Where to Begin Your Journey
Rodman Philbrick is a literary chameleon. Depending on what you are in the mood for, your starting point will differ significantly. If you are looking for emotional, character-driven stories about friendship and survival, you must start with his young adult masterpiece, Freak the Mighty. If you prefer high-octane, suspenseful adult thrillers, then his work under the pseudonym Chris Jordan, starting with Taken, is your best entry point. For fans of classic, hard-boiled detective mysteries, his early books written under W.R. Philbrick (the J.D. Hawkins series) offer a fantastic nostalgic trip into 1980s Boston crime solver stories.
Freak the Mighty Series
This is Philbrick's most famous and universally beloved YA series. It consists of two books that should be read in order due to character development and references to the emotional events of the first novel:
- Freak the Mighty (1993) – Introduces the bond between Max, a large boy with learning disabilities, and Kevin (Freak), a tiny boy with a physical disability.
- Max the Mighty (1998) – Follows Max as he meets another kid in need of help, taking them on a journey to the American West.
The Randall Shane Thrillers (Written as Chris Jordan)
Writing under the pen name Chris Jordan, Philbrick crafts fast-paced, gritty thrillers aimed at adult readers. The series centers on Randall Shane, a former FBI agent who works as a private recovery specialist tracking down missing children. While each case is self-contained, the personal relationships and Shane's own backstory develop chronologically. You should read them in order:
- Taken (2006)
- Trapped (2007)
- Lost (2007)
- Torn (2009)
- Measure of Darkness (2011)
Classic Detective Mysteries as W.R. Philbrick
Before finding major success in the YA market, Philbrick wrote adult mystery series featuring two distinct protagonists. Both are best enjoyed in publication order.
J.D. Hawkins Series
Hawkins is a wheelchair-bound mystery writer based in Boston who solves real-life crimes. The series consists of:
- Shadow Kills (1985)
- Ice for the Eskimo (1986)
- Paint It Black (1989)
- Walk on the Water (1991)
T.D. Stash Crime Adventures
T.D. Stash is an unlicensed investigator and fishing guide in the Florida Keys. These stories have a classic coastal noir flavor:
- The Neon Flamingo (1987)
- The Crystal Blue Persuasion (1988)
- Tough Enough (1989)
Connie Kale Mysteries
Connie Kale is a former LPGA golfer who returns to New England to work as a private investigator:
- Slow Dancer (originally published in 1991, re-released in 2012)
YA Paranormal & Sci-Fi Trilogies (Co-Authored with Lynn Harnett)
Philbrick collaborated extensively with his late wife, Lynn Harnett, on several spooky, supernatural, and science-fiction trilogies for young readers. These are short, fast-paced, and best read in order.
House on Cherry Street
- The Haunting (1995)
- The Horror (1995)
- The Final Nightmare (1995)
Werewolf Chronicles
- Night Creature (1996)
- Children of the Wolf (1996)
- The Wereing (1996)
Visitors Trilogy
- Strange Invaders (1997)
- Things (1997)
- Brain Stealers (1997 / updated 2014)
Historical Fiction and Scholastic Journals
Philbrick is a frequent contributor to Scholastic's historical fiction lines. It is important to note that he did not write the entire My Name Is America series; rather, he contributed two standalone journals to this multi-author historical collection. You can read these in any order:
- The Journal of Augustus Pelletier: The Lewis and Clark Expedition (2000)
- Stay Alive: The Journal of Douglas Allen Deeds, The Donner Party Expedition (2001)
- The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg (2009) – A standalone Civil War adventure that won a Newbery Honor.
Dystopian and Survival Standalones
Philbrick has a massive library of standalone novels. These are entirely self-contained and require no reading order worries, making them perfect to pick up based on your interest in their subject matter:
- The Last Book in the Universe (2000) – A cyberpunk, post-apocalyptic story that is highly recommended for sci-fi fans.
- The Young Man and the Sea (2004) – A survival tale reflecting Philbrick's love of coastal fishing.
- Zane and the Hurricane (2014) – A gripping survival story set during Hurricane Katrina.
- Wildfire (2019) – A fast-paced adventure about surviving a forest fire.
- Wild River (2021) – A white-water rafting trip gone wrong, testing young characters to their limits.
- We Own the Sky (2022) – A historic adventure set in the 1920s centering on biplanes and daredevil flyers.