🎯 Where Should I Start?
ⓘ About D.J. MacHale
The creator, Writer and Producer Donald James Machale who is popularly know as D.J. MacHale grew up in Greenwich, Connecticut where he was born in March 11, 1955. In Greenwich, he finished High School while having several jobs which included poultry farm work where he collected eggs, cleaning the dishes in a steakhouse and he also did engraving of sports trophies. That he did along side other activities like playing football and spending time running track. After high School D.J. MacHale then got his BFA in film production from the after graduating from New York University.At present, he lives with his better half Evangeline and Daughter Keaton in Manhattan Beach, California. Before D.J.
All Book Series by D.J. MacHale
Curse of the Boggin / Surrender the Key
Series opener · book 1 of 3 · published 2016
Static
Series opener · book 1 of 8 · published 2006 Co-authored · Stan Rogow,Walter Sorrells
Survival
Latest in the series · book 8 of 8 · published 2007 Co-authored · Stan Rogow,Walter Sorrells
Voyagers: Escape the Vortex
Book 5 of 6 · published 2016 Anthology · Jeanne DuPrau
The Seventh Element
Latest in the series · book 6 of 6 · published 2016 Anthology · Wendy Mass
Tale of the Sinister Statues
Series opener · book 1 of 20 · published 1995 Anthology · John Peel
The Tale of the Cutter's Treasure
Book 2 of 20 · published 1995 Anthology · David Seidman
The Tale of the Restless House
Book 3 of 20 · published 1995 Anthology · John Peel
The Tale of the Nightly Neighbors
Book 4 of 20 · published 1995 Co-authored · Kathleen Derby
The Tale of the Secret Mirror
Book 5 of 20 · published 1995 Anthology · Brad Strickland
The Tale of the Phantom School Bus
Book 6 of 20 · published 1996 Anthology · Brad Strickland
The Tale of the Ghost Riders
Book 7 of 20 · published 1996 Anthology · John Vornholt
The Tale of the Curious Cat
Book 8 of 20 · published 1996 Anthology · Diana G. Gallagher
The Tale of the Campfire Vampires
Book 11 of 20 · published 1997 Anthology · Clayton Emery
The Tale of the Bad-Tempered Ghost
Book 12 of 20 · published 1997 Anthology · V.E. Mitchell
The Tale of the Souvenir Shop
Book 13 of 20 · published 1997 Anthology · Alice Eve Cohen
The Tale of the Terrible Toys
Book 14 of 20 · published 1998 Anthology · Richard Lee Byers
The Tale of the Ghost Cruise
Book 15 of 20 · published 1998 Anthology · Bobbi J.G. Weiss
The Tale of the Pulsating Gate
Book 16 of 20 · published 1998 Anthology · Diana G. Gallagher
The Tale of the Stalking Shadow
Book 17 of 20 · published 1998 Anthology · Bobbi J.G. Weiss
The Tale of the Egyptian Mummies
Book 18 of 20 · published 1998 Anthology · MarkMitchell
The Tale of the Mogul Monster
Book 19 of 20 · published 1998 Anthology · Bobbi J.G. Weiss
The Tale of the Horrifying Hockey Team
Latest in the series · book 20 of 20 · published 1998 Anthology · K.S. Rodríguez
? Frequently Asked Questions
Who is D.J. MacHale?
The creator, Writer and Producer Donald James Machale who is popularly know as D.J. MacHale grew up in Greenwich, Connecticut where he was born in March 11, 1955. In Greenwich, he finished High School while having several jobs which included poultry farm work where he collected eggs, cleaning the dishes in a steakhouse and he also did engraving of sports trophies.
Which D.J. MacHale series should I start with?
The best place to start is the Are You Afraid of the Dark? series, the earliest of D.J. MacHale's multi-book series: it opens with Tale of the Sinister Statues (1995) and runs to 20 books across 1995–1998, ending with The Tale of the Horrifying Hockey Team (1998). D.J. MacHale's other series stand alone, so they can be read in any order.
How many books has D.J. MacHale written?
D.J. MacHale has 68 books catalogued in this guide, published between 1991 and 2025. 58 of them belong to 10 named series — the largest being the Are You Afraid of the Dark? series with 20 books — and 10 are standalone titles, collections or anthologies.
In what order should D.J. MacHale's series be read?
Read each series in publication order — the numbered entries in each series follow the year each book first appeared. D.J. MacHale's series do not depend on one another, so they can be started in any order; by start date they are Are You Afraid of the Dark? (1995–1998, 20 books), Pendragon (2002–2009, 10 books) and Pendragon Non-Fiction (2005, 1 book), plus 7 more.
How are D.J. MacHale's books organised into series?
This guide splits D.J. MacHale's 68 books into 10 named series and 10 titles that stand alone or appear only in collections: Are You Afraid of the Dark? (20 books, 1995–1998); Pendragon (10 books, 2002–2009); Flight 29 Down (8 books, 2006–2007); Voyagers (6 books, 2015–2016); Pendragon: Before The War (3 books, 2009), plus 5 further series.