The Percy Jackson series is one of the most popular middle grade series on the market right now. The series is more popular with the boys (while also popular with girls) and I see a copy every day when I substitute in middle school classrooms. The first novel was recently made into a movie.
The series follows Percy Jackson, a boy who finds out that his father is one of the Greek Gods his fellow demigod Annabeth and his Satyr friend Grover. In each book he goes on an adventure and fights various mythological monsters. Many of the stories mirror the stories in more famous works (such as the Odyssey) that kids will read in school and will spur interest in the original tales and research on the monsters themselves.
This series works as a great read aloud (although you may want to keep google handy so you can show your child pictures of the monsters) and is great for advanced readers. Unlike the Harry Potter books which become more difficult with each book in the series (often causing younger readers to give up on the series) these books are all at the same reading level. Scholastic lists the books at a fifth grade reading level. The books are appropriate as a read aloud for second grade and up. There is fantasy fighting and monsters. There is a hint of romance but nothing that would put off a young child.
My 10yr old Loves this series. He has re-read some of them.
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