The 14 Bestselling Children's Book Series

Which series did you read as a kid? There have certainly been a lot to choose from, over the years, but which series have sold the most copies? Here are the 14 bestselling children’s book series…

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14) Mr Men and Little Miss by Roger Hargreaves

Roger Hargreaves’ world of colourful round, triangular and square characters has graced book shelves for over 50 years! Each character has their own trait – be it Little Miss Chatterbox, who never shuts up, or the ever-accident-prone Mr Bump.

Get one of the books: Mr Tickle, Amazon

Publication years: 1971 – present

Installments: 43

Copies sold: 120 million

13) The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis

C. S. Lewis’ fantasy series follows a young trio of siblings who stumble into the magical world of Narnia – which is inhabited by mythical creatures and talking animals, and ruled over by an evil ice queen.

Get the first book: The Magician’s Nephew, Amazon

Publication years: 1949 – 1954

Installments: 7

Copies sold: 120 million

12) Clifford the Big Red Dog by Norman Bridwell

Offering exactly what it promises in the name, Norman Bridwell’s series follows the antics and adventures of a young dog, who just happens to be gigantic and red! Keep your eyes peeled for the new movie starring Jack Whitehall!

Get the first book here: Clifford the Big Red Dog, Amazon

Publication years: 1963 – 2014

Installments: 80+

Copies sold: 129 million

11) Geronimo Stilton by Elisabetta Dami

Living in New Mouse City, Geronimo is a mouse who just so happens to be a journalist for the Rodent Gazette. Elisabetta Dami’s stories follow Geronimo as he has daring adventures whilst exploring mysteries to cover in his newspaper.

Get one of the books here: The Curse of the Cheese Pyramid, Amazon

Publication years: 2000 – present

Installments: 200+

Copies sold: 140 million

10) American Girl by Various Authors

Children can jump into the past with this book series that follows the lives of different girls living in historic eras in America. Some of the characters live in the 1700s, some live in the 1800s, and some live in the 1900s!

Publication years: 1986 – present

Installments: 140+

Copies sold: 140 million

9) The 23 Tales by Beatrix Potter

Starting with The Tale of Peter Rabbit in 1902, Beatrix Potter’s stories about animals have been synonymous with children’s fiction for over 100 years. From mischievous bunnies who just can’t seem to keep their paws off the farmer’s carrots, through to mice who live in a doll’s house.

Get the first book: The Tale of Peter Rabbit, Amazon

Publication years: 1902 – 1930

Installments: 23

Copies sold: 150 million

8) Little Critter by Mercer Mayer

Mercer Mayer’s bestselling children’s book series follows the life and adventures of Little Critter – a small, dungaree-wearing rodent-like creature – and his family! From going off to camp to visiting the dentist – across 200 installments, there’s not much Little Critter hasn’t done.

Get the first book: Just For You, Amazon

Publication years: 1975 – present

Installments: 200+

Copies sold: 150 million

7) The Railway Series by Rev W Awdry and Christopher Awdry

More commonly known as the Thomas the Tank Engine series, The Railway Series was written by an English reverend and continued by his son. It focuses around talking trains on the island of Sodor, and went on to inspire hugely successful TV series and toy lines.

Get the original stories: Thomas the Tank Engine, Amazon

Publication years: 1945 – 2011

Installments: 42

Copies sold: 200 million

6) Noddy by Enid Blyton

Although Enid Blyton created several children’s series, it’s Noddy that has sold the best throughout history! Carved from wood, Noddy is a doll-like being, who finds himself driving around Toyland in a yellow and red car with his friends Big Ears the gnome and Mr Plod, the policeman.

Get one of the original stories: Noddy Gets Into Trouble, Amazon

Publication years: 1949 – present

Installments: 24

Copies sold: 200 million

5) Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney

Read the diaries and misadventures of pre-teen Greg Heffley as he deals with being unpopular at school, whilst trying to win over his crush. There has been one new book each year since 2007.

Get the first book: Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Amazon

Publication years: 2007 – present

Installments: 15

Copies sold: 250 million

4) Choose Your Own Adventure By various authors

Incredibly popular throughout the 80s and 90s, Choose Your Own Adventure books put the narrative into the hands of the reader. At the end of each page you choose what happens next! To go into the basement, turn to page 14. To run away, turn to page 27. The series covered dozens of different characters, settings and adventures!

Get one of the books here: Space and Beyond, Amazon

Publication years: 1979-1998

Installments: 185

Copies sold: 250 million

3) Berenstain Bears by Stan and Jan Berenstain

Often teaching morals and general safety, the Berenstain Bears follows the adventures and lives of a family of bears who live in a treehouse. There’s the oafish father, the wise mother, and the kids.

Get one of the books here: The Berenstain Bears in the Dark, Amazon

Publication years: 1962 – present

Installments: Over 300

Copies sold: 260 million

2) Goosebumps by R.L. Stine

You couldn’t go into a kid’s bedroom in the 1990s without finding at least one copy of a Goosebumps book! Exploring haunted houses, demonic gnomes, living scarecrows, and murderous ventriloquist dummies, these kiddy horror books scared the crap out of children worldwide, and their popularity was only heightened by the TV series.

Get the first book here: Welcome to Dead House, Amazon

Publication years: 1992 – present

Installments: 62 + spin off series

Copies sold: 350 million

1) Harry Potter by JK Rowling

It probably comes as little surprise that this magical literary giant tops the list of bestselling book series. The series follows an orphaned boy, raised as a muggle, as he learns about his true magical parentage, and is plunged into the wizarding world where both wonder and danger awaits!