Series for Summer Reading
The TD Summer Reading Club is underway at your local library and continues to be a great way to keep your children reading, all summer long. Children who read over the summer maintain their reading skills when they return to school in the Fall. The key to keeping the enthusiasm high for reading is to empower your kids to choose what they want to read. Summer is all about having fun and reading should reflect that same sense of joy!
An easy way to maintain reading momentum is to get your child hooked on a series. Series fiction provides newly independent readers with a sense of accomplishment. Plus, their simple stories, strong
main characters and appealing illustrations resemble beginning readers but at a higher reading level, aiding in the transition to more complex stories.
As a paren't, you might be overwhelmed by the sheer number of series available so here’s four series you might want to suggest to your children.
Anna Hibiscus
As a librarian, it can be quite a challenge to find books at this reading level that feature a lead character of colour. Each book in this series features linked short stories about Anna, who lives in Africa with her large extended family. While exploring traditional and modern African customs, readers will identify with Anna’s familiar childhood adventures.
How to Train Your Dragon 
Connecting readers with a book based on a popular animated movie can be very effective, and it’s even better when there are multiple books to get kids hooked on a series. Hiccup is a young Viking who doesn’t fit in with the rest of his burly friends, but Hiccup discovers a special skill – he can speak the language of dragons. Expect lots of high adventures, spectacular sword fights and of course, dragons.
Babymouse
Newbery award-winning author Jennifer Holm along with her brother Matthew have created a sweet, funny graphic novel series about Babymouse who finds herself dealing with the everyday ups and downs of life including school, family, and friends. Don’t let the presence of pink stop you from recommending this series to boys – this series has enough sharp wit and humour to appeal to them, as well.
Spaceheadz
Jon Scieszka, best known for his hilarious picture book The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales and the Time Warp Trio series, has written a new early chapter book series about three aliens who disguise themselves as kids to recruit earthlings to help save the planet. This series is part of a growing trend called transfiction, where the book series along with online content creates an experience where readers are part of the story. The Spaceheadz website allows readers to submit photos and stories, watch videos and meet other fans of the series. The interactive component of Spaceheadz will appeal to reluctant readers.
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