
Gary Paulsen Reading Order
18 series Β· 182 books Β· Born 1939-05-17
Gary Paulsen was a prolific American author who created more than 180 books for young readers, establishing himself as a master of coming-of-age stories rooted in wilderness survival and adventure. His most celebrated works include the Brian Robeson series, featuring a teenager's struggle for survival in the Canadian wilderness, alongside numerous other series that showcase his gift for depicting characters facing nature's challenges. Paulsen's remarkable career spanning five decades earned him the Margaret Edwards Award, recognizing his lasting impact on young adult literature and his ability to captivate teenage readers with authentic, gripping narratives.
Alida Series
Complete3 books (1991β2004)
Start with The Cookcamp and read in order.
Start this series with The Cookcamp
Buy Book 1 πΊπΈπ§ Listen free on Audible| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 | The Cookcamp |
| 2 | Alida's Song |
| 3 | The Quilt |
Anthologies Series
Complete1 book (2003β2003)
| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 | Shelf Life: Stories by the Book |
Brian Robeson Series
Complete5 books (1986β2003)
Start with Hatchet, the first of 5 books in the Brian Robeson series.
Start this series with Hatchet
Buy Book 1 πΊπΈπ§ Listen free on Audible| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 | Hatchet |
| 2 | The River / The Return |
| 3 | Brian's Winter / Winter |
| 4 | Brian's Return / The Call |
| 5 | Brian's Hunt |
Duncan Culpepper Series
Complete30 books (1992β1997)
Start with Amos Gets Famous, the first of 30 books in the Duncan Culpepper series.
Start this series with Amos Gets Famous
Buy Book 1 πΊπΈπ§ Listen free on Audible| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 | Amos Gets Famous |
| 2 | Culpepper's Cannon |
| 3 | Dunc Breaks the Record |
| 4 | Dunc Gets Tweaked |
| 5 | Dunc and the Flaming Ghost |
| 6 | Dunc's Doll |
| 7 | Dunc's Halloween |
| 8 | The Case of the Dirty Bird |
| 9 | Cowpokes and Desperados |
| 10 | Dunc and Amos Hit the Big Top |
| 11 | Dunc and Amos and the Red Tattoos |
| 12 | Dunc and the Haunted Castle |
| 13 | Dunc and the Scam Artists |
| 14 | Dunc's Dump |
| 15 | Dunc's Undercover Christmas |
| 16 | The Wild Culpepper Cruise |
| 17 | Amos and the Alien |
| 18 | Amos's Killer Concert Caper |
| 19 | Coach Amos |
| 20 | Dunc and Amos Meet the Slasher |
| 21 | Dunc and the Greased Sticks of Doom |
| 22 | Prince Amos |
| 23 | Amos Gets Married |
| 24 | Amos Binder, Secret Agent |
| 25 | Amos Goes Bananas |
| 26 | Amos and the Chameleon Caper |
| 27 | Amos and the Vampire |
| 28 | Dunc and Amos Go to the Dogs |
| 29 | Dunc and Amos on Thin Ice |
| 30 | Super Amos |
Francis Tucket Series
Complete5 books (1994β1999)
Start with Mr. Tucket / Chance for Escape, the first of 5 books in the Francis Tucket series.
Start this series with Mr. Tucket / Chance for Escape
Buy Book 1 πΊπΈπ§ Listen free on Audible| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 | Mr. Tucket / Chance for Escape |
| 2 | Call Me Francis Tucket |
| 3 | Tucket's Ride |
| 4 | Tucket's Home |
| 5 | Tucket's Gold |
Lawn Boy Series
Complete2 books (2007β2010)
Start with Lawn Boy and read in order.
Start this series with Lawn Boy
Buy Book 1 πΊπΈπ§ Listen free on Audible| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 | Lawn Boy |
| 2 | Lawn Boy Returns |
Liar, Liar Series
Complete1 book (2014β2014)
| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 | Family Ties |
Lt. Ronnie Gold Series
Complete2 books (1981β1991)
Start with The Sweeper and read in order.
Start this series with The Sweeper
Buy Book 1 πΊπΈπ§ Listen free on Audible| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 | The Sweeper |
| 2 | Clutterkill |
Murphy Series
Complete7 books (1987β1996)
Start with Murphy, the first of 7 books in the Murphy series.
