When I wrote my earlier post on ‘5 Best Books for Tween Girls‘, I got a variety of responses. Many of them wanted to know how I had missed out the Harry Potter series and I assure you I didn’t. I was just saving it for this post. 🙂 With that , I present some of the best book series for tweens and teens.

Before I dive into the list, I have a confession to make. I usually only share recommendations of books that I have personally read, vetted and enjoyed.

But I am facing a serious dilemma here. Because, the unthinkable has happened. I have a daughter who reads faster than I ever have and possibly, with more variety and more voraciously than I ever could. 🙂

However, if there is one thing I implicitly trust, it is her judgment when it comes to books and I personally asked her about each of these series before writing this post.

What I am also doing is adding a ‘To be Explored’ section at the end of this post, where I am adding a list of series that I have heard about and would like my tween/teen to read later.

This post contains links to the Amazon affiliate program. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. You can read my complete Disclosure policy here. 

[easy-tweet tweet=”The Best  Book Series for Tweens  and Teens! #Readers” user=”shyvish”]

1. ‘Harry Potter’ Series by J.K. Rowling

Genre: Fantasy/ Fiction/ Magic

Number of books in the series: 7 (original) + 1 play

Ideal for ages: 9 and above

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last 20 years or so, you’d have heard of the wildly popular and enormously successful series of books on ‘The boy who lived’. The Harry Potter series is simply fantastic from the perspective of story-telling and imagination and on the theme of good triumphing over evil.

The series contains 7 books, starting with Harry’s first year at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry and travels through each year successively. With each book, new layers are uncovered and revealed and tie in neatly with the overall plot and execution of the story.

2. The Malory Towers Series by Enid Blyton

Genre: School stories/ Fiction

Number of books: 6 in total

Age group: 8 and above

Growing up, I remember snuggling under the covers, reading late into the night and the school series by Enid Blyton delighted me no end.

When I introduced this set to Gy, I was thrilled to see that it had the same effect on her. 🙂

Malory Towers is set in an eponymous English school in Cornwall and follows the adventures of Darrell Rivers, Gwendolen, Alicia Rivers, Sally Hope and so many other characters that Blyton has etched skilfully.

3. ‘St. Clare’s Series’ by Enid Blyton

Genre: School stories/ Fiction

Number of books: 6 in total

Age group: 8 and above

Although similar in vein to the Malory Towers books, this series captures a different school, with different characters in the Blyton canon.

If you’re anything like me or my daughter, you’d fall in love with the adorable ‘O’Sullivan twins, their scatterbrained cousin Allison, the irrepresible Carlotta and the hilarious Claudine. Believe me, these are worth re-reading many times over.

4. ‘Anne of Green Gables’ by L.M. Montgomery

Genre: Classic Children’s Novel

Number of books in series: 8

Age Group: 8 years and above

Written over a 100 years ago, in 1908, the ‘Anne books’ as they are popularly known still hold sway a century later.

The story follows that of an orphan girl, Anne Shirley, who is mistakenly sent to stay with a pair of siblings who run a farm, Green Gables. Her imaginative manner and talkative spirit quickly endears her to the family.

The books then follow her adventures as she adapts to life on the farm, her country school, her friendships and pursues her literary ambitions.

A sweet and personable tale that is sure to appeal to young children and even the young at heart.

5. ‘A Series of Unfortunate Events’ by Lemony Snicket

Genre: Absurd/ Fantasy/ Dark humour

Number of books in the series: 13

Age Group: 11 years and above

You may have already seen the movie by this name starring Jim Carrey.

But if you haven’t, this series of books revolves around the story of three unfortunate orphans, Violet, Klaus and Sunny Beaudelaire. They are placed in the custody of their scheming Uncle Olaf who desires their massive inheritance.

If you’re a fan of the mysterious, the gothic and the out-of-the-world fantasy elements that make up this series, you’d love these books. Well, my daughter does, anyway.

6. ‘Percy Jackson and the Olympians’ by Rick Riordan

Genre: Fantasy/ Fiction/ Mythology

Number of books: 5

Age group: 12 and above

This is among the series that I haven’t read but I am truly amazed by the fan following that Riordan has built up.

In fact, a good number of Gy’s classmates are all avid followers of the Percy Jackson series and I confess I have a slight headache from listening to all the exploits of the Greek gods, their demi-god kids and centaurs and minotaurs and what not.

And to think I studied Greek mythology in college!

Riordan has written way more books than this series and I suggest that you head here to read the complete list. Gy is already asking me when she can start on Magnus Chase and the Heroes of Olympus!

6. ‘Lord of the Rings’ by J.R.R. Tolkien

Genre: Fantasy/ Fiction

Age group: 12 and above

Number of books: 4 (including a prequel)

You know how I always recommend that you read the book before you watch a movie? And that is precisely what I did for Gy with the Harry Potter books. She enjoyed the books so much that she could relate to the movies so well.

At times, too well, because she kept pointing out flaws in the movie which were not in the books!

Anyway, I broke that rule for the Lord of the Rings movies because I didn’t think she would actually read the books. She watched the movies with complete and rapt attention and to my utter surprise, the day after she watched the last movie, she borrowed the book ‘The Hobbit’ from the school library.

Oh and she finished it in 3 days flat. Yeah, I know.

She is now working her way through book 2 of the Lord of the Rings and is in love with the descriptions, the elvish language, the story of the hobbits and so much more. Who knew?!

As promised, I will update this post with more recommendations from readers , so feel free to let me know of good series that you’d recommend for teens and tweens as well.

To be Explored:

A) The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

B) Maze Runner series by James Dashner

C) Divergent Trilogy by Veronica Roth

This post contains links to the Amazon affiliate program. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Read my complete disclosure agreement here.