🎯 Where Should I Start?
ⓘ About Sally Gardner
Since she is dyslexic, having been diagnosed at the age of twelve, she was unable to learn to write or read until she was fourteen years old and was thrown out of many schools, having been labeled unteachable. She also sent to a school for maladjusted kids. However, she was able to receive a degree with highest honors at one leading London art college, which was followed by a scholarship to theater school. Then she went on to be a successful costume designer, working on some very notable productions. After her twin daughters and son were born, she began illustrating and then writing picture and chapter books. Usually, these books had fairytale or otherwise magical subject matter. London’s Sunday Times called her an idiosyncratic genius.
All Book Series by Sally Gardner
Mr. Tiger, Betsy, and the Blue Moon
Series opener · book 1 of 3 · published 2018
Mr Tiger, Betsy and the Golden Seahorse
Latest in the series · book 3 of 3 · published 2020
? Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Sally Gardner?
Since she is dyslexic, having been diagnosed at the age of twelve, she was unable to learn to write or read until she was fourteen years old and was thrown out of many schools, having been labeled unteachable. She also sent to a school for maladjusted kids. However, she was able to receive a degree with highest honors at one leading London art college, which was followed by a scholarship to theater school.
Which Sally Gardner series should I start with?
The best place to start is the Magical Children series, the earliest of Sally Gardner's multi-book series: it opens with The Strongest Girl in the World (1999) and runs to 6 books across 1999–2006, ending with Boy With The Lightning Feet (2006). Sally Gardner's other series stand alone, so they can be read in any order.
How many books has Sally Gardner written?
Sally Gardner has 44 books catalogued in this guide, published between 1993 and 2025. 19 of them belong to 6 named series — the largest being the Magical Children series with 6 books — and 25 are standalone titles, collections or anthologies.
In what order should Sally Gardner's series be read?
Read each series in publication order — the numbered entries in each series follow the year each book first appeared. Sally Gardner's series do not depend on one another, so they can be started in any order; by start date they are Magical Children (1999–2006, 6 books), Tales from the Box (2003, 2 books) and French Revolution (2007–2009, 2 books), plus 3 more.
How are Sally Gardner's books organised into series?
This guide splits Sally Gardner's 44 books into 6 named series and 25 titles that stand alone or appear only in collections: Magical Children (6 books, 1999–2006); Fairy Detective Agency: Wings & Co (5 books, 2012–2017); Mr. Tiger, Betsy (3 books, 2018–2020); Tales from the Box (2 books, 2003); French Revolution (2 books, 2007–2009), plus 1 further series.