Despite what pop culture (and screaming tweens on Facebook) might have you think, there are tons of great kid-lit series beyond The Hunger Games, Harry Potter, and Twilight. Start one with the kids tonight to get in on the next megafranchise before it hits the multiplex.
Target Age: 7-10
Gist: The eight-book series follows two fourth graders, George and Harold, who hypnotize their school principal and turn him into a superhero called Captain Underpants. The Captain then does battle with diabolical villains like Wedgie Woman and Bionic Booger Boy. DreamWorks purchased the rights to this series in 2011.
Target age: 8-12
Gist: Clans of thoroughly undomesticated cats stalk, scratch, and bite to defend their territory and hunt for prey. The books (and there are lots) have an elaborately constructed universe including a clan of strays, a clan of spirit cats, a lengthy origin story, and inevitable attempts to avoid contact with humans.
Target age: 14+
Gist: Set in a postapocalyptic future, these books tell the stories of children trying to elude rulers who would turn them into killing machines. Ship Breaker follows Nailer, a teen who scavenges wiring from wrecked oil tankers. Cities chronicles kids caught in a civil war.
Target age: 8-12
Gist: When their grandmother dies, a brother and sister learn that she has given them a choice: Inherit $1 million each or compete against other family members in a great hunt. With just five minutes to decide, the kids choose the hunt (naturally). They end up chasing clues that take them around the world in 11 books.