Advancement in technology has affected most learning sources like newspapers, magazines, books, etc. in both, good and bad ways, yet technology could not overshadow the importance of books in one’s life. For book readers, there are just too many great books out there to enjoy and when it comes to series, one can choose from mystery and adventure to horror and to alien invasions or simply go for some light comedy according to the mood.
Here are some of the highly acclaimed book series that have been loved by kids all over the world:
Nancy Drew Sixteen-year-old (older in later books), sleuth girl, Nancy Drew has been idolised by kids for decades now. She has a knack of solving mysteries with a bunch of subtle clues.
Daughter of a lawyer, Nancy picks up adventures from her dad’s cases or on her own and then pursues them with her two best friends Bess and George. Back in 1930, when she was created, she was an immediate hit, marking the advent of a female character in an action-oriented role. She has undergone a number of transformations since then, but still manages to attract a wide readership around the globe.
Conceived by E. Stratemeyer, myriad of ghost writers contributed to the series under the pseudonym of Caroline Keene.
Nancy has appeared in a number of series aside from the original one like Nancy on Campus, Nancy Drew Files, Girl Detective, etc. Movies have been made on her too. If you have a flair for reading suspense then grab a Drew book and tackle a mystery with her.
Hardy Boys
Teenaged brothers Frank and Joe Hardy are the young heroes in the celebrated Hardy Boys’ series. Also created by E.
Stratemeyer, these boys can be best termed as the younger version of Sherlock Holmes.
Sons of a detective, they are constantly surrounded by crimes, thefts and other felonies. They trace out culprits through a string of ambiguous clues. The boys are smart and witty and fun to read about.
The original Hardy Boys series has more suspense and captivating storyline while the newer, The Hardy Boys Case Files is more action-oriented. You can choose whatever you prefer. There are crossover books too, where the boys work along with Nancy Drew.
Sweet Valley Twins’ series
Following the day-to-day life of Elizabeth and Jessica, the identical twins with completely non-identical personalities, this girly series is popular because girls can relate to it. The book deals with sibling rivalry, school issues, fights, friendships and lots of other fun things that middle school kids experience.
Elizabeth is the responsible and serious one whose interests include reading, writing and mostly getting her sister out of trouble. Jessica, on the other hand, is the prankster, always landing in tight spots and is also the member of ‘The Unicorn Club’ that comprises popular, but somewhat pompous, girls of the school. Despite being opposites, the sisters share a strong bond of love, sisterhood and friendship which is the best part of the series.
The Princess Diaries
Many of you must have seen The Princess Diaries movie but, trust me, the books are much more fun to read. Written in first person by Mia, the prose is funny and hip, much like prying into a friend’s personal diary.
Mia, an ordinary girl, who according to herself, is ‘invisible’ to the world around as no one notices her, except during sports activities at which she usually ends up hurting someone, if not her own self, or at public speaking contests where sheinvariably gets sick. Her ordinary life turns into a roller coaster ride when firstly, her mother starts dating her teacher and secondly, she finds out her deceased father was the prince of a small country called Genovia and she is the heir to the throne.
Mia finds the journey from being the klutzy unpopular girl to the graceful and respectable royalty very hard and stumbles and falters a lot during the process. Do read the series by Meg Cabot as Mia embarks on this fairytale journey.
Baby Sitters Club
This series is concerned with a group of 13-year-old girls who have formed the club that provides babysitting duties in a proper and professional way. The girls are best friends and they are responsible and motivated about their work.
In each book, they face a new challenge during their work and try to come out of it as a winner. The series is widely popular with 132 books in the original series and many specials and super editions.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians
Termed by many as the fantasy series to read after finishing the Harry Potter books, Percy Jackson books by Rick Riordan have all the magical elements that make a fantasy series a hit.
Percy is living a normal life until he is attacked by a ferocious creature on a field trip that leads him to finding out that his father was the celebrated Greek god, Poseidon, making him part of the illustrious Greek mythology as a demigod. He has special powers that would help him stop crimes that other gods, demigods and creatures commit.
Goosebumps
Written by R. L. Stine this is most renowned children’s horror series. A number of books from this series have been bestsellers for weeks. The series is translated into many languages and have sold more than 350 million copies. It is the highest selling series after Harry Potter.
The main series has 62 books while there are many spin offs such as the Goosebumps 2000 series, Tales to Give You Goosebumps, etc., and they are equally popular. Many books are adapted for television also. The unique characteristic of these books is that they end in a cliffhanger.
Star Wars
Published under Lucasbooks, as a part of Star Wars franchise, this series fulfils alien lovers’ wildest fantasies and imaginations.
Written by a host of writers, there are over hundred books, each full of stories of planets, stars, galaxies, and of course Jedi and Siths.
Alex Rider
If you are into espionage and like reading about young kids working as undercover agents with cool gadgets, then the Alex Rider series is just what you are looking for. It is about a 14-year-old boy, who, after being left alone in the world, is recruited by a secret organisation. The first book Stormbreaker is an absolute page-turner and is adapted to the big screen also.
The Diary of a Wimpy Kid
This is the most hilarious diary ever written, oh, wait it is not a diary ‘it’s a journal’ according to Greg Hefley, the author.
Complete with Greg’s drawings and notes, this is a gem that must not be missed by any kid.
Greg makes plain and simple incidents sound funny and you cannot help enjoying every page. All the fun and drama of middle school life is captured in this illustrated book series with six books so far and two movies.