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series Reading Order

Dana Girls Books in Order

30 Books
1936 – 1962 Published
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Reading order

The Recommended Reading Path: Where to Start

For the best reading experience, you should start with the very first book of the original series, By the Light of the Study Lamp (1934). This book introduces the orphaned sisters Jean and Louise Dana, establishes their boarding school life at Starhurst School for Girls, and explains how they acquire the symbolic study lamp that sparks their first investigation. Starting here provides the necessary foundation for their family dynamics, their relationship with their uncle Captain Ned Dana, and their rivalry with the school bully, Lettie Briggs.

If you cannot find the early out-of-print books, a secondary starting point is The Ghost in the Gallery (1955), which was the first volume written by Stratemeyer Syndicate partner Harriet Adams and marked a major revival in the series' tone and style.

Understanding the Publication Eras and Mappings

The Dana Girls series has a complex publishing history divided into two distinct runs, along with a significant 1970s relaunch that shuffled the book order:

  • The Original Series (1934–1968): Consists of 30 novels published by Grosset & Dunlap. The first 13 books were published between 1934 and 1944 before a temporary hiatus. The series returned in 1952, running through volume 30 in 1968.
  • The 1970s Paperback Relaunch (1972–1979): Grosset & Dunlap reissued 13 of the later stories with new paperback formatting. However, instead of keeping the original order, they renumbered these 13 select titles as #1 through #13. Following these reissues, they published 4 brand new stories (#14–17) to finish out the series.

Original 30-Book Chronology (1934–1968)

Below is the chronological order of the original 30 novels. Note that the local database index starts at book #5, omitting the initial four volumes:

  1. By the Light of the Study Lamp (1934) - Establishes the series
  2. The Secret at Lone Tree Cottage (1934)
  3. In the Shadow of the Tower (1934)
  4. A Three-Cornered Mystery (1935)
  5. The Secret at the Hermitage (1936)
  6. The Circle of Footprints (1937)
  7. Mystery of the Locked Room (1938)
  8. The Clue in the Cobweb (1939)
  9. The Secret at the Gatehouse (1940)
  10. The Mysterious Fireplace (1941)
  11. The Clue of the Rusty Key (1942)
  12. The Portrait in the Sand (1943)
  13. The Secret in the Old Well (1944)
  14. The Clue in the Ivy (1952)
  15. The Secret of the Jade Ring (1953)
  16. Mystery at the Crossroads (1954)
  17. The Ghost in the Gallery (1955)
  18. The Clue of the Black Flower (1956)
  19. The Winking Ruby Mystery (1957)
  20. The Secret of the Swiss Chalet (1958)
  21. The Haunted Lagoon (1959)
  22. Mystery of the Bamboo Bird (1960)
  23. The Sierra Gold Mystery (1961)
  24. The Secret of the Lost Lake (1962)
  25. Mystery of the Stone Tiger (1963)
  26. The Riddle of the Frozen Fountain (1964)
  27. The Secret of the Silver Dolphin (1965)
  28. Mystery of the Wax Queen (1966)
  29. The Secret of the Minstrel’s Guitar (1967)
  30. The Phantom Surfer (1968)

The 1970s Paperback Relaunch Ordering (1972–1979)

When Grosset & Dunlap relaunched the series in paperback, they bypassed the earliest 1930s and 1940s stories (which remained out of print) and created a new 17-book sequence. If you are collecting the paperback editions, they are numbered as follows:

  • #1: The Mystery of the Stone Tiger (Originally #25)
  • #2: The Riddle of the Frozen Fountain (Originally #26)
  • #3: The Secret of the Silver Dolphin (Originally #27)
  • #4: Mystery of the Wax Queen (Originally #28)
  • #5: The Secret of the Minstrel's Guitar (Originally #29)
  • #6: The Phantom Surfer (Originally #30)
  • #7: The Secret of the Swiss Chalet (Originally #20)
  • #8: The Haunted Lagoon (Originally #21)
  • #9: Mystery of the Bamboo Bird (Originally #22)
  • #10: The Sierra Gold Mystery (Originally #23)
  • #11: The Secret of Lost Lake (Originally #24)
  • #12: The Winking Ruby Mystery (Originally #19)
  • #13: The Ghost in the Gallery (Originally #17)
  • #14: The Curious Coronation (1976) - New story
  • #15: The Hundred-Year Mystery (1977) - New story
  • #16: Mountain-Peak Mystery (1978) - New story
  • #17: The Witch's Omen (1979) - New story

Chronological Caveats and Standalone Reading

Like Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys, the Dana Girls books are structured as episodic mysteries. There are rarely long-running multi-book plots, meaning you can technically read them out of order without getting lost. However, there are minor progression elements—most notably, Jean and Louise's school levels and recurring interactions with academic staff—that make reading in the original publication order highly satisfying. Note that two planned titles, Strange Identities and The Thousand Islands Mystery, were written near the end of the series' life but were never published due to declining sales.

What to Know Before You Start

The Dana Girls was created under the house pseudonym Carolyn Keene by the Stratemeyer Syndicate. The early books (1–4) were penned by Hardy Boys writer Leslie McFarlane, while volumes 5–16 were written by Mildred Wirt Benson (famous for writing the early Nancy Drew books). Harriet Stratemeyer Adams herself took over writing duties starting in 1955. Unlike Nancy Drew's independent travels, the Dana Girls' mysteries are heavily influenced by the structured boarding school setting of Starhurst School, blending traditional schoolgirl tropes (like class rivalries, sports meets, and study hours) with detective fiction.

Frequently Asked

QWhat is the best book to start with in the Dana Girls series?

The recommended starting point is By the Light of the Study Lamp (1934), which introduces the characters, the Starhurst boarding school setting, and their first case.

QHow do the original hardcovers and the 1970s paperbacks differ?

The original hardcovers include 30 chronological novels (1934–1968). The 1970s paperbacks reissued 13 of the later books with completely different volume numbers (#1–13) and added four brand new titles (#14–17).

QAre the Dana Girls books written by the same author as Nancy Drew?

Yes, both series were published under the pseudonym Carolyn Keene. They were written by Syndicate ghostwriters, including Mildred Wirt Benson and Harriet Adams, who worked on both franchises.

QAre there any unpublished Dana Girls books?

Yes. Two manuscripts, titled Strange Identities (planned as #18 in the revised series) and The Thousand Islands Mystery (planned as #19), were written but never published before the series was canceled in 1979.

QDo you need to read the Dana Girls books in order?

No, the stories are mostly self-contained. However, reading them in original publication order helps track character ages, school semesters, and the evolution of the girls' rivalry with Lettie Briggs.