Emily Jenkins Books in Order

How to Approach the Dual Worlds of Emily Jenkins and E. Lockhart

Emily Jenkins is a remarkably versatile storyteller who writes under two distinct names. When writing as Emily Jenkins, she crafts beloved picture books and middle-grade fantasy filled with humor, heart, and relatable everyday magic. Under the pen name E. Lockhart, she writes award-winning, suspenseful, and emotionally complex young adult novels. Because her target audiences range from toddlers to teens and adults, the best starting point depends entirely on what age group and genre you want to explore.

The E. Lockhart Young Adult Reading Order

If you are diving into her young adult fiction, you will find high-stakes mysteries, character-driven school dramas, and intricate plot twists. Here is the breakdown of how to read these series.

The We Were Liars Series

This suspenseful series centers on the wealthy, secretive Sinclair family on their private island off Massachusetts. While there is a chronological prequel, we strongly recommend following the publication order to avoid spoiling the massive twists of the first book.

• We Were Liars (2014) – Start here. This is the core novel that introduces Cadence Sinclair Eastman and the tragic events of her fifteenth summer.
• Family of Liars (2022) – Read second. This prequel goes back a generation to 1987, revealing the secrets of Cadence's mother and aunts when they were teenagers. Reading this first ruins the mystery and impact of the original book.

The Ruby Oliver Quartet

For readers who prefer contemporary coming-of-age stories with humor, romance, and mental health representation, the Ruby Oliver books are a perfect fit. They follow a Seattle teenager navigating panic attacks, therapy, and social drama. These must be read in publication order as they follow a continuous, chronological timeline over Ruby's high school years:

1. The Boyfriend List (2005)
2. The Boy Book (2006)
3. The Treasure Map of Boys (2009)
4. Real Live Boyfriends (2010)

E. Lockhart Standalones and Graphic Novels

Lockhart's standalone YA novels can be read in any order. Key standalones include The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks (2008), a boarding school story about secret societies and feminism, and Genuine Fraud (2017), a psychological thriller told in reverse chronological order. In 2021, she also wrote Whistle: A New Gotham City Hero, an original DC Comics graphic novel centering on a Jewish teenage superhero in Gotham.

The Emily Jenkins Children's & Middle-Grade Reading Order

For younger readers, middle-grade fiction fans, and families reading aloud, writing under her real name Emily Jenkins offers delightful and highly acclaimed options.

The Toys Trilogy (and Companion Picture Book)

This modern classic series follows the adventures of three stuffed animals—Lumphy the buffalo, Stingray, and Plastic the ball—as they discover the world and navigate their relationships with their owner (the Little Girl) and each other. The core trilogy should be read in publication order:

1. Toys Go Out (2006)
2. Toy Dance Party (2008)
3. Toys Come Home (2011)

Companion Book: Toys Meet Snow (2015) is a standalone picture book illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky. It can be read at any time, especially as an introduction to the characters for younger children who aren't quite ready for the chapter books.

Upside-Down Magic Series

Co-authored with Sarah Mlynowski and Lauren Myracle, this bestselling fantasy series centers on Nory Horace and her classmates in the Dunwiddle School's "Upside-Down Magic" class, where kids have magical abilities that don't fit into traditional categories. The series builds on character growth and school events, so it is best read in publication order:

1. Upside-Down Magic (2015)
2. Sticks & Stones (2016)
3. Showing Off (2017)
4. Dragon Overnight (2018)
5. Weather or Not (2018)
6. The Big Shrink (2019)
7. Hide and Seek (2020)
8. Night Owl (2021)

The Invisible Inkling Series

This fun middle-grade trilogy set in Brooklyn follows a boy named Hank who encounters a small, invisible, and very hungry creature called a bandypaw named Inkling. You should read these in order:

1. Invisible Inkling (2011)
2. Dangerous Pumpkins (2012)
3. The Whoopie Pie War (2013)

Bea and HaHa Books

For toddlers, Jenkins wrote a series of sweet, simple board books about a little girl named Bea and her stuffed dog HaHa. These can be read in any order: Hug, Hug, Hug! (2006), Num, Num, Num! (2006), Plonk, Plonk, Plonk! (2006), and Up, Up, Up! (2006).

What to Know Before You Start

When diving into Emily Jenkins's catalog, keep in mind that her picture books and middle-grade series are often collaborative. For example, Upside-Down Magic was co-written with two other prominent children's authors, and the distinct illustrations in her books—such as Paul O. Zelinsky's art in the Toys books or Caldecott Medalist Sophie Blackall's art in A Fine Dessert (2015)—are central to the reading experience. Meanwhile, her E. Lockhart books deal with mature themes such as grief, trauma, privilege, and mental health, making them best suited for readers aged 12 and up.