Inside: Reading with a child is not only fun in the moment but also important for future growth. Bestselling author, Laura Sassi, shares eight compelling reasons to love children’s book series. She dives into how reading books that are part of a series can foster a love of reading in children and make a parent’s or teacher’s job a lot easier. Plus, she recommends eight wonderful children’s book series for you to try.
When my kids were little, we always had stacks of books on hand from the library, school and from our own shelves, too. The stand-alone titles were great, but we were always extra-excited to discover that a new favorite book was part of a series. Why? Because it meant that reading that first book was just the beginning of the reading enjoyment as we planned to savor the rest of the series, book by book.
Eight Benefits of Reading Children’s Book Series
Now, in celebration of reading, here are eight things to love about a good children’s book series.
- For parents of voracious young readers, book series offer an easy way to keep them interested and engaged, book after book.
- Book series are a reliable option for those looking for a good book to read next, but who don’t necessarily have the time to scout out a new, completely unknown selection.
- A book series is usually written and illustrated by the same author/illustrator team, so, if you like the voice and visual appeal of one, you know you can probably count on that same feel for the other books in the series.
- For parents and kids looking for wholesome books that complement their faith values, tapping into authors who have series and who also share the same faith values, immediately broadens the possibilities for wholesome faith-based content you can count on.
- When reading a character-driven book series, diving into each book is like a mini-reunion with the characters but with the excitement of a new plot line.
- The same principle holds true for content driven such as devotionals, non-fiction series etc., but instead of the excitement of a new plot line, it’s a mini-reunion with the format and feel of the content-driven series.
- Book series work well for building a child’s library because, if your children are anything like mine, they will love organizing their books by “collection” and will read them over and over.
- Your turn! Help me round out this list by adding something you like about book series in the comments. I can’t wait to see what you add!
Eight Christian Book Series for Kids Ages 4 to 8
To help you get started, I’ve compiled a short list of some popular Christian book series for 4 to 8 year olds that are reliable, faith-solid, and overall delightful. (If box sets aren’t available, I’ve linked to the first book in the series.)
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The Little Mole series
by Glenys Nellist and Sally Garland
I love that this sweet children’s book series includes one book each for Thanksgiving, Christmas, back-to-school, finding hope, and–soon to come–Valentine’s Day. Plus, (shhh) another to be released after that. (Check out this author’s other wonderful series, too.)
The Nothing/Something series (companion books)
by Natalee Creech
These whimsical, encouraging books are based on Bible passages from Romans 8 and Matthew 25. Beautiful!
The God’s Little explorer Series
by Tina Cho and Marta Álvarez Miguéns
Learn about God’s amazing world with God’s Little Astronomer and God’s Little Oceanographer. More books in this series are in the works!
The God I Feel… series
by Tama Fortner, Michelle Nietert, and Nomar Perez
Help kids process difficult emotions in a child-friendly, God-centered way with these gentle, approachable books.
The God’s Great Love series
by Sally Lloyd Jones and Jago
Each darling book puts a key scripture passage into child-friendly language to share God’s great love for us in a special way.
The Fiona the Hippo series
illustrated by Richard Cowdrey
With more than 12 books in this charming series, you and your child can share so many storytime moments. These beautifully illustrated picture books are based on the real Fiona from the Cincinatti Zoo, who overcame many obstacles to inspire children and adults alike. In the series, the Fiona character keeps that same determination and spunk as she shares different adventures with her friends.
And, I hope you’ll check out my two series:
The My Tender Heart series
by Laura Sassi and Sandra Eide
This sweet series for little ones includes:
- My Tender Heart Bible shares 12 Bible stories and pairs them with a “heart moment” to pray aloud together.
- My Tender Heart Prayer Book has 23 rhyming prayers on topics close to kids’ hearts.
- My Tender Heart Devotions is filled with 52 age-appropriate devotions that each have an activity, Bible verse, and prayer.
The Happy Birthday, Christmas Child and Happy Easter, Risen King Series (Companion Books)
by Laura Sassi and Gabi Murphy
These rhyming board books each focus on an essential early childhood skill while celebrating Jesus. The Christmas book is perfect for practicing counting, and the Easter book celebrates the beautiful colors God made.
Your Turn!
Tell us why you love books in a series or drop a favorite children’s book series title in the comments section.
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