Shannon Hale books in order
American author of young adult fantasy and adult fiction
- Born
- 1974
- Country
- United States
- Books
- 58
- Series
- 6
Shannon Hale has published 35 novels, 5 novellas, 1 short story collection, 12 children's books and 5 other books, beginning with The Goose Girl (2003). The 6 series include Princess in Black (13 books, starting with The Princess in Black), The Books of Bayern (4 books, starting with The Goose Girl) and Austenland (3 books, starting with Austenland). The best-known is Real Friends (2017). The latest is The Trick-or-Treating Trouble (2026).
Updated September 2026
Princess in Black books in order (13)Series page
Reading order: 1 The Princess in Black (2014) · 2 The Perfect Princess Party (2015) · 3 The Hungry Bunny Horde (2016) · 4 Takes a Vacation (2016) · 5 The Mysterious Playdate (2017) · 6 The Science Fair Scare (2018) · 7 The Bathtime Battle (2020) · 8 The Giant Problem (2020) · 9 The Case of the Coronavirus (2020) · 10 The Mermaid Princess (2021) · … all 13 below
- 1.
The Princess in Black (2014)
- 2.
The Perfect Princess Party (2015)
- 3.
The Hungry Bunny Horde (2016)
- 4.
Takes a Vacation (2016)
- 5.
The Mysterious Playdate (2017)
- 6.
The Science Fair Scare (2018)
- 7.
The Bathtime Battle (2020)
- 8.
The Giant Problem (2020)
- 9.
The Case of the Coronavirus (2020)
- 10.
The Mermaid Princess (2021)
- 11.
The Prince in Pink (2023)
- 12.
The Kitty Catastrophe (2024)
- 13.
The Trick-or-Treating Trouble (2026)
The Books of Bayern books in order (4)Series page
Reading order: 1 The Goose Girl (2003) · 2 Enna Burning (2004) · 3 River Secrets (2006) · 4 Forest Born (2009)
- 1.
The Goose Girl (Aug 2003)
- 2.
Enna Burning (Aug 2004)
- 3.
River Secrets (Sep 2006)
- 4.
Forest Born (Sep 2009)
Austenland books in order (3)Series page
Reading order: 1 Austenland (2007) · 2 Midnight in Austenland (2012) · 3 Christmas in Austenland (2026)
- 1.
Austenland (May 2007)
- 2.
Midnight in Austenland (2012)
- 3.
Christmas in Austenland (2026)
Ever After High books in order (3)Series page
Reading order: 1 The Storybook of Legends (2013) · 4 Once Upon a Time: A Story Collection (2014) · 5 The Legend of Shadow High (2017)
- 1.
The Storybook of Legends (2013)
- 4.
Once Upon a Time: A Story Collection (2014)
- 5.
The Legend of Shadow High (2017)
Real Friends books in order (3)Series page
Reading order: 1 Real Friends (2017) · 2 Best Friends (2017) · 3 Friends Forever (2021)
- 1.
Real Friends (2017)
- 2.
Best Friends (2017)
- 3.
Friends Forever (2021)
Where to start with Shannon Hale
Start here
Real Friends
Shannon Hale's most-read book and the first of the 3 Real Friends books.
Shortest way in
Princess Academy
One of the most-read, at about 314 pages.
Newest
The Trick-or-Treating Trouble
Published 2026.
Standalone novels in order
Book of a Thousand Days (2007)
The Actor and the Housewife (2009)
Apple White's Story (2013)
Ashlynn Ella's Story (2013)
Briar Beauty's Story (2013)
Ever After High (2013)
Hunter Huntsman's Story (2013)
Madeline Hatter's Story (2013)
A Wonderlandiful World (2014)
Dangerous (2014)
The Unfairest of Them All (2014)
Novellas in order
The Princess in Black and the Science Fair Scare (2018)
The Princess in Black and the Bathtime Battle (2019)
Diana (2020)
Princess in Black and the Giant Problem (2020)
The Princess in Black and the Mermaid Princess (2022)
Short story collections in order
Once Upon a Time (2014)
Children's books in order
Calamity Jack (2010)
Fire and Ice (2014)
The Forgotten Sisters (2015)
The Princess in Black and the Perfect Princess Party (2015)
The Princess in Black and the Hungry Bunny Horde (2016)
The Princess in Black Takes a Vacation (2016)
Truth or Hair (Ever After High) (2016)
The Princess in Black and the Mysterious Playdate (2017)
2 Fuzzy, 2 Furious (2018)
Other books in order
Kind of a Big Deal (2020)
Princess in Black and the Prince in Pink (2023)
Dream on (2025)
Kitty-Corn Club: Parts of Us (Mar 2025)
Film and TV adaptations
- Austenland (2013)Film · from Austenland
About Shannon Hale
Shannon Hale is an American author primarily of young adult fantasy, including the Newbery Honor book Princess Academy and The Goose Girl. Her first novel for adults, Austenland, was adapted into a film in 2013. She is a graduate of the University of Utah and the University of Montana. She has also co-written with her husband, Dean.
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
Shannon Hale FAQ
- How many books has Shannon Hale written?
- Shannon Hale has published 35 novels, 5 novellas, 1 short story collection, 12 children's books and 5 other books that we list, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read Shannon Hale's books in?
- Read each series in its own order: start Princess in Black with The Princess in Black, The Books of Bayern with The Goose Girl and Austenland with Austenland. The other books stand alone and can be read in any order.
- What is Shannon Hale's latest book?
- The Trick-or-Treating Trouble (2026).
- What is Shannon Hale's most famous book?
- Real Friends (2017) is Shannon Hale's most widely read book.
- Are Shannon Hale's books connected?
- 28 books belong to 6 series (Princess in Black, The Books of Bayern, Austenland and Ever After High); the other 30 books stand alone.
- Which Shannon Hale books have been adapted?
- 1 book has been adapted for film or TV, including Austenland (film, 2013).
Authors like Shannon Hale
Christopher Paolini
Also writes children's books and fantasy
Sarah J. Maas
Also writes fantasy and romance
Marissa Meyer
Also writes children's books and science fiction
Jennifer L. Armentrout
Also writes romance and science fiction
Jay Kristoff
Also writes science fiction and fantasy
L. J. Smith
Also wrote children's books and fantasy
Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers. Last updated September 2026.