Getting kids hooked on a series of books is a fun and easy way to ensure they become and stay engaged. Once they fall in love with the first title, they will want to pick up further books in the series, so they can continue with the story and find out how it ends.
Ranger's Apprentice Collection
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Middle-school-aged boys will love to get lost in Australian author John Flanagan's adventures in the Ranger's Apprentice Collection. The author wrote this series for his son, and from the rave reviews these books have received over the years, he's found his target audience.
This is an exciting fantasy story about a young orphaned boy who is trying to find his place in the world. Will's father was a well-known hero, which leaves him with a significant legacy to live up to. This narrative begins with Will finding himself in an extremely stressful situation.
Upon applying for battle school, a way in which he can prove himself, he is turned down because he's too small. Feeling like his future is slipping away, Will is left asking, "What am I going to do?"
The best thing about this series is that children can read their way through 12 books of engaging content that offers a mix of suspense and action tied together with a strong moral code.
Readers can learn a lot about character building and overcoming challenges from this exciting and often humorous tale.
Suitable for children ages 10-14; Available via taobao.com and Amazon.cn
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A Wrinkle in Time Quintet
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Another attention-grabbing series that girls will especially love is the Newbery Award-winning A Wrinkle in Time. Originally published in 1962, Madeleine L'Engle beautifully writes this five-book series. While the story is quite an old one now, don't let the publication date fool you, as these books have stood the test of time.
It's a wonderful series for children to read where they learn about a world before cell phones were a part of everyday life. And, it has become increasingly popular since the Disney film adaptation starring Reese Witherspoon and Oprah Winfrey was released. A Wrinkle in Time is the first book in what is referred to as the Time Quintet and it is followed by the equally enchanting A Wind in the Door, A Swiftly Tilting Planet, Many Waters and An Acceptable Time.
L'Engle does an incredible job of quickly setting the scene and giving readers a deep understanding of her whimsical characters. The story begins with siblings, Meg and Charles, who search for their father, a scientist, who has mysteriously disappeared – but where in time and space could he be?
Suitable for children ages 11-15; Available via taobao.com and Amazon.cn
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Helping your little ones to enjoy reading will encourage success in every aspect of their life. All school subjects require an understanding of language and how it can be used effectively to deliver messages or even persuade readers. Friendships blossom further when children have excellent communication skills, and building an extensive vocabulary expands a child’s mind, helping them to develop into mature, capable adults. As a parent, you can give this gift to your children, and they can have a lot of fun immersing themselves in characters and stories along the way.
[Cover image via Amazon]
Kendra Perkins is Head Librarian for an international school. She was coordinator for the Shanghai Librarians Network and Ambassador of China for the International Librarians Network. Find her at: TheInspiredLibrarian.com.
