Order of Book Series
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Lurlene McDaniel Books in Order

Lurlene McDaniel has written 82 books, published between 1981 and 2018. The first book is A Horse for Mandy (1981) and the newest is The Girl with the Broken Heart (2018). Publication order is the reading order below.

Books
82
Published
1981–2018
Pages on record
8,483 in 48 of 82 books
Reading time
141–212 hours

Reading time is an estimate, not a recorded figure: 8,483 pages at 300 words a page, read at 200–300 words a minute, covering the 48 of 82 titles with a page count on record.

See all 82 books in order Printable Lurlene McDaniel checklist

Lurlene McDaniel, born April 5, 1944 in Philadelphia, is an American author of more than 70 young adult books, known for stories of young people facing mortality and chronic illness. McDaniel began writing on the subject as a therapeutic response after a son was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes at age 3. The characters face cancer, diabetes, organ failure and the deaths of loved ones. The catalogue counts 82 books from A Horse for Mandy (1981) to The Girl with the Broken Heart (2018), with series such as One Last Wish, Dawn Rochelle, Angels Trilogy and Angels in Pink. McDaniel graduated from the University of South Florida in Tampa and lives in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

How many Lurlene McDaniel books are there?

Lurlene McDaniel has 82 books, released between 1981 and 2018. They include 10 series and 43 titles listed outside any series.

Lurlene McDaniel Books in Publication Order

The table lists all 82 Lurlene McDaniel books in the order they were published, with the release year, the page count where one is on record, and how many independent book listings confirm each title. Catalogue data as of September 2026.

  1. Cover of A Horse for Mandy by Lurlene McDaniel (1981)
  2. Cover of Six Months to Live by Lurlene McDaniel, book 1 of the Dawn Rochelle series (1985)
  3. Cover of The Secret Life of Steffie Martin by Lurlene McDaniel (1985)
  4. Cover of If I Should Die Before I Wake by Lurlene McDaniel (1985)
  5. Cover of Eternal Flame by Lurlene McDaniel (1985)
  6. Cover of Hold Fast the Dream by Lurlene McDaniel (1985)
  7. Cover of Why Did She Have to Die? by Lurlene McDaniel (1986)
  8. Cover of I Want to Live by Lurlene McDaniel, book 2 of the Dawn Rochelle series (1987)
  9. Cover of A Gift of Love by Lurlene McDaniel (1987)
  10. Cover of Head Over Heels by Lurlene McDaniel (1987)
  11. Cover of More Than Just a Smart Girl by Lurlene McDaniel (1987)
  12. Cover of Mother, Please Don't Die by Lurlene McDaniel (1988)
  13. Cover of My Secret Boyfriend by Lurlene McDaniel (1988)
  14. Cover of When Dreams Shatter by Lurlene McDaniel (1988)
  15. Cover of Goodbye Doesn't Mean Forever by Lurlene McDaniel, book 1 of the Melissa & Jory series (1989)
  16. Cover of Too Young to Die by Lurlene McDaniel, book 2 of the Melissa & Jory series (1989)
  17. Cover of Time to Let Go by Lurlene McDaniel, book 1 of the Erin Bennett series (1990)
  18. Cover of Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep by Lurlene McDaniel (1990)
  19. Cover of So Much to Live For by Lurlene McDaniel, book 3 of the Dawn Rochelle series (1991)
  20. Cover of Mourning Song by Lurlene McDaniel, book 2 of the One Last Wish series (1992)
  21. Cover of Someone Dies, Someone Lives by Lurlene McDaniel, book 4 of the One Last Wish series (1992)
  22. Cover of Sixteen and Dying by Lurlene McDaniel, book 5 of the One Last Wish series (1992)
  23. Cover of When Happily Ever After Ends by Lurlene McDaniel (1992)
  24. Cover of No Time to Cry by Lurlene McDaniel, book 4 of the Dawn Rochelle series (1993)
  1. 1
    A Horse for Mandy1981 · 75 pages · confirmed 1/4
    198175
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  2. 2
    Kickeroo1981 · confirmed 1/4
    1981–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  3. 3
    Last Dance1982 · confirmed 1/4
    1982–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  4. 4
    The Pony That Nobody Wanted1982 · 95 pages · confirmed 1/4
    198295
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  5. 5
    What's it like to be a star?1982 · confirmed 1/4
    1982–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  6. 6
    Sometimes Love Isn't Enough1984 · confirmed 1/4
    1984–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  7. 7
    Will I Ever Dance Again?1984 · confirmed 1/4
    1984–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  8. 8
    Where's the Horse for Me?1984 · confirmed 1/4
    1984–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  9. 9
    Peanut Butter for Dinner Again?Treetop Tales #11985 · 112 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1985112
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  10. 10
    Six Months to LiveDawn Rochelle #11985 · 144 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1985144
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  11. 11
    The Secret Life of Steffie Martin1985 · 126 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1985126
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  12. 12
    If I Should Die Before I Wake1985 · 128 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1985128
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  13. 13
    Eternal Flame1985 · 205 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1985205
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  14. 14
    Hold Fast the Dream1985 · 193 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1985193
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  15. 15
    Why Did She Have to Die?1986 · 126 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1986126
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  16. 16
    Love's Full Circle1986 · 189 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1986189
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  17. 17
    I Want to LiveDawn Rochelle #21987 · 144 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1987144
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  18. 18
    A Gift of Love1987 · confirmed 1/4
    1987–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  19. 19
    Head Over Heels1987 · 112 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1987112
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  20. 20
    More Than Just a Smart Girl1987 · 124 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1987124
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  21. 21
    Three's a Crowd1987 · 128 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1987128
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  22. 22
    Mother, Please Don't Die1988 · 128 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1988128
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  23. 23
    My Secret Boyfriend1988 · 128 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1988128
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  24. 24
    When Dreams Shatter1988 · 128 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1988128
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  25. 25
    Goodbye Doesn't Mean ForeverMelissa & Jory #11989 · 166 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1989166
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  26. 26
    Too Young to DieMelissa & Jory #21989 · 176 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1989176
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  27. 27
    Time to Let GoErin Bennett #11990 · 162 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1990162
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  28. 28
    Somewhere Between Life and DeathErin Bennett #21990 · confirmed 1/4
    1990–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  29. 29
    Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep1990 · 160 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1990160
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  30. 30
    So Much to Live ForDawn Rochelle #31991 · 144 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1991144
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK

