NAME That Series: Our Favorite Series Named After Their Main Characters

It would be remiss of us to talk about name-titled series without featuring the books that blew the doors off the trend. Jim Kay and Neil Packer bring Harry’s most challenging year of Hogwarts to life in glorious color for the latest illustrated edition in the series. Follow Harry as he faces off against dementors, the Ministry of Magic and the foulest Defense Against the Dark Arts professor Hogwarts has ever had as he tries to warn the Wizarding World of Voldemort’s return.  

Potter may have paved the way, but Percy Jackson follows close behind, beloved by readers of all ages! Explore Greek mythology in the modern age and the origin story of young readers’ favorite demigods with the Percy Jackson and the Olympians boxed set, featuring a special poster by the series’ illustrator! Join Percy and his friends as they discover their heritage and come into their own as children of the Greek Gods, embarking on dangerous quests pitting them against mythological monsters. The adventures continue in Rick Riordan’s subsequent series expanding on the world of Percy Jackson, including the highly anticipated The Sun and the Star: A Nico di Angelo Adventure and Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Chalice of the Gods – plenty of reading to keep you occupied until the Disney+ series comes out! 

The popularity of Percy Jackson led to the creation of Rick Riordan Presents: an imprint dedicated to young reader series based in mythology from around the world – and named after their main characters! Enter Tristan Strong: a young man mourning the loss of his best friend and trying to heal from the tragedy at his grandparents’ farm. Featuring a cast of characters as funny as they are fierce, Tristan, Gum Baby, and the entire MidPass crew will keep readers on their toes and make them laugh out loud as Tristan journeys to reclaim the journal his best friend had written stories in. The entirety of MidPass is in danger when Tristan accidentally rips a chasm into it, and he finds himself in a battle of wit (with Anansi) and brawn (alongside heroes like John Henry and Brer Rabbit). With the entire trilogy out and the adaptation of the first book into a graphic novel, this series is the perfect one to learn about West African gods and Black American Folklore while exploring themes of grief, courage and strength.  

While Roshani Chokshi’s Pandava series has already cemented a place on our shelves and in our hearts, this fully illustrated graphic novel adaptation is shaping up to join its ranks. Chock full of magic, mystery and nonstop adventure, Aru Shah and the End of Time: The Graphic Novel will keep young readers absolutely enthralled! Plus, the final book (Aru Shah and the Nectar of Immortality) is coming in April, so it’s a great time to pick up the entire series (graphic novel version or not) and become friends with Aru as you join her quest to find the reincarnations of the five Pandava brothers from the Hindu epic poem, the Mahabharata, and accompany her on all the adventures that follow! Hurry to catch up on these books, because while you’ll be able to read them until the end of time, the end of the series is coming quickly! 

Every girl wants to grow up to be a vampire hunter, right? …No? Just us at B&N? Well, if you’ve ever gone out and caught fireflies in the summer, you may already be on your way to being a monster slayer. As Serwa Boateng will tell you, some of those fireflies are actually adze: vampire shapeshifters from the forests of Southeastern Ghana. Adze turn people into hulking monsters by slipping into their minds and possessing them, and Serwa’s family is one of many that have been protecting the world from their vampiric influence. Serwa has grown up learning to be a vampire hunter, so it only makes sense that her parents will take her with them on their biggest mission yet, right? Wrong! Instead, Serwa is sent to stay with her aunt and learn how to solve her problems without weapons. But when an adze infiltrates her school, Serwa has to teach her new friends that some things can only be solved with crossbows. Roseanne A. Brown’s middle-grade debut introduces readers to Ghanian folklore, then drops them in the middle of it for an edge-of-your-seat adventure. Crossbow sold separately. 

Amari belongs among the ranks of Harry Potter, Percy Jackson and Artemis Fowl, its magic and adventure full of twists and turns as surprising as they are riveting. We first met Amari when she discovered she was a magician, and she quickly became the friend we all want: fierce, loyal, and caring. The first installment of her story (the 2021 winner of our Childrens and YA Book Awards), Amari and the Night Brothers left us anxiously awaiting the sequel, and returning to our friend in Amari and the Great Game feels a bit like coming home…if home was full of accusations of treachery, keeping secrets from your best friend, and a mysterious (and deadly) game for a League of Magicians to keep it from falling into the wrong leader’s hands. With the entire fate of magician-kind and her brother’s life in her hands, Amari’s second chapter of her epic story has us tip-tapping our toes for book three to resolve the cliffhanger that has us on the edge of…well…a cliff.  

It’s hard to think of a kid who didn’t ever wish that unicorns were real, but we imagine that those who didn’t wish for it don’t understand the fierceness of unicorns. So, our friend Skandar is here to convince every young reader (and young-at-heart reader) that unicorns aren’t just the rainbow, glittery mythical creatures we’re used to. No, in Skandar’s world, unicorns are bloodthirsty creatures who are extremely dangerous if they aren’t bonded to a rider, and Skandar’s dream is to become a respected unicorn rider and compete in the Chaos cup. There’s only one problem: after he’s bonded with his unicorn, he learns an even greater danger is afoot — and it’s up to them to stop it. This adventure of epic proportions will inspire a new generation of unicorn lovers and delight readers of all ages.  

From Captain Underpants to Dog Man and now to Cat Kid, Dav Pilkey is known for his laugh-out-loud stories of characters with non-traditional names, and these series most certainly follow the patterns of all the other books on this list, keeping even the most reluctant readers captivated. Prepare for your imagination to run wild and for your vocabulary to expand with Pilkey’s hilarious and witty stories that are sneakily educational. Cat Kid’s newest adventure explores creativity, collaboration, independence and empathy, and readers will be delighted by this newest addition to the adventures of Cat Kid and his Comic Club! Be sure to join Cat Kid when he rejoins Dog Man for their upcoming adventure, Twenty Thousand Fleas Under the Sea! 

Tae Keller first captured our hearts with When You Trap a Tiger and then again with Jennifer Chan is Not Alone, so, when we found out she had a new series, we were ecstatic! Mihi Whan Park is sure to be the best friend to anyone who adores fairy tales because she, too, loves them. But as much as she wants to be a princess, she’s been told time and time again that she’s not the princess type. When she finally gets the chance to live out her dreams, she and her friends discover that it’s not all it’s cracked up to be. Now she must decide whether to chase after her dreams of royalty or to return home with her friends. Mihi Ever After is a sweet and timeless tale of friendship, belonging, and adventure, certain to captivate fans of happily ever afters, whether they be found in a glimmering palace, a group of friends, or – in our case – a well-stocked bookstore. 

Ok, so “Wimpy Kid” isn’t technically a name, but the nickname has been so synonymous with Greg Heffley that we just had to include it! Even at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, we’ve definitely heard them call it the Wimpy Kid balloon before they mentioned Greg’s real name. So, while the books might not be “Diary of Greg Heffley,” we’ve added this highly acclaimed series to the list. The newest installment of the series is Diper Överlöde, the 17^th (WOW) book that finds Greg Heffley on tour with his brother’s band, Löded Diper. Greg soon learns that rock ‘n’ roll life isn’t as glamorous as it sounds, and fans of the series (and friends of Greg) won’t want to miss this newest book!