Hearth & Story Breakfast Serial: A Study Guide for Almost Any Novel Series
There’s something magical about getting lost in a great book series, the kind with characters you root for, worlds you wish you could visit, and cliffhangers that keep you turning pages. Breakfast Serial helps homeschool students of almost any age learn more about the series they love, one book at a time.
Click here to view a flip through video of Breakfast Serial.
This flexible guide is designed for nearly any novel series. Whether your child is devouring Warriors, Beast Quest, Percy Jackson, or another favorite, Breakfast Serial helps them build strong reading habits and talk about books in smart, joyful ways.
Breakfast Serial guides students through the first six books in any series of their choice*. Students begin by picking a series that fits their reading level and interests. After each book, students complete three short, engaging activities that help them notice something new about the series:
- How the world grows and changes from book to book
- How characters develop across multiple books
- How the author uses patterns to build a “series formula”
- How the stakes rise from book to book
- How mood, tone, and themes evolve
These lessons help students read with curiosity and intention without ever interrupting the fun of the story.
As the series continues, students learn to recognize the writing techniques authors use to keep readers hooked. From cliffhangers and plot twists to clues and foreshadowing, Breakfast Serial teaches kids to think like writers and talk about stories in a deeper way.
At the end of Book 6, students review the entire series. They’ll chart the hero’s full character arc, write a brief review, create a fun recommendation poster, and if the series is longer than six books, they’ll analyze whether the series is still worth continuing, an easy and kid-friendly introduction to the idea of the sunk cost fallacy. (Note: Students learn a lot more about logical fallacies in Fifth Grade Brain Food).
Hearth & Story’s Breakfast Serial is a warm, engaging way to help your student grow as a reader while enjoying a series they love!
*Breakfast Serial is designed for use with any novel series that progresses (i.e., in Book 2, the characters remember what happened in Book 1).
Things to Know
Breakfast Serial is "officially" part of Hearth & Story Complete Third Grade because it covers the third grade ELA standard related to reading a series. However, it can be used for a wide ranges of ages. Just choose a novel series at a reading and interest level that works for you!
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