New Series for Elementary Grade Readers

Spring is bursting forth with new buds, birds and books!  We’ve got some new series and stand-alone titles by popular authors for those emerging readers who have been working hard all year in school  and are ready for chapter books full of mystery, humor, fantasy and fun! 

Big Bad Detective Agency by Bruce Hale (120 pages).  More than a fractured fairy tale, this is a mystery based on the Three Little Pigs. The Big Bad Wolf has been unjustly accused of ransacking cottages and teams up with a fourth Little Pig  to clear his name. Hale is author of the tongue-in-cheek Chet Gecko mystery series for children (Hiss Me Deadly, From Russia with Lunch).

Emma and the Blue Genie by Cornelia Funke (90 pages)  Best known in the U.S. for her popular juvenile Inkheart novels, Funke earlier penned this tale of a young girl who discovers a bottle with –abracadabra! - a genie inside it.  Unfortunately this genie has had his wishing-granting nose ring stolen by the evil genie Sahim.  Emma, her dog Tristan, and Karim (who still retains some magic) head via flying carpet for Barakash, where Sahim now rules, to recover the nose ring and free the city's caliph and citizens. A fast paced adventure with exotic yet familiar tropes to introduce readers to Arabian folklore and fantasy.

Rescue on the Oregon Trail by Kate Messner (125 pages).  A time-traveling golden retriever named Ranger stars in this magic-tinged first book in the Ranger in Time series. While digging in his yard for a bone, Ranger finds a first aid kit that is actually a time travelling device.  Transported back in time to the Oregon Trail during the 1850's, Ranger joins and helps a family heading west on the historic route.  Possessed with both human and animal wisdom, Ranger is torn between his new pioneer family and his original owner.  However, we can be sure that Ranger will be travelling to other times and saving those in need.

Lucy Longwhiskers Gets Lost by Daisy Meadows (112 pages). What could be more attractive to young girls who like to read about Rainbow Fairies?  Magic Animal Friends, of course.  Meadows, the author the hugely popular Rainbow Magic Fairy series, now gives us a somewhat simpler chapter book series following the adventures in the Friendship Forest of both humans and animals.  Another sweet  (but not magical) animal series newly published here in the U.S. is the Pet Rescue series by Holly Webb.

Public School Superhero by James Patterson (273 pages).  For elementary school fans of JamesPatterson’s I Funny & Middle School the Worst Years of my Life, a new antihero : Stainless Steel!  In real life, 6th grader Kenny Wright attends an inner-city school with all its attendant problems, but his unflagging imagination gives him the super powers to deal with the usual middle school issues and then some.  Periodic comic pages and strips keep the mood upbeat.

The Witch series by Ruth Chew (120 pages).  This mildly scary series, originally written in the 1970s, has been reissued with attractive updated covers and illustrations.  Each story involves different pair of children as they encounter magic in their everyday lives and ultimately a not too frightening witch. 

Secrets Beneath the Sea by Janet Gurtler (284 pages).  Four “Tails” in one book.  In the Mermaid Kingdom, three young mermaid girls have the same problems as their land based counterparts.  Issues of friendship, loyalty and secrets help elevate this light series while engaging readers who think mermaids are just as splendid as princesses.