Series Books

If you find yourself buying books because of the numbers on the spines, you've probably succumbed to the series book fever. It can be difficult to find reading suitable for younger readers, and when we discover the Boxcar Children, Trixie Belden, or the Hardy Boys it's hard to let go. And why not? A collection of 150 titles featuring the same characters and with no trace of inappropriate subject matter is pretty alluring.

The problem with a lot of series books, however, is that they aren't very well written. After the first five books or so, it's hard for any writer (or collective authors, as is most often the case) to avoid derivative storylines, recycled dialogue, or repetitive descriptions. They usually do manage to keep the content clean, however, and that's what makes a lot of series popular.

We're certainly not suggesting you should avoid books like the Nancy Drew mysteries or Dear America novels altogether. They are fun for kids, and all the series we carry are wholesome and generally free of the typical bratty kids and questionable morals of so much contemporary fiction. (The Mandie books do feature a rather disobedient heroine, but these would be the exception.) When you find a whole collection of books that you can be perfectly comfortable handing your kids, it's natural and right to take advantage of it.

We would caution that you don't let these kinds of titles form all (or even most) of your kids' reading material. The great classics aren't series books, and plenty of them are just as wholesome while maintaining a much higher quality of expression. If your kids already read plenty of great literature and just need a break, series books are a good place to look.

A word of clarification: there are plenty of excellent literary series available (for instance, The Chronicles of Narnia, Margaret Peterson Haddix's Shadow Children, C.S. Forester's Hornblower books, etc.) that we haven't included here; they're offered in our Literature Packages section. For our purposes, series books are any series including more than 8 titles, and open-ended. If the series is contained, it doesn't qualify; if each book has a number and the series is constantly growing (or grew until the author died or retired), it's a series book.

Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he's a husband and father who loves church, good food, and weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur. Read more of his reviews here.
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474 Items found Print
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Absent Author (A to Z Mysteries)
A to Z Mysteries #01
by Ron Roy
from Random House Books for Young Readers
for 1st-3rd grade
in A to Z Mysteries (Location: SER-AZ)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Addy Learns a Lesson
by Connie Porter
from American Girl
for 4th-6th grade
in American Girl (Location: SER-AMGIRL)
African Adventures
by Dick Anderson
from Christian Focus Publications
for 3rd-6th grade
in Adventures Series (Location: SER-ADV)
AIO Imagination Station Book #01
by Marianne Hering & Paul McCusker
from Focus on the Family
for 1st-3rd grade
in Imagination Station (Location: SER-AIO)
$5.99
AIO Imagination Station Book #02
by Marianne Hering & Paul McCusker
from Focus on the Family
for 1st-3rd grade
in Imagination Station (Location: SER-AIO)
$5.99
AIO Imagination Station Book #03
by Marianne Hering & Paul McCusker
from Focus on the Family
for 1st-3rd grade
in Imagination Station (Location: SER-AIO)
$5.99
AIO Imagination Station Book #04
by Marianne Hering & Paul McCusker
from Focus on the Family
for 1st-3rd grade
in Imagination Station (Location: SER-AIO)
$5.99
AIO Imagination Station Book #05
by Brock Eastman & Marianne Hering
from Focus on the Family
for 1st-3rd grade
in Imagination Station (Location: SER-AIO)
$5.99
AIO Imagination Station Book #06
by Marianne Hering & Marshal Younger
from Focus on the Family
for 1st-3rd grade
in Imagination Station (Location: SER-AIO)
$5.99
AIO Imagination Station Book #07
by Marianne Hering & Marshal Younger
from Focus on the Family
for 1st-3rd grade
in Imagination Station (Location: SER-AIO)
$5.99
AIO Imagination Station Book #08
by Marianne Hering & Wayne Thomas Batson
