“It’s called Captain Underpants? Really?”
Back in my years as an elementary school reading teacher, I reacted to this new series of books for kids with concern (read: horror). How could a book with potty humor and a hero in whitey-tighties bring any good into this world? Well, I soon learned that kids loved the book and its sequels. THEY WERE DEVOURING THEM (I had to like that)! Dav Pilkey’s hero’s antics really hit their elementary-aged funny bones.
Mr. Pilkey soon came out with Dog Man, a graphic series about a hero who is part dog and part man and who fights villains while modeling values such as bravery and kindness. I like that, too.
Our Patagonia Public Library carries many series that kids love, both silly and serious, classic and new. As the Laura Ingalls Wilder Little House books were to earlier generations, now it’s the next Babysitters Club or Dork Diaries book that excites them. We all love to follow a favorite character into their next adventure.
Here are a few very popular book series to entice your kids or grandkids away from their screens for a bit:
Light Reading / Graphic (Comic) Novels:
We used to call them “comics” but now they are more complex. I’m trying to accept them.
The Babysitters Club by Ann M. Martin — A group of friends rely on one another to solve the daily and not-so-daily dramas of babysitting.
Geronimo Stilton by Elisabetta Dami — A mild-mannered mouse adventures in faraway places, both real and imagined.
Novels
Teachers and professors are growing concerned that their students can’t focus on longer texts or understand them. You can help your child by encouraging them to read both “regular” books as well as graphic novels.
Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer — Twelve-year-old Artemis Fowl is a millionaire, a genius, and above all, a criminal mastermind.
A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket — “Three youngsters encounter a greed and repulsive villain, itchy clothing, a disastrous fire, a plot to steal their fortune, and cold porridge for breakfast.” (from Book 1).
Diary of A Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney — Whatever you do, don’t ask Greg Heffley how he spent his summer vacation. “An excellent choice for reluctant readers” says School Library Journal.
Ivy and Bean by Annie Barrows — Meet two best friends who never meant to like each other.
Dork Diaries by Rachel Renée Russell — A female heroine counterpart to the “wimpy kid” and like Kinney’s books, has an interesting format — not a graphic novel but with lots of illustrations and fun graphics.
Reading aloud to any age
Even if your child can read, keep enjoying great read-alouds together. The time is a strong investment in family closeness and brain development.
For older elementary school kids, of course, there’s the powerful and rich Harry Potter series. Reading the I Survived series by Lauren Tarshis with your child helps you both understand dramatic historical events, such as the attack on Pearl Harbor and the destruction of Pompeii. (This series has both graphic and regular text versions.) The Little House books still hold up for their depiction of pioneer life from a child’s point of view. (Parents may want to read ahead and decide how to handle Wilder’s portrayal of indigenous people.)
Parents and younger kids will enjoy the Beezus and Ramona books of Beverly Cleary, and the Junie B. Jones series by Barbara Park, with their comical depictions of everyday life and characters kids can relate to. The Magic School Bus series by Joanna Cole and its DVD/streaming counterpart are lots of science fun.
These are, of course, a drop in the bucket. Learn what your child has read and enjoyed at school. And for more suggestions, ask our experienced library staff. They know what books come off the shelves and sail out the doors.
