24 awesome chapter book series for kids

Written and illustrated by Jeff Kinney, Amulet Books (AGES 8-12). Get ready Wimpy Kid fans because Greg Heffley's best friend Rowley Jefferson has a new book, and this time, it isn't a journal—it's a full-blown fantasy adventure! Dive into Rowley's imagination for this epic adventure that follows Roland and his best friend, Garg the Barbarian, as they set out to rescue his mom from the White Warlock! Let your little reader experience the Wimpy Kid world like they've never seen it before! $16, indigo.ca

Written and illustrated by Aaron Blabey, Scholastic Inc. (AGES 7-10). This illustrated chapter book series is filled with hilarious moments as a team of bad guys try to take on missions for the good side. Kids will love the antics of Mr. Wolf, Mr. Piranha, Mr. Snake, and Mr. Shark as they try to do good despite their bad guy looks. $8, indigo.ca

Start with: The Bad Guys #1

Written by Jordan Statford and illustrated by Kelly Murphy, Penguin Random House (AGES 8-12). History, mystery and science collide in this series! Awkward kid-genius Lady Ada Byron befriends Mary Godwin, an adventurous 14-year-old romantic. Together they form the Wollstonecraft Detective Agency—a secret constabulary for the apprehension of clever criminals. $11, indigo.ca

Start with: The Case of the Missing Moonstone

Written and illustrated by Jeff Kinney, Amulet Books (AGES 8-12). This hilarious series of graphic novel follows Greg Heffley, a diary-keeping middle-schooler who’s just trying to navigate through hallways of undersized weaklings, kids who grew into giants over summer and those who’ve already started shaving. $18, indigo.ca

Start with: Diary of a Wimpy Kid #1

Written by D.J. MacHale, Random House Children’s Books (AGES 8-12). Earth is about to go dark and there are no signs of new power sources. But one group of kids go on a mission that might save humanity. $16, indigo.ca

Start with: Project Alpha

Written and illustrated by Dav Pikey, Scholastic Inc. (AGES 7-10). If your kids are fans of fart jokes, they’ll love Captain Underpants, a superhero drawing who’s accidentally brought tol life by elementary-schoolers George and Harold! $13, indigo.ca

Star with: Captain Underpants #1 

Written and illustrated by Dav Pikey, Scholastic Inc. (AGES 7-10). From the creators of Captain Underpants comes Dog Man! Part man, part dog, he digs for deception, fights crime and has a serious nose for justice. $13, indigo.ca

Start with: Dog Man #1

Written and illustrated by Stephen Pastis, Candlewick (AGES 8-12). Clueless, but comically confident, Timmy Failure is the CEO of the best detective agency in town. Follow his unorthodox approaches to investigations and world domination in this hilarious series. $8, indigo.ca

Start with: Mistakes We Made

Written by Daisy Meadows and illustrated by Georgie Ripper and Orchard Books, Scholastic Inc. (AGES 6-10). Fairy-obsessed kids will indulge in this series of fairy books. Rainbow Magic follows the adventures of friends Kirsty Tate and Rachel Walker and their fairy friends. And trust us, there are more than enough books (200, to be exact) in this series to keep your kid busy all summer long. $7, indigo.ca

Start with: Ruby the Red Fairy

Written by Lemony Snickett and illustrated Brett Helquist, HarperCollins (AGES 9-12). If your kid’s not keen on happy-go-lucky tales, this series is definitely the series for her. The books follow orphans Violet, Claus and Sunny as they try to escape the treachery of Count Olaf, a villian after their wealth. $18, indigo.ca

Start with: The Bad Beginning

Written by Beverly Cleary and illustrated by Tracy Dockray, HarperCollins (AGES 8-12). Life with sisters can be fun, rowdy and interesting, but life with little sister Ramona is all that and more. Follow all the trials and tribulations Ramona causes for her older sister Beezus in the first installment of the series. $10, indigo.ca 

Start with: Beezus and Ramona 

Written and illustrated by Tony DiTerlizzi and written by Holly Black, Simon and Schuster (AGES 6-10). when siblings Jared, Simon and Mallory move into an old mansion, they discover that there’s a magical—and potentially dangerous—world of fairies living there, too. The Grace siblings want to share their discovery, but what happens if the fairies don’t let them? $10,  indigo.ca