Start this series with Murphy
Buy Book 1 πΊπΈπ§ Listen free on Audible| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 | Murphy |
| 2 | Murphy's Gold |
| 3 | Murphy's Herd |
| 4 | Murphy's War |
| 5 | Murphy's Stand(With: Brian Burks) |
| 6 | Murphy's Ambush(With: Brian Burks) |
| 7 | Murphy's Trail(With: Brian Burks) |
Nightjohn Series
Complete2 books (1993β1997)
Start with Nightjohn and read in order.
Start this series with Nightjohn
Buy Book 1 πΊπΈπ§ Listen free on Audible| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 | Nightjohn |
| 2 | Sarny |
Non-Fiction Series
Complete35 books (1976β2012)
Start with Building a New, Buying an Old, Remodeling a Used Home/Shelter How-to-Do-It Book, the first of 35 books in the Non-Fiction series.
Start this series with Building a New, Buying an Old, Remodeling a Used Home/Shelter How-to-Do-It Book
Buy Book 1 πΊπΈπ§ Listen free on Audible| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 | Building a New, Buying an Old, Remodeling a Used Home/Shelter How-to-Do-It Book |
| 2 | Dribbling, Shooting, and Scoring--Sometimes |
| 3 | Hitting, Pitching, and Running--Maybe |
| 4 | Martin Luther King, the Man Who Climbed the Mountain |
| 5 | The Small Ones |
| 6 | Farm: A History and Celebration of the American Farmer |
| 7 | Riding, Roping, and Bulldogging--Almost |
| 8 | Tackling, Running, and Kicking - Now and Again |
| 9 | Forehanding and Backhanding--If You're Lucky |
| 10 | Hiking and Backpacking |
| 11 | Successful Home Repair |
| 12 | Canoeing, Kayaking, and Rafting |
| 13 | Downhill, Hotdogging, and Cross-Country If the Snow Isn't Sticky |
| 14 | Full of Hot Air / Launching, Floating High and Landing |
| 15 | Pummeling, Falling, and Getting Up Sometimes |
| 16 | Track, Enduro, and Motocross--Unless You Fall Over |
| 17 | Athletics |
| 18 | Ice Hockey |
| 19 | Motor Cycling |
| 20 | Skiing |
| 21 | Tennis |
| 22 | Money Saving Home Repair Guide |
| 23 | Sailing |
| 24 | Beat the System |
| 25 | Woodsong |
| 26 | Eastern Sun, Winter Moon |
| 27 | Madonna Stories |
| 28 | Winterdance: The Fine Madness of Running the Iditarod |
| 29 | Puppies, Dogs, and Blue Northers |
| 30 | My Life in Dog Years |
| 31 | Pilgrimage on a Steel Ride / Zero to Sixty |
| 32 | Caught by the Sea: My Life on Boats |
| 33 | Guts: The True Stories Behind Hatchet and the Brian Books |
| 34 | How Angel Peterson Got His Name and Other Outrageous Tales About Extreme Sports |
| 35 | Father Water, Mother Woods |
Picture Series
Complete4 books (1993β1999)
Start with Dogteam, the first of 4 books in the Picture series.
Start this series with Dogteam
Buy Book 1 πΊπΈπ§ Listen free on Audible| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 | Dogteam |
| 2 | The Tortilla Factory |
| 3 | Work Song |
| 4 | Canoe Days |
Road Trip Series
Complete2 books (2013β2015)
Start with Road Trip and read in order.
Start this series with Road Trip
Buy Book 1 πΊπΈπ§ Listen free on Audible| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 | Road Trip |
| 2 | Field Trip |
Short Story Collections Series
Complete2 books (1998β2011)
Start with All Aboard Stage 5 Traditional Tales and read in order.
Start this series with All Aboard Stage 5 Traditional Tales
Buy Book 1 πΊπΈπ§ Listen free on Audible| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 | All Aboard Stage 5 Traditional Tales |
| 2 | Paintings from the Cave |
Standalone Novels Series
Likely Complete53 books (1968β2022)
Start with Some Birds Don't Fly, the first of 53 books in the Standalone Novels series.
