10 Great Book Series for Kids – Perfect for Read Alouds
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Want to get reading with your kids? Here are ten books series for kids that have been FishFam-tested. They make great Christmas gifts!
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Since I am a bookworm, it has always been really important to me that our kids love to read. FishPapa loves to read, so it sounded like an easy thing to swing. For the most part, it’s working so far.
Everyone loves a good story.
We do have to do a fair amount of battling with electronic devices, but overall, they all like books, especially when we work through a series of books together as a family read-aloud.
I started reading longer chapter books to my eldest son when he was about four or five. It was such a wonderful experience for us. It’s been harder to swing a read aloud as the years go by since my older kids can read on their own and don’t have to or want to wait for me. But, most still love a family read aloud.
I can’t always catch my teens in the same room, but I bet you they’re listening.
10 Great Book Series for Kids
There’s something about a serial adventure that attracts us all. Whether it’s those addicted to Downton Abbey or a
reader waiting for the latest installment of his favorite hero story, we all want to see what happens next. Series books are great for family read-alouds since they encourage discussion and contemplation about how the adventure will continue in the next volume.
Here are some of the series of books that we’ve enjoyed together:
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Imagination Station series by Paul McCusker – We’ve received review copies of the Imagination Station books since the series first began. My 8-year old has been thrilled with each new addition. He can read them himself, but he loves it when we read them together.
Each book is a step back in time by cousins Patrick and Beth as they set out on an adventure to help keep the past the way it’s meant to be. We’ve enjoyed these books as a complement to our own homeschool history study.
The Betsy-Tacy Treasury by Maud Hart Lovelace – I first read these books when I was in fifth grade. I would have started sooner had I known of their existence. My experience with this early 20th century series was reading out-of-print editions. How thrilled was I that they brought the books back into print so that I can read them with my girls.
The stories follow Betsy from age 5 all the way into adulthood. As she grows, so do the complexity of the stories and subject matter. I loved growing up with Betsy and her best friends Tacy and Tib.
The Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder – Most of us probably have been exposed to the Little House books in some form, whether it be the novels themselves or the television series that lasted far too long. (I’m sorry but it got really weird once Nelly Olson turned nice and all.)
Boys and girls alike will enjoy these stories. At least our kids have. Farmer Boy is a particular favorite from the series since the food descriptions are so yummy-sounding.
The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner – As soon as my boys could read indepently, these were the books that they were drawn to. The adventures of the Alden children, four orphans being raised by their grandfather. They solve mysteries together.
I’ve only read a small handful of these stories; I must have had a sheltered childhood. They are old, old stories that still hold sway with kids today. My boys have read them all.
The Magic Treehouse by Mary Pope Osbourne – This series of historical fiction/time travel is another one that my boys gravitated to as soon as they could read independently. In fact, FishBoy8 didn’t know that he could read a book on his own until we sat down with MTH#1 and went through the first page together. He was stunned. And proceeded to finish the book that day.
These books are a fantastic complement to homeschool history study.
The Wingfeather Saga by Andrew Peterson – This book series ranks high on my list of favorite books, for adult or child. We were fans of AP’s music, and are most definitely a fan of his novels. These are such good reads! Everyone in our family loves them, including Papa.
There are three books in the series so far: On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness, North or Be Eaten, and The Monster in the Hollows. The fourth and final book should be released sometime this year. I can’t wait.
The Chronicles of Narnia has been a favorite of mine since I was a newlywed. That was the first I ever read the stories. Remember, I lived a sheltered life. For being a childhood bookworm, I missed out on a lot of great books. I must have been too busy reading Sweet Valley High.
CS Lewis created a magical world in Narnia, but he also crafted a beautiful allegory about our relationship with God. These are must-reads for adults and children alike. The movies do not do them justice.
The Light Keepers series by Irene Howat has been a fun one for us to explore. Each book tells the biographies of ten boys or girls who made a difference, changed the world, used their talents, didn’t give in, or who made history. It’s great fun to read about great men and women who once were children.
For instance, Ten Boys Who Changed the World features the stories of Billy Graham, Brother Andrew, John Newton, George Muller, Nicky Cruz, William Carey, David Livingstone, Adoniram Judson, Eric Liddell and Luis Palau.
The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkein are some of our family’s favorite stories. I laugh about this fact today since I hated it that Mrs. Geary made us read The Hobbit in 8th grade. (Again, too much Sweet Valley High.)
These books have always started out as read alouds for the younger readers. They are immense and intimidating. FishBoy10 hasn’t yet made it through LOTR even though he can devour ten books in a day. It’s just a little overwhelming right now. I’m hoping we can tackle the story soon since I know that he’s missing out on a lot of the story, even though the movies did an amazing job, all things considered.
Harry Potter by JK Rowling – I was slow to allow Harry Potter into our home. It was about three years ago that my oldest son expressed his desire to read them and his frustration at my banning them. I agreed that we could read the first one together and then see. I also sought the opinions of folks that I know and respect who happened to have read the books.
I fell in love with the story as did my children. We read all the books in 12 months, just in time to see the last film be released at the movie theater. We have had a wonderful family experience working through the books.
If you’re not sure about the books and how they might fit within a Christian worldview, I highly recommend this post by Andrew Peterson. The truth of Jesus is present in the book. He says it all way better than I could.
So, those are some of our favorites.
Do you have a favorite children’s book series?
This post was originally posted on January 20, 2013. These books are still my favorites!
