🎯 Where Should I Start?
ⓘ About Kate Messner
An American author of much repute, the writer and speaker Kate Messner has been writing for a number of years now, with her unique brand of witty and insightful novels, having created global bestsellers on numerous occasions. Appreciated both nationally and internationally, she has also achieved critical acclaim, as well as commercial with her award winning books being nominated and gaining plaudits a number of times. Speaking at events such as the prestigious Ted in 2012 as well, she is no stranger to the stage and public speaking either, with her giving a number of talks across America, all whilst continuing to write her many historical, mystery and children’s novels for an ever eager public.
All Book Series by Kate Messner
Fergus and Zeke and the Great Farm Field Trip
Latest in the series · book 6 of 6 · published 2024
Marty McGuire Has Too Many Pets!
Latest in the series · book 3 of 3 · published 2014
Champlain and the Silent One
Latest in the series · book 2 of 2 · published 2008
Sea Monster And The Bossy Fish
Latest in the series · book 2 of 2 · published 2013
Real Revision: Authors' Strategies to Share with Student Writers
Book 6 of 7 · published 2023
59 Reasons to Write: Mini-Lessons, Prompts, and Inspiration for Teachers
Latest in the series · book 7 of 7 · published 2023
Dr. Fauci: How a Boy from Brooklyn Became America's Doctor
Book 7 of 14 · published 2021 Co-authored · Alexandra Bye
The Scariest Kitten in the World
Book 10 of 14 · published 2023 Co-authored · MacKenzie Haley
The Whale’s Tale and the Otter’s Side of the Story
Book 13 of 14 · published 2026
Axolotl-Ella: A Sort-of Cinderella Story
Latest in the series · book 14 of 14 · published 2026
Zelda and Ivy
Series opener · book 1 of 46 · published 1998 Anthology · Laura McGee Kvasnosky
Zelda and Ivy and the Boy Next Door
Book 2 of 46 · published 1999 Anthology · Laura McGee Kvasnosky
Zelda and Ivy: One Christmas
Book 3 of 46 · published 2000 Anthology · Laura McGee Kvasnosky
Zelda and Ivy: The Runaways
Book 7 of 46 · published 2006 Anthology · Laura McGee Kvasnosky
The Monster in the Backpack
Book 8 of 46 · published 2006 Anthology · Noah Z. Jones,Lisa Moser
Squirrel's World
Book 9 of 46 · published 2007 Anthology · Valeri Gorbachev,Lisa Moser
Houndsley and Catina and the Quiet Time
Book 12 of 46 · published 2008 Anthology · Marie-Louise Gay
Houndsley and Catina and the Birthday Surprise
Book 13 of 46 · published 2008 Anthology · James Howe,Marie-Louise Gay
Zelda and Ivy: Keeping Secrets
Book 14 of 46 · published 2009 Anthology · Laura McGee Kvasnosky
Joe and Sparky Get New Wheels: Candlewick Sparks
Book 15 of 46 · published 2009 Anthology · Frank Remkiewicz,Jamie Michalak
A Pair of Friends at Halloween
Book 16 of 46 · published 2010 Anthology · Megan McDonald
Zelda and Ivy: The Big Picture
Book 17 of 46 · published 2010 Anthology · Laura McGee Kvasnosky
Joe and Sparky, Superstars!
Book 18 of 46 · published 2011 Anthology · Frank Remkiewicz,Jamie Michalak
Houndsley and Catina Plink and Plunk
Book 19 of 46 · published 2011 Anthology · James Howe,Marie-Louise Gay
Monkey and Elephant Get Better
Book 21 of 46 · published 2013 Anthology · Carole Lexa Schaefer
Joe And Sparky Get New Wheels
Book 23 of 46 · published 2013 Anthology · Frank Remkiewicz,Jamie Michalak
Bramble and Maggie: Horse Meets Girl
Book 24 of 46 · published 2013 Anthology · Jessie Haas
Annie and Simon: The Sneeze and Other Stories
Book 25 of 46 · published 2013 Anthology · Catharine O'Neill
Squirrel's Fun Day
Book 26 of 46 · published 2013 Anthology · Valeri Gorbachev,Lisa Moser
Joe and Sparky Go to School
Book 27 of 46 · published 2013 Anthology · Frank Remkiewicz,Jamie Michalak
Ant and Honey Bee: A Pair of Friends at Halloween
Book 28 of 46 · published 2013 Anthology · Megan McDonald
A Pair of Friends in Winter
Book 29 of 46 · published 2013 Anthology · Megan McDonald
Rabbit And Robot: The Sleepover
Book 30 of 46 · published 2014 Anthology · Cece Bell
Monkey and Elephant Go Gadding
Book 31 of 46 · published 2014 Anthology · Carole Lexa Schaefer
Ant and Honey Bee: A Pair of Friends in Winter
Book 33 of 46 · published 2014 Anthology · Megan McDonald
Poppy the Pirate Dog and the Missing Treasure
Book 34 of 46 · published 2015 Anthology · Liz Kessler
Monkey and Elephant and a Secret Birthday Surprise
Book 35 of 46 · published 2015 Anthology · Carole Lexa Schaefer
Monkey and Elephant and the Babysitting Adventure
Book 36 of 46 · published 2016 Anthology · Carole Lexa Schaefer
Rabbit and Robot and Ribbit
Book 37 of 46 · published 2016 Anthology · Cece Bell
Joe and Sparky, Party Animals!
