Order of Book Series
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Colin Thiele Books in Order

80 books are credited to Colin Thiele, published between 1951 and 2013; 2 of them appeared after Colin Thiele's death in 2006. The first book is The Golden Lightning (1951) and the newest is Brahminy (2013). Publication order is the reading order below.

Books
80
Published
1951–2013
See all 80 books in order Printable Colin Thiele checklist
Photo of Colin Thiele, author of the Shatterbelt series

Colin Thiele was an Australian author and educator who lived from 1920 to 2006. Thiele wrote award-winning children's fiction, Storm Boy, Blue Fin, February Dragon and the Sun on the Stubble books among it, and the catalogue records 80 titles from The Golden Lightning (1951) to Brahminy (2013). Thiele also led Wattle Park Teachers College and Murray Park CAE through the 1960s and 1970s, shaping teacher education in South Australia.

How many Colin Thiele books are there?

Colin Thiele has 80 books, released between 1951 and 2013. 2 of them were published after Colin Thiele's death in 2006. 2 of them belong to the Shatterbelt series.

Colin Thiele Books in Publication Order

The table lists all 80 Colin Thiele books in the order they were published, with the release year and how many independent book listings confirm each title. Catalogue data as of September 2026.

  1. 1
    The Golden Lightning1951 · confirmed 1/4
    1951–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  2. 2
    Heysen's Early Hahndorf1960 · confirmed 1/4
    1960–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  3. 3
    Man in a Landscape1960 · confirmed 1/4
    1960–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  4. 4
    The Sun On the Stubble1962 · confirmed 1/4
    1962–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  5. 5
    Storm BoyChapter #11964 · confirmed 1/4
    1964–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  6. 6
    February Dragon1965 · confirmed 1/4
    1965–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  7. 7
    Mistress Munch and Puffing Billy1965 · confirmed 1/4
    1965–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  8. 8
    In Charcoal and Conte1966 · confirmed 1/4
    1966–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  9. 9
    The Rim of the Morning1966 · confirmed 1/4
    1966–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  10. 10
    Barossa Valley Sketchbook1968 · confirmed 1/4
    1968–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  11. 11
    Heysen of Hahndorf1968 · confirmed 1/4
    1968–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  12. 12
    Blue Fin1969 · confirmed 1/4
    1969–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  13. 13
    Yellow Jacket Jock1969 · confirmed 1/4
    1969–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  14. 14
    Flash Flood1970 · confirmed 1/4
    1970–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  15. 15
    Flip-flop And Tiger Snake1970 · confirmed 1/4
    1970–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  16. 16
    Gloop1970 · confirmed 1/4
    1970–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  17. 17
    Selected Verse1970 · confirmed 1/4
    1970–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  18. 18
    Labourers in the Vineyard1970 · confirmed 1/4
    1970–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  19. 19
    Coorong1972 · confirmed 1/4
    1972–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  20. 20
    The Fire in the Stone1973 · confirmed 1/4
    1973–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  21. 21
    Magpie IslandChapter #21974 · confirmed 1/4
    1974–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  22. 22
    Albatross Two1974 · confirmed 1/4
    1974–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  23. 23
    Range Without Man1974 · confirmed 1/4
    1974–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  24. 24
    Uncle Gustav's Ghosts1974 · confirmed 1/4
    1974–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  25. 25
    Grains of Mustard Seed1975 · confirmed 1/4
    1975–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  26. 26
    The Little Desert1975 · confirmed 1/4
    1975–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  27. 27
    The Hammerhead Light1976 · confirmed 1/4
    1976–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  28. 28
    The Shadow On The Hills1977 · confirmed 1/4
    1977–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  29. 29
    The Sknuks1977 · confirmed 1/4
    1977–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  30. 30
    Lincoln's PlaceChapter #31978 · confirmed 1/4
    1978–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK

Colin Thiele books grouped by series

Each title below is a row in the publication-order table above. None of these groups has a reading-order page of its own on this site.

Chapter in order

12 books
  1. 1. Storm Boy
  2. 2. Magpie Island
  3. 3. Lincoln's Place
  4. 4. River Murray Mary
  5. 5. Little Tom Little
  6. 6. Pinquo
  7. 7. Coorong Captive
  8. 8. Speedy
  9. 9. The Monster Fish
  10. 10. Mr Dumby's Duck
  11. 11. The Twilight Ghost
  12. 12. The Fiery Salamander

Shatterbelt in order

2 books
  1. 1. Shatterbelt
  2. 2. Aftershock

Standalone books

66 books

66 Colin Thiele titles here are not listed as part of any series.

Do you have to read Colin Thiele books in order?

You only need to read Colin Thiele books in order within the Shatterbelt series, which holds 2 of the 80 Colin Thiele books listed here. The numbered table above gives every book in publication order.

Where to start with Colin Thiele

Start with The Golden Lightning (1951), the earliest published title.

What is the newest Colin Thiele book?

Brahminy (2013) is the newest Colin Thiele book released so far.

Is there a new Colin Thiele book coming?

No next Colin Thiele book is announced in the catalogue, which is a gap in the listings it merges rather than a sign that the run has ended.

Colin Thiele at a glance

Died
Colin Thiele died in 2006, according to Wikidata.
After death
Books credited to Colin Thiele are still being published after Colin Thiele's death in 2006; the newest appeared in 2013.
Release pace
Colin Thiele books have appeared about one a year on average.
Busiest decade
Most Colin Thiele books, 21 of 80, were published in the 1980s.