The Riley Reynolds Series

Riley is a non-binary 4th grader, and each book is approximately 60 pages long. Each book begins with a comic panel-style introduction of Riley and some “lingo” from Mx. Aude related to LGBTQ verbiage, pronouns, etc.

What works well for this series is that it’s not about Riley coming out, discovering themself, overcoming bullying, etc. It’s just about Riley being a normal kid and doing things that other chapter book characters do.

Riley Reynolds Takes Care of Business

In this chapter book–which I think might be the first in the series—Riley and their parents are dog-sitting for their wealthier cousins. The dog they are watching, Wallace, is a big Beethoven sort of dog. This leads to some fun antics with bathing after Wallace digs through the trash. The chapters are text-based, large on the page and very hi-lo friendly, and each chapter ends with a sort of comic panel of the events of the chapter, quick and easy and still engaging but not interwoven like other chapter books for this age.

Riley Reynolds Crushes Costume Day

It’s Book Character Day at School, and Riley and their friends work to pick out characters and create sustainable costumes using thrift store finds, supplies at home, etc. Riley and their core group of friends end up going as the characters from Prince and Knight, and we get good representation from classic and newer literature for young people.

Riley Reynolds Rocks the Park

Riley and their friends are playing at a community park named after the Hernandez Family, and meet some kids playing 4 Square. They befriend these cool older kids and learned the Hernandezes were their grandparents who weren’t rich but really cared for the community, and then they have a sort of park cookout. This is the most boring of the books in the series, in my opinion.

Riley Reynolds Glitterfies the Gala

There’s a fundraiser at the library, and Riley’s dad is the illustrator of a big dragon book, which is fun because the author is very reclusive, but ends up coming to the party and buying the handpainted poster of the book cover to donate to the library. I didn’t love that a subplot of this book is Riley being scared to talk to the librarian because of an overdue book, because don’t teach kids to fear libraries, but it turns out the book wasn’t even overdue–Riley leant it to a friend who already returned it.

Riley Reynolds Slays the Play

It’s school play time, and the 4th graders are doing a dog-based show. Riley is on the sets crew with their dad and painting, and ends up helping people prepare for the show, getting their costumes ready, practicing lines, etc. A pretty run of the mill kids chapter book plot line these days.

Riley Reynolds Pumps up the Party

Riley’s friend Marco is having a birthday party, and we follow the kids as they play different games, including an egg race, and make homemade ice cream.

Riley Reynolds Conquers Spring Cleaning

Riley decides to host a stoop sale that turns into a full block yard sale for the community in this chapter book that’s good for talking about sustainability and community building.

Riley Reynolds Slides into Summer

In the final book, and I say that because it feels like a full year closure, Riley and their family get ready for the annual family reunion-style cookout and softball match, and learn to make the weird family recipe that it turns out not that many people like. It’s got a 4th of July tie-in as well.