Love your list! We have read all of those except the imagination station, checking those out! My kiddos also enjoy the Redwall series by Brian Jacques and anything by Wayne Thomas Batson. Audio books are awesome, I love how quiet all of my kiddos get when we are listening.
The boys have done Redwall, but Batson is new to me. Thanks!
What a great list! We read the first two of the Harry Potter series this summer – started the first while on a camping trip, and took turns reading it aloud. My son is working his way through The Hobbit, I’m reading Farmer Boy aloud at bedtime (working our way through the series!), and my daughter is almost ready to read Magic Treehouse on her own.
My son’s teacher recommended The Giver – he’s 3rd grader reading at about a 5th grade level.
Pinning this post now – thank you!
I love seeing books on these lists that I read as a kid. My parents read the Little House series aloud to us and I devoured the Boxcar children books. Thanks for the other recommendations!
I am so excited that you included Harry Potter! My oldest will be starting the series soon, and I can’t wait! I hate the bum rap that Potter has gotten over the years in the Christian community. Sheesh, if we needed to ban every witch, wizard and warlock, Tolkien would definitely be out, along with other noteworthy books. Anyway, just wanted to say thanks 🙂
What a great list! I also highly recommend The Giver series of books by Lois Lowry. I believe there are four in the series beginning with The Giver, Gathering Blue, Messenger & Son. I would think the ages for these books would be fifth grade & up.
I had no idea this was a series! The Giver was one of my favorite books as a kid and I always wished there was more to the story. I have now put the other 3 on hold at my library. Thank you!
We just started the Little House series as a read-aloud this weekend. (I have always loved it … and I’m hoping to create another lover of the series, who will gladly accompany me to the last of the Ingalls sites that I haven’t visited.) Another series you might enjoy with your girls is the All-of-a-Kind Family series by Sydney Taylor. It has that history thing going for it (one of the things I looked for in books as a child): it’s about a Jewish family in New York in the early 1900s; some of the adults are recent immigrants. They’re “all of a kind” because the children are all girls, until … a certain point in the series. The American Girl books are also quite good as history-based read-alouds.
We must have the same taste in books! My kids and I have enjoyed almost every series you mentioned sometime in the last few years. In fact, my daughter and I are finishing up the Betsy-Tacy books right now. Somehow I missed those when I was growing up!
One series I haven’t heard of is the Wingfeather Saga books. I just put the first one on hold at the library for my son. Sounds like something he would love! Thanks for sharing your list.
P.S. Also enjoyed the linked Andrew Peterson article. Sums up my thoughts very well!
We love the Percy Jackson series, the Lost Heros Series and the Kane Chronicals series all by Rick Riordan, we love Earogon and the Inheritance series by Christopher Paolini, we really LOVE LOVE LOVE the Fablehaven series by Brandon Mull, and we love the Immortal Nicholas Flamel Series.
The kids love the Paolini and Riordan books. I don’t think those others have crossed our paths. Going to check the library right now.
Fablehaven is a great series as well as The Beyonders. Great reads my boys and daughter loved Scot Westerfelds Leviathan Trilogy.
Our household has been reading Rick Riordan. Percy Jackson and the Lightening Thief and the Kane Chronicles. The kids seem to be fascinated by mythology and this has helped spur their reading.
My boys love those books, too.
We’re loving these too! Actually we’re just reading the Kane Chronicles at the moment because we’re studying ancient history this year, and they (kind of!) fit the Egypt theme. My 7-year old son is obsessed! I can’t wait to finish the series and start the Percy Jackson ones when we learn about Greece.
My son is DEVOURING the Percy Jackson series right now. He just left for camp and he’s itching to start the third one when he returns. (I would’ve sent it, but not sure how a library book and adirondack camping will mix. Our books usually end up damp and curled when we tent camp.)
He’s enjoyed the Hobbit, the first few Harry Potters, and lots of boy humor books (the Dr. Proctor series, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Lunch Lady, and more) – but he’s never been quite as glued to a book as to the Percy Jacksons.
One of my boys is on a reread mission.
Always Percy Jackson. Great books that started my addiction to reading.
Just a quick warning. If you move onto the Heros of Olympus series in the House of Hades a character reveals his “crush” on another boy. While the topic doesn’t bother me, I was blindsided and was very much caught off guard by this. Especially, since Riordan is a favorite author. I was trusting enough to let me son read without me “pre-reading”.
I must must must recommend audio books! Especially for the resistant reader! My boys all love to listen listen- its like family read aloud only with a professional reader or the author himself which is also really fun. Sometimes books written in older english or brittosh english are better in audio form because the inflection of the reader helps comprehension of an otherwise less familiar language flow. Treasure island, the wind in the willows, Tom sawyer were all brought to life more vividly when heard read aloud by a professional. The good news? I get them all from the library. I’m the only person I know who does thus though I am constantly recommending it.
We love audiobooks, too! We are currently listening to The Chronicles of Narnia series as a family and the narrator (Chrissi Hart) has such a beautiful accent that it makes the stories even more mesmerizing. We have such peaceful car rides since discovering audiobooks. We live 30 minutes from everywhere so we can always get through a couple of chapters per trip. My oldest and I have read and loved the Inheritance Series and that will probably be our next family audiobook.
Yes, we do that a lot in the car for our commuting times. I posted some of our faves here: http://lifeasmom.com/2012/11/hit-the-road-with-great-listening.html