Get the full list of all the Encyclopedia Brown books in order here to help you decide where to start or what to read next in this beloved decades-long children’s mystery book series. I also share answers to frequently asked questions about Encyclopedia Brown.
The Encyclopedia Brown books are Teachers’ Pick on Amazon, they have been translated into 12 languages, and they have sold approximately 50 million copies worldwide, from 1963 until even after author Donald J. Sobol’s death in 2012. They were also adapted into a tv series in 1989. And, in 1976, Sobol won an Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for the series.
Fun fact: Encyclopedia Brown is also a children’s book on the list of books mentioned on the Gilmore Girls! (It’s referenced on Season 3, Episode 14 “Swan Song” by Jess, jokingly as Luke’s favorite book series.) P.S. I run a Rory Gilmore reading challenge if you’re interested in reading along with us!
Frequently Asked Questions About Encyclopedia Brown
Yes. Encyclopedia Brown is a children’s mystery book series starring a ten-year-old boy named Leroy whose father is the chief of police in an average American town named Idaville. People call him Encyclopedia because he is so smart and astute at solving mysteries, both to help his father solve crimes and to help others in his community, who he charges “25 cents per day, plus expenses – No case too small.” He often works alongside his partner Sally Kimball and against the town bully, Bugs Meany, the leader of the Tigers gang.
There are 29 books in the Encyclopedia Brown series. Each book contains several short stories, each presenting a short mystery based on an inconsistency in fact or logic. If the reader pays close attention, he or she can try to solve the mystery along with Encyclopedia Brown and then flip to the back of the book for the answer.
Grade level 3 – 7 (Middle Grade)
Technically, Encyclopedia Brown books are for children ages 8 – 12 years. However, older young adults and adult readers may also enjoy the short mysteries in this book series, as the answers require active listening and critical thinking!
The books in the Encyclopedia Brown books contain a series of independent short stories, as opposed to chapters of a larger story.
Encyclopedia Brown Books in Order
Below are all 29 of the Encyclopedia Brown books in order.
Note: However, you don’t “have to” read the books in order to understand the stories within each one.
If you’re just getting started: Try the first book, Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective; the last book, Encyclopedia Brown and his Best Cases Ever (a “best of” compilation and the most highly rated book in the series on Amazon; or, whatever title intrigues you the most!
1. Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective
Date published: 1963
2. Encyclopedia Brown and The Case of the Secret Pitch
Date published: 1965
3. Encyclopedia Brown Finds the Clues
Date published: 1966
4. Encyclopedia Brown Gets His Man
Date published: 1967
5. Encyclopedia Brown Brown Solves Them All
Date published: 1968
Teachers’ Pick on Amazon
6. Encyclopedia Brown Keeps the Peace
Date published: 1969
7. Encyclopedia Brown Saves the Day
Date published: 1970
8. Encyclopedia Brown Tracks Them Down
Date published: 1971
9. Encyclopedia Brown Shows the Way
Date published: 1972
10. Encyclopedia Brown Takes the Case
Date published: 1973
11. Encyclopedia Brown Lends a Hand
Date published: 1974
12. Encyclopedia Brown and The Case of the Dead Eagles
Date published: 1975
13. Encyclopedia Brown and The Case of the Midnight Visitor
Date published: 1977
14. Encyclopedia Brown Carries On
Date published: 1980
15. Encyclopedia Brown Sets the Pace
Date published: 1982
15.5 Encyclopedia Brown Takes the Cake!
Date published: 1982
16. Encyclopedia Brown and The Case of the Mysterious Handprints
Date published: 1985
17. Encyclopedia Brown and The Case of the Treasure Hunt
Date published: 1988
18. Encyclopedia Brown and The Case of the Disgusting Sneakers
Date published: 1990
19. Encyclopedia Brown and The Case of the Two Spies
Date published: 1994
20. Encyclopedia Brown and The Case of Pablo’s Nose
Date published: 1997
21. Encyclopedia Brown and The Case of the Sleeping Dog
Date published: 1998
22. Encyclopedia Brown and The Case of the Slippery Salamander
Date published: 1999
23. Encyclopedia Brown and The Case of the Jumping Frogs
Date published: 2003
24. Encyclopedia Brown Cracks the Case
Date published: 2007
25. Encyclopedia Brown, Super Sleuth
Date published: 2009
26. Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Secret UFO
Date published: 2010
27. Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Carnival Crime
Date published: 2011
28. Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Soccer Scheme
Date published: 2012
29. Encyclopedia Brown and His Best Cases Ever
Date published: 2013
This “best of” compilation is the highest-rated book in the Encylopedia Brown book series.
Conclusion
Those are all the Encyclopedia Brown books in order. To recap, if you’re just getting started, try the first book, Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective; the last book, Encyclopedia Brown and his Best Cases Ever (a “best of” compilation and the most highly rated book in the series on Amazon; or, whatever title intrigues you the most!
As a special bonus, you can listen to me and Alli from SSR podcast talk about Encyclopedia Brown.
As a reminder, you don’t “have to” read them in order to understand them. And, if you are still unsure where to start, try the first book, Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective or the last book, Encyclopedia Brown and his Best Cases Ever, which is a “best of” compilation adored by fans of the series.
