Gotta love a kids book series! If your child ends up loving a book, there’s a whole series of books for them to enjoy. Here a selection of amazing book series for kids (boys and girls aged 7 to 12) organised by age suitability. There’s a mix of Australian and international books like Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Artemis Fowl, the Treehouse series as well as new releases and classic books. We’ve thrown in some of the most popular series as well as some lesser-known series. You can find many of these novels at local libraries or bookshops.
How To Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell
Recognise the name? This is because this is the book series that the popular movies were based off! This is the first of the How to Train Your Dragon series. This imaginative and funny series tells the story of Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III and his efforts in dragon-training set in the fictional Viking land of Berk. This 12-book series is the basis of the three Dreamworks movies. Age 6+.
Treehouse Series by Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton 🇦🇺
This popular series started with The 13-Storey Treehouse and now is on its 12th book, the 156-Storey Treehouse. These illustrated books are all about Andy and Terry’s wild and wacky treehouse all the amazing things that it has in it like a man-eating shark tank, neverending staircase, fortune teller’s tent and anti-gravity chamber. You know, just usual treehouse stuff! Age 7+.
The Anti-Princess Club by Samatha Turnbull 🇦🇺
Set in Newcastle, these books follow the lives of 10-year-old best friends: Emily Martin, Bella Singh, Grace Bennett and Chloe Karalis. It’s a fantastic series to encourage girls to stand up and buck stereotypes. Their motto: ‘We don’t need rescuing!’. There’s five books in the Anti-Princess Club series. Age 7+.
Fudge Series by Judy Blume
Anyone who has an annoying younger brother or sister or annoying neighbour will love Judy Blume’s Fudge set. Written from the viewpoint of Peter Hatcher, it describes his issues with his 2-year-old brother Fudge, his little brother who isn’t so sweet, and his know-it-all neighbour Sheila Tubman. There are five books in the series. Age 7+.
Tom Gates by Liz Buchon
Meet 10 year old Tom Gates. His hobbies include being in a band, drawing and annoying his older sister, Delia. Easily distracted, he’s always making excuses as to why his homework isn’t done. This funny series has 20 books in total. Age 7+.
Dog Man by Dav Pilkey
From the author of Captain Underpants comes Dog Man, a crime-biting canine who is part dog, part man, but all cop! It’s an imaginative series filled with humour. There are 12 books in the series. Age 7+.
WeirDo by Anh Do 🇦🇺
This book introduces kids to the new kid in the school, WeirDo. He has an unforgettable name, a crazy family and some seriously weird habits. So fitting in at school won’t be easy. This funny series features 23 books. Age 7+.
Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling
Ranked as one of the best kids book series, reading Harry Potter is a rite of passage for many kids. The series follows the adventures of young wizard Harry Potter. Although the first few books are suitable for younger kids, the subject material gets darker as the series progresses. Age 7+
Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinnear
This book series focuses on 12-year-old Greg Heffley and his efforts to try to become popular in middle school while dealing with his wacky family. These books are written in diary form complete with drawings making it easy to read. Currently, there are 18 books in the series. Age 8+.
Dork Diaries by Rachel Renee Russell
Total dork Nikki Maxwell shares all the details of her life through doodles and diary entries. There are lots to read about including BFF dramas, coping with crushes, mean girl face-offs and embarrassing little sisters. At last count, there are 14 books in the series. Age 8+.
Warriors by Erin Hunter
This kids fantasy series is about four clans of wild cats. These engaging books feature cats from RiverClan, ThunderClan, Windclan and ShadowClan, and live under the guidance of their warrior ancestors (StarClan). Each of these clans possesses a unique skill. For example, RiverClan can swim like fish (and eat them too). The book series is about how these cats learn to deal with losses, work together, and ultimately live in peace. If your kids love these books, there’s six more series of Warriors that they can enjoy. Age 8+.
The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend 🇦🇺
This exciting new series features Morrigan Crow who is proclaimed as cursed. Born on an unlucky day, she is blamed for all local misfortunes, from hailstorms to heart attacks. However, she soon is given the opportunity to go to the secret magical city of Nevermoor and competes to be in the esteemed Wundrous Society. Age 8+
Mr Bambuckle’s Remarkables 🇦🇺
So what’s the deal about the new teacher Mr Bambuckle? The class in room 12B has a new teacher and he’s unique, to say the least. This funny series which currently features five books is an entertaining read for kids. Age 8+.
Pegasus by Kate O’Hearn
When Emily meets the famous Olympian pegasus who has crashed into her apartment during a storm, she is thrust into a battle between Roman gods and mysterious, seeming immortal soldiers, and ends up on a quest to save Mount Olympus. This series features six books in total. Age 8+.
