Finding a good book series for emerging readers that captures attention, engages the imagination, challenges developing reading skills, keeps them coming back for more, yet is trustworthy and morally sound, can be quite the tall order! Here’s a look at 5 series that check all the boxes in genre’s that appeal to a variety of reader’s interest. And while we love pulling a book off a shelf and thumbing our way through it, several of these series are also available in Kindle version, and likely at your public library.
by Marianne Hering & Paul McCusker
Genre: Historical Fiction
Books in Series: Currently 27
Formats Available: Hard Copy
Where to buy: Amazon
Why we LOVE them: “When they step into the imagination station, kids experience an unforgettable journey filled with action-packed adventure to inspire their imaginations”. These books are great for new readers and peace of mind for parents knowing their kids are soaking in adventures packed with positive moral lessons and historical adventures.
by Various Authors
Genre: Biography / Graphic Novel
Books in Series: Currently 18
Formats Available: Hard Copy, Kindle
Where to Buy: Amazon
Why we LOVE them: Full-color illustrations and historically accurate text make these biographies an entertaining, educational, and inspiring read for those who enjoy history and graphic novels. From titles like Muhammad Ali, Walt Disney, Babe Ruth, to Alexander Hamilton, Amelia Earhart and Helen Keller.
by Ken Ham & Bodie Hodge
Genre: Nonfiction, Religious
Books in Series: 8
Formats Available: Hard Copy
Where to Buy: Amazon
Why we LOVE them: All kids have questions. This full-color 8-book series developed by Ken Ham, Answers in Genesis, answer 174 tough questions submitted by kids relating to everything from space and astronomy, creation, dinosaurs, the ice age, and more! Kids who love facts and science will love these books.
by Mike Nawrocki (co-creator of VeggieTales)
Genre: Religious Fiction
Books in Series: 6
Formats available: Hard Copy, Kindle
Where to Buy: Amazon
Why we LOVE them: From the creators of VeggieTales, these are hilarious, fun, easy reading books that highlight a different core value in each book. The premise- “Michael finds two 2000-year-old squirrels petrified in sea salt. Hijinks ensue as Michael tries to bring them back to the US, hidden in his backpack. What Michael thinks are just cool souvenirs may turn out to be something much more!” An avid reader can finish a book in a few hours, but will want to read this series over and over. Illustrations are sprinkled throughout.
by Natalie Grant
Genre: Fiction, Religious
Books in Series: 4
Formats available: Hard Copy, Kindle, Audiobook
Where to buy: Amazon
Why we LOVE them: Part of the FaithGirlz family of books, Glimmer Girls are written by renowned Christian music artist Natalie Grant and modeled after the adventures her family finds as they travel the world to music shows. Readers will love solving small mysteries and enjoy mild plot twists throughout each book. These books teach that you are never too young to make a difference. Special note – The Faithgirlz line is a wholesome resource for books, journals and more for young girls!
Let me know if you have read any of these already! I’d love to hear! I hope it gives you some great book series to try out with your kids!
Susan
My almost 9 year old and I were just discussing that we need to find some new series for him to read – this gives us some great ideas! Thank you! He is becoming a voracious reader and I love it so much – definitely want to keep encouraging it 🙂
Cynthia Barba-Bey
SusanMy favorite is the Answef Book for Kids!!
Cynthia Barba-Bey
Cynthia Barba-Bey*Answer
Amanda
Cynthia Barba-BeyI think my kids would like a lot of these, but I’m very interested in trying The Dead Sea Squirrels. They love to sit and giggle over a good book together!
Kari
SusanDead Sea squirrels for the win!!
Kristy Gray
SusanI love the Imagination Station but very interested in the history one…I forgot the name!
Sarah J
My favorite is The Answers Book for Kids!
Erin Spurlock
The answers books! I teach Sunday school and I know they would be amazing!
Beverly
The Answers Books for Kids are a favorite!!
Emily
Imagination station books!!
Lindsay McCracken
Ooo the Glimmer Girls sounds good! My 7 year old is very much into reading and that sounds perfect.
Susan
Just watched your story so had to comment again! My son says he is most excited about Dead Sea Squirrel 🐿️
Lisa V
I’m pretty sure my son’s birthday list is set after reading this list!
Laura Oswalt
I haven’t heard of the Show Me History, I am so excited to check these out.
Liz
I think my boys would love the Dead Sea Squirrels!! They love silly but it’s hard to find things that are silly AND appropriate. These look perfect! Thanks so much for putting this list together!!
Sara
LizScrolling through looking and my boy said stop at that one. It was the answers book. He’s very interested in all thing science, historical or modern. Looks brilliant and must see if we can get these in the UK. Xx
Denise Breen
LizShow Me History
Amanda
Can we comment and enter even if we haven’t read any of them?! My avid readers are 11 and 6. My daughter has read a couple of the Imagination Station…otherwise i think they all would love the Show Me History!
Rosa Fraki
I think my almost 7 year old would love the answers books for kids series!
Katelyn
We love the Imagination Station books for my son. Looking forward to checking some of these other recommendations out!
Kasey Kauffman
These look fantastic! I’m always on the lookout for books to read with my niece’s!
Melissa Arndt
Meet the Glimmer girls!
Ariel
I’ll have to look into the show me history series! My 6 year old just started reading bigger books and on a recent trip to our local Barnes and noble he picked a biography on a famous sports player! I was an avid reader as a child and it makes my heart so happy to see my children so invested in books!!
Christine Mellinkoff
My boys would love Imagination Station! My younger son is very imaginative.
