If you've ever discovered a kid up past their bedtime, wide-eyed and racing to finish a chapter, you know this feeling well. The secret to getting kids hooked on reading isn't magic – it's all about momentum. And nothing builds momentum faster than a great book series.
Series are also a perfect way to entice both new and striving readers – once kids click with a new world or a character, they will naturally want to keep going. Ready to inspire your own series super-fan? Try the following three tips.
1. Let the Screen Be a Gateway (Not a Competitor)
One great way to spark your kid’s interest in reading is to find a book series that is connected to a show or a movie that they already enjoy or that piques their imagination. It lowers the barrier to reading, building familiarity with key characters and mental models of other worlds.
For example, your child may be familiar with the adventures of Dog Man or Stillwater, so choosing these books can encourage them to continue following the characters’ adventures.
Meanwhile, older readers will love watching popular series, like Goosebumps, The Hunger Games, and Harry Potter, come to life on the big screen.
This is also a wonderful opportunity for your child to make real-world connections. When you're done watching, ask them how they’d imagined things in the books and how they compare to the shows and movies.
Discover more iconic children's books turned into TV shows or movies.
2. Turn Their Interests Into Story Magic
You can foster your child's passions by introducing them to stories related to their interests. For example, if your young reader is captivated by nature, they'll love reading the Owl Diaries. Alternatively, fans of nonfiction will enjoy diving into the Who Would Win...? series, which pits animals against each other in epic imaginary battles.
If your kid loves laugh-out-loud adventures, then look no further than the hilarious Dog Man, The Bad Guys, and Captain Underpants series.
One of the biggest predictors of reading engagement is kids' own intrinsic motivation, so tap into what they love at every opportunity.
3. Start With Book One... and Spark Momentum!
Okay, so this one's not so sneaky — and it might sound obvious — but starting with book one is often the best way to explore a series because it builds the world from the ground up. This is the book that introduces the characters, setting, and the rules of the world. Jumping in later can sometimes make it harder to connect to the story.
Try shopping wth your reader to pick just one series starter of their choice, and watch what happens next.
Check out our Series Starter Book Sets to get your child up and running with their next favorite series! And if they're already hooked on book one, our Continue the Series Value Packs contain books 2–5 in some of our most-popular series and are a great way to build budget-friendly reading joy!
Shop popular series below! You can find all books and activities at The Scholastic Store.