Lois Lowry has published 13 novels, 8 novellas, 2 short story collections, 24 children's books and 3 other books, beginning with A Summer to Die (1977). The series is The Giver Quartet (4 books, starting with The Giver). The best-known is The Giver (1993). The latest is Willoughbys Return (2020).
Updated September 2026
The Giver Quartet books in order (4)Series page
Reading order: 1 The Giver (1993) · 2 Gathering Blue (2000) · 3 Messenger (2004) · 4 Son (2012)
- 1.
The Giver (1993)
- 2.
Gathering Blue (2000)
- 3.
Messenger (2004)
- 4.
Son (Oct 2012)
Where to start with Lois Lowry
Start here
The Giver
Lois Lowry's most-read book and the first of the 4 The Giver Quartet books.
Highest rated
Number the Stars
Rated 4.2 out of 5 by 107 readers.
Newest
Willoughbys Return
Published 2020.
Standalone novels in order
A Summer to Die (1977)
Anastasia Again! (1981)
Anastasia at Your Service (1982)
Anastasia on Her Own (1985)
Woods at the End of Autumn Street (1987)
Literature Guide (1999)
Zooman Sam (1999)
Gossamer (2006)
Willoughbys Return (2020)
Novellas in order
Anastasia Krupnik (1979)
"Anastasia, Ask Your Analyst" (1984)
Anastasia Has the Answers (1986)
All About Sam (1988)
Number the Stars (1989)
Anastasia at This Address (1991)
Anastasia Absolutely (1995)
Gooney Bird Greene (2002)
Short story collections in order
Stay! (1997)
Anastasia Krupnik Stories (2017)
Children's books in order
Find a Stranger, Say Goodbye (1978)
Autumn Street (1980)
Taking Care of Terrific (1983)
Us and Uncle Fraud (1984)
Switcharound (1985)
Rabble Starkey (1987)
Your Move, J.p.! (1990)
Bless This Mouse (1991)
The One Hundredth Thing About Caroline (1991)
Attaboy, Sam! (Sam) (1992)
See You Around, Sam! (1996)
Looking Back (1998)
Number the Stars and Related Readings (2000)
The Silent Boy (2003)
Gooney Bird and the Room Mother (2005)
Gooney the Fabulous (2007)
Shining On (2007)
Gooney Bird Is So Absurd (2008)
The Willoughbys (2008)
Crow Call (2009)
Gooney Bird on the Map (2011)
Like the Willow Tree (2011)
Gooney Bird and All Her Charms (2013)
On the Horizon (2020)
Other books in order
Anastasia (1993)
Windeby Puzzle (2023)
Tree. Table. Book (2024)
Film and TV adaptations
- The Giver (2014)Film · from The Giver
About Lois Lowry
Lois Ann Lowry is an American writer. She is the author of many books for children and young adults, including The Giver Quartet, Number the Stars, the Anastasia series, and Rabble Starkey. She is known for writing about difficult subject matter, dystopias, and complex themes in works for young audiences.
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
Lois Lowry FAQ
- How many books has Lois Lowry written?
- Lois Lowry has published 13 novels, 8 novellas, 2 short story collections, 24 children's books and 3 other books that we list, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read Lois Lowry's books in?
- Read each series in its own order: start The Giver Quartet with The Giver. The other books stand alone and can be read in any order.
- What is Lois Lowry's latest book?
- Willoughbys Return (2020).
- What is Lois Lowry's most famous book?
- The Giver (1993) is Lois Lowry's most widely read book.
- Are Lois Lowry's books connected?
- 4 books belong to 1 series (The Giver Quartet); the other 46 books stand alone.
- Which Lois Lowry books have been adapted?
- 1 book has been adapted for film or TV, including The Giver (film, 2014).
Authors like Lois Lowry
Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers. Last updated September 2026.