Percy Jackson & the Olympians by Rick Riordan
This highly entertaining book series is a great introduction to Greek mythology. It follows the adventures of Percy Jackson, a seemingly normal high school kid who finds out he’s a demigod. There are five books in the Olympian series which is followed by the Heroes of Olympus book series. Age 8+.
Friday Barnes by R.A. Spratt
Follow Friday Barnes, girl detective, as she investigates mysteries at her boarding school. Highcrest Academy is a hotbed of crime and it’s left to 11-year-old Friday to solve the many mysteries. Age 8+.
The Girl, The Dog, And The Writer Series by Katrina Nannestad 🇦🇺
Like reading about locations in Europe? This series is about a novelist, a girl and an Irish wolfhound Finnegan who travel around different locations in Europe. There they solve mysteries in iconic spots like Rome, Provence and Lucerne. The series is made up of three books. Age 8+.
Ramona series by Beverly Cleary
A classic series about a precocious little girl, it’s hard not to love the Ramona series. Ramona Quimby is an imaginative, funny kid who is often in trouble. These books cover the story of Ramona starting when she’s four all the way up to primary school. Age 8+.
The Spiderwick Chronicles by Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi
Start reading this series about three siblings Jared, Simon, and Mallory Grace. They move with their mother to a relative’s old house and discover their great-great-uncle’s book about goblins, dwarves, trolls and elves. There are eight books in the series. Age 8+.
Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
Although published more than 70 years old, this classic series of seven books is still a must-read series for kids. The story starts when four kids travel through a wardrobe to the land of Narnia and learn of their destiny to free it with the guidance of a mystical lion. Age 8+.
The Wizards of Once by Cressida Cowell
Written by the author of How to Train Your Dragon, the Wizard of Once is a new fantasy series. It’s the story of a young wizard and warrior who have been taught since birth to hate each other like poison and what happens when their two worlds collide. Currently there are four books in the series. Age 9+.
Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket
A Series of Unfortunate Events is a series of thirteen novels which follows the tragic tale of three orphans, Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire who are investigating their parents’ mysterious death. Parents be warned, it’s a series with dark humour but one that some kids will enjoy. Age 9+.
Wings Of Fire by Tui T. Sutherland
Wings of Fire is a series of fantasy novels set in the dragon-inhabited land, Pyrrhia set in the future, in the century of 5000, after the race of dragons take over. There are wars, quests, prophecies and unlikely heroes. Each book features a different main character. There are currently 16 books in the series so plenty of hours of reading for your kids. Age 9+.
The Ranger’s Apprentice by John Flanagan 🇦🇺
This popular fantasy series follows the adventures of 15-year-old Will. Hoping to be selected for Battleschool training, he instead selected as a reluctant recruit into the ranks of the mysterious Ranger Corps. There are 13 books in the series. Age 9+.
Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer
This unusual fantasy book series features a 12-year-old criminal mastermind Artemis Fowl who is in search of fairy gold. Full of adventure and suspense, there are 10 novels in the series covering this popular anti-hero. Age 9+.
Alice-Miranda by Jacqueline Harvey 🇦🇺
Follow along with the adventures of Alice-Miranda Highton-Smith-Kennington-Jones. There is an entire collection of books (20 books) detailing Alice-Miranda’s antics at her school Winchesterfield-Downsfordvale Academy for Proper Young Ladies, on her travels and at events. The first three books have been made into the Miranda Friends Forever telemovie on Stan. Age 9+.
Tuesday McGillycuddy Series by Angela Banks 🇦🇺
With a mother who is a writer, Tuesday McGillycuddy loves stories. However, one day her mum disappears and Tuesday embarks on a magical journey to find her. Currently, there are three books in the series. Age 9+.
Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
This classic heartwarming series follows the antics of a hot-tempered red-haired orphan Anne Shirley. Mistakenly sent to aging brother and sister Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert who requested a boy, Anne finds a place in Avonlea. Even though its set in the 1900s, its themes of friendship, family and community still resonate with young readers. The series features 8 books in the set. Age 9+.
The School of Good and Evil by Soman Chainani
In this fantasy series, a group of boys and girls are taken to an institution The School for Good and Evil, where they are trained to become fairytale-like heroes and villains. This series currently has seven books in the series. Age 10+.
Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
Although this series was written over fifty years ago, the Wrinkle in Time series is still a must-read for kids. It’s a well-written science fiction series which introduces concepts of time travel, dimensions and philosophy. Age 12+.
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