Kids Rule the Page and the Screen This Summer

Book series you should read with the big-screen release of Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Captain Underpants

The summer film season is kicking off with not one but two children’s book adaptations hitting the big screen! First up, Diary of Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul just premiered May 19, the fourth film based on the smash hit Diary of a Wimpy Kid book series by Jeff Kinney. Coming June 2nd, Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie will be released, based on The First Epic Novel in the Captain Underpants series by Dav Pilkey. For fans of these blockbusters, we’ve pulled together our list of related book series to fill your summer reading lists.

1. Dork Diaries by Rachel Renee Russell

I like to think of the Dork Diaries series as Diary of a Wimpy Kid for a female audience. Just like Diary of a Wimpy Kid, the series is written as a diary, this time for 14-year-old Nikki Maxwell. The series covers her teenage years, drama and all, while a student at a private middle school filled with wealthy students, where she feels out of place. So far there are eleven books in the series, which has been enjoyed by readers of all ages.

2. The Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger

The Origami Yoda series follows Dwight, a sixth-grader who's thought of as the weird kid. One day he makes an origami Yoda who comes to life, predicting the future and giving him advice. The rest of his class gets word of this and seeks out Yoda for answers to all their questions. Spanning six books, this series is perfect for younger Star Wars fans.

3. Dear Dumb Diary by Jim Benton

In the Dear Dumb Diary series, eighth grader Jamie Kelly writes about her struggles at school and her life in her diary, sometimes fabricating the truth. This series has also been made into a Hallmark movie of the same title, released in 2013.

4. Franny K. Stein, Mad Scientist by Jim Benton

Another series by Jim Benton, this one is all about, as the name says, Franny K. Stein, a kid mad scientist. In the first book, Lunch Walks Among Us, she decides to try a new experiment: fitting in at school. Before that can happen, a monster attacks the class and it's up to her to save the day! Will her classmates end up accepting her for who she is? The rest of the series follows more of her adventures, both in and out of school.

5. Ricky Ricotta by Dav Pilkey

From the same author who brought you Captain Underpants, the Ricky Ricotta series follows a lonely mouse in the town of Squeakyville. When Dr. Stinky creates a robot to destroy the town, things don't go as planned. The robot decides he doesn't want to harm mice and instead wants to escape from Dr. Stinky, but he’ll need Ricky's help, so the two team up to save the city. The series chronicles their adventures together. Filled with action, robots, and outer space, this is definitely a series kids will love.

6. Roscoe Riley Rules by Katherine Applegate

First grader Roscoe Riley seems to always be breaking rules even though he doesn't mean to. In the first book of the series, Never Glue Your Friends to Chairs, Roscoe has a plan to keep his classmates sitting still during a performance. In the second book of the series, Never Swipe a Bully's Bear, Roscoe decides to give a bully a taste of his own medicine. Filled with humor and great for kids, the Roscoe Riley Rules series will keep kids wondering what'll happen next.

7. The Hardy Boys: Secret Files by Franklin W. Dixon

The Hardy Boys: Secret Files series, which ran from 2010 to 2015, features Joe and Frank Hardy as elementary school detectives. Each book follows a single case the two brothers need to solve. Whether it's sabotaged sports equipment, a mystery map, or a missing spork, Frank and Joe are on the case! I absolutely loved reading all the Hardy Boys books I could get my hands on as a kid, and it made me a huge fan of mystery novels.

Do you love Captain Underpants and Diary of a Wimpy Kid? What other series do you think fans of the books should read?  

Read more by Devin B.