Member-only story
Top 5 novel series for kids, ranked by my 12-year-old
During the first couple years of the COVID pandemic, when lockdowns were the norm and school and sports were cancelled, my son Owen took his reading habit to a new level.
He made his way through dozens of kid-focused novels, including all 1 million words of the Harry Potter series.
Yet after motoring through more books than I could supply, it wasn’t Harry Potter that topped his list of favourite stories. More on that below.
Owen used to have a flyer route, but eventually it didn’t jive with his competitive sports schedule.
He was looking for a way to make an allowance, so I offered him a taste of the freelance life: write me an article listing his top 5 favourite novel series so that other people with voracious young readers in their life would have some ideas to fill stockings.
Honestly, I think the following is pretty great writing for a 12-year-old.
So here it is: The top 5 novel series for kids, by Owen.

Favourite book series
Reading is one of my favourite pastimes, and I read for hours every day, including before I go to sleep and when I’m waiting for something.
I like to read because, unlike TV, movies, and other forms of visual entertainment, the book uses words rather than pictures to help you visualize what’s going on.
It gives you key information about the setting, the characters, and the situation, amongst other things, but lets you fill in the gaps with your imagination.
When two people watch, say, a movie, they both see the exact same thing.
When two people read a book, they see completely different things, with some big similarities. When reading, you essentially create your OWN book based on information that the author gives you.
I also like how reading gives you the ability to immerse yourself. Sometimes when you’re reading, you just forget about everything else.
This, and the fact that reading builds your vocabulary, is good for you, and helps you get by in life, is why reading is one of my favourite pastimes.