Olga Demchuk
I love the imagination station. Such fun books to read and my son LOVES them!
Christi Lower
Thank you for the great book recommendations! Our granddaughters call us every Thursday night and read to us. It’s the best!
Rebecca
I would love to check out “The Dead Sea Squirrels”
Michelle
Dead Sea squirrels! All of my kids love a funny, easy to read book and I love when we can find something they all like!
Nicole
My daughter would love Glimmer Girls! Going to have to check these out!
Anna Arbogast
I have a ten year old who would love Glimmer Girls! Thanks so much for these recommendations!
Rachel Dorman
The Imagination Station books!
Kathleen
Glimmer girls sound like a great adventure
Jennifer
Oh man my older son is gonna love the squirrels series!!! Thanks for the recommendation!!!
Erin
They actually all sound good. I’m always on the hunt for good quality books that I think my 9 year old would enjoy. He has a learning disability and reading is difficult for him. It’s a struggle to find things he enjoys to read.
Christi Lower
Forgot to say my favorite … Glimmer Girls but also like Answers for Kids. Hard to choose!
Chelsey Sicheneder
We love the Show Me History books! Would love to try a couple of the other series. Thankful for Good, clean reading material suggestions!
Mayce
As we enter the why stage I have to say the answers for kids are AMAZING! I have questions kids ask books that help out a lot!
Jenna
My girls would LOVE the glimmer girls! They’re not quite old enough but I’m for sure going to be getting those for them. Thank you!
Maryelena Broome
The answers books! Love that they’re Bible based
Katie Wilson
We love Imagination Station!
Amanda Bolain
Great suggestions, I’m definitely looking into the show me history series.
Brenda
These sound amazing. Makes me wish my sons were younger and not grown. These would be great books to read aloud as a family.
Brittany
My 8 year old and I like to read the Magic Treehouse books together. Plus I get to share something from my childhood with him! Somehow that makes the experience so much better! I am looking forward to looking into you alls suggestions too!
Jessi
BrittanyMy daughter has loved Magic Tree House and has said that Imagination Station is very similar!
Abby Miller
I am going to order Glimmer Girls! I think my daughter would love them. Thanks for sharing!
Casey Leon
I’m going to check them all out but I think my son will love imagination station!!
Ashley Dates
Love this! I need new ideas for my son to read. He loves the magic tree house series!
Ashley Dates
Ashley DatesI’d love to get him the imagination station books for my oldest son!
Holly Harty
Dead Sea squirrel
Kimberly
I have heard great things about all of these books. My son would love all of them. The first ones we are going to get is the answer books.
Allie Kristian
I bet my boys would love the Imagination Station books. They sound similar in premise to the Magic Treehouse books and my boys devoured them.
My oldest (8 years old) is reading at a grade 5-6 level but I don’t think he is ready for the content in those level of books. It’s hard to find good books that will challenge him but also that I don’t have to worry about the content.
Cortney
I have never heard of any of them but always looking for great book recommendations. I have an 8 & 9 year old boys. I’m intrigued about all of them but if I had to choose which ones I think my boys would latch on would be the The Answer books & the ones from the creators of Veggie Tales! Thank you for the recommendations!!!
Rebecca McReynolds
Fave is Glimmer Girls cause my granddaughter would prob like them best!! Thanks for the great recommendations!!!
Crissy Gerulski
Thank you so much for all these recommendations! Honestly the first four series all look like things my son would enjoy reading. I really appreciate having books I know will be wholesome and fun for him to read!
I think he would especially like the Imagination Station ones. I grew up listening to Adventures in Odyssey, so it’s nostalgic for me too!
Sara Propst
We love the rainbow magic series at our house!
Katie Johnson
We recently got the Dead Sea squirrel series and my kids LOVE them. We will be ordering the next set soon!
Meghan Wilson
Thanks so much for the recommendations! My son would love to read The Dead Sea Squirrels. I’m also going to check out Glimmer Girls for my girls!
Ashley THURBER
I think I’ll need to check out the glimmer girls! I have a 10 year old girl and love when she gets into a new series. This one seems perfect as it’s not a few books. Easy to keep track of what ones she has read/needs still.
Cassie Siple
Meet the Glimmer Girls!!
Alice
So hard to decide! The Imagination Station or
The Answer Books.
Kayla Miller
I love the Imagination Station books! We grew up listening to Adventures in Odyssey on the radio, and can remember some of those stories, to this day! ❤️
Jessica
We love the imagination station series in our house, and the answer books are the ones I’m interested in finding out more on! My son is always telling me what happens in the books he reads, so it looks like those would give him some fun things to share about!
Michaela Rausch
The AnswersBooks for Kids is great!
Michelle
They all look so good! We’d love to try the Imagination Station series. Thanks for the great list!
Rolanda Stevens
Answers would totally be fun
Ashlyn
I haven’t actually read any of these books, but as a teacher of 3rd graders I know some kids that would love the Imagination Station series and Show Me History series. My students love history and learning about new people. I may have to check these books out!
Taylor
Definitely getting my 8 year old some of the Imagination Station books! He LOVES to read and loves all things adventure! Thanks for sharing! Was in need of some new series for him!
Alysha
I love these recommendations! I can’t wait to read some of them with my 8 year old. I’m going to order the answers series!
Brittany Dyr
I think my boys would love the answers books! Love all these recommendations!
Samantha
I’m excited to check out the Show Me the History series.
