Because I have seven-year-old boy/girl twins, my kids have read books with everything from dragons and unicorns to slime monsters and narwhals. While my daughter definitely prefers the unicorn books, she will read the monster books my son enjoys too — and my son happily plows through the princess and unicorn books at times, too.
The point is that even if you have a boy who talks nonstop about fighter jets (me) or a girl who wants every shirt to have a unicorn on it (also me), you might be surprised by what they like to read. Here are 18 book series for first and second grade your kids will devour.
Narwhal and Jelly by Ben Clanton. This dynamic duo (a narwhal and a jellyfish) makes me laugh out loud. If your kids like the Frog and Toad series or Elephant and Piggie, they will like this one. As an added bonus, the books include facts about sea creatures, and we’ve all learned so much from these.
Unicorn Diaries by Rebecca Elliott. Both my kids love this cute series about unicorns who go to school together and help each other with their unique talents. I appreciate how gentle these books are. There’s no name-calling or rivalries like you get in many books about school settings, and they also promote individuality and kindness. Rebecca Elliott also writes the Owl Diaries series, which is similar and also beloved at our house.
Notebook of Doom by Troy Cummings. I have never seen my son finish books so fast as he did with this series. He kept asking me if I’d gotten the next book, so I was at the library almost every day until he finished these. My daughter also loved them, and I picked one up and understood why. They feature a group of kids who are fighting monsters that keep appearing around their school. However, these aren’t like the creepy Goosebumps monsters (though I think I’ll be introducing my kids to that series soon). These are gooey and funny monsters that don’t freak kids out. Troy Cummings also has another series called Binder of Doom my kids have been asking for.
Wallace and Grace by Heather Alexander and Laura Zarrin. This series only has a few books in it, but my kids really enjoyed the detective owls Wallace and Grace who solve mysteries around their forest. These stories also introduce kids to bigger words and help them understand them. My second-graders are probably too old for these now, but my son still reads one every now and then. Note: We actually have Easter and Halloween-themed Wallace and Grace books that were only available through the Scholastic book order, so check there if your kids like this series. Amazon’s selection is limited.
Unicorn Princesses by Emily Bliss and Sydney Hanson. I discovered this series by accident when my kids got free books through the library’s summer reading program. My daughter LOVED it and read all 10 of the books, which feature unicorn friends living in a magic kingdom. I just found out that Emily Bliss is releasing a new series called Pegasus Princesses this month.
Secrets of Droon by Tony Abbott and Tim Jessell. A few months ago, we were on a road trip and my kids finished their books early. We went to a thrift store and found the first Secrets of Droon book, and my son was hooked. He read more than 20 of these before deciding he was tired of them (I think there are 35 books total). The first book was published in the late ’90s, so these will be harder to find at the library. It’s worth a shot if your child likes stories about dragons and magic.
Baby-Sitters Little Sister by Ann M. Martin. I LOVED The Babysitters Club series when I was a kid and had SO many of the books. However, I think I loved Ann M. Martin’s series about Kristy’s step-sister Karen even more. My mom found a bunch of my old Little Sister books, and then I ordered a bunch to fill in the gaps from eBay. My daughter has read all of the books we have (at least 50) and is still re-reading them. Yes, these are from the early ’90s, but they also feel timeless. If you don’t want to scour eBay or thrift stores for the original books, Scholastic is reprinting this series as graphic novels, so your kids may enjoy these, too.
Eerie Elementary by Jack Chabert and Sam Ricks. My kids are just finishing this series and absolutely loving it. If you haven’t noticed already, we are big fans of Scholastic’s Branches book lines, and this is among those. Kids team against their scary school when strange things start happening. This series is similar to Notebook of Doom and perfect for kids who want something scary but not TOO scary.
