Elementary students continue to read below proficiency levels. Principals play a key role in the reading programs at their school. The purpose of this study was to identify perceptions of selected elementary principals and teachers regarding the principal's role in the development, implementation, and continuation of an effective series reading program. Through this study, factors contributing to the success or failure of the principal's role in a series reading program were suggested. A qualitative research design was used with semi-structured interviews to determine the perceptions of principals and teachers regarding the role of the principal in the development, implementation, and continuation of a series reading program. Principals and teachers were interviewed from elementary schools in Alabama and Nevada. The findings from the research provide principals and division leaders a compendium of strategies and themes to be used to implement and continue a successful series reading program. The findings suggest that principals empower and motivate teachers and staff to implement new and continue existing reading programs by modeling it themselves, that principals allocate funding for series reading books to add to the collection of books at the school, and that a principal's literacy background and personal experiences influence the effectiveness of a series reading program. Principals and teachers that indicated reading books in a series was beneficial to struggling readers and students new to learning English (L2), and that the series reading program promoted adult-student relationships supportive of increased reading volume. Implications for school leaders and principals are shared as well as suggestions for future research. / Doctor of Education / The purpose of the study was to identify perceptions of selected elementary principals and teachers regarding the role of the principal in the development, implementation, and continuation of an effective series reading program. Through this study, factors contributing to the success or failure of the principal's role in a series reading program were suggested. Principals and teachers were interviewed from elementary schools in Alabama and Nevada. The findings suggest that principals empower and motivate teachers and staff to implement new and continue existing reading programs by modeling it themselves, that principals allocate funding for series reading books to add to the collection of books at the school, and that a principal's literacy background and personal experiences influence a series reading program. Principals and teachers indicated that reading books in a series was beneficial to struggling readers and students new to learning English (L2), and that the series reading program promoted adult-student relationships supportive of increased reading volume. Implications for school leaders and principals are shared as well as suggestions for future research.