The Five Most Popular Series of Children's Literature

The extremely high sales of children's literature are clear indications that reading is one of the world's most beloved pastimes. Young adults have nothing to worry about when it comes to being provided with the best fictional series as more and more new and promising writers emerge every day to provide books that are worth the read. In listing down the most famous book series for children, one would find a mix of genre ranging from the mysterious to the magical, starting with...

Nancy Drew

Every child who has read a Nancy Drew mystery are most likely desiring to become a detective in the near future. The series has been written by multiple authors, all of whom adopting the famous pseudonym Carolyn Keene. After undergoing its first publication in 1930 with the critically-acclaimed The Secret of the Old Clock, the series has gone on to provide boys and girls with more than two hundred unique titles of crime-solving tales by the famous female detective. A role model for politicians such as Laura Bush and Hillary Clinton, Nancy will exist in every reader's bookshelves for a long time.

Goosebumps

Starting with Welcome to Dead House in 1992, Goosebumps became the world's bestselling children's fictional series until the publication of Harry Potter. Written by American author R.L. Stine, Goosebumps has sold almost four hundred million copies worldwide. Each novel is promised to deliver the right amount of scares that still prove to be child-friendly. The series has produced various spin-offs and even a television series.

A Series of Unfortunate Events

Consisting of thirteen novels, the series is written by Daniel Handler, more commonly known as Lemony Snicket. It tells the story of three orphans, Violet, Klaus, and Sunny, as they are adopted by one guardian to another while surviving the various unlucky scenarios they encounter along the way. Each book starts with a warning by the author himself that what the reader is about to read will be depressing and broody. This ironic narrative technique is what sets the series apart from the other young adult novels out there. All thirteen titles have collectively sold more than sixty million copies worldwide. The first three books were also adapted into a movie with Jim Carrey as the evil Count Olaf.

His Dark Materials

His Dark Materials is a fantasy trilogy composing of three novels written by Philip Pullman. It is considered by many as a coming-of-age story. It tells how two children, Lyra and Will, travel from one universe to another as they escape from the clutches of an evil divine institution. The first book of the series entitled The Golden Compass has been adapted into a movie starring Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig. Due to the books' sensitive tackling of institutional religion, the trilogy has garnered controversies from Catholic groups. Pullman is a known agnostic and he makes his views on religion known to his readers. Despite the flak surrounding the novels, however, there is still no denying that His Dark Materials are as entertaining as ever.

Harry Potter

In listing down the five most popular series of children's literature, it is impossible not to include Harry Potter. Who does not know him? Author J. K. Rowling has written seven books chronicling the adventures of the young wizard as he battles with the evil Lord Voldemort. First published in 1997, the Harry Potter series has since become the world's bestselling fictional series. Each book successfully infuses fantasy, mystery, comedy and romance to the delights of the readers. The series has spawned a billion-dollar movie franchise, with the final film soon becoming the third highest-grossing film of all time in under a month.