Is there anything better than a child finding a character they love, or a world they are bewitched by, and voraciously gobbling up all of the books in the series? My daughter did it with Tom Gates; she was obsessive about getting the next book as soon as it came out, and we even went to see Tom Gates Live (Dog Zombies Rule – if you know, you know!) She read every book about 20 times cover to cover and I loved hearing her chuckle away as she was consumed by the stories. I know people sometimes worry about their children reading books that aren’t quite at the right age range, or perhaps challenging enough but I must say that Tom Gates is responsible for cementing her love of reading. The humour, the illustrations, the words per page, the fun adventures all served to build her confidence and help her fall in love with books.

My son was not as keen on Tom but he did absolutely love reading about the adventures of Greg Heffley in the Wimpy Kid series. Even now, aged 12 he can sometimes be seen picking up a Wimpy Kid book for comfort when he wants a break from the amazingly brilliant Noughts & Crosses series he’s powering through.

So, if our children find a series they love, one of our biggest challenges is what to read next after they’ve finished a much-loved series. What comes after the lull? And that’s where we come in.

Below is a wonderful list of 70 books for children aged 5-15, all of which are the beginning of a series. They are all chapter books, and most of them are middle grade fiction (suitable for children aged 8-12), that age when we really have the opportunity to encourage reading for pleasure and foster that lifelong love of reading.

Some of them are classics, books we adored growing up, books that are as wonderful today as the decade they were published. Some personal faves are The Magic Faraway Tree and Pippi Longstocking, and we also feature some of our most well-known and popular characters like Horrid Henry and Tracy Beaker. But of course, one of our most important roles here at LoveReading4Kids is to find the latest and greatest fabulous fiction for kids, books that really talk to the children of today. We love the pre teen-horror series Dread Wood, the Beast and the Bethany is also deliciously gruesome and highly entertaining and the Bronte Mettlestone Adventure series is a perfect rollercoaster ride for 9+ readers who love an imaginative, magical adventure. 

We hope you enjoy this list. And of course, do let us know if there are any series that you think we should have included.

If you are looking for other hints and tips to support your child’s reading, do take a look at our blog here on encouraging reading for pleasure.

Go on, dive in…