Today our primary school kids head back to school. It will be back to home reading and homework. I thought I would share a few of the book series our kids have enjoyed by asking the kids to give me their thoughts on the books, which they kindly did. I am hopeful you can share with us some that your kids have loved at the end in the comments.
When kids need to choose their own books to read, it can become challenging to have new books for them to read all the time. I have found that getting them started on a book series or a particular author, can help make finding books to read easier.
Brisinger series by Christopher Paolini
Thoughts from 14 year old:
They would have to be for either hard core readers or hard core fantasy fans, otherwise they would get sick of the time between action scenes. The plot lines are complex and you need to concentrate to understand it.
Paolini makes every creature valued and shows by working together evil can be overcome.
Publisher: Random House
Battle Boy series by Charlie Carter
Thoughts from 6 year old:
Battle Boy books are chapter books. You learn things about history when Battle Boy goes back in time on adventures. Lots of things happen to him and he tries to help people.
Battle Boy has lots of gadgets to help him in his missions. No one knows he is a Battle Boy in his family.
Publisher: Pan Macmillan Australia
Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins
Thoughts from 14 year old:
The first one was the best of this series. In the second and third books there isn’t as much action (as they are hungry). This series mixes genres of science fiction and historical adventures.
Publisher: Scholastic
David Walliams
Thoughts from 11 year old: The books by David Walliams are very funny. The main characters are always kids. There is always a problem and the way the main person solves the problem is humourous and entertaining.
They are set in the current time and there are lessons you can take away from the books. I would recommend them for kids aged 10 and up.
Publisher: Harper Collins
Diary of a Wimpy Kid series by Jeff Kinney
Thoughts from 9 year old:
These books are written like a diary. They have funny illustrations and are very funny to read. The main character Greg has a younger and older brother, who sometimes annoy him.
Lots of things happen to Greg in the book and you sometimes feel sorry for him the way things turn out. The stories make you laugh.
Publisher: Puffin Books Australia
The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R Tolkien
Thoughts from 14 year old:
The “Nerd Bible” is even better than all the hype. You would need to like fantasy and reading though to read the books. The way Tolkien writes makes you believe it is the truth.
I loved how it portrays how sieges were in medieval times. There are battle scenes of awesome magnitude. The story line is always leading up to something and you can’t always tell the way it will work out.
Publisher: Harper Collins
Chaos Walking series by Patrick Ness
Thoughts from 14 year old:
In the first book you read the story from the point of view of one boy. In the second you read it from two points of view, a boy and a girl. In the third book you read it from three points of view, a boy, a girl and an indigenous person from the planet they are on.
The strong underlying themes are around gender issues, why we go to war and making amends for your mistakes.
Publisher: Walker Books
Grug series by Ted Prior
Thoughts from 4 year old:
I love Grug. He has yellow and brown stripes. He fell from a tree and he tries new things.
From me: I love that there is simple short sentences and lovely simple illustrations. Love how Grug has a go at things that he cannot do and practices them until he can do it or will change slightly to make it work. He doesn’t give up.
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Young Bond series by Charlie Higson
Thoughts from 14 year old:
Great books. Filled with suspense and mystery. They are very fast paced. It gives you the back story of James Bond 007.
The main character is the young version of James Bond and like in the movies there is a girl in each book, with which he gets romantically involved {Edit from mum – there are no sex scenes though!}.
Each book has underlying themes of good versus evil, being independent and the like.They do make more sense if you read them in order, but you could read them out of order.
Publisher: Puffin Books
Judy Moody series by Megan McDonald
Thoughts from 9 year old:
Judy Moody tries lots of things in the books and she gets into different moods. Judy has a little brother called Stink who she thinks is annoying.
I like the funny words the author uses in the books and how Judy stands up for herself. Sometimes though Judy gets into trouble, but it usually works out of in the end.
Publisher: Walker Books
Look forward to reading your book series / author suggestions!