The Recommended Reading Order
Richard Roberts’ vibrant, comic-book-inspired universe is filled with accidental supervillains, reluctant necromancers, alchemists, and brilliant middle-school inventors. Because the series has expanded beyond its original protagonist to explore other corners of this superhero world, deciding where to start can seem daunting. For the best experience, we recommend following the publication order, starting with the core Penelope Akk storyline before diving into the spin-offs.
Phase 1: The Core Penelope Akk Story Arc
This is where the franchise begins. These five books follow Penelope 'Penny' Akk and her friends as they accidentally become the world’s most notorious middle-school supervillain group, the Inscrutable Machine. You should read these in order to understand the rules of mad science, superhero bureaucracy, and the overarching world-building:
- Please Don't Tell My Parents I'm a Supervillain (2014) – Introduces Penny Akk (Bad Penny), Claire (Bullseye), and Ray (Arachne/Spider) as they accidentally get labeled villains after a science fair incident.
- Please Don't Tell My Parents I Blew Up the Moon (2015) – The group travels to Jupiter's moons for a wild space-faring adventure involving alien wars and robot overlords.
- Please Don't Tell My Parents I've Got Henchmen (2016) – Back on Earth, Penny's reputation inspires other kids at school to seek her out as their villainous leader.
- Please Don't Tell My Parents I Have a Nemesis (2017) – Penny deals with the ultimate superhero rite of passage: acquiring a dedicated, persistent rival.
- Please Don't Tell My Parents You Believe Her (2018) – The dramatic conclusion to the primary Penelope Akk story arc, dealing with massive trust issues and public perception.
Phase 2: The Los Angeles Spin-offs & Side Stories
Once you finish the main quintet, the universe branches out to other teenagers dealing with bizarre, inconvenient, or dangerous superpowers. These books are set in the same timeline but focus on new protagonists, primarily in Los Angeles:
- Please Don't Tell My Parents I Work for a Supervillain (2021) – Shifting focus to Magenta Slade, an alchemist whose secondary power is a perception filter that makes everyone forget her face. When she fails at heroics, she ends up working part-time for a local villain.
- Please Don't Tell My Parents I'm Queen of the Dead (2022) – Introduces Avery Special, a fifteen-year-old who happens to be the world's only living necromancer. Avery moves to Los Angeles and finds herself chased by ghosts, occultists, and monsters.
- Please Don't Tell My Parents I'm a Giant Monster (2023) – Follows Mirabelle, a girl made of glass who acquires an ancient artifact that allows her to turn into a giant monster. She has to use the dangerous power to fight off villains who want the artifact for themselves.
- Please Don't Tell My Parents I Saved the World Again (2024) – Avery Special returns as the protagonist. Her attempts to do good by waking up a cyborg from a coma lead to chaotic paranormal consequences.
- Please Don't Tell My Parents I Bought Super Powers (2025) – Follows Stella Deetz, a flamboyant teen who buys powers from a mad scientist to gain social clout, only to turn into a fear-eating monster without a secret identity.
Phase 3: The Historical Prequel
If you want to explore the history of the universe, you can dive into the prequel novel at any point after the first few books:
- I Did NOT Give That Spider Superhuman Intelligence! (2020) – Classified as Book 0.5, this story is set in the 1980s. It follows 'Team Tiny'—including a ten-year-old grim reaper named Goodnight—and a spider that keeps its genius intellect hidden from its mad scientist creator to avoid being disassembled.
The Complete Book List in Publication Order
If you want to read the books exactly as Richard Roberts wrote and released them, follow this direct chronological publication order. This matches the gradual expansion of the universe's magic, science, and lore:
- Please Don't Tell My Parents I'm a Supervillain (2014)
- Please Don't Tell My Parents I Blew Up the Moon (2015)
- Please Don't Tell My Parents I've Got Henchmen (2016)
- Please Don't Tell My Parents I Have a Nemesis (2017)
- Please Don't Tell My Parents You Believe Her (2018)
- I Did NOT Give That Spider Superhuman Intelligence! (2020)
- Please Don't Tell My Parents I Work for a Supervillain (2021)
- Please Don't Tell My Parents I'm Queen of the Dead (2022)
- Please Don't Tell My Parents I'm a Giant Monster (2023)
- Please Don't Tell My Parents I Saved the World Again (2024)
- Please Don't Tell My Parents I Bought Super Powers (2025)
Chronological Timeline vs. Publication Order
Because the prequel I Did NOT Give That Spider Superhuman Intelligence! is set in the 1980s, a strict chronological reading order would place it first. However, we do not recommend starting there. The prequel contains darker themes (such as a serial-killing mad scientist) and assumes the reader is already familiar with how superpowers and mad science manifest in this universe. Starting with the first book, Please Don't Tell My Parents I'm a Supervillain, provides a much smoother, funnier, and more logical introduction to the world's mechanics.
Similarly, the spin-off books featuring Magenta, Avery, Mirabelle, and Stella are set in the modern day after Penny's main adventures. While they can technically be read as standalones, they frequently reference the established lore of the Inscrutable Machine, making them much more satisfying if read after the first five books.
What to Know Before You Start
Richard Roberts' series stands out in the young adult and middle-grade superhero genre due to its witty tone, focus on grey morality, and subversion of classic comic book tropes. Rather than dark, gritty realism, the books lean into zany, Saturday-morning-cartoon energy. However, beneath the humor lies a genuine coming-of-age story about kids trying to find their identities in a world that demands they pick a side—hero or villain. Penny's parents are legendary heroes, which adds a layer of family expectations and teenage rebellion to her accidental descent into supervillainy.