Lurlene McDaniel 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.

One Last Wish in order

12 books
  1. 1. A Time to Die
  2. 2. Mourning Song
  3. 3. Mother, Help Me Live
  4. 4. Someone Dies, Someone Lives
  5. 5. Sixteen and Dying
  6. 6. Let Him Live
  7. 7. Please Don't Die
  8. 8. The Legacy: Making Wishes Come True
  9. 9. She Died Too Young
  10. 10. All the Days of Her Life
  11. 11. A Season for Goodbye
  12. 12. Reach for Tomorrow

Dawn Rochelle in order

5 books
  1. 1. Six Months to Live
  2. 2. I Want to Live
  3. 3. So Much to Live For
  4. 4. No Time to Cry
  5. 5. To Live Again

Melissa & Jory in order

3 books
  1. 1. Goodbye Doesn't Mean Forever
  2. 2. Too Young to Die
  3. 3. Always and Forever

Erin Bennett in order

3 books
  1. 1. Time to Let Go
  2. 2. Somewhere Between Life and Death
  3. 3. The End of Forever

Angels Trilogy in order

3 books
  1. 1. Angels Watching Over Me
  2. 2. Lifted Up by Angels
  3. 3. Until Angels Close My Eyes

Angels in Pink in order

3 books
  1. 1. Kathleen's Story
  2. 2. Raina's Story
  3. 3. Holly's Story

Year in order

3 books
  1. 1. The Year of Luminous Love
  2. 2. The Year of Chasing Dreams
  3. 3. Wishes and Dreams

April Lancaster in order

2 books
  1. 1. Till Death Do Us Part
  2. 2. For Better, for Worse, Forever

Angel of Mercy in order

2 books
  1. 1. Angel of Mercy
  2. 2. Angel of Hope

Losing Gabriel in order

2 books
  1. 1. Losing Gabriel
  2. 2. Somebody's Baby

Treetop Tales in order

1 book
  1. 1. Peanut Butter for Dinner Again?

Standalone books

43 books

43 Lurlene McDaniel titles here are not listed as part of any series.

Do you have to read Lurlene McDaniel books in order?

You only need to read Lurlene McDaniel books in order within each series: the books listed here span 10 separate series, and each series has its own publication order.

Where to start with Lurlene McDaniel

Start with A Horse for Mandy (1981), the earliest published title.

What is the newest Lurlene McDaniel book?

The Girl with the Broken Heart (2018) is the newest Lurlene McDaniel book released so far.

Is there a new Lurlene McDaniel book coming?

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

Lurlene McDaniel at a glance

No recent titles
The newest Lurlene McDaniel title on record dates from 2018, 8 years ago. No later title is catalogued.
Release pace
Lurlene McDaniel books have appeared more than one a year on average.
Length
8,483 pages across the 48 of 82 books with a recorded length, a median of 164 pages each.
Busiest decade
Most Lurlene McDaniel books, 30 of 82, were published in the 1990s.

What the Lurlene McDaniel books are about

47 of the 82 Lurlene McDaniel books carry subject tags in Open Library's catalogue. The subjects below are the ones that recur across them, most frequent first: children's fiction is tagged on 15 of 47. The subjects are cataloguers’ headings, not a plot summary.