7 Children’s Chapter Book Series Turned into Unit Studies
When I was first thrown into the world of homeschooling in 2020, I had no idea where to start. My oldest was just starting pre-K, so I knew we didn’t need anything formal, but I wanted something to use as a guide for me. I started researching curriculum options one day, and I got so overwhelmed that I kicked myself and my boys out the door to get some fresh air. We decided to walk to the little free library nearby and donate a few books we no longer needed.
While there, I found the first book in the Magic Tree House Series. My kiddo proclaimed, “Ooh, a book about dinosaurs! Can we get it, mom?”. I agreed, and we started reading it right when we got home. We loved it! For the first time, my kiddo (5 years old at the time) was focused and excited to listen to a longer book choice. Once we finished, he begged for the next book in the series. And that is where our love of read-alouds and book series started.
Taking our Read-Alouds to the Next Level
Since that day we have discovered various elementary-level chapter book series that we have come to enjoy from multiple genres. While my son is progressing in his reading abilities, he still loves our read-aloud time. There’s just something special about getting to discuss the book events together, answering his questions about the topics, and traveling down the numerous rabbit trails they take us on together.
I used that to my advantage by finding or creating unit studies for some of our favorite elementary chapter book series. This allowed us to dive deeper into the concepts in the books we read and take a multidisciplinary approach to his learning. It also helped to introduce some topics that he will dive deeper into in the future (mainly historical events and figures along with scientific concepts).
Our Favorite Book Series Unit Studies So Far
Here are 7 elementary book series unit studies we have covered so far along with resources we have found to enhance the reading (and learning) experience. I have added the recommended reading age range in case you are looking for books for your child to read themselves:
The Magic Tree House By: Mary Pope Osborne
Reading Age Range: 6-9 Years Old
Number of Books in the Series: 38
Main Subjects/Concepts: Science and History
This series is where it all started. Finding the first one in the Little Free Library near our house seemed like fate because we have been a read-aloud family ever since! The series follow Jack and Annie, siblings from a fictional town in Pennsylvania. They stumble upon a treehouse in the woods near their house and find it filled with books. They discover they can travel to the places and times in the books by simply pointing to the cover and wishing to go there. Eventually, they find out the treehouse belongs to Morgan Le Fay from Camelot, who sends them on various missions throughout the series. They travel to the time of dinosaurs, meet amazing people from history (Like Benjamin Franklin), and witness incredible events (such as the sinking of the Titanic).
Each of these books can be turned into a unit study with a little research to find other resources. Alternatively, you can purchase the “Passport to Adventures” curriculum from The Waldock Way, which provides coloring sheets, journaling pages, copy work, and tons of resource ideas and links for each book. We went this route and loved it! You can also find units and resources on Teachers Pay Teachers for each book.
Please Note: If you have sensitive kiddos, there are some scary parts in the books. For example, they are chased by dinosaurs in the first book, and they are trying to escape the Titanic as it is sinking in another book. Also, they sometimes sneak out of the house without their parents knowing to go to the treehouse. I generally add in an “after they asked for permission from their parents” or omit certain parts when needed.
Zoey and Sassafras By: Asia Citro
Reading Age Range: 6-10 Years Old
Number of Books in the Series: 9
Subjects Covered: Science
This series has, by far, been a favorite for both myself and my son. We are a science-heavy family (I used to teach high school science, so I am a little biased there), but my kids also love to imagine magical worlds and mystical powers. This series is a wonderful combination of both science and magic! The author adds elements that we so desperately need in today’s world: Women (and girls) of color in science fields as MAIN characters. There is so much to love about this series!
Book one introduces you to Zoey and her cat Sassafras as they discover there are magical creatures that live nearby and only Zoey, her mom, and Sassafras can see them. Each book features a new magical creature with a new problem to solve using scientific principles. Zoey keeps a science journal and uses the scientific method to investigate (and usually run experiments) to find the root of the problem.
These books can be used to teach the importance of observation, scientific inquiry, kindness, and compassion. They also include a glossary in the back of scientific terms with kid-friendly definitions. The Zoey and Sassafras website contains numerous printables and activity ideas to go along with each book. Also, you can find a plethora of both free and inexpensive resources on Teachers Pay Teachers for use in your lessons.
Heartwood Hotel By: Kallie George
Reading Age Range: 7-10 Years Old
Number of Books in the Series: 4
Main Subjects Covered: Science
The first book in this series, “A True Home”, was part of our literature curriculum through Blossom and Root. We liked it so much that we decided to get the other 3 books in the series. The first book introduces Mona, an orphaned mouse, as she searches for shelter after a bad storm destroys her home. She stumbles upon the Heartwood Hotel, which is a hidden tree hotel for small animals. She eventually starts working there as a maid, where she encounters all sorts of characters including a jealous red squirrel, a kindhearted badger, a clumsy bear, and ruthless wolves. She shows that even the smallest creatures can show true bravery and perseverance.
The books each take place in a different season, starting with fall in book 1, "A True Home". They cover science topics such as hibernation, the food web, and seasonal changes. They also cover topics such as kindness, compassion, diversity, courage, etc. There are tons of free resources for this series on their website including guides for thoughtful book discussions, art and craft projects, and writing prompts. This book series fit in nicely with our nature study units, and we used reference books (such as the "Explanatorium of Nature" from DK and Julia Rothman's "Nature Anatomy" to dive deeper into the concepts.