Brittany
We haven’t tried Dead Sea squirrels or the answers books. Sound like they should go on my list
Kylie Schmitz
Our kids would love the Imagination Station series!! We are currently reading the Secrets of the Hidden Scrolls and they also have loved the Treehouse Adventures! Right up their alley! Thanks for sharing! We are always looking for new suggestions!
Emily
I’ve never heard of the Show Me History collection. Very cool! My oldest would love them!
Nicole Patterson
Imagination Station looks like a fun series!!
Hope Mayer
I’ve never heard of the answers book set for kids but will definitely have to add these to our collection!!
Kari
We recently started the Answers Books for Kids series and are loving it so far! My kids also love the Imagination Station series. Thank you for all of the recommendations!
Kathy Worthen
Show Me History and The Imagination Station both look like fun! I’m totally looking into these! I bet my boys will love them! Thanks for sharing!
Brittainy Radosti
We LOVE the glimmer girl books (all faithgirlz books). Excited to try the dead sea squirrel ones
Toni Shugart
My children love the series Junie B. Jones
Diana
Love the answer books. One of my kids got a child’s dictionary at age 8 and devoured it!
Sydnie Denny
I am so excited about all these books! Imagination station looks like a good one! Thank you for this post!
Andrea
My son would love the Imagination Station or the Answers Book for Kids! He is so inquisitive and is always trying to figure out the why or how behind something happening he or working!
Ashlea Culotta
We love the imagination station series. We have the first 5 and will be getting more soon! So happy to have these other recs!
Tammy White
These are great recommendations thank you! I think my the Answers for kids would be an awesome set to own.
Erika Mathews
The answers books are great!!
Deb Miller
Always looking for something new to give my ten year old granddaughter to read. Show Me History looks like a great new series for her and a fun way to put biographies and true stories into her hands! Thank you for the new recommendations and reviews.
Erin Magness
The Show me History series looks PERFECT for my oldest son! Will def have to try one out… he loves space so I want to start with Neil Armstrong!
Alyssa
So I did not read any of these series as a child but I will for sure be grabbing the imagination station one. I also think the dead sea squirrel sounds awesome! I’m very intrigued by the question series, I personally want to read those ones 😂
Miranda Ramirez
The Show Me History books look so fun! I’ve never tried them, but I’m sure they would rope in my boys to actually want to read and study more.
Mindy Stephens
Thank you! I think my son will love the Imagination Series.
Cristina
The imagination station series sounds so fun! And like one my boys would love!
Jenny Frank
Thank you for this!! My girls LOVE to read and I’m always wanting good, sound recommendations for them! I’m gonna try out Glimmer Girls the first! Thank you thank you!
Megan Hostetler
I have never read them, but the answers book for kids sounds amazing! I am currently in the phase with our kiddo of “asking why and how and when to everything under the sun!
Danielle Daivs
Show Me History! I have a son who enjoys biographies and we’ve not tried this series yet!
Kelly Rubio
I am not familiar with many of these series but my daughter loves the Glimmer Gils Series. I will need to check out the others.
Sarah
My 13 year old would love the imagination station or the answers series! Such great ideas! Thanks for sharing.
Kelly Rubio
I am not familiar with many of these series but my daughter loves the Glimmer Girls Series. I will need to check out the others.
Anne-Marie
I would like the ‘Show me History’ books for my boys.
Christina Thompson
The imagination station books sound great!
Sunshine S
I’ve been seeing the Dead Sea Squirrels lately and now want to try them out. My daughter would love Glimmer Girls. Thank you for sharing .
Beth
I’m excited to look into the Show Me History one for my 10 yo. He’s obsessed with history right now!
Brenna
I neee to check out the imagination station series!!
Shannon Imel
Have not ready any of those, but will look into The Glimmer Girls for my daughter.
My nephew loves the Nathan Hale series of historical books of you have seen them. He reads them over and over. He tells me new facts about historical events that I did not know thanks to the stories.
Kelly Bridges
Glimmer girls is an awesome series!
Annie
So fun! My 8 year old daughter loves historical fiction, so we’ll have to check out The Imagination Station. Thanks!
Brenda Opperman
We love the Answers books!
Kelsey
We love the Imagination Station books! My daughter wants to get the ones by Natalie Grant!
Micala Munoz
Love the Imagination Station books!!
Jacklynn Crummel
I have been wanting to try the Imagination Station books and now the Dead Sea Squirrels look super fun as well!! Thanks for this list!!
Lindsay U
Love this post! I’m a homeschooling mama looking to build our home library for my crew. I’ve heard so many great things about the imagination station series. We’re excited to try them out.
Mary Hart
The Glimmer Girls looks like an awesome recommendation.
Gail
The Glimmer Girls looks interesting for my 7 and 11 year old granddaughters.
Kali Wanstrom
Love imaginary station! Super fun and I love to read them with my little brother around that age! It pulls me in myself lol
Bethany Haynam
We love the Show Me in History books as well!
Lois
We love Dead Sea Squirrels!
My 9 year old is a struggling reader and finding quail out books that aren’t boring or redundant is hard. One of our favs is Elephant and Piggie.
Ashley Mostrom
Thank you! I am always looking for book recommendations for my 5th graders. ❤️ I’m thinking they may be interested in the “Show Me History” series.
Elizabeth Southall
Sugar Creek Gang is my favorite!!!
Staci Wright
These are so fun! Thanks for the ideas! I haven’t seen any of these books! The imagination station looks like a great series! My boys would love that.
Courtney
The answer book for kids looks like a lot of fun!
Sabrina
My kids love the Imagination Station books! I have never heard of the Show Me History books but will have to look into them because my son loves history!!
