Sometimes I wonder if I really go to work every day. What can I say about a job in which one of my main purposes is to get children to read? What makes my job so easy is the amount of really good books—and series—out there for children. A series really is the best way to get students reading regularly. They like the comfort and routine of knowing the characters and understanding the structure of novels in a series. Here are some great series for children to discover.

1. Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney
In my library, I have at least four copies of all four books in this series. They’re always checked out, and there’s always a waiting list a mile long. Students from eight to 14 love this series. The series is written like a real diary with stick-figure drawings. The layout is inviting. Although the books are about 225 pages, they don’t feel long. These books are not intimidating because the reading is broken up into small chunks divided by those light, funny drawings. The lure seems to be the vulnerability of the characters. There are children struggling to make it in a dog-eat-dog world that isn’t particularly kind to children. Students say they like Diary of a Wimpy Kid because it’s funny. It’s important to realise that many students enjoy humorous books.

2. The Ranger’s Apprentice by John Flanagan
This is another popular series with boys. The Ranger’s Apprentice is a fantasy series with a 15-year-old hero who defends the Kingdom of Araluen from evil. These books are filled with apprentice knights engaging in action-packed adventures. Series like this and Harry Potter prove that boys need fantasy literature just as much as girls do. They just need fantasy literature that appeals to boys with rough-and-tumble heroes, lots of adventure and clearly defined battles between good and evil. Boys from ten to 14 like this series. Apparently, a good story involving a teenage boy has a definite appeal to younger boys.

3. The Wreckers by Iain Lawrence
The Wreckers is part of the High Seas Trilogy. Many boys are attracted to boats and the sea, and if they are, these plot-driven adventure stories hit the mark. In these books, 14-year-old John Spencer takes to the sea on a ship owned by his father. These stories find John in various adventures. There’s a whole host of lively, quirky characters in these books that are highly descriptive as well as being highly plot-driven. The setting makes the books in this series very different from other fantasies, and they should appeal to island boys.

4. The 39 Clues
This is another popular series for boys—and girls as well. Each book in the 39 Clues is written by a different, popular children’s author. In the first book, two children learn of some deep, dark family mystery through their grandmother’s will. The children can take a million dollars outright or find answers to questions that have been haunting them all their lives. They embark on a whirlwind tour around the world competing with other relatives to solve the mystery of their own lives. These books are great fun, and they’re great for building analytical skills.

5. A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Skicket
Girls and boys tell me they can’t put this series down. The Baudelere orphans and the unfortunate events they find themselves in appeal to students. Eight and above. This high-adventure series is a great transition into chapter books. The books are short and fast-paced. Students love to experience life vicariously. They enjoy seeing characters in books work through their problems and survive. It gives them a sense of hope and a sense of power.

6. Marvin Redpost by Louis Sachar
This is the series that I use to get reluctant readers into chapter books. Reading levels start from about eight and go up until they meet Sachar’s popular novel Holes and its sequel Small Steps, for readers 12 and above. Sachar is a master at understanding children’s issues.

7. Mercy Watson by Kate DiCamillo
Readers from as young as five or six can enjoy these wonderfully illustrated chapter books featuring a precocious pig. Di Camillo repeats words in a way to build reading fluidity in young readers. The books are amazingly plot-driven for that reading level.

8. Seekers—The Quest Begins
Erin Hunter is best known for her feline series, which I’m not so sure would go over too well in T&T. The Seeker series features three books. The heroes are three bears: a polar bear, a grizzly bear and a black bear. Students from eight to 12, who like animals and are environmentally conscious, will love this series.

9. The Black Stallion series by Walter Farley
This action-packed series dating back to the 1940s features an American boy who ends up owning a wild, Arabian horse he first encounters in a shipwreck. This series is filled with mystery and intrigue for students eight to 12. It’s still a great read and a great introduction to modern classics. There you have it. Some great series to get any boy in elementary school and early secondary school into the groove or reading.