Dave Barry Reading Order
9 series · 63 books · Born July 3, 1947
Dave Barry is a celebrated American author known for his sharp wit and humor, particularly in the realms of parody and comedic fiction. With a prolific career spanning from 1983 to 2025, he has penned 63 books across nine series, including the notable "Peter and the Starcatchers" and "Never Land." In addition to his humorous novels, Barry has also explored non-fiction and various other genres, making a significant impact on American literature.
Anthologies Series
Complete6 books (1993–2013)
Start with Florida Stories, the first of 6 books in the Anthologies series.
| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 |  Florida Stories 1993Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 2 |  Naked Came the Manatee 1997Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 3 | The Putt at the End of the World 2000Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 4 | Baseball As America Seeing Ourselves Through Our National Game 2002Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 5 | The New Treasury of Great Humorists 2010Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 6 |  Hard Listening: The Greatest Rock Band Ever (of Authors) Tells All 2013Buy 🇺🇸 |
Children's Series
Complete1 book (2017–2017)
| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 |  Walt Disney's Peter Pan(With: Ridley Pearson) 2017Buy 🇺🇸 |
Class Trip/The Worst Series
Complete2 books (2015–2016)
Start with The Worst Class Trip Ever and read in order.
Never Land Series
Complete3 books (2006–2008)
Start with Escape from the Carnivale and read in order.
Non-Fiction Series
Ongoing36 books (1983–2025)
Start with The Taming of the Screw, the first of 36 books in the Non-Fiction series.
| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 |  The Taming of the Screw 1983Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 2 |  Babies and Other Hazards of Sex 1984Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 3 |  Dave Barry's Bad Habits: A 100% Fact-Free Book 1985Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 4 |  Dave Barry's Stay Fit and Healthy Until You're Dead 1985Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 5 |  Claw Your Way to the Top 1987Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 6 |  Dave Barry's Greatest Hits 1988Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 7 |  Homes and Other Black Holes 1988Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 8 |  Dave Barry Slept Here: A Sort of History of the United States 1989Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 9 | Dave Barry Turns Forty 1990Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 10 |  Dave Barry Talks Back 1991Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 11 |  Dave Barry's Only Travel Guide You'll Ever Need 1991Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 12 |  Dave Barry Does Japan 1992Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 13 |  Dave Barry Is Not Making This Up 1994Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 14 |  Dave Barry's Gift Guide To End All Gift Guides 1994Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 15 | The World According to Dave Barry 1994Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 16 |  Dave Barry's Complete Guide to Guys 1995Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 17 |  Dave Barry in Cyberspace 1996Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 18 |  Dave Barry is from Mars and Venus 1997Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 19 |  Dave Barry's Book of Bad Songs 1997Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 20 |  Dave Barry Turns Fifty 1998Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 21 |  Dave Barry Is Not Taking This Sitting Down 2000Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 22 |  Dave Barry Hits Below the Beltway 2001Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 23 |  My Teenage Son's Goal In Life Is To Make Me Feel 3,500 Years Old 2001Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 24 |  The Greatest Invention In The History Of Mankind Is Beer 2001Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 25 |  Boogers are My Beat: More Lies, But Some Actual Journalism 2003Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 26 |  Dave Barry's Money Secrets: Why is There a Giant Eyeball on the Dollar? 2006Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 27 |  Dave Barry on Dads 2007Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 28 |  Dave Barry's History of the Millennium 2007Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 29 | I'll Mature When I'm Dead 2010Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 30 |  You Can Date Boys When You're Forty 2014Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 31 |  Live Right and Find Happiness 2015Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 32 |  Best. State. Ever. 2016Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 33 |  For This We Left Egypt?(With: Alan Zweibel,Adam Mansbach) 2017Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 34 | A Field Guide to the Jewish People(With: Alan Zweibel,Adam Mansbach) 2019Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 35 |  Lessons From Lucy 2019Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 36 | Class Clown 2025Buy 🇺🇸 |
Peter and the Starcatchers Series
Complete5 books (2004–2011)
Start with Peter and the Starcatchers, the first of 5 books in the Peter and the Starcatchers series.
Ridley Pearson Children's Series
Complete1 book (2017–2017)
| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 | Walt Disney's Peter Pan(With: Ridley Pearson) 2017Buy 🇺🇸 |
Standalone Novels Series
Likely Complete8 books (1999–2023)
Start with Big Trouble, the first of 8 books in the Standalone Novels series.
Troll Target Series
Complete1 book (1997–1997)
| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 |  Together: How We Belong 1997Buy 🇺🇸 |
Frequently Asked Questions
- How many books has Dave Barry written?
- Dave Barry has written 63 books across 9 series. Their published works span from 1983 to 2025.
- What is the first book in each Dave Barry series?
- Here are the first books in Dave Barry's series: Anthologies: Florida Stories; Class Trip/The Worst: The Worst Class Trip Ever; Never Land: Escape from the Carnivale; Non-Fiction: The Taming of the Screw; Peter and the Starcatchers: Peter and the Starcatchers.
- What order should I read Dave Barry's books?
- We recommend reading Dave Barry's series in publication order. Each series can be read independently.
- Is Dave Barry still writing new books?
- Yes, Dave Barry has 1 ongoing series: Non-Fiction.