Shannon Messenger’s “Keeper of the Lost Cities”: This is a story about a girl who struggles to find her place in the world. She’s labeled as a prodigy in San Diego until she discovers that she’s actually an elf. When she’s thrown into another world, she has to figure out how to fit in while uncovering a devious enemy plot at the same time. This is one of my favorite series, and I would recommend this if you enjoy reading about characters that have supernatural abilities. The characters are very well developed and there is such a great variety of personalities that everyone would have a favorite.
Erin Hunter’s “Warriors” series: This series revolves around the world from a cat’s point of view. There are clans of cats that live in the forest, by rivers, in the marshes, and on the plains, each an enemy of the other. Each series follows a different cat in each clan, giving you a wide spectrum of points of views. There are many arcs in the series, and each arc has a different continuous plot, which is something enjoyable for big fans of the series. I enjoyed reading this series because of the adventure it holds, and I would recommend this series to anyone who loves animals and enjoys reading about rivalry and relationship struggles among large groups of individuals.
Kim Engelmann’s Joona Trilogy: Joona is a legendary land where a huge swan named Laurel has power and aims to bring peace to the land. This trilogy follows a group of kids as they follow Laurel to Joona in attempts to defeat rebellious swans that want control over the land. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading fantasy, since the setting of this book is in another world with more magic and adventure than reality allows. I enjoyed reading this series because I admired the children’s bravery and courage to save a beloved world that was not their own.
Hester Velmans’s “Isabel of the Whales” series: I enjoyed this series as a child because the main character had the ability to turn into a whale. With that in mind, this series follows a girl who deals with a strange attraction with the ocean, and when she realizes she’s able to turn into a whale, we follow her journey to find a way to turn back into a human. As she finds her way through the ocean, she discovers more of her mysterious past, her identity as a human being, and her role in the world as a friend to the whales and as a daughter. I would recommend this series to anyone who enjoys deep relationship discoveries and any animal lovers out there.
Wanda E. Brunsetter’s Always Trouble Somewhere series: Brunsetter’s series follow a girl named Rachel Yoder, an Amish girl living in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. She’s an elementary girl, and we see as she struggles with arguments against her brother, finding new friends, and hiding secrets behind her parents’ backs, all the while performing her familial roles around the house as a daughter. I enjoyed this series as a child because Rachel had been the same age as me, making her problems very relatable and understandable to read. Since this series is about growing up, I would recommend this series to elementary children who would like to practice enhancing their reading skills by reading something they enjoy.
Candlelight Writings 