Joanna Cole books in order
American children's books author
- Lived
- 1944–2020
- Country
- United States
- Books
- 68
- Series
- 2
Joanna Cole published 8 novels, 2 novellas, 1 short story collection, 51 children's books, 1 poetry collection and 5 other books, beginning with Best Loved Folktales of the World (1982). The 2 series include The Gator Girls (4 books, starting with The Gator Girls) and Monster (3 books, starting with Monster Manners). The best-known is Bony-legs (1983).
Updated September 2026
The Gator Girls books in order (4)Series page
Reading order: 1 The Gator Girls (1995) · 2 Rockin' Reptiles (1997) · 3 Get Well, Gators (1998) · 4 Gator Halloween (1999)
- 1.
The Gator Girls (1995)
- 2.
Rockin' Reptiles (1997)
- 3.
Get Well, Gators (1998)
- 4.
Gator Halloween (1999)
Monster books in order (3)Series page
Reading order: 1 Monster Manners (1985) · 2 Monster Movie (Lucky Star) (1987) · 3 Monster Valentines (1990)
- 1.
Monster Manners (1985)
- 2.
Monster Movie (Lucky Star) (1987)
- 3.
Monster Valentines (1990)
Where to start with Joanna Cole
Start here
Bony-legs
Joanna Cole's most-read book.
Standalone novels in order
This Is the Place for Me (1986)
Magic School Bus At the First Thanksgiving (2006)
Novellas in order
The Magic School Bus Lost in the Solar System (Sep 1994)
Short story collections in order
The Magic School Bus and the Climate Challenge (2010)
Children's books in order
Fleas (1973)
Plants in Winter (1973)
Bony-legs (1983)
Cars and How They Go (1983)
The Clown-Arounds Go on Vacation (1983)
How You Were Born (1984)
Hungry, Hungry Sharks (1986)
The Magic School Bus at the Waterworks (1986)
Inside the Earth (Magic School Bus) (1987)
Norma Jean, Jumping Bean (1987)
The Missing Tooth (1988)
Anna Banana (1989)
Bully Trouble (1989)
The Magic School Bus Inside the Human Body (1989)
Who Put the Pepper in the Pot? (1989)
Miss Mary Mack and Other Children's Street Rhymes (1990)
My Puppy Is Born (Reading Rainbow Book) (1991)
The Magic School Bus on the Ocean Floor (1992)
Your Insides (1992)
Six Sick Sheep (1993)
The Magic School Bus (1994)
Why Did the Chicken Cross the Road? (1994)
Hello Out There (1995)
Ready, Set, Read-- and Laugh! (1995)
Gets All Dried Up (1996)
Riding Silver Star (1996)
The Magic School Bus Inside a Beehive (1996)
The Magic School Bus and the Electric Field Trip (The Magic School Bus #9) (1997)
The Magic School Bus Plays Ball (1997)
The Rain or Shine Activity Book (1997)
Expedition Down Under (1998)
Marbles (1998)
The Magic School Bus Explores the Senses (1998)
Fun on the Run (1999)
Spider's Lunch (1999)
The Search for the Missing Bones (1999)
The Truth About Bats (1999)
Explores the World of Animals (Magic School Bus) (2000)
Space Explorers (2000)
The Magic School Bus Gets All Fired Up: Fire Safety Story (Magic School Bus) (2000)
The Wild Whale Watch (2000)
Insect Invaders (2001)
When Mommy and Daddy Go to Work (2001)
Ms. Frizzle's Adventures: Medieval Castle (2002)
I'm a Big Brother (2004)
Lost in the Snow (2004)
My Big Boy Potty (2004)
My Big Girl Potty Lap Edition (2004)
My Friend the Doctor (2005)
The Magic School Bus and the Science Fair Expedition (The Magic School Bus #11) (2006)
Teacher's Pets (2014)
Poetry in order
A New Treasury of Children's Poetry (1984)
Other books in order
Best Loved Folktales of the World (1982)
Parents Book of Toilet Teaching (1983)
Asking About Sex and Growing Up (1988)
Magic School Bus:Goes to Seed(Fun Kit (1996)
The Magic School Bus Explores the Rainforest (1997-05-04) (1997)
Film and TV adaptations
- The Magic School Bus Rides AgainTV · from The Magic School Bus
About Joanna Cole
Joanna Cole was an American author of children's books, best known as the author of the Magic School Bus series, which is illustrated by Bruce Degen and has sold more than 93 million copies in 13 countries. Cole wrote more than 250 books in total.
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Joanna Cole FAQ
- How many books has Joanna Cole written?
- Joanna Cole published 8 novels, 2 novellas, 1 short story collection, 51 children's books, 1 poetry collection and 5 other books that we list, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read Joanna Cole's books in?
- Read each series in its own order: start The Gator Girls with The Gator Girls and Monster with Monster Manners. The other books stand alone and can be read in any order.
- What is Joanna Cole's last book?
- The Magic School Bus and the Climate Challenge (2010).
- What is Joanna Cole's most famous book?
- Bony-legs (1983) is Joanna Cole's most widely read book.
- Are Joanna Cole's books connected?
- 7 books belong to 2 series (The Gator Girls and Monster); the other 61 books stand alone.
- Which Joanna Cole books have been adapted?
- 1 book has been adapted for film or TV, including The Magic School Bus (as The Magic School Bus Rides Again, TV).
Authors like Joanna Cole
Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers. Last updated September 2026.