David Lubar Books in Order

Where to Start with David Lubar

David Lubar is famous for writing fast-paced, humorous, and sometimes creepy books that are exceptionally popular with reluctant readers. Because his work spans different age groups and formats, the best starting point depends on what you enjoy:

• For Teens and Young Adults: Start with the award-winning novel Hidden Talents, a story about misfit teens with secret powers, or the laugh-out-loud high school comedy Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie.
• For Middle Grade Readers (Spooky & Fun): Start with the Weenies short story collections (beginning with In the Land of the Lawn Weenies) or dive into the Nathan Abercrombie, Accidental Zombie series.
• For Younger Readers: The wacky sci-fi adventure Looniverse or Emperor of the Universe series are perfect entry points.

The Hidden Talents Series (The Talents Duology)

This duology follows Martin Anderson and his friends at Edgeview Alternative School who discover that their "bad behavior" is actually a set of unrefined psychic talents. These books should be read in chronological and publication order:

1. Hidden Talents (1999)
2. True Talents (2007)

The Scott Hudson Series

Focusing on Scott Hudson's comedic and relatable journey through high school, these two novels should be read in order:

1. Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie (2005)
2. Sophomores and Other Oxymorons (2015)

Nathan Abercrombie, Accidental Zombie Series

This series tells the story of a boy who accidentally gets turned into a zombie and becomes a secret agent. It is a continuous narrative that must be read in order:

1. My Rotten Life (2009)
2. Dead Guy Spy (2010)
3. Goop Soup (2010)
4. The Big Stink (2010)
5. Enter the Zombie (2011)

The Weenies Series (Short Story Collections)

These collections feature warped, creepy, and funny short stories. Because each story is standalone, you can read these collections in any order. However, they are listed here in publication order for convenience:

1. In the Land of the Lawn Weenies (2003)
2. Invasion of the Road Weenies (2005)
3. The Curse of the Campfire Weenies (2007)
4. The Battle of the Red Hot Pepper Weenies (2009)
5. Attack of the Vampire Weenies (2011)
6. Beware the Ninja Weenies (2012)
7. Wipeout of the Wireless Weenies (2014)
8. Strikeout of the Bleacher Weenies (2017)
9. Check Out the Library Weenies (2018)

For younger readers, there is also the Teeny Weenies spin-off series, which includes collections like Freestyle Frenzy (2019) and The Intergalactic Petting Zoo (2019).

Monsterrific Tales / Accidental Monsters

Originally published as Accidental Monsters, this series was later expanded and rebranded as Monsterrific Tales. These are standalone spooky stories that can be read in any order:

• Hyde and Shriek (2013)
• The Vanishing Vampire (1997)
• The Unwilling Witch (1997)
• The Wavering Werewolf (1997)
• The Gloomy Ghost (1998)
• The Bully Bug (2014)

Sci-Fi Series: Looniverse & Emperor of the Universe

Lubar has written two notable science fiction series. Looniverse is geared towards younger readers, while Emperor of the Universe follows Nicholas Carter, an ordinary boy who gets swept up in an intergalactic conflict.

Looniverse Series (Read in Order):

1. Stranger Things (2013)
2. Meltdown Madness (2013)
3. Dinosaur Disaster (2013)
4. Stage Fright (2014)

Emperor of the Universe Series (Read in Order):

1. Emperor of the Universe (2019)
2. The Clone Catastrophe (2021)
3. The Emperor's Last Stand (2023)

School Skills Duology

These two fun educational novels follow the characters Logan and Benedict as they deal with magical curses related to vocabulary and math:

1. Punished! (2006)
2. Numbed! (2013)

Standalone Novels

Lubar has penned several highly regarded standalone novels that do not require any previous reading:

• Monster Road (1999)
• Dunk (2002)
• Wizards of the Game (2003)
• Flip (2003)
• Dog Days (2004)
• Character, Driven (2016)