Looking for book ideas for your tween? Reading is such a great past-time for kids of all ages, stimulating their imagination, and keeping them occupied too. The best thing is when you get a series by the same author as that can keep them reading. Here are 10 Brilliant Book Series for Kids Aged 8 to 12 years, all guaranteed page-turners.

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I started reading when I was three, and my Mum had no problem getting me to go to bed, but turning the light off and stopping me reading was a challenge! I loved when I had a series by the same author, it was so exciting finishing one book and picking up the next in the series! Here are some fantastic book series ideas for tweens.

10 Brilliant Book Series For Kids Aged 8-12 Years

#1. Harry Potter

The best-selling Harry Potter series continues to be a big hit with kids (and adults) of all ages.

The series tells the story of Harry Potter – a teenager wizard who not only has to come to terms with his new found magic, but also has to face the darkest wizard of all who wants to take over everything.

Making J.K. Rowling a multimillionaire, and a blockbusting film series too, these books have to be on your child’s bookcase.

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#2. Percy Jackson

Over the past decade, millions of young readers have enjoyed Rick Riordan’s classic series Percy Jackson and the Olympians, based on ancient Greek mythology.

All five books in the blockbuster Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, in paperback, have been collected in a boxed set fit for demigods! It includes the best-selling The Lightning Thief, The Sea of Monsters, The Titan’s Curse, The Battle of the Labyrinth, and The Last Olympian.

Readers who are experiencing Percy’s thrilling adventures with Greek gods and monsters for the first time, or fans who want to devour the saga again, will love this collection. No matter the ages these books will appeal to all.

#3. The Mysterious Benedict Society Trilogy

The Mysterious Benedict Society is the first of a trilogy. When a peculiar advertisement appears in the newspaper for children to take part in a secret mission, children everywhere sit a series of mysterious tests. In the end, just four children succeed: Reynie, Kate, Sticky and Constance.

They have three things in common: they are all honest, all remarkably talented and all orphans. They must go undercover at the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened where the only rule is that there are no rules. There they must work as a team to save not only themselves, but also the world outside the walls.

Read the follow on books The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey and The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner’s Dilemma.

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#4. Kingdom Keepers Disney After Dark

These are seven books in the popular Kingdom Keepers series, by Ridley Pearson, about five teens tapped as theme park “guides”, who find themselves pitted against Disney villains, threatening both the future of Disney World and the stability of the world outside.

Disney After Dark is the first in series, telling the tale of Finn Whitman, an Orlando teen, and four other kids, who are transported into into the Magic Kingdom at night. Is it real? Is he dreaming?

Finn’s confusion only increases when he encounters Wayne, an elderly Imagineer who tells him that the park is in grave danger. Led by the scheming witch, Maleficent, a mysterious group of characters called the Overtakers is plotting to destroy Disney’s beloved realm, and maybe more.

Each book is a fun adventure in itself with a Kingdom Keeper, so can be read as stand alone. They are sure to keep your child gripped and on an adventure ride of their own!

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#5. His Dark Materials

Philip Pullman’s classic trilogy His Dark Materials, consisting of the books, The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, and The Amber Spyglass are good reads for this age group.

Since the first volume was published in 1995, the trilogy has been acclaimed as a modern masterpiece, and has won awards for children’s literature.

The stories of Lyra and her daemon are great reads that will take your child into another world and keep them enthralled for hours.

The series is now also available as a stunning bind-up edition.

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#6. David Walliams

Not really a series, but we had to include David Walliams on our list, the comedian who has reinvented himself as a kids book writer. All his books are super popular fun capers, and enjoyable reads for this age group.

Start with The Boy in the Dress then work your way through his other books:

• Mr Stink
• Billionaire Boy
• Gangsta Granny
• Ratburger
• Demon Dentist
• Awful Auntie
• Grandpa’s Great Escape
• The Midnight Gang
• Bad Dad
• The Ice Monster
• Fing
• The Beast of Buckingham Palace

Any of his books will keep your tween entertained and laughing as they read, which is a win win.

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#7. Artemis Fowl

The Artemis Fowl series is a highly popular series of eight fantasy novels written by Irish author Eoin Colfer, featuring the criminal mastermind Artemis Fowl II.

In the first book, Artemis Fowl, twelve-year-old genius Artemis Fowl kidnaps Holly Short, a Fairy and a captain of the Lower Elements Police Reconnaissance force (LEPRecon). He holds her for ransom (gold) to exploit the magical Fairy People and restore his family’s fortune.

The series introduces Artemis as a villain and the Fairies’ enemy, but as the series progresses, Artemis’s character develops and changes; as an antihero, he assists the People in resolving conflicts with worldwide ramifications.

#8. The Underland Chronicles

The Underland Chronicles is a critically acclaimed series of five epic fantasy novels by Suzanne Collins, author of The Hunger Games.

In the first novel, Gregor the Overlander, a boy embarks on a dangerous quest in order to fulfill his destiny, and find his father. Young Gregor falls through a grate in the laundry room of his apartment building and hurtles into the dark Underland.

This strange world is on the brink of war, and Gregor’s arrival is no accident. A prophecy foretells that Gregor has a role to play in the Underland’s uncertain future. Gregor wants no part of it though.

#9. Dork Diaries

Dork Diaries are a humorous children’s book series written and illustrated by Rachel Renée Russell. The series, written in a diary format, uses drawings, doodles, and comic strips to chronicle the daily life of Nikki Maxwell (aged 14) in and outside of middle school.

In the first of the series, Dork Diaries, Nikki is not happy when her father arranges a scholarship for her to attend a private middle school called Westchester Country Day as part of the contract for his bug extermination services.

Nikki Maxwell has never been popular but now she’s started at a new school, she’s hoping to leave her old dorky ways behind.

#10. The Chronicles of Narnia

And finishing with a classic series The Chronicles of Narnia have to be added to every tween’s bookshelf.

They have enchanted millions of readers for over sixty years, for here is a world where a witch decrees eternal winter; where there are more talking animals than people; and where battles are fought by Centaurs, Giants, and Fauns.

The entire collection of all seven books is available as a boxset or a combined one-book edition.

Over to you! What book series do your tweens have on their bookshelves? What would you recommend? We’d love to hear in the comments below.