10 Kid-Approved Book Series for 8-12 Year Old Girls

My eldest is a book worm, did I mention? She takes after a mommy and has her own enviable library. Here are 10 of her favorite book series that will appeal to all book loving girls of ages 8 to 12.

There is something about a series that makes them so much more desirable. It is always painful to reach the end of a good book. A series makes the end so much exciting by promising a new installment! On every occasion, for the last 2 years, my now 10 year old, has asked for nothing but the next book in the series she happens to be reading at that time. If you have a little book lover, or want to encourage the habit of reading in your children, here are some book series perfect for girls aged 8 to 12.

1. Dork Diaries

A personal diary of a 14 year old, the dork diary books are loved by all girls! This book series by Rachel Renee Russell dwells on various hilarious and interesting events in a girl’s life like the most popular girl in school, school functions, talent shows, social work and more. These are currently on top of my 11 year old’s reading list.

2. Nancy Drew

I really wanted to start with this one because I am a Nancy Drew fan myself. In fact, I still read the teenage detective’s books whenever I need a stress buster. But the regular Nancy Drew books might be a little too above age for 8 to 10 year olds. A special series called ‘Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew’ is the perfect series to get your little girls started with Nancy Drew. The mysteries are built around simple issues and you are in no danger of exposing your children to any dangerous scenes or grown up stuff. My daughter loves them so much I even planned a Nancy Drew Mystery Party for her 10th birthday! Some of the stories are decidedly girly and the plots involve fashion designing, salons, makeovers, shopping at malls. Sure to be loved by girls! And the next step from these books will be the original Nancy Drew series.

3. Famous Five

No child should be allowed to miss this fun kid detective series. I recommend all Enid Blyton books for all kids (there is one for every age I am sure!) and this is the right age to get started with the Famous Five mystery series. Three siblings along with a cousin or a friend take off to adventures that every child dreams about. Girls as well as boys will love every single book of this series.

4. Goosebumps

Does your little girl love a some horror? Goosebumps are perfectly ‘not-so-much’ horrifying stories perfect for pre-teens to indulge in. This popular series by R.L. Stine was a huge hit in the 90s and still enjoys a big fan following all over the world. The tales are creepy and very well crafted. We came to know of it after watching the Goosebumps TV series which was aired a couple of years ago on a kids TV channel.

Every time my daughter has a new book, I cannot wait for her to finish so I can enjoy it myself. Scholastic India stocks all of them and they are very easily available. My daughter grabs one every time Scholastic holds a book exhibition in her school. My daughter’s (and mine) favourites are “The Haunted School” and “HorrorLand”. Try them!

5. Harry Potter

Every one knows Harry Potter! Thanks to the hugely popular movies. But if you ask anyone who has read even one Harry Potter book, you will know that the books by J.K. Rowling are hands down superior. I am always partial to books. I only use movies and TV series to give wings to my imagined scenes. It is fun to actually see the locations and characters brought to life. But a movie is rightly said to be only the tip of the iceberg. To know the detailed characters of the fantasy sorcerers-in-training, get your kids a book. The characters are so much more developed and so is the entire story line.

6. Princess Diaries

Young adult girls will love the book series by Meg Cabot about the odd-looking school girl from New York who turns out to be a real life princess. The movie series starring Anne Hathaway and Julie Andrews is fun to watch but the books promise so much more! Princess Diaries is more age appropriate for 12 – 13 year olds as it deals with plenty of ‘growing up issues’ too. It is only because the movie is so popular that even the younger girls are so keen on reading these books. If your daughter can handle the movie (dating, kissing, fashion, makeovers) then she can handle the books too. If not, save them for another couple of years.

7. The Naughtiest Girl

The second Enid Blyton book series on this list, The Naughtiest Girl series is a wonderful collection to hand to your daughter. Even girls younger than 8 will love this series. The books are all about a spoilt brat learning the important values of life. They will teach your kids about sharing, loving and making positive contributions to the community (which is the school, for the purpose of the book). The books also paint a fabulous picture of student committees in school and will help your kids take up responsibility in their school life.

8. Amar Chitra Katha

Besides helping our children become good global citizens, we always need to ensure they remain conscious and thankful for their roots. The rich Indian mythology and history has so many colorful tales that young girls cannot help being mesmerized with them. I was introduced to Amar Chitra Katha books through my daughter’s school. She received her first book as a prize for winning a contest. Subsequently, we bought some titles, received some as gifts and the school gave out some more for a ‘personal library collection’.

The Amar Chitra Katha books are extremely diverse in topics and you will be sure to find something of interest for your child. A few each of books on mythology, humor, bravery, fables and Indian leaders will entertain, educate and complete your daughter’s book collection.

9. Panchtantra

There isn’t any specific age to enjoy the classic Indian Panchatantra folk tales really. You might wonder why I am including this particular series in a compilation of book series for young girls. But I think this is the perfect age for children to read these stories on their own and understand the underlying message of each story. Through simple examples of fantasized animals, Pandit Vishnu Sharma unfolds the intricate mysteries of human nature. As little children, they might have laughed at the stories and the wit or foolishness of the animals. But now is the age when kids can go beyond the  obvious and realize how very clever the stories are. This is the age when they can try to adapt the stories to real life situations, draw inspirations from them and grow wiser.

10. The Baby-Sitter’s Club

Girly girls, in the phase of transition from little girls to ‘young adults’ will enjoy ‘The Baby-Sitter’s Club‘ books very much. The series is about a group of friends who run a baby-sitting service in their neighborhood. The stories touch different aspects of a girl’s life like sibling rivalry, conflicts between friends, family problems etc. The books are published in a ‘graphic novel’ format too. These are the ones my daughter loves. They are like comics without missing out on any details from the original books. If your daughter loves the American girl life and enjoys Hollywood children’s movies, this book series is definitely for her!