Betty's Books: The Best Series for Kids

For this month's column on the best in children's book series, I turned to the real experts — my own grandchildren — for recommendations. I thought that at least one of the two 9-year-olds would opt for Harry Potter. But all five readers chose other contenders, although some are variations on the J. K. Rowling approach — chapter books that are, in their words, “pretty creepy.”

My 9-year-old granddaughter Kaylin's pick was Michael Buckley's The Sisters Grimm (Abrams Books). This series — part mystery, part fantasy, and part adventure — features Sabrina and Daphne, descendants of the famous Brothers Grimm. After being shuffled from one foster home to another, the sisters end up in Ferryport Landing, home to both humans and fairy-tale creatures. In the first book, Jack (of beanstalk fame) helps the girls track down the giant who kidnapped their grandmother — or at least the woman claiming to be their grandmother. In subsequent installments, readers encounter other fairy-tale legends — always with a humorous twist. Cinderella hosts The Dr. Cindy Show, a talk-radio show, and Puss ‘n' Boots is an exterminator. Buckley’s wit permeates each book — the Magic Mirror’s computer is still on dial-up, for example. And any preconceived notions of who is good and who is evil are useless in Ferryport Landing. Sabrina and Daphne are young, resourceful heroines, and each book is a delicious mix of mystery, magic, and menace.

R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps series (Scholastic) got the nod from 9-year-old Louisa. There are more than 60 books in the original series — and Stine just began releasing the first of what will become a dozen new entries, his first series in eight years. Each book features down-to-earth kids who, while dealing with everyday problems, get caught up in scary situations. Each is also chock-full of Stine's signature cliffhangers and unexpected twists. In the chilling Curse of Camp Cold Lake, Sarah, who is having trouble fitting in with her peers at camp, meets a young ghost who wants to be her buddy. How to Kill a Monster tells of two siblings sent to visit their beloved grandparents only to discover a swamp monster living in the house. And The Haunted School features a school elevator that only goes sideways. These books are such skillful attention-grabbers, it would be difficult to enforce a "lights out" rule when a reader is involved in one.

Books of Secrets

Holly Black’s Spiderwick Chronicles (Simon & Schuster) was the choice of 7-year-old Audrey. This series is just right for young readers captivated by mystical, magical worlds. The books are fairly quick reads for children, but even better as read-alouds. They feature three siblings — the Grace children — who move into a relative’s empty, rundown house with their recently divorced mom. But watch out: Faeries abound. These weird, slightly dangerous creatures are determined to protect their strange world and want to reclaim an old handwritten book belonging to the children’s uncle, Arthur Spiderwick. The kids are warned — in rhyming verse — to throw the book away because it contains some terrible truths about the faerie world. But they don't, and as the series progresses, they become increasingly involved with this bizarre population. Tony DiTerlizzi’s pen-and-ink drawings on roughly cut pages beautifully illustrate Black's rhyming riddles and the mysteries lurking at Spiderwick Estate.

Adventures in Time

I love that Meg and Luke — a pair of 7-year-old cousins who live thousands of miles from each other — both independently chose Mary Pope Osborne's phenomenally successful Magic Tree House series (Random House). These modern classics revolve around Jack and Annie, siblings who find a magic tree house filled with books that can transport them to faraway lands and distant times. The boxed set of the first four books takes the children back to the dinosaur age of the Cretaceous period, then to medieval times, ancient Egypt, and finally to an encounter with Captain Kidd and his treasure. The books offer grandchildren a wonderful introduction to chapter-book reading. Even children who aren't reading yet will enjoy hearing these adventures. It's best to buy the series in its various boxed sets, so kids can follow along with continuing storylines and try to solve crucial riddles. Osborne's writing is clear and uncomplicated and she always includes some interesting history lessons for her audience. I believe this series, in particular, provides a grand incentive for young children to learn to read.