from Focus on the Family
for 1st-3rd grade
in Imagination Station (Location: SER-AIO)
$5.99
AIO Imagination Station Book #09
by Marianne Hering, Marshal Younger
from Focus on the Family
for 1st-3rd grade
in Imagination Station (Location: SER-AIO)
$5.99
AIO Imagination Station Book #10
by Marianne Hering, Wayne Thomas Batson
from Focus on the Family
for 1st-3rd grade
in Imagination Station (Location: SER-AIO)
$5.99
AIO Imagination Station Book #11
by Marianne Hering, Wayne Thomas Batson
from Focus on the Family
for 1st-3rd grade
in Imagination Station (Location: SER-AIO)
$5.99
AIO Imagination Station Book #12
by Marianne Hering, Nancy I. Sanders
from Focus on the Family
for 1st-3rd grade
in Imagination Station (Location: SER-AIO)
$5.99
AIO Imagination Station Book #13
by Marianne Hering, Nancy I. Sanders
from Focus on the Family
for 1st-3rd grade
in Imagination Station (Location: SER-AIO)
$5.99
AIO Imagination Station Book #14
by Marianne Hering, Nancy I. Sanders
from Focus on the Family
for 1st-3rd grade
in Imagination Station (Location: SER-AIO)
$5.99
AIO Imagination Station Book #15
by Marianne Hering, Nancy I. Sanders
from Focus on the Family
for 1st-3rd grade
in Imagination Station (Location: SER-AIO)
$5.99
AIO Imagination Station Book #16
by Marianne Hering, Paul McCusker
from Focus on the Family
for 1st-3rd grade
in Imagination Station (Location: SER-AIO)
$5.99
AIO Imagination Station Book #17
by Marianne Hering
from Focus on the Family
for 1st-3rd grade
in Imagination Station (Location: SER-AIO)
$5.99
AIO Imagination Station Book #18
from Focus on the Family
for 1st-3rd grade
in Imagination Station (Location: SER-AIO)
$5.99
AIO Imagination Station Book #19
by Marianne Hering
from Focus on the Family
for 1st-3rd grade
in Imagination Station (Location: SER-AIO)
AIO Imagination Station Book #20
by Marianne Hering
from Focus on the Family
for 1st-3rd grade
in Imagination Station (Location: SER-AIO)
AIO Imagination Station Book #21
by Marianne Hering
from Focus on the Family
for 1st-3rd grade
in Imagination Station (Location: SER-AIO)
$5.99
AIO Imagination Station Book #22
by Marianne Hering & Sheila Seifert
from Focus on the Family
for 1st-3rd grade
in Imagination Station (Location: SER-AIO)
$5.99
Almost Home
Daughters of the Faith
by Wendy G. Lawton
from Moody Press
Historical Fiction for 3rd-6th grade
in Daughters of the Faith (Location: SER-DAU)
$7.99 $5.00 (4 in stock)
Amazon Adventures
by Banner Horace
from Christian Focus Publications
for 3rd-6th grade
in Adventures Series (Location: SER-ADV)
Ambushed in Jaguar Swamp
Trailblazer Books
by Dave and Neta Jackson
from Bethany House
for 3rd-7th grade
in Trailblazer Books (Location: SER-TRAIL)
Ambushed in Jaguar Swamp
Trailblazer Books
by Dave and Neta Jackson
from Castle Rock Creative
for 3rd-7th grade
in Trailblazer Books (Location: SER-TRAIL)
$8.99
Andie's Moon
Historical House: 1969
by Linda Newbery
from Educational Development Corporation
for 3rd-6th grade
in Series Books (Location: SER-MISC)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Assassins in the Cathedral
Trailblazer Books
by Dave and Neta Jackson
from Bethany House
for 3rd-7th grade
in Trailblazer Books (Location: SER-TRAIL)
Assassins in the Cathedral
Trailblazer Books
by Dave and Neta Jackson
from Castle Rock Creative
for 3rd-7th grade
in Trailblazer Books (Location: SER-TRAIL)
$8.99
Attack in the Rye Grass
Trailblazer Series
by Dave and Neta Jackson
from Bethany House
for 3rd-7th grade
in Trailblazer Books (Location: SER-TRAIL)
Attack in the Rye Grass
Trailblazer Series
by Dave and Neta Jackson
from Castle Rock Creative
for 3rd-7th grade
in Trailblazer Books (Location: SER-TRAIL)
$8.99
Bald Bandit (A to Z Mysteries)
by Ron Roy
BRAILLE from Random House Books for Young Readers
for 1st-3rd grade
in A to Z Mysteries (Location: SER-AZ)
Battle for Skandia
Ranger's Apprentice #04
by John A. Flanagan
Reprint from Puffin Books
for 4th-8th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$9.99
Battle for Skandia
Ranger's Apprentice #04
by John A. Flanagan
Reprint from Philomel Books
for 4th-8th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$9.00 (2 in stock)
Bellmaker
Redwall #7
by Brian Jacques
from Firebird Press