Magic Tree House – Merlin Missions By: Mary Pope Osborne
Reading Age Range: 7-10 Years Old
Number of Books in the Series: 27
Main Subjects/Concepts: Science and History depending on the book
Once we finished with the original Magic Tree House series, my son was pretty bummed. He had become so invested in the adventures of Jack and Annie that he didn’t want it to end! Luckily, the same characters take you on more adventures in the Merlin Missions series. These books are a bit longer and more challenging for early readers. They are also a bit more involved with their storylines, which works well for developing readers.
In this series, the sibling duo, Jack and Annie, are sent on missions by Merlin the magician. They meet more historical figures, experience important events in history, learn about animals, etc. However, Merlin Missions also introduces some myths and legends from different cultures. My son enjoyed those books the most. There are also life lessons (like finding the secrets to happiness and courage) sprinkled throughout the series, which I appreciated.
As with the original Magic Tree House series, we used a curriculum from The Waldock Way called Passport to More Adventures to enhance the literature study. This provided tons of extra resources to learn more about the concepts from the books along with copy work, coloring pages, and writing prompts for each book in the series. some scary action parts may not be suitable for sensitive readers. I would recommend pre-reading if your kiddo is younger or sensitive.
Heroes in Training By: Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams
Reading Age Range: 6-9 Years Old
Number of Books in the Series: 18
Main Subjects Covered: Greek Mythology
We picked up the first book in this series from the library, and it ended up launching into a whole unit on Greek Mythology. The series follows 10-year-old Zeus as he discovers that he is a god and must find the other Olympian gods and goddesses to defeat the tyrannical titans and restore balance. Throughout the series, you meet the Olympians as they battle monster and titan foes, find their magical weapons and tools, and discover their purpose.
If you know anything about Greek mythology, you know it’s full of violence, love triangles, death, and chaos. This series puts a kid-friendly twist on the myths and takes some “creative liberties” to tell the tales in a G (sometimes PG) rated light. There is still some violence, so tread carefully if you have sensitive kiddos.
For our Greek mythology unit, we compared the myths in the books to the myths found in multiple reference books (we used Treasury of Greek Mythology from National Geographic, D’aulaires Book of Greek Myths and A Child’s Introduction to Greek Mythology By: Heather Alexander). We also used these Greek mythology coloring pages from Teacherspayteachers, a few worksheets I created (a character profile sheet for each god/goddess and a compare and contrast the book and the reference material page) and the podcast from National Geographic called “Greeking Out”. We both enjoyed it!
Bear Grylls’ Adventure Series By: Bear Grylls
Reading Age Range: 7-10 Years Old
Number of Books in the Series: 12
Main Subjects Covered: Science and Survival
This is a fun series that covers a variety of survival scenarios and life lessons. The main storyline takes place at a summer camp where a mysterious compass transports the person holding it to various locations across the world. Once transported, they must survive an emergency situation with the help of Bear Grylls as their guide. While on their journey, they learn valuable lessons on everything from teamwork and perseverance to conservation and conquering fears. Once they make it through and mysteriously end up back at camp, they pass the compass along to a new person who could use a lesson in life.
We chose to read these books as part of our summer “Survival School” unit study from The Waldock Way. This pre-made unit study included tons of links to videos and extra resources along with a “survival handbook” loaded with more information on survival skills. It also came with some worksheets to use with each book and a survival trivia game. We also used the book “Bear Grylls Adventure Camp” alongside the unit study.
My son really enjoyed learning how to tie various knots, the proper way to build a campfire, how to make a solar still, etc. It was a fun, laid-back way to continue homeschooling into the summer without it feeling like “school”. It was also a great way to spend as much time outside as possible, using skills learned and sparking hours of imaginative play.
Greetings from Somewhere By: Harper Paris
Reading Age Range: 5-9 Years Old
Number of Books in the Series: 10
Main Subjects/Concepts: History and Geography
This is a cute series that follows 8-year-old siblings Ethan and Ella as they travel the world with their travel-writer mom and professor dad. Each new city they come to brings a new mystery for them to solve using observation and problem-solving skills. You also learn a little history and geography about each new place they visit.
We used this book series as a mini-History and Geography unit. We combined it with the Traveling the World unit study from The Waldock Way along with reference books from the library and internet resources. The books are super easy reads, but they piqued the interest of my kiddo to learn more about the locations.
Side Note: One thing I didn’t like about these books was that the kids tended to tell their parents half-truths or sneak away without asking permission. Since we did these as read-alouds, I usually added in my own lines about asking their parents if it was okay. I also used it as a lesson to talk about why asking for permission and telling an adult where you’re going is always important.
Our Love of Reading Aloud Continues
There are so many great books and book series out there that can be turned into wonderful read aloud unit studies. Whether you prefer pre-made unit studies or plan to put together your own, I highly encourage getting feedback from your kiddo to make the learning experience fun, memorable, and tailored to their individual learning styles and interests.
Do you have a favorite unit study based on a children’s book series? Let me know in the comments below!