Start with: The Field Guide

Written by Mary Pope Osborne and illustrated by Salvatore Murdocca, Penguin Random House (AGES 6-8). When Jack and his younger sister Annie discover a tree house in the woods, something magical happens: they travel all the way back to the dinosaur age, medieval times, ancient pyramids and more! $8, indigo.ca 

Start with: Dinosaurs Before Dark 

Written by C.S. Lewis, various publishers (AGES 11-13). Let your kid delve deep into the world of fantasy in these seven classic novels. Set in the mythical world of Narnia, the series’ several different protagonists—all children—take on magic, beasts and talking animals as they unfold Narnia’s history. $11, indigo.ca

Start with: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

Written by Barbara Park and illustrated by Denise Brunkus, Random House Children’s Books (AGES 6-9). Junie B. Jones is one of the funniest kindergarteners around! This series chronicle’s her adventures as she gets herself into some trouble and hilarious situations at school. Elementary schoolers everywhere will find her accurate descriptions humourus. $6, indigo.ca 

Start with: Junie B. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus

Written and illustrated by Judd Winick, Random House Children’s Books (AGES 8-12). In this graphic novel series, D.J. and Gina are normal kids until they befriend Hilo, a boy who came down from the sky but doesn’t know where he’s from or what he’s doing on Earth. But what if Hilo wasn’t the only thing to fall from the sky? Will D.J. and Gina be able to help Hilo save the world? $17, indigo.ca

Start with: Hilo: The Boy Who Crashed to Earth

Written by J.K. Rowling, various publishers (AGES 6+). Whether your kid is an independent reader or prefers reading aloud with a parent, it’s never to early to get them started on this classic series. Follow Harry, Hermione and Ron through their adventures, hardships and magical encounters at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. $15, indigo.ca

Start with: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

Written by R.L. Stine, Scholastic Inc (AGES 8-12). If your kid likes the creepy stuff, she’ll love Goosebumps’ new series based around some of its most chilling characters! Each book features a new protagonist and villain. $8, indigo.ca

Start with: Planet of the Lawn Gnomes

Written by Judy Blume, various publishers (AGES 8-12). Fourth-grader Peter Hatcher finds life with his little brother Fudge impossible. To top it off, Peter’s parents constantly dote on Fudge, even though he throws temper tantrums and even takes Peter’s beloved turtle! The Fudge series follows the adventures of Peter, his family and even his nemesis. $11, indigo.ca

Start with: Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing

Written by Rick Riordan, Disney Hyperion (AGES 9+). Percy is a good kid, but he has a bit of a temper. He could’ve sworn his pre-algebra teacher at boarding school turned into a monster (whom Percy tried to kill). When Percy’s mom hears about the trouble he’s been getting into at school, she decides it’s time for him to find out the truth about where he came from. She sends him to the one place he’ll be safe: Camp Half-Blood, a training ground for demigods like him. Here begins his involvement with Olympian gods and with the battles of their enemies. $12, indigo.ca

Start with: The Lightning Thief

Written and illustrated by Jeff Smith, Scholastic Inc. (AGES 9-12). When a young bone boy named Fone Bone and his two cousins are banned from Boneville, they find themselves trapped in another wonderful—but terrifying—land. Along the way, they discover secrets, danger, new friendships and begin a wild adventure. $14, indigo.ca

Start with: Out From Boneville

Written by L.M. Montgomery, various publishers (AGES 9-12). In this Canadian classic, Anne Shirely is sent off to Avonlea, PEI, where she meets the elderly Cuthberts who are looking to adopt. But when she finds out they want to adopt a boy instead, she tries to win them over. $7, indigo.ca

Start with: Anne of Green Gables

Written and illustrated by Kazu Kibuishi, Scholastic (AGES 9-12). When siblings Emily and Navin’s dad passes away, they move with their mom to the home of her dead great-grandfather. But the house holds secrets. One day, a sinister creature lures Emily, Navin and their mom into the basement which turns into an underground world full of demons, robots, and talking animals and their adventure begins. $16, indigo.ca

Start with: The Stonekeeper

Written by various authors, Scholastic Inc. (AGES 9-12). In this series of historical novels, each book recounts a true event in Canadian history, as told in first-person by a girl. The novels include the diary entries of a girl who escapes the war in England, a prarie girl who contracts polio during The Great Depression, and most recently, the residential school diary of an Indigenous girl taken away from her home (set to be released on Aug. 30). $15, indigo.ca

Start with: With Nothing But Our Courage: The Loyalist Diary of Mary MacDonald