How to Find a Book Series That Gets Kids Excited About Reading

Getting a child to read more can sound simple until you're standing in front of hundreds of books and every suggestion is met with a shrug. You choose something with great reviews, an interesting cover and the right reading level. Three chapters later, it's sitting untouched on the bedside table.

Often, the breakthrough isn't finding a book that adults think a child should read. It's finding a story they genuinely want to return to. A series can be particularly useful because once children become invested in the characters and their world, choosing the next book becomes much easier. A child who enjoys animals and fantasy, for example, might be interested in something like Warriors by Erin Hunter online from Booktopia, while another might be far more excited by mysteries, sport or funny school stories.

The goal isn't to find the "best" children's series. It's to discover the one that makes a particular child wonder what happens next.

Start With What They Already Enjoy

Before looking at reading levels or award winners, think about what the child chooses to do when nobody is telling them what to do.

What movies do they watch repeatedly? Which games hold their attention? What do they talk about? Are they fascinated by animals, space, football, magic, dinosaurs or mysteries?

These interests provide useful clues.

A child obsessed with fantasy games may enjoy books involving quests and imaginary worlds. Someone who loves solving puzzles might prefer mysteries. A child constantly watching funny videos may respond better to humorous stories than a serious adventure.

Books don't have to introduce children to completely new interests. Sometimes reading becomes easier when the story connects with something they already love.

Let Them Choose

Adults often take responsibility for choosing books because they know roughly what is suitable for the child's age. The downside is that reading can start to feel like another assignment.

Give children some control instead.

Take them to a library or browse books together and let them shortlist several possibilities. Covers, titles and illustrations may influence their choices, and that's perfectly fine. Adults choose books partly because they look interesting too.

You can still provide guidance, particularly around age suitability, but try not to dismiss a choice simply because it doesn't seem challenging enough.

The first job is getting them interested in reading. More ambitious books can come later.

Look for a Strong First Book

A 20-book series sounds wonderful if you're trying to encourage a reading habit, but those extra books don't matter if the first one doesn't grab the reader.

Start small.

Read the description together. If possible, look at the opening pages or a sample chapter. Does something interesting happen reasonably quickly? Are the characters appealing? Is there a clear reason to keep reading?

For children who are already reluctant readers, a slow beginning can be enough to lose them.

Once they're hooked, the existence of sequels becomes a major advantage. They don't have to go through the difficult process of finding something new every time they finish a book.

Get the Difficulty Level Right

A book can have the perfect subject and still fail if reading it feels like work.

If a child has to stop constantly to decode unfamiliar words, following the story becomes difficult. On the other hand, a book that's far below their ability may not hold their attention.

The sweet spot is something they can read comfortably while still encountering occasional new vocabulary and ideas.

Remember that age recommendations are only a starting point. Children of the same age can have very different reading abilities and interests.

It's also fine to mix things up. A child might independently read an easier series while enjoying a more complex book with a parent at bedtime.

Don't Underestimate Humour and Suspense

Educational value isn't the only thing that makes reading worthwhile.

A book that makes a child laugh out loud has done something important: it has made reading enjoyable.

The same goes for suspense. Cliffhangers, mysteries and unresolved questions give readers a reason to pick the book up again tomorrow. Series are particularly good at creating longer storylines that continue across several books.

Pay attention to the moments when a child voluntarily tells you about what they're reading. If they're explaining a character, laughing about a scene or making predictions about what happens next, you've probably found something that's working.

Know When to Abandon a Book

One of the quickest ways to make reading feel like homework is insisting that every book must be finished.

Adults abandon books they aren't enjoying all the time. Children should have some freedom to do the same.

If they've given a story a reasonable chance and aren't interested, try something else. Ask what they disliked about it. The answer can help narrow down the next choice.

Maybe there wasn't enough action. Perhaps the story was confusing, the main character wasn't appealing or the subject simply didn't interest them.

That's useful information, not failure.

The Right Series Makes the Next Book Easy

A child who says they don't like reading may simply not have discovered the kind of books they enjoy yet.

Start with their existing interests, involve them in choosing and don't worry too much about whether their selection matches your idea of impressive reading. A funny book devoured in two evenings can do more for enthusiasm than an acclaimed novel that feels like a chore.

When you eventually find the right series, you'll notice the difference. Instead of asking a child to read, you may find yourself being asked when they can get the next book. That's when reading has stopped being an obligation and started becoming something they choose for themselves.