Shari
What!? The “Show me History” look so cool! Wish I’d known about them when my youngest was younger!
Louise
Thanks for the list! My oldest is 7 and he loves reading!
Andrea Farrell
My oldest son is about to be 5 so we arent quite ready for these yet, but he would love the imagination station books and i would like for him the answers series because he currently has soooo many questions about God and Jesus and following God vs following satan and things like that. He has a big imagination and questions and i think he would enjoy reading some answers
Amber
Oh we love imagination station. We have only read a book or two, but our sons very much enjoy them. Great blog post! It’s so great to get wholesome book recommendations for families. They are hard to come by these days.
Jessica Daw
The answer books for kids look amazing! I even want to read it!
Mayflower90
These all look great! Definitely want to check out glimmer girls as it’s so hard to find wholesome “girly girl” books.
Carisia Gandara
These all sound great! I really want to get the Answers series and the Glimmer Girls! My girls love facts about Gods creation and I think the Glimmer Girls one would be fun and interesting for them! Thanks for these recommendations!
Ingrid
Great selections! My kids have read some of this, like Nataly Grant and the Imagination Station.
April
I haven’t heard of any of these. Definitely going to have to check out all these awesome looking series. We read “Who was” and magic treehouse series
Amie Fairman
I’m in Australia & haven’t heard of these books but I think my kiddos would love The Answers Books for Kids. What kid doesn’t love asking a million questions every day!!!!
Looks like some great options here for all kids 😊
Haley
I think my daughter would love the Glimmer Girls series!
Angela
Thank you so much Sarah and Rachel for all of these book recommendations for children ages 8 to 12. My boys will love reading these, we have been on the hunt for new, wholesome books for them to read and enjoy! My oldest just finished The Bridge Home, he would recommend that!
Mary G
Love the show me history comic books. Definitely gonna check out the squirrels, I’ve never heard of them but we love veggie tales so I’m excited to read them with my son.
Stephanie
Ive never read or heard of any of these! But the dead sea squirrels definitely sound interesting and funny! My husband grew up loving veggie tales and tries to get our son interested as well 🙂
Svet
I am currently reading The Magic Treehouse series to my little boys and they love it! I think The imagination Station books would be great one to start next.
leslie deyoung
Love imagination station, we have 1 but are always on the hunt for more. Interested in looking into Dead Sea squirrel series. Thanks for the recommendation
Jodi Lloyd
Going to order the Glimmer Girls for my almost 11 year old. I do have to admit when I read it quickly I thought it said Gilmore Girls and marveled that they had books out. Whoops.
Sarah
Jodi LloydHaha yes I can see that too!
Sandy T
I really want to get the Answers for kids set for my kiddos when we start school.
Kailey
Thank you providing great suggestions that I was not familiar with. I am always looking for wholesome new books and I keep seeing the same suggestions. My history-loving son will love Imagination Station!
Brittany Nichols
I survived series!!!!
Emalie
My kids would totally enjoy the answer books for kids. They love learning new things. Thank you for the idea for them
Cindy Woods
No recommendation but I just ordered first 3 books of Imagination Station for my son! Thankyou!!
Natalie R
I grew up listening to alllll The Adventures in Odyssey cassettes and when I saw the Imagination Station Series it brought back those memories! I love the idea of being able to read some of those same historically-based stories. Thanks for sharing!!!
Amy Brumfield
Glimmer girls look fun and something I would want my daughter reading in the future!
Elizabeth Johnson
Glimmer Girl
Becky Fickes
Thanks for sharing! I’m excited to check out the Answer for Kids books!!
Jeni
Thank you for this. Can’t wait to try the Glimmer Girls for my daughter.
Amanda
Oh my goodness!! My 8 year old reads through books so quickly, we’re always looking for new ones. I can’t wait to check out the Answers series. I can’t tell you how many questions I get a day from him, most of which I have to look up! Thanks for all the suggestions!
Anna N
We love the Dead Sea Squirrels! My kids are a little younger, 5 and 3. But they love them! And we listen to them on audiobooks too:)
Maggie
We LOVE the answers books for kids, so many helpful topics in there and such practical, easy answers for them to understand.
We would love to try out the Imagination Station ones, we’ve never heard of them!
Anna N
Would love to try the imagination station books!
Courtney Martin
I am gonna have to get some of these! My guys love books! The dead sea squirrels looks awsome. Thanks for the info.
Emily
Love Imagination Station!! Need to get those out again. But I’m def curious about those Show Me History books. Going to check those out!
Jen
To hard to pick they all look great. Love snd probably will get the Glimmer Girls series for my daughter. Thank you to you and your sister for sharing. Finding great / wholesome books can be hard and time consuming, so thanks for taking some of that on for us and sharing your knowledge!
Emily ransom
Imagination Station for sure! My 7 year old loves to listen to adventures in Odyssey!! I would love to look into the show me history books!
Nadiya Gubenya
Currently it’s a tie for me between the Dead Sea Squirrels and the Imagination Station. 😊
Rebecca
We love everything by Answers in Genesis!!
Amy Lendy
I’ve been looking into all of these! Thanks for the recommendations! I don’t know which one to purchase first?! Haha
Maggie Cure
Thank you so much for these! We LOVE Imagination Station 🙂
Jennifer Price
Going to look into the imagination station books for my kiddos! They look fantastic but do do all the others as well!!
Michelle Good
I haven’t seen the Imagination station series, but they look fun!!!!
