Ask any teacher what to get a child for the holidays and there will be one resounding answer: a book series! Teachers absolutely love book series — and not just for all the literacy benefits. They also believe it’s the perfect opportunity to show a child how much you love books, too.
Leana Malinowsky, a second-grade teacher and reading specialist in New Jersey, always recommends books from series as holiday gifts to her students’ families.
“Books in general make the best gifts because you are giving the gift of literacy,” says Malinowsky. “You’re also showing young readers that you value reading and wish for them to experience the joys that come with it.”
Here are three more reasons why book series make perfect gifts!
1. You’ll boost a child’s reading momentum.
Surprising a child with books from a teacher-approved series like Owl Diaries or The Black Lagoon will spark a desire for them to dive deeper into the series.
“I often share with families that if a student is given one or two books from a series and they enjoy them, this opens up the conversation for reading others in the series,” says Malinowsky.
Kristen Pishkin, a second-grade teacher in Massachusetts, also recommends gifting book series because it’s an opportunity to choose books for a child that they may not normally pick for themselves.
“You could introduce them to a series you enjoyed reading as a kid, or introduce them to one that may cover a different topic than they would normally pick,” she says. Just think The Baby-Sitters Club or Harry Potter.
2. Reading is a special family activity.
Book series also make great gifts because families can read them together.
“Very often, siblings like to read them with and to each other, and parents can use series books to read aloud to their child,” says Malinowsky. “Books that are in a series offer opportunities for families to talk about the book they are reading, using others as reference points.”
3. Kids love getting series, too!
It’s not just teachers who love book series. Whether it’s being able to watch their favorite characters grow or seeing how a storyline develops from one book to another, the kids in your life will be captivated by a good series.
Reluctant readers, too, will get a big boost from book series, especially when it comes to fluency, comprehension, and motivation. “When they feel successful with understanding the story, they want to read more books in the series,” says Malinowsky.
Shop the popular book series for kids below! You can find all books and activities at The Scholastic Store.