Princess Pulverizer by Nancy Krulik and Ian McGinty. We flew through this series, and my kids loved it so much they asked for the books for Christmas. It features a selfish princess who wants to be a knight and must serve others before going to knight school. She also has a timid knight and a feisty dragon as sidekicks, and they eat a lot of grilled cheese sandwiches. The books are so fun, and I like that they also show what happens when you start caring about others more than yourself.
Stick Dog by Tom Watson. If your child struggles to read big words, you may have to help him or her with this series. However, these books help kids build vocabulary and also understand irony in literature. Just as it sounds, they follow a dog called Stick Dog and a bunch of his other dog pals (also drawn as stick figures) on many misadventures as they try to score food. Both my kids loved this series, and they are excited to get the latest book when it comes out. Tom Watson also wrote the Stick Cat series, which I also highly recommend and may like even better in some ways.
Never Girls by Kiki Thorpe and Jana Christy. Disney lovers will adore this series about four girls who journey to Never Land and help Tinker Bell and other fairy friends. My daughter got so excited about these books and then finished the Finding Tinker Bell series shortly after. If your daughter also loves building fairy gardens outside like mine does, she will have so much fun with these magical books.
Mercy Watson by Kate DiCamillo and Chris Van Dusen. Who wouldn’t love a series about a pig who loves toast with lots of butter? This is another one of those series that helps kids stretch, since it includes some big vocabulary words (characters call Mercy a “porcine wonder”). We also like the Tales from Deckawoo Drive series that shares back stories on some of the characters living on Mercy’s street.
Max and the Midknights by Lincoln Peirce. These books are pretty big, even for graphic novels full of illustrations. I was surprised at how fast my kids read them. While the storyline sounds similar to the Princess Pulverizer books — a kid who wants to be a knight goes on a journey to become one — this series focuses more on how the Midknights band together to dethrone an evil king and restore the kingdom. A word of caution: These books have more potty humor in them (like passing gas) than the rest of these books. It’s not over-the-top, so it doesn’t bug me. As long as they’re reading, right?
Mermaid Tales by Debbie Dadey and Tatevik Avakyan. I picked up the first book in this series on a whim, and my daughter is flying through all the books now. They focus on mermaids (and mer-boys) at a school called Trident Academy and the dynamics of getting along with different kids.
Baloney and Friends by Greg Pizzoli. Honestly, Greg Pizzoli could illustrate a greeting card and I would gladly buy it. He is one of my favorite author/illustrators, and these graphic novels make me laugh out loud. They are similar to Mo Willems’ Elephant and Piggie books, with short tales about the friends’ adventures. Also, Krabbit is the world’s most underrated book character and my favorite part of these books.
Rainbow Magic by Daisy Meadows and Georgie Ripper. This series began nearly 20 years ago, so your library may no longer have all the books. However, my daughter has found several of these books at thrift stores and absolutely loves them. They each focus on a different fairy and her magical adventures with friends. Daisy Meadows (clearly a pen name, but let’s go with it) also wrote several other spin-off series, including the Magical Crafts Fairies, Night Fairies, and Dance Fairies. If your kids like these books, just search for “Daisy Meadows” on Google or Amazon. You’ll find a bunch of different options.
Magic Treehouse by Mary Pope Osborne and Sal Murdocca. If you grew up in the ’80s and ’90s, you probably read these books as a kid. They’re a great way to introduce kids to history. Since there are 36 books in the series, you can keep a reader occupied for a while if they like them. I still remember reading Pirates Past Noon as a kid and loving it.
Princess in Black by Shannon Hale and LeUyen Pham. We have long been fans of this series about a crime-fighting princess who also manages to entertain guests at the palace when she’s not battling monsters. When schools and businesses were shut down, my kids flew through all the available books in this series. It has a soft spot in my heart. The latest book is coming out next year, and my kids will be thrilled.
We are always on the lookout for new books! Tell me your best book series for first and second grade. And by the way, picture books are still a GREAT option for elementary schoolers. Check out the reasons I will always love picture books for all ages.