Andrea
I would totally incorporate either the Show Me History series or the Answers series into our homeschool curriculum! I’ll have to go save them both in my Amazon cart now! 😂
Marina
I love the series of books of “Stories from Grandma’s attic.” They’re great for kids and adults alike!
Nicole W
They all look good! But I’m excited for my son to be old enough to enjoy the Answers for Kids series!
Amy Hues
The Boxcar Children was a great series!
Kassie Phipany
I havent read any but im very interested in the Dead Sea Squirrels books! I think my daughter (7) would love them!!!
Sarah
Glimmer girls looks like a fun one to try. I feel girls books this age that are good are hard to find.
Jenna
Dead Sea Squirrels looks hilarious, and right up my son’s alley! I really love all of these recommendations though. The graphic novel biographies would have been such a big hit with my elementary students.
Sam
Adventures in Odyssey! My 4th grader has just started reading for fun (when not reading for book reports) and loves them!
Brittani
Love these book recommendations. I think the Answers Book Series is the one I would have to say stands out the most to me. As a homeschool mama I feel these would be a nice tie into our curriculum. 🥰
Janette
I love this so much. My son is beginning to read and I have been asking family and friends for good, wholesome, and fun recommendations for young boys. I am most interested in the Imagination Station books. “Positive moral lessons and historical adventures.” That sounds like just what I’m looking for and what my son would enjoy! Thank you!
Rachel Skenandore
Brad Meltzer’s People Who Change the World are great! We bought “I Am Anne Frank” so our children could learn about inspiring real stories!
Roxanne Studebaker
The Glimmer Gil’s series looks great! It’s hard to find great, appropriate books for girls sometimes!
Amanda Hendrickson
Oh! All of these look interesting! Now I’m curious to check them out! Thanks for the recommendations!
Eva
I am so excited to see the Glimmer Girls, looking for new good books for my daughter and these will be right up her alley!
Jamie Williams
Would love to try the Dead Sea squirrels!
Frumie Diskind
I love the Show me history books. So educational and my kids love learning things!!!
Christina Clapp
I’ve never heard of it before but the Dead Sea Squirrels series looks like something my son would love!
Kristina B.
My oldest [9] loves the “show me history” graphic novels. In fact he just finished the Helen Keller one
Thiscrazythingcalledlife5
It’s a hard pick but between historical fiction and history! But I think I’m going historical fiction!
Jennica Blaubach
I actually haven’t read any of these but I’ve heard the imagination station books are good!
Holly Beran
I have heard great things about the Imaginations Station books! I need to look into them for my sons when they are old enough to read them.
Meagan Mitchell
Second recommendation for Dead Sea squirrels! Definitely going to check those out for my boys who consume books!
TC Judd
I’m curious if the Imagination Station books are kind of like Magic Tree House? I’m def going to check them out. The Dead Sea Squirrels look perfect for my boys!!
C
Thank you so much for this list!! You are right that series like these are hard to find. I think I’ll try Imagination Station for my son and Glimmer Girls for my daughter…both emergent readers. Can’t wait for them to get excited about new books!
Dara
We lobe the squirrels series!! The sumer girls looks great!
Ann
It’s hard to pick!
But, possibly the Show Me History series.
Madison Devino
Dead sea squirrels looks right up my sons alley! We will definitely be giving some of those sets a read too
Stacy Swesey
I live Ken Ham so the answer books are super intriguing. However, the Dead Sea squirrels?! That just cracks me up. We’ve never read any of these so I’ll definitely be looking into them!
Rachel Perez
The answers books series looks awesome. My son who is almost 8 and wants to be a scientist when he grows up would love these. Might have to go on his birthday list.
Crystal B.
I have actually never seen these books. I am definitely interested though! We love VeggieTales so I think we would like “Dead Sea Squirrels”. I also think we would enjoy “Glimmer Girls”.
Ashley
I was so excited to learn about the Imagination Station series. I grew up with Magic Treehouse and when I found this alternative that has a Christian view, I just knew it would have to be on our shelf someday. My son is loving learning to read and he would enjoy this series so much.
Emily Lehnhoff
Dead Sea squirrels sounds fun!
Brittney S
This looks like a great list! We will definitely be looking into the show me history series and I’m sure my girls would live glimmer girls. Thank you so much for compiling this list!
Suzanne Barker
My daughter teaches 2nd grade at a Christian school and just this evening we were talking about the need for more morally good fiction books for young readers. Thank you!
Rhonda Harman
My kids loved Amelia Bedelia and several of these as well.
Nancy Martin
Albert Einstein
Crystal Dirks
Never heard of the glimmer girls, I will definitely try these for my 8 yr old! Thank you for the awesome recommendations!
Christina
My kids were gifted some of the Show Me History books after you recommended them another time and we love them! I’d love to get the rest of the set for them!
Nicole
Can’t decide between the Imagination Station series and the Answers for Kids. Feel like my nephew would love both! Definitely going to check them all out when nieces and nephew are a little older!
Katie B.
We love imagination station! I am excited to check out Glimmer Girls for my oldest.
Donna Scally
These all look like great options! I want to try them all! I have five boys and almost half of them are in this age range. I have a few history buffs in my crew, so the show me history look interesting. We are also getting ready to start the answers in genesis Sunday school series, so those books look neat as well. I just saw someone else recommend the Dead Sea squirrels ones as well. So many great choices!
Ashley
My son loved the Dead Sea squirrel books
Sarah
Imagination station books!
Nancy Memmolo
Love love this idea … glimmer girls
Stephanie
The glimmer girls would be perfect for my 10 year old girl!
Allison T
My boys would love the imagination station books or the answer books. My oldest is always asking good questions!
