As a young reader, I voraciously devoured series books.

I remember fondly the adventures of the characters in the Baby-Sitters Club by Ann M. Martin; Mary Anne is still my favorite. I collected all of the books in the series, including the Super Specials and Mysteries. After hundreds of stories, I eventually outgrew the series and no longer visited bookstores to ensure that I didn’t miss an entry. However, as an adult reader, I still find myself seeking out the comfort of a good series, such as Harry Potter, Divergent, Stieg Larsson’s Millennium series, Outlander, Game of Thrones, Red Rising, Hunger Games, and the characters of Stephanie Plum and Robert Langdon.

What is it about a series that attracts readers? I love that I can continuously read about the lives of my favorite characters and share in their adventures. I find myself deeply connected with them and begin to think of their worlds as a place that exists and I’m able to return to as often as I would like.

When working with emergent and reluctant readers, I will first suggest a series. Series reading offers a variety of benefits including familiarity with characters, plot and vocabulary. If a reader enjoys a book, there are already available titles to continue with, eliminating the difficulty of choosing what to read next.

However, series books can have disadvantages for young readers. They may only want to read those books with which they are familiar and rarely want to choose something new. 

A common question for youth librarians involves, “My child loves a particular series, what should they read next?” It is important to know why they love a particular series: Diary of a Wimpy Kid includes illustrations and humor, Goosebumps offers spooky situations, Magic Tree House offers time traveling adventures, Harry Potter creates a magical world.

Knowing what the reader loves about a series will help one navigate to additional choices. It is also important to recognize there are two types of series books. Sequential books offer connecting plots in chronological order. The second type involves books that are independent of each other. They may involve similar characters, but do not need to be read chronologically.

The Strange Case of Origami Yoda begins a four book series that is funny, engaging and takes advantage of the new release and renewed interest of the Star Wars movies. Tommy believes that Dwight is a weirdo for using a small, origami Yoda on his finger to talk. When Yoda is able to correctly predict the future and doles out wisdom to others, Tommy investigates whether Yoda actually has magic powers or is just Dwight using a funny voice. (Recommended for grades 3-6.)

Fairy tales are familiar and can be comforting to readers. Whatever After by Sarah Mlynowski introduces the reader to siblings Abby and Jonah who find a magic mirror in their basement that transports them to fairy-tale land. But what happens when Abby and Jonah intervene and alter the tales that the world is so familiar with? The tales become hilarious and unexpected. Currently, there are 11 books in the series offering numerous fairy-tale adventures. (Recommended for grades 3-7.)

The Who Was?, Who Is?, What Was? series offers illustrated, nonfiction storytelling covering historical events and famous individuals that include historical figures and contemporary newsmakers. Additional titles are continuously added to engage readers. This continues to be one of the more popular series with elementary readers. (Recommended for grade 4 and up.)

If you are seeking recommendations of what to read after you finish your favorite series, visit your local library for some suggestions!

Jessica Beal is a Youth Services Librarian at the McCollough Branch of the EVPL.

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