September/October 2007

Steven Krashen argues eloquently that free and voluntary reading is something developing readers need in huge quantities. Yet one of our best tools for providing quantity is consistently overlooked. This series of columns examines why series books are useful, why they are subtly challenging to support, and how to overcome support obstacles to launch more lifelong readers.

The Power of Series Books

Young readers know and love series books. Dedicated readers mention them repeatedly. Yet many parents, teachers and librarians are skeptical or unaware of series’ power. Individually, series titles often seem slight. Their slight stature may fool those who need to know that single titles can be the tip of an iceberg of enjoyable reading. Single titles are like single puzzle pieces: parts of a greater whole that needs assembly. Readers eagerly do the assembly if we help provide all of the pieces.

Getting a reluctant reader to find a single book and read it voluntarily is a huge accomplishment. Whatever the book, slight or not, if it fascinates a reader who needs material, we need ten or twenty or thirty more temptingly like it. Series’ power is in numbers and quantity. Understanding that power launches readers to success. Ignorance of that power sabotages readers.

What early readers need (and voracious readers desperately want) is a large quantity of material. Developing readers are often still reading word-by-word, sounding out complex words, and making sense of the meaning which is sometimes lost amid that effort. To persist, they must care about it deeply, because it is still work. If they care enough about what they are reading, every ounce of effort pays off in understanding what they have read. To reach fluency, and then travel much further beyond it to higher order literacy, quantity matters enormously. Enter series books, whose slight individual titles conceal amazing quantities of material. Like the journey of 1000 miles, which is built with thousands of single steps, the journey to higher order literacy is deceptively long. Early on, when the path is difficult, finding a series match is like guiding a child to the next clearing along the path. If a child enjoys a particular series, at a level that’s helpful, they will read every title if available.  Ten or twenty or thirty steps of their journey are suddenly  assured.

The Extent of Series Books

The Wizard of Oz offers an example. Few realize that the well known movie’s book begins a series, which was the Harry Potter of its era. The books are richer and more likeable than the movie (much like Harry Potter). There are fourteen Oz books by Baum alone, and all are still in print. The huge potential of this series is largely unrealized, though it is still beloved by many who find it.

To better understand what is gained by a reader’s interest in pursing a series, imagine a reader marooned on an island with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. When the reader is rescued and returned home, what will happen as the sequels are found? The sequels will be “new” to the reader and will be a guaranteed read. The difference in page count is nearly four thousand (volume one is 309 pages; volumes one through seven total 4169 pages). Lifelong readers note another powerful detail: they reread series they particularly enjoy. So the already large difference in page count is likely to multiply.

Series books work for early readers too. Each book in the Henry and Mudge series by Cynthia Rylant is 40 pages. Of those, 36 are story. If a child enjoys 10 of the books, he or she has read 360 pages. Most would consider that a success. It is. But there are currently a total of 33 Henry and Mudge books (five are Puppy Mudge, which is a younger reading level). If we can make the entire series available, so a child knows about and may read every title, the total number of pages is nearly 1100, even without rereading. Few early readers would tackle an 1100 page book. But many will read 1100 pages as a series of books.

The Zack Files by Dan Greenburg offer another example. There are now 30 volumes, all but one averaging 58 pages. The total number of pages is nearly 1800, if readers can find the entire series. 

How Do Readers Locate Series Books?

Series may land in multiple locations in libraries, which increases the difficulty of finding them. For young patrons, it’s a mental leap to understand that “not there” may mean “checked out” or “located elsewhere” rather than “the library does not own it.” Examining the call numbers and status of individual volumes is only marginally useful for series because the real questions, once the locale is known, are “how well stocked is the library?” and “how popular is the series?” In many catalogs the series indicators are not available.

On a recent visit to one of the best children’s libraries in the nation, the author searched for Zack Files. Stop one (the series shelves) held one book. Stop two (paperback fiction racks) held none. Stop three (hardcover fiction shelves) held none. After searching three sensible places for a net find of one book, the answer seemed obvious. Only a nagging feeling that this superb library usually has everything, plus the author’s passion for series, inspired stop four (the “easy reader” shelves), which held an additional 19 volumes. For readers, finding one or two volumes may be useless. Readers often need multiple volumes to find one that is new. So finding multiple volumes equals finding momentum.

Encouraging Series Reading

The power of series lies in the volume of material they can provide at a specific level and as a guaranteed read. The “guaranteed read” is vital for beginning readers and those who struggle. Surprisingly, it is also important for those who love to read. For dedicated readers, one book at a time is just not enough.

Single books are like single sips of water for the thirsty. A thirsty diner may tolerate a small water glass if waiters are attentive, just as a “thirsty” reader will tolerate waiting for a fresh book. When assistance is needed for refills, and particularly when the glass (or book) is small, thirst is all too likely. Many know the joy of matching a reader with a book so well that the reader charges back for more… and the frustration when there is no “refill” at hand. Offering a larger glass may help (consider how good it feels having a long book for a voracious reader). Ideally however, we want to empower the young reader. Consider how comfortable it is when a waiter sees a need and leaves a full pitcher at the table, granting the thirsty the power to refill their own glasses. Series can be that full pitcher of reading freedom. Helping readers find series that fit and teaching readers how to use them is equivalent to offering that full pitcher to slake their thirst.

Kids need series because they need to read.  

Resources and References

Cullinan, Bernice E. “Independent reading and school achievement.” School Library Media Research 3, Article 7 (2000). www.ala.org/ala/aasl/aaslpubsandjournals/slmrb/slmrcontents/volume32000/independent.cfm

Krashen, Stephen. The power of reading: Insights from the research, 2nd ed. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited, 2004.

Mid-Continent Public Library. “Juvenile series and sequels.” Mid-Continent Public Library, 2007. http://www.mcpl.lib.mo.us/readers/series/juv/.

Ross, Catherine Sheldrick. “Reading the covers off Nancy Drew: what readers say about series books.” Emergency Librarian 24 (1997, May/June): 19-23.

Ross, Catherine Sheldrick. “If they read Nancy Drew, so what?: Series book readers talk back.” Library and Information Science Research 17 (1995): 201-236.

Schramm, Wilbur. “How communications works.” From The process and effects of mass communication. Urbana, IL: University of Illinois Press, 1955. 3-10, 13-17.

Thomas, Rebecca, and Barr, Catherine. Popular series fiction for K-6 readers: A reading and selection guide. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited, 2005.

Thomas, Rebecca, and Barr, Catherine. Popular series fiction for middle school and teen readers: A reading and selection guide. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited, 2005.

Trelease, Jim. The read-aloud handbook. New York: Penguin Books, 1995.

Truby, Dana. “A fresh look at series books.” Instructor 112, no. 8 (2003 May/June): 21-23.

Amy Goldsmith became a lifelong reader at age 8, while living next door to a friend with a Happy Hollisters subscription. Moving our school and library to remodel made Linda Sue Park’s A Single Shard resonate. Thank you Los Gatos and Monte Sereno for our beautiful new school.