Pamela Szydlik
My son is enjoying imagination station. Thank you for these other recommendations!
Michaella Hayes
I’ve heard great things about Dead Sea Squirrels!
Charity I
I have not read any books from these series, but my children would probably enjoy the Imagination Station books.
Ren DeVries
My kids aren’t quite to this age, but I was an avid reader as a child and both my kids love stories. I think the Imagination series sounds amazing!
Chelsea Krasawski
This is a great list! I personally think that the Dead Sea Squirrels books looks fantastic! But I have a feeling that my own Jude would be PUMPED about the Imagination Station series! He’s big into history and science lately. And I imagine that he would be especially excited that there are 25+ books for us to work our way through. He’s big on bedtime procrastination – always pushing for one more chapter. Ha!
Simona Walters
Looking forward to the Imagination Station
Leab
We have been wanting to try Dead Sea Squirrels. They look so cute!
Leah
LeabOkay- I’m tired. Haha my name is Leah and my email was not right either. Just the @gmail.com part.
Jennifer Claassen
Imagination Station
Dead Sea Squirrels
Carolyn
My older three kids (aged 8-11) are pretty avid readers. They liked Dead Sea Squirrels and Imagination Station too. I JUST ordered Answers for Kids from christianbook.com last night! How funny!
We haven’t tried Glimmer Girls, so that’d be something new for us 🙂
My kids would highly recommend the Wingfeather Saga by Andrew Peterson, CS Lewis’ Narnia series (or the audio dramas), Wilderking Trilogy by Jonathan Rogers, The Prince Warriors series by Priscilla Shirer, and the Wormling series by Jerry B Jenkins (all these recommendations are Christian books).
My older two (boy -11 and girl -10) find the Christian Heroes Then and Now to be quite interesting too.
Megan
Thank you for these recs! I’m always on the hunt for good vetted books for my 8 year old daughter so I’m excited to try Glimmer Girls!
Stefanie Vasquez
Never heard of any of them but now I want to get one of my bonus daughters the glimmer girls one!! Super cute!
Ashley Moyer
The answer books
Kiana
Answers for kids! Love this. Thanks for putting it together Rachel! 😊
Lynda West
Oh my daughter would love the Glimmer Girls series! I will have to introduce those to her!
Erin
The Answers Books for Kids sound very exciting!
Rhona
Thanks for posting this. Big fan of books in this house with 4 kiddos. We also love the little light series!
Sharon
My daughter would LOVE the glitter girls – she is always checking out books that are princess/dancer/glamour girl type things, and to know there is a Christian alternative is fantastic! Thanks for these recs. They all look wonderful!
Sierra
I feel guilty, I am a teacher and I have only heard of the Gilmore Girls! However, they all seem to be good reads. I believe my son would enjoy The Imagination Station series. I am going to have to check them out.
Rachel F
I’ve never heard of any of these books, so thank you for the introduction! The Show Me History books look amazing.
Wendy
Voyage with the Vikings is excellent / I’m using it as a ‘taster’ for a family trip to the Viking museum in York,UK. Thank you for recommendations 🥰
Heather
Imagination station or the history ones I would love to share with my boys!! My boys are naked after American presidents and would love them !!!
Heather
HeatherI’m gosh!! Named *** not naked 🤦🏻♀️🤦🏻♀️🤦🏻♀️😂
Marisa D
My 11 year old abs I loved reading the Glimmer Girls series together ❤️
Jennifer
This list is awesome! I think my 9 year old son would like the Show Me The History series because he loves learning about history. But he also would probably like the Dead Sea Squirrels because he likes to read funny things. I have never heard of any of these, so we will definitely be checking some out.
Steph Bernardo
Great list (coming from a librarian)!
Melissa
I want to try the Imagination Station books for my boys (8 and 11) and am excited to try the glimmer girls series when my little girl (4) is older!
Cayla
MelissaThank you for doing this! We are always looking for new wholesome books for out almost 10 year old. Show Me The History looks like a good series and it is a fun way for kids to learn especially when you have a kid who doesn’t love history. Can’t wait to check these series’s out! Thanks again ladies!
Kelli Mcconnell
The answers book! My son is always wanting to learn random things. He watches informative videos on YouTube all the time and knows random answers to random questions 🤣
Jaclyn
The show me history books look like something my kids would like! My girls loved the Dear America books of you haven’t checked those out.
Alayna Kester
The Answer Book for Kids!
Jamie Ervine
I’d love to check out Glimmer Girls for my older girls! We love The Secret of the Hidden Scrolls series here!
Liz H
I liked the Imagination Station, but my 4.9 year old is boring for the Dead Sea Squirrels. We’ll be looking to see if we can get these from the library!
Liz H
Liz H*voting*
jen
my son would like the imagination station and show me history.
Elaine
Wow all these are new to me! But I’ll definitely be getting the Answers for Kids books when mind are old enough! Thanks for the recommendations!
Sarahlynn
The imagination station series sound like something I need to check out for my daughter. Thanks for doing the research and sharing!
Jen M
I haven’t seen any of these before but my just about 8 year old would for sure love Dead Sea squirrels. I’m going to check it out. Thanks!!
Katie
Imagination station sounds wonderful!
Alicia Smith
The imagination station series looks so fun!
Debra
We love the imagination station books over here! I haven’t heard of the others so I’m excited to try them out!
Amy
Thank you so much for doing this! We haven’t actually read any of these series yet, but I’m excited to check out Imagination Station and The Dead Sea Squirrels. 🙂
Erin Fedora
The Answer books look awesome. 💛
Laci McNeil
Oh we love Imagination Station! I would like to try the Answers for Kids Book and the Glimmer Girls!