Book 38 of 46 · published 2017 Anthology · Jamie Michalak
Bramble and Maggie: Snow Day
Book 39 of 46 · published 2017 Anthology · Jessie Haas,Alison Friend
Frank and Bean
Book 41 of 46 · published 2019 Anthology · Bob Kolar,Jamie Michalak
Frank and Bean: Food Truck Fiasco
Book 43 of 46 · published 2022 Anthology · Bob Kolar,Jamie Michalak
The Cave and Other Stories
Latest in the series · book 46 of 46 · published 2025 Anthology · Jarvis
Rohan Murthy Has a Plan
Series opener · book 1 of 12 · published 2024 Anthology · Rajani LaRocca
The Legend of Memo Castillo
Book 4 of 12 · published 2024 Anthology · William Alexander
Wyatt Hill Brings a Lizard to School
Book 5 of 12 · published 2025 Anthology · Eliot Schrefer
Ayana Ndoum Takes the Stage
Book 6 of 12 · published 2025 Anthology · Kekla Magoon
Synclaire Fields Knows the Score
Book 8 of 12 · published 2025 Anthology · Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich
Thunder Nelson Does the Impossumble
Book 9 of 12 · published 2025 Anthology · Martha Brockenbrough
Sebastian Metzger Solves a Sticky Situation
Book 11 of 12 · published 2026 Anthology · Kyle Lukoff
Fia Hosein Finds Her Beat
Latest in the series · book 12 of 12 · published 2026 Anthology · Tracey Baptiste
Try This!
Series opener · book 1 of 7 · published 2014 Anthology · Karen Romano Young
Edible Science: Experiments You Can Eat
Book 2 of 7 · published 2015 Anthology · Carol Tennant
Dog Science Unleashed
Book 4 of 7 · published 2018 Anthology · Jodi Wheeler-Toppen
Code This!: Puzzles, Games, Challenges, and Computer Coding Concepts for the Problem Solver in You
Book 6 of 7 · published 2019 Anthology · Jennifer Szymanski
? Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Kate Messner?
An American author of much repute, the writer and speaker Kate Messner has been writing for a number of years now, with her unique brand of witty and insightful novels, having created global bestsellers on numerous occasions. Appreciated both nationally and internationally, she has also achieved critical acclaim, as well as commercial with her award winning books being nominated and gaining plaudits a number of times. Speaking at events such as the prestigious Ted in 2012 as well, she is no stranger to the stage and public speaking either, with her giving a number of talks across America, all whilst…
Which Kate Messner series should I start with?
The best place to start is the Candlewick Sparks series, the earliest of Kate Messner's multi-book series: it opens with Zelda and Ivy (1998) and runs to 46 books across 1998–2025, ending with The Cave and Other Stories (2025). Kate Messner's other series stand alone, so they can be read in any order.
How many books has Kate Messner written?
Kate Messner has 153 books catalogued in this guide, published between 1998 and 2027. 118 of them belong to 12 named series — the largest being the Candlewick Sparks series with 46 books — and 35 are standalone titles, collections or anthologies.
In what order should Kate Messner's series be read?
Read each series in publication order — the numbered entries in each series follow the year each book first appeared. Kate Messner's series do not depend on one another, so they can be started in any order; by start date they are Candlewick Sparks (1998–2025, 46 books), North Country Adventures (2007–2008, 2 books) and Over and Under (2011–2027, 9 books), plus 9 more.
How are Kate Messner's books organised into series?
This guide splits Kate Messner's 153 books into 12 named series and 35 titles that stand alone or appear only in collections: Candlewick Sparks (46 books, 1998–2025); History Smashers (13 books, 2020–2026); Ranger in Time (12 books, 2015–2020); The Kids in Mrs. Z's Class (12 books, 2024–2026); Over and Under (9 books, 2011–2027), plus 7 further series.