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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76 Items found Print
Active Filters: 1st grade (Ages 6-7), Trade Paperback
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)
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)
$5.99
AIO Imagination Station Book #20
by Marianne Hering
from Focus on the Family
for 1st-3rd grade
in Imagination Station (Location: SER-AIO)
$5.99
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
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)
Bobbsey Twins #56
by Laura Lee Hope
from Grosset & Dunlap
for 1st-4th grade
in Bobbsey Twins (Location: VIN-SER)
Canary Caper (A to Z Mysteries)
by Ron Roy
from Random House Books for Young Readers
for 1st-3rd grade
in A to Z Mysteries (Location: SER-AZ)
Deadly Dungeon (A to Z Mysteries)
by Ron Roy
from Random House Books for Young Readers
for 1st-3rd grade
in A to Z Mysteries (Location: SER-AZ)
Empty Envelope (A to Z Mysteries)
by Ron Roy
from Random House Books for Young Readers
for 1st-3rd grade
in A to Z Mysteries (Location: SER-AZ)
Falcon's Feathers (A to Z Mysteries)
by Ron Roy
from Random House Books for Young Readers
for 1st-3rd grade
in A to Z Mysteries (Location: SER-AZ)
Goose's Gold (A to Z Mysteries)
by Ron Roy
from Random House Books for Young Readers
for 1st-3rd grade
in A to Z Mysteries (Location: SER-AZ)
Haunted Hotel (A to Z Mysteries)
by Ron Roy
from Random House Books for Young Readers
for 1st-3rd grade
in A to Z Mysteries (Location: SER-AZ)
Invisible Island (A to Z Mysteries)
by Ron Roy
First Edition from Random House Books for Young Readers
for 1st-3rd grade
in A to Z Mysteries (Location: SER-AZ)
Jaguar's Jewel (A to Z Mysteries)
by Ron Roy
from Random House Books for Young Readers
for 1st-3rd grade
in A to Z Mysteries (Location: SER-AZ)
Kidnapped King (A to Z Mysteries)
by Ron Roy
from Random House Books for Young Readers
for 1st-3rd grade
in A to Z Mysteries (Location: SER-AZ)
Lucky Lottery (A to Z Mysteries)
by Ron Roy
from Random House Books for Young Readers
for 1st-3rd grade
in A to Z Mysteries (Location: SER-AZ)
Magic School Bus and the Electric Field Trip
by Joanna Cole
from Scholastic Inc.
for 1st-3rd grade
in Magic School Bus (Location: SER-MSB)
$6.99
Magic School Bus at the Waterworks
Magic School Bus
by Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen
from Scholastic Inc.
for 1st-3rd grade
in Magic School Bus (Location: SER-MSB)
$8.99 $4.00 (1 in stock)
Magic School Bus Inside a Beehive
Magic School Bus
by Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen
from Scholastic Inc.
for 1st-3rd grade
in Magic School Bus (Location: SER-MSB)
$8.99
Magic School Bus Inside a Hurricane
Magic School Bus
by Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen
from Scholastic Inc.
for 1st-3rd grade
in Magic School Bus (Location: SER-MSB)
$8.99
Magic School Bus Inside the Human Body
Magic School Bus
by Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen
from Scholastic Inc.
for 1st-3rd grade
in Magic School Bus (Location: SER-MSB)
$8.99 $5.00 (1 in stock)
Magic School Bus Lost in the Solar System
Magic School Bus
by Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen
from Scholastic Inc.
for 1st-3rd grade
in Magic School Bus (Location: SER-MSB)
$7.99 $3.00 (1 in stock)
Magic School Bus Presents Planet Earth
Magic School Bus Presents
by Tom Jackson, Illustrated by Carolyn Bracken
from Scholastic Inc.
