Lately I've found that more people are interested in books that are part of a series. I understand the reasoning behind this because a favorite series or author is found then its much easier to pick out books based on that information. I like series books and admit that as a kid I had favorite series some are still in print and others come in and out of print. Below are some series titles that you may want to take a look at for a child in your life.The 39 Clues series are 10 books written by different authors with a story arc created by Rick Riordan. The series follows the adventures of Amy and Dan Cahill and their au pair Nellie as they travel around the world on a scavenger hunt of sorts to become the head of the world's most powerful family. As Amy and Dan try to find each clue they face danger and adventure as they learn more about the family they belong to. The books are not long and a great read aloud . I have a book club based around this series at the school I teach at and some of the kids have commented that they have discovered new things hearing me read it aloud that they missed when they read it. The books do get darker and the danger more intense as the series goes along. This series is also great for introducing readers to a variety of authors including Gordon Korman, Peter Lerangis, Jude Watson, Patrick Carman, among others. The final book in this series will be in September of 2010. This series also features trading cards and an online game. I generally recommend it for kids 8 and older.
The next series is the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan (and yes it is the same Rick Riordan who wrote book 1 of the 39 Clues series). Many of you will be familiar with the first title in this five book series The Lightning Thief from the movie that was recently in theaters. This series is filled with action, adventure and Greek Gods who are now in a more modern setting. It is a great way to introduce mythology and get kids interested in wanting to know more about the gods and goddesses. The adventure will keep reluctant readers involved and the story set up that more advanced readers will find themselves caught up in the story as well. This book is great for kids who have finished Harry Potter and are looking for another series with that feel.
Reluctant readers are discovering a couple of series that I loved as a kids. Encyclopedia Brown by Donald J. Sobol and the Choose Your Own Adventure series. I grouped these two together because of their appeal to kids who may find the idea of a typical chapter book to be a little intimidating.
Encyclopedia Brown is the name of a boy who solves mysteries with the help of his friend Sally. The book is set up that each chapter is a short mystery that ends with Encyclopedia solving the mystery. The final sentence in each chapter is a question directed to the reader to come up with how Encyclopedia solved the mystery and the answer in the back of the book. I can say from my own childhood that I devoured these books and reread them often. I can also tell you that my 10 year old nephew has become a fan of these books as well. A great one to begin with in this series is Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective
.The Choose Your Own Adventure series has the distinct place in my mind of the series of books most adults of a certain age remember from their own childhood and want the children in their lives to read. For a long time these books were out of print but fortunately not only are they back but their popularity has created a series of these titles for emerging readers as well. The great thing about these titles is the fun in being told that you shouldn't read this book from cover to cover. The idea that you help decide what the character does and ultimately decides the characters fate helps give any reader regardless of reading ability the feeling of power over the written word. These books are so popular that a few years ago a grown up version called Pretty Little Mistakes: A Do-Over Novel
(and this one is definitely for adults and not children) was released and many adult women who were fans of the Choose Your Own Adventures growning up had fun discovering this title.For teens there is a new trend of trilogies. Two outstanding ones that are out there are The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (2 of the 3 in this trilogy are available with the third available in August) and The Last Survivors series by Susan Beth Pfeffer. Both are stories of survival that test the characters to the limits.
In the The Hunger Games
you have a story of a futuristic America that is no longer broken into states but into 12 districts and the Capital. There was once a 13th district but when it tried to revolt it was destroyed. The Hunger Games are a "celebration" of the destruction of this district. The ultimate reality show, the Hunger Games require the competitors to use all that they have make it to the end. If they win they will never want for anything again and those that don't win pay the ultimate price. The Last Survivors series looks at what happens to two families when the moon is knocked out of its orbit around the earth. Life As We Knew It
tells the story of Miranda who lives in a rural Pennsylvania town with her mother and brothers and how she and her family try and keep their lives as normal as possible when the moon is knocked out of its orbit. The Dead and the Gone (The Last Survivors, Book 2)
tells the story of Alex Morales and his two sisters, living in New York City. His parents are missing and he assumes the role of the authority figure trying to keep his family safe, healthy and alive while trying to do normal things such as go to school and church. In the third book of the trilogy This World We Live In (The Last Survivors, Book 3)
Miranda and her family and Alex and his family are brought together in a world that has changed dramtically for both of them.There are so many series out there that this topic will become an ongoing one. Please feel free to add your own series suggestions in the comment box and I'll continue highlight more in the upcoming weeks.
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