Catherine Gilbert Murdock Books in Order

The Recommended Reading Paths

Catherine Gilbert Murdock writes books that cross genres, moving from contemporary teen sports dramas to epistolary fairy tales and award-winning medieval historical adventures. Because her works are divided into distinct universes and standalones, you do not have to read everything in publication order. Instead, we recommend choosing your path based on what genre appeals to you most.

Path 1: The Dairy Queen Saga (Contemporary YA & Sports)

If you love stories about gritty underdogs, family farm dynamics, high school sports, and authentic teenage voices, start here. This series is Murdock's most famous and should be read in chronological order:

1. Dairy Queen (2006)
2. The Off Season (2007)
3. Front and Center (2009)
4. Heaven Is Paved with Oreos (2013)

Path 2: The Montagne Kingdom (High Fantasy)

If you prefer fairy tale retellings, magic, and royal court intrigue written in creative formats like diaries and letters, dive into the Montagne universe. While these books work as standalones, they share a world and characters, making publication order the best way to experience them:

1. Princess Ben (2008)
2. Wisdom's Kiss (2011)

Path 3: Middle-Grade Historical Standalones

For readers who want self-contained historical fantasy adventures, these two books can be read in any order at all:

• The Book of Boy (2018)
• Da Vinci's Cat (2021)

Deconstructing the Dairy Queen Series

Murdock's debut novel, Dairy Queen, took the YA world by storm by introducing D.J. Schwenk, a farm girl in Red Bend, Wisconsin, who breaks barriers by training a rival quarterback and eventually trying out for her high school football team. The trilogy follows D.J.'s growth, her complicated family relationships, and her athletic aspirations.

The fourth book, Heaven Is Paved with Oreos, is often labeled as Book 4, but it is actually a companion novel. It shifts the spotlight to Sarah Zorn, a side character from the original books who is the best friend (and fake girlfriend) of D.J.'s younger brother, Curtis. D.J. and the rest of the Schwenk family make appearances, but the book functions perfectly well as a standalone transition into a new perspective. However, to get the full emotional weight of the setting and recurring cast, it is highly recommended to read the original trilogy first.

The Shared World of Montagne

Murdock’s fantasy novels, Princess Ben and Wisdom's Kiss, both take place in the fictional Empire of Montagne.

Princess Ben is a traditional yet subversive fairy tale about Princess Benevolence, an atypical royal who must learn magic to defend her kingdom. Wisdom's Kiss is set years later in the same empire. While it tells a completely new story featuring a different set of main characters—including a young princess, a talking cat, and a dashing soldier—the elderly Queen Mother, affectionately called Nonna Ben, is actually Princess Ben herself. Reading Princess Ben first gives readers a delightful sense of history, though the creative, multi-format structure of Wisdom's Kiss (composed of letters, plays, and memoirs) stands strong on its own.

Acclaimed Historical Standalones

In her later career, Murdock transitioned to middle-grade historical fiction, earning critical acclaim and a Newbery Honor in the process.

The Book of Boy (2018) takes readers to the year 1350, during the height of the Black Death in Europe. The story follows a young, animal-communicating orphan named Boy who accompanies a mysterious pilgrim on a quest to gather the seven relics of Saint Peter. It is a powerful, self-contained adventure filled with magic and historical details.

Da Vinci's Cat (2021) is a time-slip historical fantasy that connects two children separated by five hundred years. Federico, a political hostage in Renaissance Rome, and Bee, a modern-day girl in New Jersey, communicate through a magical wardrobe created by Leonardo da Vinci, aided by a time-traveling cat named Juno. It is a standalone work that requires no prior reading.

Complete Catherine Gilbert Murdock Publication Order

If you prefer to see how Murdock's style evolved over time, here is the complete chronological list of her published books, including her early non-fiction academic work:

1. Domesticating Drink: Women, Men, and Alcohol in America, 1870-1940 (1998) - Non-Fiction Academic History
2. Dairy Queen (2006) - Dairy Queen Book 1
3. The Off Season (2007) - Dairy Queen Book 2
4. Princess Ben (2008) - Montagne Book 1
5. Front and Center (2009) - Dairy Queen Book 3
6. Wisdom's Kiss (2011) - Montagne Book 2
7. Heaven Is Paved with Oreos (2013) - Dairy Queen Companion Book 4
8. The Book of Boy (2018) - Standalone
9. Da Vinci's Cat (2021) - Standalone

What to Know Before You Start

Murdock's books are praised for their distinct voices and formatting choices. If you are starting the Dairy Queen trilogy, be prepared for realistic, sometimes heavy family and sports themes, especially in The Off Season. If you are diving into the Montagne books, keep in mind that Murdock loves non-traditional narratives; Wisdom's Kiss uses letters, play scripts, and encyclopedia entries to tell its story. No matter where you begin, you will find underdogs fighting for their place in the world, sharp dialogue, and plenty of heart.