Cristi B
My daughter love the According to Humphrey books! Stories told from the perspective of a classroom hamster.
Jessica
Thank you for the historical fiction suggestions! We are just hitting this stage in books now that my son is in second grade. He will love these! He loves facts and history.
Molly Carmack
I love the Show Me History books. My eight year old is loving all the history books right now. I’m excited that you can buy them on Amazon.
Nikki
Awesome! my oldest who is 10, loves history biography so I am excited to find new series for him to read!
Amy Stephens
Imagination station looks awesome!!
Emily Jochim
We are working through the answers books during our morning time but I’ve been itching to get my hands on the Dead Sea squirrels!!
Kimber
I’ve been looking at Dead Sea Squirrels for my son!
Kumary
The Answers Books for Kids seems to be wonderful!
I have learnt a great deal through Answers in Genesis, which has helped me grow in my faith, and even helped in sharing true biblical faith with a non-believer.
Would love to introduce this series to my younger brothers, knowing it will help grow their faith and also help them embrace and defend the truth of God’s word.
Wesleigh Maddox
I think I will have to check out the Imagination Station series! My kids love historical fiction!!
Lois Leavengood
Show me history . Would love these for my grandchildren!!!
Hilary
I haven’t heard of any of these! I would love to check out the Answers from God books because my little guy is so curious and always asking lots of questions!
Susan Burns
The Imagination Station Series and the Answers Books series would be great for my two little nephews. Putting this list together was an excellent idea!!!!! Thank you much❤️
Tessa
Dead Sea squirrels 🙂
Alicia Weiers
My daughter read the glimmer girls and loved them!!
Katy Guralski
Thank you so much for this list! Yes, it IS hard to find good, quality books for kids!!! So excited for my daughter to read these!!
Jessie
Katy GuralskiMy kids have loved Imagination Station but I am intrigued to look at The answer book and glimmer girls. These would be right up my youngest interests.
Maegan Bryan
My nephew LOVES the imagination series!
Breanna
I forgot about the imagination station books! I am going to have to buy those for my kiddos now.
Mollie
The Dead Sea scrolls sound awesome!
Meena Laungani
Thank you so much for this post. Although my son is only 6..he loves loves reading. Anything about facts or history..just consumes it all and brings him joy. He would love either
Show me History or the Answer book set. Thank you. ❤️
Megan
Glimmer Girls!
Alina Martin
We love the imagination station! Our kids are really into the adventure in odessey audio dramas and are just starting to really enjoy reading. So to be able to combine something they already love with something they are working on has been wonderful.
Summer
Love all these! Magic treehouse books were my favorite!
Summer
Imagination station!
Elise Dorsey
Magic treehouse books are an all time favorite!
Bettie birch
This is great!! My daughter Tracey is a full time teacher (2nd grade) and her husband Steve is a full time AG pastor. They have 4 adopted children ages 13-5
And they love to read!! They don’t purchase much but a fav outing is the library!! So thx for the references!
Cheri Ando
My daughter loves history! Show me history is a win for her!
Sheri wallace
I’m a teacher and not familiar with these series, I will need to take a look. I enjoy following your day to day with the boys!
Deanna Magee
Adding The Answers Books for Kids to my list of books to get! Love finding good science books that includes creation.
Brandy Thompson
We have the Answers for Kids set and I have been looking into the Dead Sea squirrels books for my 10-year-old. This is the second place I’ve seen them recommended in the last week!
Sydney
We LOVE the Imagination Station books!! They’re so fun and as a historical fiction lover myself, I love that I can introduce my kids to that genre through those books. We also love Adventures in Odyssey so the “secret codes” that unlock free episodes are a bonus! The Show Me History books are definitely going on my booklist for school next year!
Karryn
I’m excited for the Imagination Station ones! My son loves Adventures in Odyssey. Even though it’s not directly linked, I can trust that they have great stories!
Elizabeth
The Answer Books for Kids! What a great idea for a series!
Ariana Pederson
The answer books sound so cool! I am very interested in the Glimmer Girl books. I have an almost 8 year old girl who loves reading and I worry about some of the books out there right now and the messages they put out to young girls. Will definitely be checking them out—thank you so much!
April
Heartland was a great series for a horse crazy kid!!
Kody
Oh the Dead Sea squirrels would be great for my 7 year old!
Lauren W
I am So excited to try the Glimmer Girls! Always looking for wholesome books for my 9-year old, thanks so much for this post!
Paola
Thanks for sharing these! My 8yo has been asked to read non-fiction books and didn’t know where to start, now we are going to look at the Show Me History books!!!
Sadie
Great list! I think my kids would love the Imagination Station series!
Chelsea
Oh my girls would LOVE the Glimmer collection! I love that it would be wholesome for them.
Tammy beach
I would love the imagination station books for my granddaughter her imagination is amazing and it’s so fun to read to her and see her excitement
Theresa De Boer
My favorite ones listed are the glimmer girls. Our oldest is our daughter who is 6 but I bet she would love these real soon! Thanks for showcasing these great options!
Rebecca Ernst
I love the Imagination Station books!
Liz E
These are such great recommendations! Those Squirrel series look so fun!
Kelly Moir
The answer book for kids!!
Kayla
We have the entire imagination station series and the kids love them. I think they would love the Show Me History books! – definitely going to look into them!
Andrea Freeman
Thank you!! I have boys 7, 7 and 10 – finding great books that THEY like is so hard! Show Me History will be a big hit! ;).
