IN THIS POST: Pulling from my youngest daughter’s reading selection, this post is a compilation of five very silly chapter book series. If you have a young reader who likes the weird and wacky, these are a good place to start.
We read a wide range of books – some classics and some not. We read below, at, and above reading level. I read with my girls. And they read on their own. We talk about books on walks, at dinner, and long car rides. My sole purpose is to get my girls to enjoy reading as one of many options available to them.
This is not to say that we never discussed books critically. I distinctly remember a family discussion on the floor in a bedroom about the Vanderbeeker series. We’ve had conversations about literary devices and common tropes that authors use in their stories.
As a result of many factors, including prioritizing reading for interest and pleasure, my girls are both recognized readers. Equally important, though I didn’t state it directly early on, is that they’ve both had the freedom and exposure to find genres that they enjoy. They have some overlap in the fantasy genre but otherwise read in very different directions.
My eldest daughter gravitates toward fantasy book series and historical fiction, but my youngest has a knack for non-fiction and silly chapter book series. I don’t have time to read through all of her books before she reads them, but I’ve benefitted greatly from her summaries. If that’s not enough to develop a general sense of the series she reads, then I keep an eye on her re-reading practices. These silly chapter book series recommendation are courtesy of her unofficial reading lists.
Silly Chapter Book Series
13-Story Treehouse by Andy Griffiths
This 11-book (as of this writing) series starts as a 13-story treehouse and multiplies from there. Andy and Terry are the protagonists who live in an epically awesome treehouse. My youngest started this series a couple years ago at a time when our evening walks were filled with imaginings about what our ideal house would look like. It’s hard to think that for a lot of kids, this treehouse would not fit the ideal.
It all sounds like lots of fun, but Andy and Terry have trouble getting things done because of all of the distractions. Therein lies the conflict. The humor is absurd and snarky – it is definitely for a younger set and don’t expect literary brilliance. But definitely a good place to get ideas for your best creative living space.
Geronimo Stilton by Elisabetta Dami
Geronimo Stilton is a mouse who prefers a quiet existence but keeps getting caught in fantastic adventures – to real and imagined places. The tension between his natural personality and the demands of his travels is the source of much humor along with silly jokes. It’s a solid series for building interest in reading with endearing characters, amusing moments, and engaging stories.
There’s a website for Geronimo Stilton that I’ve not used but that seems to have some great resources. Check it out if you plan to use this series in your classroom or if you have a child interested in the books.
The Wishmakers by Tyler Whitesides
This 2-book series follows 12-year-old Ace as he attempts an impossible quest given to him by the genie that escaped from his peanut butter jar. He has one week to complete the quest or the world faces all kinds of horrors.
The genie can, of course, give him some help. But, there’s a twist. For any wish that Ace makes he has to consider the consequence. For example, if he wants to fly, will he accept the consequence that anytime a bird is nearby it will poop on him. The consequences are the source of most of the silly in this series.
Complications arise, plots twist, and absurd wish consequences help and hurt Ace’s efforts. How much would you do to save the world?
Trapped in a Video Game by Dustin Brady
My youngest daughter just discovered this series at the library. She’s becoming quite the video game nerd (in all the best ways!) and this series was a fun imaginative story. This is a five-book series in which the reluctant protagonist finds himself, as the title suggests, trapped inside an actual video game.
The thing is, Jesse doesn’t like video games. He gets sucked into one while playing with his friend and has to figure out how to manage in a world of monsters, robots, and obstacles. His friend joins him and they begin to worry about a mysterious figure who is following them. Can they figure out how to get out of the video game before it’s really too late?
These books are a quick read, action-packed, and include a little video game programming info.
The Boy Who Grew Dragons by Andy Shepherd
Rounding out this compilation of silly chapter book series is The Boy Who Grew Dragons by Andy Shepherd. Six books follow a young dragon grower as he learns what it is to live with, fly with, and be with dragons.
Sounds like a great pet, right? Except that dragons might set your toothbrush on fire or any other number of weird catastrophes. Tomas has to figure it out quick as more dragons are growing in his garden. Each book brings more challenges and more dragons and more…potty humor, etc.
Other Reading Suggestions
Maybe you only have one or two readers who want to spend their days reading silly chapter book series. Maybe you just want to provide balance for your children or students. Whatever the reason, there are other fantastic books available for kids that don’t get into the super silly. These five series are favorites in our family and have been wonderful read-alouds.
If you have children slightly older who are looking for great reading recommendations, check out this list of six middle grade book series. I’ll have to do a post soon on my eldest daughter’s recommendations for fantasy series.
What other series do you recommend? What about favorite stand-alone books? Leave a note in the comments!
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