Fantasy for 4th-9th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$10.99
Blinded by the Shining Path
Trailblazer Books
by Dave & Neta Jackson
from Bethany House
for 3rd-7th grade
in Trailblazer Books (Location: SER-TRAIL)
Blinded by the Shining Path
Trailblazer Books
by Dave & Neta Jackson
from Castle Rock Creative
for 3rd-7th grade
in Trailblazer Books (Location: SER-TRAIL)
$8.99
Bobbsey Twins #56
by Laura Lee Hope
from Grosset & Dunlap
for 1st-4th grade
in Bobbsey Twins (Location: VIN-SER)
Boxcar Children #02
by Gertrude Chandler Warner
from Albert Whitman & Company
Orphan Stories for 2nd-4th grade
in Boxcar Children (Location: SER-BOX)
$6.39
Boxcar Children #03
by Gertrude Chandler Warner
from Albert Whitman & Company
for 2nd-4th grade
in Boxcar Children (Location: SER-BOX)
$6.39
Boxcar Children #04
by Gertrude Chandler Warner
from Albert Whitman & Company
for 2nd-4th grade
in Boxcar Children (Location: SER-BOX)
$6.39
Boxcar Children #05
by Gertrude Chandler Warner
from Albert Whitman & Company
for 2nd-4th grade
in Boxcar Children (Location: SER-BOX)
Boxcar Children #06
by Gertrude Chandler Warner
from Albert Whitman & Company
for 2nd-4th grade
in Boxcar Children (Location: SER-BOX)
Boxcar Children #07
by Gertrude Chandler Warner
from Albert Whitman & Company
for 2nd-4th grade
in Boxcar Children (Location: SER-BOX)
Boxcar Children #08
by Gertrude Chandler Warner
from Albert Whitman & Company
for 2nd-4th grade
in Boxcar Children (Location: SER-BOX)
Boxcar Children #09
by Gertrude Chandler Warner
from Albert Whitman & Company
for 2nd-4th grade
in Boxcar Children (Location: SER-BOX)
Boxcar Children #10
by Gertrude Chandler Warner
from Albert Whitman & Company
for 2nd-4th grade
in Boxcar Children (Location: SER-BOX)
Boxcar Children #100
by Gertrude Chandler Warner
from Albert Whitman & Company
for 2nd-4th grade
in Boxcar Children (Location: SER-BOX)
Boxcar Children #101
by Gertrude Chandler Warner
from Albert Whitman & Company
for 2nd-4th grade
in Boxcar Children (Location: SER-BOX)
Boxcar Children #102
by Gertrude Chandler Warner
from Albert Whitman & Company
for 2nd-4th grade
in Boxcar Children (Location: SER-BOX)
Boxcar Children #103
by Gertrude Chandler Warner
from Albert Whitman & Company
for 2nd-4th grade
in Boxcar Children (Location: SER-BOX)
Boxcar Children #104
by Gertrude Chandler Warner
from Albert Whitman & Company
for 2nd-4th grade
in Boxcar Children (Location: SER-BOX)
Boxcar Children #107
by Gertrude Chandler Warner
from Albert Whitman & Company
for 2nd-4th grade
in Boxcar Children (Location: SER-BOX)
Boxcar Children #108
by Gertrude Chandler Warner
1st edition from Albert Whitman & Company
for 2nd-4th grade
in Boxcar Children (Location: SER-BOX)
Boxcar Children #109
by Gertrude Chandler Warner
from Albert Whitman & Company
for 2nd-4th grade
in Boxcar Children (Location: SER-BOX)
Boxcar Children #11
by Gertrude Chandler Warner
Reprint from Albert Whitman & Company
for 2nd-4th grade
in Boxcar Children (Location: SER-BOX)
Boxcar Children #110
by Gertrude Chandler Warner
from Albert Whitman & Company
for 2nd-4th grade
in Boxcar Children (Location: SER-BOX)
Boxcar Children #113
by Gertrude Chandler Warner
from Albert Whitman & Company
for 2nd-4th grade
in Boxcar Children (Location: SER-BOX)
Boxcar Children #115
by Gertrude Chandler Warner
from Albert Whitman & Company
for 2nd-4th grade
in Boxcar Children (Location: SER-BOX)
Boxcar Children #116
by Gertrude Chandler Warner
1st edition from Albert Whitman & Company
for 2nd-4th grade
in Boxcar Children (Location: SER-BOX)
Boxcar Children #117
by Gertrude Chandler Warner
from Albert Whitman & Company
for 2nd-4th grade
in Boxcar Children (Location: SER-BOX)
Boxcar Children #118
by Gertrude Chandler Warner
from Albert Whitman & Company
for 4th-6th grade
in Boxcar Children (Location: SER-BOX)
Boxcar Children #119
by Gertrude Chandler Warner
from Albert Whitman & Company
for 2nd-4th grade
in Boxcar Children (Location: SER-BOX)
Boxcar Children #12
by Gertrude Chandler Warner
from Albert Whitman & Company
for 2nd-4th grade
in Boxcar Children (Location: SER-BOX)
Boxcar Children #122
by Gertrude Chandler Warner
from Albert Whitman & Company
for 2nd-4th grade
in Boxcar Children (Location: SER-BOX)
Boxcar Children #127
by Gertrude Chandler Warner
