Carolyn Meyer Books in Order

Where to Start Reading Carolyn Meyer

For readers diving into Carolyn Meyer’s expansive catalog of historical fiction, the best place to start is with her signature series, the Young Royals. Specifically, starting with the very first published book, Mary, Bloody Mary (1999), offers the perfect introduction to Meyer’s writing style. It highlights her ability to take controversial, often vilified historical figures and humanize them through intimate, first-person diaries or narratives.

If you prefer a strictly chronological approach to historical events, you can instead begin with the Tudor-era books in order of their subjects' lives, starting with Catherine of Aragon in Patience, Princess Catherine. For readers interested in standalone historical biographical novels, starting with White Lilacs (one of her most acclaimed standalones) or her artist-focused biographies like Girl with a Camera is also highly recommended.

The Young Royals Series

The Young Royals series is Carolyn Meyer's crown jewel. These novels focus on the turbulent childhoods and teenage years of famous historical queens and princesses. Although published over more than a decade, the books do not follow a single continuous storyline and can easily be read as standalones. However, reading them in groups can enrich your experience, especially the Tudor-focused novels where characters overlap and react to the same court intrigues from different perspectives.

Young Royals in Publication Order

• Mary, Bloody Mary (1999) – Focuses on Mary Tudor (Mary I of England) and her youth under the shadow of her father, Henry VIII.
• Beware, Princess Elizabeth (2001) – Follows the future Queen Elizabeth I during the volatile reigns of her siblings.
• Doomed Queen Anne (2002) – Tells the tragic rise and fall of Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII's second wife.
• Patience, Princess Catherine (2004) – Details the early struggles of Catherine of Aragon as she waits to marry Prince Henry.
• Duchessina of Catherine de' Medici (2007) – Explores the childhood and forced marriage of Catherine de' Medici in Renaissance Italy and France.
• The Bad Queen: Rules and Instructions for Marie-Antoinette (2010) – Dives into the pampered but perilous life of Marie-Antoinette leading up to the French Revolution.
• The Wild Queen: The Days and Nights of Mary Queen of Scots (2012) – Follows the dramatic life of Mary, Queen of Scots from her youth in France to her imprisonment.

Young Royals in Chronological Order

If you want to read the Young Royals series chronologically by the historical eras in which the queens lived, follow this sequence:

1. Patience, Princess Catherine (Catherine of Aragon: 1485–1536)
2. Doomed Queen Anne (Anne Boleyn: 1501–1536)
3. Mary, Bloody Mary (Mary Tudor: 1516–1558)
4. Duchessina of Catherine de' Medici (Catherine de' Medici: 1519–1589)
5. Beware, Princess Elizabeth (Elizabeth I: 1533–1603)
6. The Wild Queen: The Days and Nights of Mary Queen of Scots (Mary Stuart: 1542–1587)
7. The Bad Queen: Rules and Instructions for Marie-Antoinette (Marie-Antoinette: 1755–1793)

Note: Although Victoria Rebels (2013) and Anastasia and Her Sisters (2015) are thematic companions focusing on historical royal women, they are officially classified as standalone novels in Meyer's bibliography.

The Royal Diaries: A Collaborative Series

In many book databases, the entire list of Scholastic’s The Royal Diaries series is listed under Carolyn Meyer's name. However, it is important to know that this was a multi-author collaborative project. Various entries in the series were written by other famous YA historical fiction writers such as Kathryn Lasky and Kristiana Gregory. Carolyn Meyer personally wrote exactly three books in this series:

• Isabel: Jewel of Castilla (2000)
• Anastasia: The Last Grand Duchess (2000)
• Kristina: The Girl King (2003)

Because these three books are separate diaries set in entirely different countries and centuries, they can be read in any order. The other books listed in the collection table are excellent companions written by peer authors, but they are not penned by Meyer.

Avoiding Common Book Confusions

Because Carolyn Meyer has written multiple historical novels about similar subjects, readers often confuse several of her works:

• Anastasia Romanov: Do not confuse Meyer's Anastasia: The Last Grand Duchess (2000, written for Scholastic's Royal Diaries series) with her standalone novel Anastasia and Her Sisters (2015). The latter is a longer, more detailed standalone novel that focuses on the relationships among all four Romanov sisters.
• Cleopatra: Meyer wrote the standalone novel Cleopatra Confesses (2011). However, the Royal Diaries book Cleopatra VII: Daughter of the Nile (1999) was written by Kristiana Gregory.
• Mary Stuart: Meyer wrote The Wild Queen: The Days and Nights of Mary Queen of Scots (2012) for her Young Royals series. However, the Royal Diaries entry Mary, Queen of Scots (1994) was written by Kathryn Lasky.
• Queen Victoria: Meyer wrote the standalone novel Victoria Rebels (2013), whereas the Royal Diaries book Victoria: May Blossom of Britannia (2001) was written by Kristiana Gregory.

Contemporary Series: Hotline & Dog Vacations

In addition to her historical works, Carolyn Meyer has written contemporary fiction for young adults. In the early 1990s, she wrote the Hotline series, which explores teen issues through the lens of volunteers working at a teen crisis helpline. These books are best read in publication order:

1. Because of Lissa (1990)
2. The Problem with Sidney (1990)
3. Gillian's Choice (1991)
4. The Two Faces Of Adam (1991)

Decades later, she published the Dog Vacations series (2020), a lighthearted contemporary duology documenting travel stories from the perspective of family dogs. These should be read in sequence starting with Book One: the First Four Dog Vacations.

Standalone Historical Novels and Non-Fiction

Outside of her main series, Carolyn Meyer has written over twenty standalone novels and non-fiction books. Her standalone historical fiction includes biographical novels about famous artists and historical figures, such as Girl with a Camera (about Margaret Bourke-White) and Girl with Brush and Canvas (about Georgia O'Keeffe), as well as The True Adventures of Charley Darwin. Her non-fiction works, like Amish People: Plain Living In A Complex World, reflect her deep research into regional cultures and history.

What to Know Before You Start

Carolyn Meyer's historical fiction is celebrated for its deep research and emotional accessibility. While she takes creative liberties to imagine the inner thoughts and personal diaries of historical figures, her books remain highly accurate to the major political events and social norms of the eras they depict. Because the books deal with real history, they often touch on heavy themes, including execution, political imprisonment, religious persecution, and family betrayal. Meyer’s focus remains on the resilience of young women navigating these dangerous landscapes, making her novels empowering reads for teens and adults alike.