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Magic School Bus (Location: SER-MSB)
Magic Tree House #26
by Mary Pope Osborne
Fir from Random House Books for Young Readers
for 1st-6th grade
in Magic Tree House (Location: SER-MTH)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Missing Mummy (A to Z Mysteries)
by Ron Roy
from Random House Books for Young Readers
for 1st-3rd grade
in A to Z Mysteries (Location: SER-AZ)
Nate the Great and Me: The Case of the Fleeing Fang
Nate the Great #20
by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat
Reprint from Yearling
for 1st-3rd grade
in Nate the Great (Location: SER-NATE)
Nate the Great and the Boring Beach Bag
Nate the Great #10
by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat
Reprint from Yearling
for 1st-3rd grade
in Nate the Great (Location: SER-NATE)
Nate the Great and the Crunchy Christmas
Nate the Great #18
by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat & Craig Sharmat
Reprint from Yearling
for 1st-3rd grade
in Nate the Great (Location: SER-NATE)
Nate the Great and the Halloween Hunt
Nate the Great #12
by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat
Reprint from Yearling
for 1st-3rd grade
in Nate the Great (Location: SER-NATE)
Nate the Great and the Missing Key
Nate the Great #6
by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat
from Yearling
for 1st-3rd grade
in Nate the Great (Location: SER-NATE)
Nate the Great and the Mushy Valentine
Nate the Great #16
by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat
Reprint from Yearling
for 1st-3rd grade
in Nate the Great (Location: SER-NATE)
Nate the Great and the Musical Note
Nate the Great #13
by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat
Reprint from Yearling
for 1st-3rd grade
in Nate the Great (Location: SER-NATE)
Nate the Great and the Phony Clue
Nate the Great #4
by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat
Reprint from Yearling
for 1st-3rd grade
in Nate the Great (Location: SER-NATE)
Nate the Great and the Pillowcase
Nate the Great #15
by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat & Rosalind Weinman
from Yearling
for 1st-3rd grade
in Nate the Great (Location: SER-NATE)
Nate the Great and the Snowy Trail
Nate the Great #7
by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat
Reprint from Yearling
for 1st-3rd grade
in Nate the Great (Location: SER-NATE)
Nate the Great and the Sticky Case
Nate the Great #5
by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat
Reprint from Yearling
for 1st-3rd grade
in Nate the Great (Location: SER-NATE)
Nate the Great and the Stolen Base
Nate the Great #14
by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat
Reissue from Yearling
for 1st-3rd grade
in Nate the Great (Location: SER-NATE)
Nate the Great and the Tardy Tortoise
Nate the Great #17
by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat & Craig Sharmat
Reprint from Yearling
for 1st-3rd grade
in Nate the Great (Location: SER-NATE)
Nate the Great Goes Down in the Dumps
Nate the Great #11
by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat
from Yearling
for 1st-3rd grade
in Nate the Great (Location: SER-NATE)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
Nate the Great Goes Undercover
Nate the Great #2
by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat
from Yearling
for 1st-3rd grade
in Nate the Great (Location: SER-NATE)
Nate the Great Saves the King of Sweden
Nate the Great #19
by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat
Reprint from Yearling
for 1st-3rd grade
in Nate the Great (Location: SER-NATE)
Nate the Great Stalks Stupidweed
Nate the Great #9
by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat
Reprint from Yearling
for 1st-3rd grade
in Nate the Great (Location: SER-NATE)
Ninth Nugget (A to Z Mysteries)
by Ron Roy
from Random House Books for Young Readers
for 1st-3rd grade
in A to Z Mysteries (Location: SER-AZ)
Orange Outlaw (A to Z Mysteries)
by Ron Roy
from Random House Books for Young Readers
for 1st-3rd grade
in A to Z Mysteries (Location: SER-AZ)
Panda Puzzle (A to Z Mysteries)
by Ron Roy
from Random House Books for Young Readers
for 1st-3rd grade
in A to Z Mysteries (Location: SER-AZ)
Quicksand Question (A to Z Mysteries)
by Ron Roy
1st edition from Random House Books for Young Readers
for 1st-3rd grade
in A to Z Mysteries (Location: SER-AZ)
Runaway Racehorse (A to Z Mysteries)
by Ron Roy
from Random House Books for Young Readers
for 1st-3rd grade
in A to Z Mysteries (Location: SER-AZ)
School Skeleton (A to Z Mysteries)
by Ron Roy
1st edition from Random House Books for Young Readers
for 1st-3rd grade
in A to Z Mysteries (Location: SER-AZ)
Talking T. Rex (A to Z Mysteries)
by Ron Roy
from Random House Books for Young Readers
for 1st-3rd grade
in A to Z Mysteries (Location: SER-AZ)
Unwilling Umpire (A to Z Mysteries)
by Ron Roy
from Random House Books for Young Readers
for 1st-3rd grade
in A to Z Mysteries (Location: SER-AZ)
Vampire's Vacation (A to Z Mysteries)
by Ron Roy
from Random House Books for Young Readers
for 1st-3rd grade
in A to Z Mysteries (Location: SER-AZ)
Violet Mackerel's Brilliant Plot
Violet Mackerel
by Anna Bradford, Illustrated by Elanna Allen
from Simon and Schuster
for 1st-4th grade
in Series Books (Location: SER-MISC)
$5.99 $3.00 (1 in stock)
White Wolf (A to Z Mysteries)
by Ron Roy
from Random House Books for Young Readers
for 1st-3rd grade
in A to Z Mysteries (Location: SER-AZ)
X'ed-Out X-Ray (A to Z Mysteries)
by Ron Roy
from Random House Books for Young Readers
for 1st-3rd grade
in A to Z Mysteries (Location: SER-AZ)
Yellow Yacht (A to Z Mysteries)
by Ron Roy
from Random House Books for Young Readers
for 1st-3rd grade
in A to Z Mysteries (Location: SER-AZ)
Yellow Yacht (A to Z Mysteries)
by Ron Roy
from Scholastic Inc.
for 1st-3rd grade
in A to Z Mysteries (Location: SER-AZ)
Zombie Zone (A to Z Mysteries)
by Ron Roy
Revised ed. from Random House Books for Young Readers
for 1st-3rd grade
in A to Z Mysteries (Location: SER-AZ)