Start this series with Some Birds Don't Fly
Buy Book 1 πΊπΈπ§ Listen free on Audible| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 | Some Birds Don't Fly |
| 2 | The Death Specialists |
| 3 | The Implosion Effect |
| 4 | Winterkill |
| 5 | CB Jockey / The C.B. Radio Caper |
| 6 | The Curse of the Cobra |
| 7 | The Foxman |
| 8 | The Golden Stick |
| 9 | Tiltawhirl John / Tasting the Thunder |
| 10 | The Green Recruit |
| 11 | The Night the White Deer Died |
| 12 | Tracker |
| 13 | Meteorite Track 291 |
| 14 | The Spitball Gang |
| 15 | Compkill |
| 16 | Dancing Carl |
| 17 | Popcorn Days and Buttermilk Nights |
| 18 | Dogsong |
| 19 | Sentries |
| 20 | The Crossing |
| 21 | The Island |
| 22 | Night Rituals |
| 23 | The Voyage of the Frog |
| 24 | The Winter Room |
| 25 | Canyons |
| 26 | Kill Fee |
| 27 | The Monument |
| 28 | A Christmas Sonata |
| 29 | Clabbered Dirt, Sweet Grass |
| 30 | The Haymeadow / The Fourteenth Summer |
| 31 | Sisters/Hermanas |
| 32 | Tasting the Thunder |
| 33 | The Car |
| 34 | The Rifle |
| 35 | The Tent |
| 36 | Ice Race |
| 37 | Soldier's Heart |
| 38 | The Transall Saga / Blue Light |
| 39 | The Beet Fields |
| 40 | The White Fox Chronicles / White Fox |
| 41 | The Time Hackers |
| 42 | The Legend of Bass Reeves |
| 43 | Mudshark |
| 44 | Notes from the Dog |
| 45 | Woods Runner |
| 46 | Masters of Disaster |
| 47 | The Transall Saga(With: Johnny Heller) |
| 48 | This Side of Wild |
| 49 | Fishbone's Song |
| 50 | Six Kids and a Stuffed Cat |
| 51 | Gone to the Woods: Surviving a Lost Childhood |
| 52 | How to Train Your Dad |
| 53 | Northwind |
Tales to Tickle the Funnybone Series
Complete6 books (1990β2006)
Start with The Boy Who Owned the School, the first of 6 books in the Tales to Tickle the Funnybone series.
Start this series with The Boy Who Owned the School
Buy Book 1 πΊπΈπ§ Listen free on Audible| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 | The Boy Who Owned the School |
| 2 | Harris and Me: A Summer Remembered |
| 3 | The Schernoff Discoveries |
| 4 | The Glass Cafe |
| 5 | Molly McGinty Has a Really Good Day |
| 6 | The Amazing Life of Birds: The Twenty-Day Puberty Journal of Duane Homer Leech |
Theory, Practice and Destructive Properties Of...Books Series
Complete4 books (2011β2013)
Start with Flat Broke, the first of 4 books in the Theory, Practice and Destructive Properties Of...Books series.
Start this series with Flat Broke
Buy Book 1 πΊπΈπ§ Listen free on Audible| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 | Flat Broke |
| 2 | Liar, Liar |
| 3 | Crush |
| 4 | Vote |
World Of Adventure Series
Complete18 books (1994β1998)
Start with Escape from Fire Mountain, the first of 18 books in the World Of Adventure series.
Start this series with Escape from Fire Mountain
Buy Book 1 πΊπΈπ§ Listen free on Audible| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 | Escape from Fire Mountain |
| 2 | Rodomonte's Revenge / Video Trap |
| 3 | The Legend of Red Horse Cavern |
| 4 | Captive! |
| 5 | Danger on Midnight River |
| 6 | Hook 'Em Snotty |
| 7 | The Gorgon Slayer |
| 8 | The Rock Jockeys / Devil's Wall |
| 9 | Project: A Perfect World / Perfect Danger |
| 10 | Skydive! |
| 11 | The Seventh Crystal |
| 12 | The Treasure of El Patron / Treasure Ship |
| 13 | Grizzly |
| 14 | The Creature of Black Water Lake |
| 15 | Thunder Valley |
| 16 | Time Benders |
| 17 | Curse of the Ruins |
| 18 | Flight of the Hawk |
Frequently Asked Questions
- How many books has Gary Paulsen written?
- Gary Paulsen has written 182 books across 18 series. Their published works span from 1968 to 2022.
- What is the first book in each Gary Paulsen series?
- Here are the first books in Gary Paulsen's series: Alida: The Cookcamp; Brian Robeson: Hatchet; Duncan Culpepper: Amos Gets Famous; Francis Tucket: Mr. Tucket / Chance for Escape; Lawn Boy: Lawn Boy.
- What order should I read Gary Paulsen's books?
- We recommend reading Gary Paulsen's series in publication order. Each series can be read independently.
- Are Gary Paulsen's series complete?
- Gary Paulsen has 17 completed series.