Natalie Wood
We love Answers for Kids!!!
I will definitely be checking out the others. The Dead Sea Squirrels looks awesome!
Mari Smith
My boys are all grown now; however if you haven’t already read and want to hear giggles coming from them (mine all read on the toilet and in bed….and still do in their 30’s)
“Hank, the Cow Dog”
Dana
The biographies look great! My daughter has been really into them lately…buying a few more now!
Maria Lopez
The answer books seem like an interesting read! My daughter is that age where she’s questioning everything! She’s obsessed with books the glimmer girls would be an awesome read too! So many good ones!
Hayley Jackson
Dead Sea Squirrel!
Morgan
Ooooh loving the answers books! I love the idea of kids getting answers to questions they may not even have thought of yet!
Karen
Ironically I am a teacher of this age and I haven’t read most of these. I am most intrigued by Dead Sea Squirrels. I think the boys in my class would love it!
Dominique Thatcher
The Imagination Station sounds incredible for my 6 year old he loves books and I love reading him stories and expanding his imagination!
Michele Willis
The answers books for kids has got to be a favorite! Kids ask the darn seat questions all the time! I love that they can learn the answers to those fun questions when I k ow I cannot answer it.
Kimberly Powell
Dead sea squirrels…
Pam Zweifel
Meet the Glimmer Girls looks cute
Becca Lewis
I love the addition of graphic novels because the colors help propel the stories and can help keep attention for the younger readers.
Megan Rokey
Can’t wait to add the imagination station books and the history biography books to my son’s wish list. But those books by Ken ham I’m most excited about. My son is into dinosaurs and it’d be great to have biblical answers and talk… About dinosaurs!
Cheryl
I cant pick just one..or two..We are going to read most of them
Krista Wasinger
What a great list! Imagination Station sounds like something a couple of my kids would like!
Emily Janning.
Those answer books look so cool! Adding them to my sons wishlist for his 8th bday.
Cherise Taylor
My boys would LOVE The Dead Sea Squirrels series! Thank you for putting together this wholesome and FUN list!!
Theresa Houser
The Dead Sea squirrels looks great for both boys and girls.
Brigette
We absolutely love the show me history books!
Sam
The Answer Books look fun! Great for curious kiddos!
Andrea Schreiber
Ah! These are great! My 10yr old would love the history ones for sure! Can’t wait to try! Thanks for putting this list together!!
BethAnn
Love the Imagination Station Books!
Lisa
We need to try some of these! I think we will start with the imagination station books first!
Taryn Wright
Show me History would have to be my favorite.
Ashley Smith
My favorite is Dead Sea Scrolls I actually have it in my Amazon cart for my nine-year-old son
Patty Reed
I am always looking for books for my grandkids (ages 5-8). I can’t wait to order a couple in each recommendation so I can see what they will love best….I am sure it will be all of them!
Cari
Thank you for these recommendations! My 8 year old isn’t big into reading so I am always looking for good series to catch his interest!
Erin
We have the kid answer books! The kids love it!
Samantha
Love the Glimmer Girl books. Have always wanted to get the Imagination Station series for my kids, as I have heard this is a good series too.
Amy M
The Answers Books Series looks right up my son’s alley!
Rachelle
We have 4 boys and they love the Show Me History and imagination Station series!!!
Laura Thomas
Thank you for this! I am always looking for new age-appropriate books for my oldest who loves to read! The Answers series looks amazing!
Cari Brewer
Answer books for kids. What a good idea! I’m going to look for those for my son who asks a ton of questions.
Chelsea
We are getting to the point that we need more advanced books for independent reading. Thank you for compiling this list! I trust your thoughts on these as wholesome books and am especially interested in the Ken Ham series! My oldest is very inquisitive and I think he would benefit from these so much!
Lindsay Gilmore
This looks like a great list! Dead Sea Squirrels is the one that sounds like it would be a winner for my kiddos!
Alicia Duffy
Imagination Station… the Magic Tree House is also a great series
Leanne Brown
Imagination Station is by far a fave we get from the library and keep coming back to!
Son is currently hooked on Dinosaur Cove books. There’s 23 (I think!?) in the series and it has been so engaging!
Katie H
I like show me history! It’s hard to find books about history that’s on a child’s level.
Pamela Tejada
Fairhgirlz! A must! Great series
Christa
My son would love The Answers Book for kids
Kayla Seppala
We love the imagination station books! I need to get some more of the series!
Sophie Rotaru
We LOVE reading. I became a very scared young mum but I knew I wanted to introduce books early. It totally paid off. All of my children love books; whether it’s being read to or learning to read through phonics. My first born is 16 this year and has a pretty well stacked bookcase in her bedroom and is forever on the hunt for a good read. My almost 14 (Sunday) year old also loves reading still and for his birthday this weekend he wants to go to the bookstore for 2 books in particular and manga. My 8 year old sits and reads chapters of Enid Blytons Amelia Jane books. My youngest babe loves listening to me read to him. He’s 4 but doesn’t want to read himself quite yet! Charity shops can be amazing for books too! We got a few of the series of unfortunate events, Jaqueline Wilson books and even a few new titles not long ago. Personally with books I love that they don’t cost a lot of money and can really bring out some feelings in you. I made myself get travel sickness today after reading in the car 😂
McCall Griffin
Um I want to try all these series for my 10 yr old!still trying to help him find something he loves to read and all these sound fun so thanks!
Jenny
My son loves imagination station! He read the whole series & highly recommends it.