Educators, librarians, and parents alike agree that creating a love for reading is incredibly important for any child’s development. Many children love to read, but others struggle and are disinterested or reluctant readers. Remember that every child has an interest—something that engages them and captures their imagination. Sometimes it's a matter of finding the right book for each child. These popular book series below may be just the thing to ignite a child's passion for reading.

Pete the Cat series by James Dean, illustrated by Eric Litwin

Follow Pete the cool, blue cat, along with his many animal pals as they share groovy adventures in this popular series.

Grades K–2
Lexile level 460

 

 

Llama llama series by Anna Dewdney and Duncan Reed, illustrated by J.T. Morrow

 Llama Llama is a little child who loves his Mama, and  likes to play all kinds of games with his friends and he carries his stuffed animal, Fuzzy dolly llama, everywhere he goes.

Grades Pre-K–2 
Lexile level 420
 

Elephant and Piggie series by Mo Willems

Gerald the Elephant and Piggie the Pig are unlikely best friends that do everything together. Simple text, mostly limited to speech bubbles, is rendered laugh-out-loud funny by the two friends' body language.

Grades Pre-K–2
Lexile level 150–300

 

Scaredy Squirrel series by Mélanie Watt

Scaredy Squirrel is afraid of many things and keeps safe in his tree, following an intricate routine. Once he embraces new adventures and takes a leap into the unknown and discovers to his surprise that he is a flying squirrel.

Grades K–2
Lexile level 560
 

Ellray Jakes series by Sally Warner and Brian Biggs

Even though he is the smallest boy in his class, Ellray Jakes can get himself into big trouble. Follow Ellray on all his adventures in this incredible series.

Grades K–3
Lexile level 650–820

 

 

 

Meet Yasmin series by Saadia Faruqi, illustrated by Hatem Aly

Throughout this series, Pakistani-American second-grader Yasmin learns to cope with the small problems of school and home, while gaining confidence in her own skills and creative abilities.

Grade 1–3
Lexile level 530

 

 

Eerie Elementary series by Jack Chabert, illustrated by Matt Loveridge

Eerie Elementary is alive! Third-grader Sam Graves sets out to stop the school from unleashing its evil….before it's too late!

Grades 2–3
Lexile level 450- 520 

 

 

The Bad Guys series by Aaron Blabey 

In this series, we follow the classic “bad guys” of fairy tales in their quest to redeem themselves for the better in a super series of misadventures. 

Grades 2–4
Lexile level 530

 

 

Who Would Win? series by Jerry Pallotta, illustrated by Bob Bolster

Young readers will enjoy diving into the animal kingdom to discover which creature will reign supreme! This series features mammals, sea creatures, dinosaurs, and more as they go head to head in battle.

Grades 1–4
Lexile level 570–720

 

 

Cat Kid series by Dav Pilkey

Li'l Petey, Flippy, and Molly introduce twenty-one rambunctious, funny, and talented baby frogs to the art of comic-making. As the story unwinds with mishaps and hilarity, readers get to see the progress, mistakes, and improvements that come with practice and persistence.

Grades 4–6
Lexile level 520

 

 

Big Nate series by Lincoln Peirce

Big Nate follows the adventures and misadventures of Nate Wright, a spirited and rebellious sixth-grader.

Grades 4–6
Lexile level 370–520

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Zita the Spacegirl series by Ben Hatke

When young Zita discovers a device that opens a portal to another place, and her best friend is abducted, she is compelled to set out on a strange journey from star to star in order to get back home.

Grades 4–6
Lexile level 310–520

 

 

Maker Comics series by various authors

The ultimate DIY guides, each Maker Comics graphic novel includes inspiring illustrated step-by-step instructions for all your maker needs. This series is here to help you build a game, learn to bake, or introduce your friends to sustainability.

Grades 4–6
Lexile level 690

 

 

The Last Kids on Earth series by Max Brailler, illustrated by Douglas Holgate

This series follows Jack Sullivan and his friends as they navigate middle school and fight the zombie apocalypse.

Grades 4–6
Lexile level 540–700

 

 

 

Amulet series by Kazu Kibuishi 

Amulet follows the adventures of Emily and her brother Navin after they discover a magical circular amulet in her maternal great-grandfather's house.

Grades 4–6
Lexile level 310–500

 

 

 

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Summaries provided via NYPL’s catalog, which draws from multiple sources. Click through to each book’s title for more.