Bea's best novel series guide
for the biggest middle grade readers you know
One of my favorite book sets was given to me by my Nana and Grandpa three years ago—the complete Ramona Quimby collection. This made a great present because I loved to read and be read to (still do!), so having a whole shelf of books with characters I loved meant that I was set for a little while. I thought it might be helpful to tell you about some book series for kids like me, who are always looking for new books to read. You can either get your reader started with one of these books, or get the whole set!
The Merci Suárez series by Meg Medina: The third and final Merci Suárez book came out this year, and the whole collection would be a fun gift for a kid who likes realistic stories about families and friendship, humor, and strong female characters.
Percy Jackson and Heroes of Olympus series by Rick Riordan… I was skeptical of these books at first because I was worried they wouldn’t accurately reflect Greek mythology, but they have a lot of faithful details and they’re fun to read. Heroes of Olympus has male and female main characters, if you want to make sure you have some girl power in your reading. (Each character gets a whole chapter to themselves.)
Rick Riordan Presents is a middle grade series dedicated to authors from underrepresented backgrounds and cultures. These books are as full of adventure as Percy Jackson/Heroes of Olympus, but with different settings and diverse main characters. Some of my favorites of these books are the Aru Shah series by Roshani Choksi, the Tristan Strong series by Kwame Mbalia, the Paula Santiago series by Tehlor Kay Mejia and the Tiger Honor series by Yoon Ha Lee.
The Great Brain by John D. Fitzgerald: My dad got me into these books. Set in 1896 back when my dad was young and narrated by a little brother named John D., these books are about a big brother (T.D.) and his supposedly great brain. T.D. swindles people and comes up with all kinds of wacky schemes and shenanigans.
The Fudge Books by Judy Blume. Starting with Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, these books are about a boy named Peter and his kid brother, Fudge, who live in New York City. Warning from Bea: Fudge is absolutely insane and will make you think twice about getting a pet turtle. Warning from Belle: Judy Blume also has no problem giving away the game about Santa. Fun fact: Judy Blume based Fudge on her son Larry, who turned out to be a movie director.
The Birchbark House series: When I was in kindergarten my mom tried to read Little House in the Big Woods to me but I hated it (we already lived in a little house in big woods). Then she found The Birchbark House series by Louise Erdrich, and I was hooked. This series is about a young Ojibwe girl growing up around the same time period as Laura Ingalls. It’s sad, funny, and beautiful, with great characters who change and learn things. You can even order a copy from Louise Erdrich’s bookstore, which is called Birchbark Books.
Chances are, any big reader on your list has read Harry Potter. But do they have the Minalima pop-up editions? Those are really cool and intricate.
For younger readers just getting into chapter books, how about….
Anna Hibiscus by Atinuke: There are eight books in this series set in an unnamed country in “Africa, amazing Africa” and we loved all of them.
Junie B. Jones: These books, written in the voice of a wacky kindergarten kid, are so funny you might pee your pants.
A question from Bea: Do grown-up books come in series? How do you know what to read next?
If I discover an author I really like, I can read multiple of their books consecutively. I recently did that with Rudolfo Anaya. I always let my next book choose me though. I might think there is a title I want to read next, but once the time comes, a totally unanticipated book calls my name. And if I am really at a loss for what to read, I’ll go wander around a used bookstore in Tucson called Bookmans, where I’m guaranteed find something for cheap.
I really enjoyed this latest edition of The Frog Trouble Times. Thank you for your thoughtful recommendations and insights, which I forwarded to my good friend, also named Bea, since she has three elementary-aged grandchildren. She will enjoy your writing. My grandson is only 20 months old and is currently “reading” mostly board books, some of which belonged to his mother and uncle. It is a lot of fun for me to think what is out there in the world waiting for him to read.