Start a Series
The best way to keep kids hooked on reading is to find them a series that will have them asking for more. Here are ten series by Canadian authors to keep your kids reading all summer long!
Watch the segment here, or read on for the full list!
Emerging readers, ages 5-9
Scaredy Squirrel is a familiar and beloved character, the star of many picture books and even a TV show. Scaredy is now starring in an early graphic novel series, the second of which is Scaredy Squirrel Gets a Surprise (Tundra). Scaredy does not know what to make of a surprise crate, and enlists a bunch of friends to help him think through every possible scenario.
What is not to love about an adorable talking fruitbat who comes up with his own hilarious words? In the third book, Megabat is a Fraidy Bat (Tundra), Megabat accompanies his boy Daniel to sleepaway camp, a perfect seasonal read for summer.
Whatever After: Fairest of Them All (Scholastic) is the first in a series of fifteen books about two siblings who have a magic mirror that leads them into various fairytales and classic stories. Kids will enjoy the light banter and fresh take on well-known stories.
Dragons in a Bag #1 (Random House) is a contemporary fantasy series about an African American boy who discovers he has a familial connection to witches. The world deepens and expands as the series goes on, including road trips and more magical creatures.
The Wednesday Wilson series features a young, mixed race entrepreneur and her various brilliant ideas. I particularly enjoy how the author includes definition of business terms in the book, helpful for readers hoping to start a lemonade stand or other business venture this summer!
Middle grade, ages 9-12
Royal Guide to Monster Slaying: The Final Trial (Tundra) is the final book in a rich, epic, fantasy series that follows a pair of royal siblings charged with keeping the kingdom safe from various magical creatures. Along the way they learn important lessons about conservation, good leadership, and challenging assumptions.
Harvey Takes The Lead (Pajama Press) is the third book in a contemporary series about two middle school students, a retirement community, and the dogs that bring them all together. Author Colleen Nelson weaves relatable issues like friendship drama and economic disparities with the historical stories of the residents at the retirement centre.
Haunted Canada (Scholastic Canada) is one of Canada’s most successful ongoing book series. In this eleventh volume, Joel Sutherland retells 22 true ghost stories from across Canada. This book makes for great individual reading or for sharing spooky stories around a campfire (or flashlight).
Valhamster (Cormorant) is the third book in Angela Misri’s Tails of the Apocalypse series, a comedic adventure about a group of animals who survive a zombie apocalypse This has relatively light horror elements, a good choice for kids who prefer thrills to chills.
Teens
Surviving the City Vol. 1 (Highwater Press) is the first in a graphic novel series about the reality of two Indigenous teens living in contemporary Winnipeg. The book celebrates Indigenous culture and community while laying bare the hard facts of colonialism, racism, and the ongoing missing and murdered indigenous women crisis. I was particularly moved by the portrayal of the girls’ ancestors as ever-present ghostly figures.