from Albert Whitman & Company
for 2nd-4th grade
in Boxcar Children (Location: SER-BOX)
Boxcar Children #13
by Gertrude Chandler Warner
from Albert Whitman & Company
for 2nd-4th grade
in Boxcar Children (Location: SER-BOX)
Boxcar Children #135
from Albert Whitman & Company
for 2nd-4th grade
in Boxcar Children (Location: SER-BOX)
Boxcar Children #136
from Albert Whitman & Company
for 2nd-4th grade
in Boxcar Children (Location: SER-BOX)
Boxcar Children #137
by Gertrude Chandler Warner
from Albert Whitman & Company
for 2nd-4th grade
in Boxcar Children (Location: SER-BOX)
Boxcar Children #138
from Albert Whitman & Company
for 2nd-4th grade
in Boxcar Children (Location: SER-BOX)
Boxcar Children #139
from Albert Whitman & Company
for 2nd-4th grade
in Boxcar Children (Location: SER-BOX)
Boxcar Children #14
by Gertrude Chandler Warner
from Albert Whitman & Company
for 2nd-4th grade
in Boxcar Children (Location: SER-BOX)
Boxcar Children #15
by Gertrude Chandler Warner
from Albert Whitman & Company
for 2nd-4th grade
in Boxcar Children (Location: SER-BOX)
Boxcar Children #16
by Gertrude Chandler Warner
Reprint from Albert Whitman & Company
for 2nd-4th grade
in Boxcar Children (Location: SER-BOX)
Boxcar Children #17
by Gertrude Chandler Warner
Reprint from Albert Whitman & Company
for 2nd-4th grade
in Boxcar Children (Location: SER-BOX)
Boxcar Children #18
by Gertrude Chandler Warner
from Albert Whitman & Company
for 2nd-5th grade
in Boxcar Children (Location: SER-BOX)
Boxcar Children #19
by Gertrude Chandler Warner
from Albert Whitman & Company
for 2nd-4th grade
in Boxcar Children (Location: SER-BOX)
Boxcar Children #20
by Gertrude Chandler Warner
from Albert Whitman & Company
for 2nd-4th grade
in Boxcar Children (Location: SER-BOX)
Boxcar Children #21
by Gertrude Chandler Warner
from Albert Whitman & Company
for 2nd-5th grade
in Boxcar Children (Location: SER-BOX)
Boxcar Children #22
by Gertrude Chandler Warner
from Albert Whitman & Company
for 2nd-4th grade
in Boxcar Children (Location: SER-BOX)
Boxcar Children #23
by Gertrude Chandler Warner
from Albert Whitman & Company
for 2nd-5th grade
in Boxcar Children (Location: SER-BOX)
Boxcar Children #24
by Gertrude Chandler Warner
from Albert Whitman & Company
for 2nd-4th grade
in Boxcar Children (Location: SER-BOX)
Boxcar Children #25
by Gertrude Chandler Warner
25th edition from Scholastic Inc.
for 2nd-4th grade
in Boxcar Children (Location: SER-BOX)
Boxcar Children #26
by Gertrude Chandler Warner
from Albert Whitman & Company
for 2nd-4th grade
in Boxcar Children (Location: SER-BOX)
Boxcar Children #27
by Gertrude Chandler Warner
from Albert Whitman & Company
for 2nd-5th grade
in Boxcar Children (Location: SER-BOX)
Boxcar Children #28
by Gertrude Chandler Warner
from Albert Whitman & Company
for 2nd-4th grade
in Boxcar Children (Location: SER-BOX)
Boxcar Children #29
by Gertrude Chandler Warner
1st edition from Scholastic Inc.
for 2nd-5th grade
in Boxcar Children (Location: SER-BOX)
Boxcar Children #30
by Gertrude Chandler Warner
1st edition from Albert Whitman & Company
for 2nd-4th grade
in Boxcar Children (Location: SER-BOX)
Boxcar Children #31
by Gertrude Chandler Warner
from Albert Whitman & Company
for 2nd-4th grade
in Boxcar Children (Location: SER-BOX)
Boxcar Children #32
by Gertrude Chandler Warner
from Albert Whitman & Company
for 2nd-4th grade
in Boxcar Children (Location: SER-BOX)
Boxcar Children #33
by Gertrude Chandler Warner
from Albert Whitman & Company
for 2nd-4th grade
in Boxcar Children (Location: SER-BOX)
Boxcar Children #34
by Gertrude Chandler Warner
from Albert Whitman & Company
for 2nd-4th grade
in Boxcar Children (Location: SER-BOX)
Boxcar Children #35
by Gertrude Chandler Warner
from Scholastic Inc.
for 2nd-4th grade
in Boxcar Children (Location: SER-BOX)
Boxcar Children #36
by Gertrude Chandler Warner
from Albert Whitman & Company
for 2nd-5th grade
in Boxcar Children (Location: SER-BOX)
Boxcar Children #37
by Gertrude Chandler Warner
from Albert Whitman & Company
for 2nd-5th grade
in Boxcar Children (Location: SER-BOX)
Boxcar Children #38
by Gertrude Chandler Warner
from Albert Whitman & Company
for 2nd-5th grade
in Boxcar Children (Location: SER-BOX)
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