Michael Morpurgo books in order
British children's writer
- Born
- 1943
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Books
- 107
Michael Morpurgo has published 17 novels, 8 novellas, 9 short story collections, 61 children's books, 2 poetry collections and 10 other books, beginning with Friend or Foe (1977). The best-known is Kensuke's Kingdom (2019). The latest is The Day the World Stopped Turning (2019).
Updated September 2026
Where to start with Michael Morpurgo
Start here
Kensuke's Kingdom
Michael Morpurgo's most-read book.
Shortest way in
The Butterfly Lion
One of the most-read, at about 125 pages.
Newest
The Day the World Stopped Turning
Published 2019.
Standalone novels in order
Twist of Gold (1983)
Why the Whales Came (1985)
Waiting for Anya (1990)
The Ghost of Grania O'Malley (1996)
The Sleeping Sword (2002)
Alone on a Wide, Wide Sea (2006)
Running Wild (2009)
Sparrow (2012)
Listen to the Moon (2014)
An Eagle in the Snow (2015)
My Father Is a Polar Bear (2015)
The Giants Necklace (2016)
Hee-Haw Hooray! (2017)
Flamingo Boy (2018)
In the Mouth of the Wolf (2018)
Kensuke's Kingdom (2019)
The Day the World Stopped Turning (2019)
Novellas in order
Jigger's Day Off (1990)
Martians at Mudpuddle Farm (Jets) (1992)
The Wreck of the Zanzibar (1995)
The Butterfly Lion (1996)
Billy the Kid (2000)
The Last Wolf (Jan 2002)
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (Oct 2004)
Our Jacko (2018)
Short story collections in order
The White Horse of Zennor and Other Stories (1982)
The Marble Crusher (1992)
Ghostly Haunts (1994)
Beyond the Rainbow Warrior (1995)
From Hereabout Hill (2000)
Singing for Mrs. Pettigrew (2006)
Wild at Heart (2008)
Michael Morpurgo Christmas Stories (2012)
Greatest Magical Stories (2017)
Children's books in order
It Never Rained (1974)
Friend or Foe (1977)
War Horse (1982)
Little Foxes (1984)
Tom's Sausage Lion (1986)
Conker (1987)
King of the Cloud Forests (1987)
My Friend Walter (1988)
Mossop's Last Chance (Jan 1990)
And Pigs Might Fly (Jets) (1991)
The Sandman and the Turtles (1991)
King in the Forest (1993)
The War of Jenkins' Ear (1993)
The Dancing Bear (Young Lion Storybook) (1994)
Escape from Shangri-La (1998)
Joan of Arc (1998)
Wartman (1998)
Jo-Jo the Melon Donkey (1999)
Wombat Goes Walkabout (1999)
Dear Olly (2000)
Who's a Big Bully Then (2000)
Cool! (2001)
Of Lions and Unicorns (2001)
Mr Skip (2002)
Out of the Ashes (Jul 2002)
Cool as a Cucumber (2003)
Gentle Giant (2003)
Private Peaceful (2003)
Little Albatross (2004)
The Nine Lives of Montezuma (2004)
Best Christmas Present in the World (2005)
Born to Run (2005)
Fox Friend (2005)
I Believe in Unicorns (2005)
War (2005)
On Angel Wings (2006)
Black Queen (Jan 2006)
Hansel And Gretel (2008)
Kaspar: Prince of Cats (2008)
This Morning I Met A Whale (2008)
The Best of Times (2009)
An Elephant in the Garden (2010)
Shadow (2010)
The McElderry Book of Aesop's Fables (2010)
Little Manfred (2011)
Long Way Home (2011)
A Medal for Leroy (2012)
Homecoming (2012)
Kaspar the Titanic Cat (2012)
Not Bad For A Bad Lad (2012)
Outlaw (2012)
Mr Nobody's Eyes (Oct 2012)
Meeting Cezanne (2013)
Only Remembered (2014)
Best Mates (2015)
Clare and Her Captain (2015)
Such Stuff (2016)
The Fox and the Ghost King (2016)
Alien Invasion (2017)
Cock-a-doodle-doo (2017)
Toto (Sep 2017)
Poetry in order
Because a Fire Was in My Head (2001)
Where My Wellies Take Me (2012)
Other books in order
Myths and Legends (2018)
Poppy Field (2018)
Snowman (2018)
Carnival of the Animals (2021)
When Fishes Flew (2021)
Barney the Horse and Other Tales from the Farm (2022)
There Once Is a Queen (2022)
Boy Who Would Be King (2023)
Tales from Shakespeare (2023)
Shadow by Michael Morpurgo
Film and TV adaptations
- War Horse (2011)Film · from War Horse
- Waiting for Anya (2020)Film · from Waiting for Anya
- Private Peaceful (2012)Film · from Private Peaceful
- Kensuke's Kingdom (2023)Film · from Kensuke's Kingdom
About Michael Morpurgo
Sir Michael Andrew Bridge Morpurgo is an English book author, poet, playwright, and librettist who is known best for children's novels such as War Horse (1982). His work is noted for its "magical storytelling", for recurring themes such as the triumph of an outsider or survival, for characters' relationships with nature, and for vivid settings such as the Cornish coast or the trenches of the First World War. Morpurgo was the third Children's Laureate, from 2003 to 2005, and is President of BookTrust, a children's reading charity.
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
Michael Morpurgo FAQ
- How many books has Michael Morpurgo written?
- Michael Morpurgo has published 17 novels, 8 novellas, 9 short story collections, 61 children's books, 2 poetry collections and 10 other books that we list, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read Michael Morpurgo's books in?
- Publication order is a safe choice; the full list is above. Most readers start with Kensuke's Kingdom.
- What is Michael Morpurgo's latest book?
- The Day the World Stopped Turning (2019).
- What is Michael Morpurgo's most famous book?
- Kensuke's Kingdom (2019) is Michael Morpurgo's most widely read book.
- Which Michael Morpurgo books have been adapted?
- 4 books have been adapted for film or TV, including War Horse (film, 2011), Waiting for Anya (film, 2020), Private Peaceful (film, 2012) and Kensuke's Kingdom (film, 2023).
Authors like Michael Morpurgo
Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers. Last updated September 2026.