It is an exciting time when your child is starting out on their reading journey. Those first few months of sounding-out and struggling through the most basic texts, can quickly progress to them seeking out more complex books. You want to encourage their enthusiasm, but you don’t want to overwhelm them with texts beyond their reading ability. This is an important time to strike the right balance. Below are some of our favourite early chapter book series for five to seven-year-old budding bookworms!
If your young, independent reader has progressed past these early readers, be sure to check out these book recommendations for six to eight-year-olds.
Billie B Brown and Hey Jack, Sally Rippin
It’s no wonder Sally Rippin was recently appointed the new Australian Children’s Laureate. Billie B Brown and Hey Jack! are some of the most popular early chapter book series. The characters are relatable and readers will identify with Billie and Jack’s experiences, as the protagonists navigate school, family, friendships and childhood.
Meet Ella, Rebecca McRitchie
For those who are starting to feel confident about moving onto chapter books, this series is great. Somewhere between a reader and a chapter book, there is a lot of white space on the page so early readers don’t feel overwhelmed. Despite the low wordcount, the stories enough offer enough action to keep a reader engaged.
Ella and Olivia, Yvette Poshoglian
These loveable sisters are another firm favourite in the early reader space. Join them as they adventure through life’s ups-and-downs and overcome the everyday challenges of school, home, sport and life as a kid.
EJ Spy, Susannah McFarlane
My middle daughter – who is mildly offended by fairies, unicorns, witches and anything magic – loved these. The language is accessible and there is just enough intrigue and fantasy to keep the reader engaged without the story being unbelievable.
Princess in Black, Shannon Hale
A super-hero princess who defies all the stereotypes! Princess Magnolia and her crew of unlikely heroes have been a favourite of my early readers. Likeable characters, a dose of adventure and just the right level of minor drama for this age group.
What Zola did, Melina Marchetta
One of my favourite series for young readers. I just love the Zola stories. Each book in the series falls on a different day of the week. Zola’s daily life is beautifully portrayed and by the end of the series my daughters and I had come to love all the characters. Zola is sweet and just mischievous enough to be endearing. I wish there were more than seven days in a week so we could have had more Zola stories!*
*There is actually a Christmas Zola book but that gets packed away until December each year.
Little Ash, Jasmin McGaughey
My sporty daughter loved this series and it feels like it has wide appeal. The series follows a young Ash Barty as she navigates life in primary school and at home. Another relatable series where young readers can empathise with the experiences of the main character.
Ginger Green: Playdate Queen, Kim Kane
A charming series that follows sweet Ginger Green as she experiences the highs and lows of friendship. The reader joins Ginger as she learns how to make friends and fine-tune her social skills. A great series for those starting school and learning the challenges that can come with making friends and the joy of playdates!
Evie and Pog, Tania McCartney
This series is such fun. Quirky and kooky and full of action. The characters are unusual but likeable and their antics keep readers interested and engaged. Appealing illustrations also help to draw young readers into the text and story.
The Besties, Felice Arena
Felice Arena really knows how to write for readers at this early stage of literacy engagement. This fun series is aimed at those embarking on their reading journey and learning to navigate the world of school, friendships, playtime and social norms.
Sporty Kids, Felice Arena
Another great series by Felice Arena that caters to early readers. The amount of text per page and relevant content just seem to hit the spot with this age group. And the subject matter appeals to girls and boys as each book focusses on a different sport. There’s something for everyone.
Kitty series, Paula Harrison
A charming series about superhero in-training, Kitty and her nighttime escapades. With a few more words per page this one is probably for a more confident early reader. A lovely set of stories about bravery, friendship and a few life lessons along the way.
Squishy McFluff: The Invisible Cat, Pip Jones
A unique collection of stories, this series is written in rhyme. The stories about Ava and her imaginary cat – complemented by adorable, full-colour illustrations – are a delight for young readers.
Itty Bitty Kitty, Maddy Mara
Itty Bitty Kitty has attitude and she doesn’t like being called cute. These books will leave your reader highly amused by Itty Bitty Kitty’s antics. A few more words per page for those readers who have progressed a bit on their reading journey.
Tiggy and the Magic Paintbrush, Zanni Louise
We’re big fans of Zanni Louise’s work in our house. This series has Zanni’s signature style of loveliness. Stories full of imagination and full-colour illustrations to help the reader along. They’ll love following Tiggy on her magical paintbrush journeys.
Pearl the Unicorn, Sally Odgers
A much-loved series in this age group. For those who love unicorns and quirky characters, you can’t go past Pearl and her friends. Plenty of illustrations, entertaining, fun and lots of humour to keep a young reader engaged.
MerTales, Rebecca Timms
My youngest daughter recently discovered this series and is mad about it. I’ve had to read the books to her at bedtime, on the bus and whenever she could catch me in a quiet moment. Although we’ve been reading them together, they’re aimed at an early independent reader audience. Wonderful stories about friendship, magic and some sea-sational puns along the way!
Diary of a Pug, Kyla May
Diary of a Pug has everything you want in a series for this age group. A cute animal protagonist and bright and colourful illustrations that break up the text. There is plenty of fun to be had between the characters and a few valuable lessons learned along the way. It’s not hard to see why this series is so popular with young readers.
Mercy Watson, Kate DiCamillo
We love everything by Kate DiCamillo around here. She writes the sort of stories that work their way into you and stay there for a long time. Mercy Watson would be a completely spoiled child if she were human. But she is not. She is a pig and in such a way, she gets away with her fair share of mischief. And we love her all the same.
Paris Takes over the World, Kyla May
Another gorgeous favourite from illustrator Kyla May. The Paris Takes Over the World series is written in the style of a travel diary and follows Paris on her visits to various cities. It is highly illustrated and visually engaging for young readers. Join Paris as she meets new friends and solves problems on her big city adventures.
Fizz the Police Dog, Lesley Gibbes
Fizz wants to be a police dog more than anything else in the world. He might not look like the most obvious candidate but he’s not going to let that stop him. Follow Fizz’s adventures as he embarks on his dream career. A great series for those who have gained a bit of confidence at the start of their reading journey.
The Adventures of Pug, Laura James
Another pug series (there seems to be plenty of pug-loving authors out there) about a loveable dog and his human, Lady Miranda. Pug must overcome obstacles on a series of adventures. Lots of illustrations and a wonderful friendship between dog and child that many readers will relate to.
Mia Mayhem, Kara West
The Mia Mayhem series is for a fairly confident reader in the five to seven-year-old age group. It has more words per page than others I have suggested here. My seven-year-old (almost eight) is loving this series right now. I’m always excited when she gets into a series she enjoys as she can be a reluctant reader. Mia is an eight-year-old kid who has just discovered she is a superhero. The series follows her as she learns how to manage her superpowers and balance it all with her everyday life.
I hope you find something suitable in this list of book series for five to seven-year-olds. If your child seems daunted by the idea of reading a book on their own, a great way to get them into it is to read the first couple of chapters with them. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve suggested to one of my children we start a book together and the next time I look, I find them reading along without me.
On another note, due to the nature of our fast-paced world, sometimes books go out of print. If you’re struggling to find any of the series mentioned above, try your local library. This is where we source most of our books (or I would be bankrupted by my children’s veracious appetite for reading!). Often, libraries still have out-of-print titles in their collection.
Do you have any others to add to the list? I’d love to hear it in the comments below!
