12 books · Ages 8–14 · Middle Grade
Lemony Snicket's thirteen-book series treats its readers as intelligent people who can handle darkness, irony, and the possibility that things might not work out. The Baudelaire orphans face escalating disasters with vocabulary, wit, and each other. The series respects children enough to not protect them from the story.

Start at the beginning: The Bad Beginning
This is a sequential series — each book builds on the last. Start with book 1.