Order of Book Series
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Virginia Hamilton Books in Order

44 books are credited to Virginia Hamilton, published between 1967 and 2024; 5 of them appeared after Virginia Hamilton's death in 2002. The first book is Zeely (1967) and the newest is Liberation Literature (2024). Publication order is the reading order below.

Books
44
Published
1967–2024
Pages on record
6,030 in 34 of 44 books
Reading time
101–151 hours

Reading time is an estimate, not a recorded figure: 6,030 pages at 300 words a page, read at 200–300 words a minute, covering the 34 of 44 titles with a page count on record.

See all 44 books in order Printable Virginia Hamilton checklist

Virginia Hamilton (March 12, 1936 to February 19, 2002) was an American children's author who wrote 41 books. M.C. Higgins, the Great (1974) won the U.S. National Book Award for Young People's Literature and the 1975 Newbery Medal. Hamilton's work explores the African-American experience, which Hamilton termed "Liberation Literature". Further honours were the Hans Christian Andersen Award in 1992 and the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award in 1995. The catalogue lists 44 entries from Zeely (1967) to Liberation Literature (2024), including The House of Dies Drear (1968), The Planet of Junior Brown (1971) and Justice and Her Brothers (1978).

How many Virginia Hamilton books are there?

Virginia Hamilton has 44 books, released between 1967 and 2024. 5 of them were published after Virginia Hamilton's death in 2002. They include 4 series and 32 titles listed outside any series.

Virginia Hamilton Books in Publication Order

The table lists all 44 Virginia Hamilton 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 Zeely by Virginia Hamilton (1967)
  2. Cover of The House of Dies Drear by Virginia Hamilton, book 1 of the Dies Drear Chronicles (1968)
  3. Cover of The Planet of Junior Brown by Virginia Hamilton, book 26 of the Jerry Pinkney as Illustrator series (1971)
  4. Cover of Paul Robeson by Virginia Hamilton (1974)
  5. Cover of M.C. Higgins, the Great by Virginia Hamilton (1974)
  6. Cover of Justice and Her Brothers by Virginia Hamilton, book 1 of the Justice and Her Brothers series (1978)
  7. Cover of Arilla Sun Down by Virginia Hamilton (1979)
  8. Cover of Dustland by Virginia Hamilton, book 2 of the Justice and Her Brothers series (1980)
  9. Cover of Jahdu by Virginia Hamilton, book 48 of the Jerry Pinkney as Illustrator series (1980)
  10. Cover of The Gathering by Virginia Hamilton, book 3 of the Justice and Her Brothers series (1981)
  11. Cover of The Magical Adventures of Pretty Pearl by Virginia Hamilton, book 1 of the Harper Trophy series (1983)
  12. Cover of Willie Bea and the Time the Martians Landed by Virginia Hamilton (1983)
  13. Cover of The Magical Adventures of Pretty Pearl by Virginia Hamilton, book 20 of the Harper Trophy Books series (1983)
  14. Cover of W. E. B. Du Bois: A Biography by Virginia Hamilton (1984)
  15. Cover of A Little Love by Virginia Hamilton (1984)
  16. Cover of Junius Over Far by Virginia Hamilton (1985)
  17. Cover of The Mystery of Drear House by Virginia Hamilton, book 2 of the Dies Drear Chronicles (1987)
  18. Cover of A White Romance by Virginia Hamilton (1987)
  19. Cover of In the Beginning by Virginia Hamilton (1988)
  20. Cover of The Bells of Christmas by Virginia Hamilton (1989)
  21. Cover of Cousins by Virginia Hamilton, book 1 of the Cousins series (1990)
  22. Cover of The Dark Way by Virginia Hamilton (1990)
  23. Cover of The All Jahdu Storybook by Virginia Hamilton (1991)
  24. Cover of Drylongso by Virginia Hamilton, book 66 of the Jerry Pinkney as Illustrator series (1992)
  1. 1
    Zeely1967 · 121 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1967121
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  2. 2
    The House of Dies DrearDies Drear Chronicles #11968 · 244 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1968244
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  3. 3
    The Time-Ago Tales of Jahdu1969 · confirmed 1/4
    1969–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  4. 4
    The Planet of Junior BrownJerry Pinkney as Illustrator #261971 · 210 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1971210
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  5. 5
    Time-Ago Lost: More Tales of Jahdu1973 · confirmed 1/4
    1973–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  6. 6
    Paul Robeson1974 · 217 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1974217
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  7. 7
    M.C. Higgins, the Great1974 · 278 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1974278
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  8. 8
    Justice and Her BrothersJustice and Her Brothers #11978 · 214 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1978214
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  9. 9
    Arilla Sun Down1979 · confirmed 1/4
    1979–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  10. 10
    DustlandJustice and Her Brothers #21980 · 214 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1980214
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  11. 11
    JahduJerry Pinkney as Illustrator #481980 · 55 pages · confirmed 1/4
    198055
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  12. 12
    The GatheringJustice and Her Brothers #31981 · 214 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1981214
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  13. 13
    Sweet Whispers, Brother Rush1982 · 215 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1982215
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  14. 14
    The Magical Adventures of Pretty PearlHarper Trophy #11983 · 311 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1983311
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  15. 15
    Willie Bea and the Time the Martians Landed1983 · 208 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1983208
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  16. 16
    The Magical Adventures of Pretty PearlHarper Trophy Books #201983 · 320 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1983320
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  17. 17
    W. E. B. Du Bois: A Biography1984 · 218 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1984218
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  18. 18
    A Little Love1984 · 207 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1984207
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  19. 19
    Junius Over Far1985 · 277 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1985277
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  20. 20
    The Mystery of Drear HouseDies Drear Chronicles #21987 · 224 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1987224
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  21. 21
    A White Romance1987 · 191 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1987191
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  22. 22
    Anthony Burns1988 · 193 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1988193
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  23. 23
    In the Beginning1988 · 176 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1988176
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  24. 24
    The Bells of Christmas1989 · 64 pages · confirmed 1/4
    198964
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  25. 25
    CousinsCousins #11990 · 125 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1990125
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  26. 26
    The Dark Way1990 · 154 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1990154
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  27. 27
    The All Jahdu Storybook1991 · 108 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1991108
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  28. 28
    DrylongsoJerry Pinkney as Illustrator #661992 · 64 pages · confirmed 1/4
    199264
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  29. 29
    Many Thousand Gone1993 · confirmed 1/4
    1993–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  30. 30
    Plain City1993 · 194 pages · confirmed 1/4
    1993194
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK

Virginia Hamilton 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.

Justice and Her Brothers in order

3 books
  1. 1. Justice and Her Brothers
  2. 2. Dustland
  3. 3. The Gathering

Jerry Pinkney as Illustrator in order

3 books
  1. 26. The Planet of Junior Brown
  2. 48. Jahdu
  3. 66. Drylongso

Dies Drear Chronicles in order

2 books
  1. 1. The House of Dies Drear
  2. 2. The Mystery of Drear House

Cousins in order

2 books
  1. 1. Cousins
  2. 2. Second Cousins

Harper Trophy in order

1 book
  1. 1. The Magical Adventures of Pretty Pearl

Harper Trophy Books in order

1 book
  1. 20. The Magical Adventures of Pretty Pearl

Standalone books

32 books

32 Virginia Hamilton titles here are not listed as part of any series.

Do you have to read Virginia Hamilton books in order?

You only need to read Virginia Hamilton books in order within each series: the books listed here span 4 separate series, and each series has its own publication order.

Where to start with Virginia Hamilton

Start with Zeely (1967), the earliest published title.

What is the newest Virginia Hamilton book?

Liberation Literature (2024) is the newest Virginia Hamilton book released so far.

Is there a new Virginia Hamilton book coming?

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

Awards Virginia Hamilton has won

Wikidata records 9 awards for Virginia Hamilton. Each row states whether the title won or was shortlisted, and the year the award was given.

  • Children's Literature Legacy Award1995Won
  • Hans Christian Andersen Award1992Won
  • Gustav-Heinemann-Friedenspreis für Kinder- und Jugendbücher1991Won
  • Regina Medal1990Won
  • Jane Addams Children's Book Award1989Won
  • Coretta Scott King Award1979Won
  • Newbery Medal1975Wonfor M. C. Higgins, the Great
  • National Book Award1975Wonfor M. C. Higgins, the Great
  • Edgar Awards1969Won

Virginia Hamilton at a glance

Died
Virginia Hamilton died in 2002, according to Wikidata.
After death
Books credited to Virginia Hamilton are still being published after Virginia Hamilton's death in 2002; the newest appeared in 2024.
Release pace
Virginia Hamilton books have appeared about one a year on average.
Length
6,030 pages across the 34 of 44 books with a recorded length, a median of 194 pages each.
Busiest decade
Most Virginia Hamilton books, 15 of 44, were published in the 1980s.

What the Virginia Hamilton books are about

40 of the 44 Virginia Hamilton books carry subject tags in Open Library's catalogue. The subjects below are the ones that recur across them, most frequent first: african americans is tagged on 27 of 40. The subjects are cataloguers’ headings, not a plot summary.