived during their specific period of American history, this series is both historically accurate and intriguing for readers of all ages.

Andrew Lost
Looking for a way to make science exciting for your child? The Andrew Lost series. Shrunk down to microscopic size, Andrew and his buddies get caught on the Great Barrier Reef, are wisked away in a time machine, and find themselves in primordial Earth surrounded by huge and hungry dinosaurs.

The Boxcar Children Mysteries
Having recently celebrated its 60th anniversary, the Boxcar Children Mysteries are still as inviting today as they were decades ago. While the earlier books in the series are still intriguing, the series as evolved over the years to include adventures and mysteries that appeal to today’s young reader.

Dear America Series
Ten years ago, Scholastic launched the “Dear America” series. Each of the two dozen books are written through the experiences of a young girl living during a particular time in American history. The fictional stories provide wonderful backgrounds for the factual information included in each book, making American history that much more interesting for young readers.

Junie B. Jones
It’s never to early to get the youngest readers interested in series books and Junie B. Jones is a great place to start. The silly and funny antics of this kindergartner-turned-first grader will keep your young reader longing for more. The short chapters are ideal for early readers as well.

Judy Moody
While Junie B. Jones may appeal to the early elementary age readers, second and third graders looking for more oddball adventures will delight in Judy Moody and her sarcastic wit and charming humor.

Magic Tree House
Children love a sense of adventure and adventures are what siblings Jack and Annie discover in the pages of the books found in a mysterious treehouse. With every book they open and page they turn, they are transported to exotic locales to experience unforgettable adventures.

Nate the Great
Who wouldn’t want to search for clue and solve mysteries with their favorite dog by their side? Early elementary school readers (grades 1 to 3) will enjoy the mysteries that unfold for detective and his faithful sidekick, Sludge. The author ability to use fewer words to tell a story is ideal for early readers.

Spiderwick Chronicles
A hidden room, a yellowed parchment, and menacing creatures from the “Faerie”world turn the lives of three young children upside down in the Spiderwick Chronicles. After moving into a large estate, three siblings begin to explore their surroundings, and as a result mysterious and strange incidents unfold.