Francesca Simon

b. 1955

1 series 32 books in order

Francesca Isabella Simon MBE (born 23 February 1955) is an American-born British author who resides in North London. She is best known for creating the Horrid Henry series of children's books. Simon was born in St. Louis, Missouri, and grew up in California. She studied at Yale and Jesus College, Oxford, where she majored in medieval studies and Old English. She worked as a journalist for publications including the Sunday Times, Guardian, Mail on Sunday, The Daily Telegraph, and Vogue (US). Simon was inspired to write by Anthony Trollope. After the birth of her son, Joshua, in 1989, she began writing children's books full-time. She has published over 50 books, with the Horrid Henry series selling over 25 million copies and being translated into 24 languages. Simon lives in London with her husband, Martin, and their son. Their Tibetan spaniel, Shanti, is featured in the short story "Shanti," included in the 2014 anthology Paws and Whiskers. In 2019, an opera based on her book The Monstrous Child was staged at the Royal Opera House. The opera, composed by Gavin Higgins with a libretto by Simon, tells the story of the Norse god of the dead, Hel, as an angry teenager.

Born: 1955
Known for: Horrid Henry

Series by Francesca Simon

Horrid Henry

32 books in order · 1994–2017

Horrid Henry

1994 · Francesca Simon

A book by Francesca Simon in which Horrible Henry causes his brother Perfect Peter all sorts of problems when he behaves properly for a change,…
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Horrid Henry and the Secret Club

1995 · Francesca Simon

Horrid Henry and the Secret Club is a children's book in the Horrid Henry series by Francesca Simon, illustrated by Tony Ross. The book is part of a…
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Horrid Henry Tricks the Tooth Fairy

1996 · Francesca Simon

Horrid Henry: Tricking the Tooth Fairy is the third book in the Horrid Henry series. Originally published in 1996 as Horrid Henry and the Tooth…
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Horrid Henry's nits

1997 · Francesca Simon

Horrid Henry's nits is a 1997 book by Francesca Simon. It is part of the series Horrid Henry. Catalog genres: Children's. The listed edition runs 80…
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Horrid Henry Gets Rich Quick

1998 · Francesca Simon

A book by Francesca Simon contains a collection of stories about a boy who runs away from home. In one story, he tries to sell his little brother at…
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Horrid Henry's Haunted House

1999 · Francesca Simon

Horrid Henry's Haunted House is a 1999 book by Francesca Simon. It is part of the series Horrid Henry. Catalog genres: Children's, Literary Fiction.…
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Horrid Henry and the Mummy's Curse (Book & Cassette)

2000 · Francesca Simon

This collection gathers four stories in which Horrid Henry behaves as appallingly as ever. The stories are said to appeal equally to boys and girls…
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Horrid Henry's Revenge

2001 · Francesca Simon

Horrid Henry's Revenge is a 2001 book by Francesca Simon. It is part of the series Horrid Henry. Catalog genres: Children's, Literary Fiction. The…
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Horrid Henry and the Bogey Babysitter

2002 · Francesca Simon

Horrid Henry and the Bogey Babysitter is a children's book in the Horrid Henry series by Francesca Simon, illustrated by Tony Ross. The book is part…
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Horrid Henry's Stinkbomb

2002 · Francesca Simon

Horrid Henry's Stinkbomb is a 2002 book by Francesca Simon. It is part of the series Horrid Henry. Catalog genres: Children's, Literary Fiction,…
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Show all 32 Horrid Henry books in order →

Frequently asked questions

How many books has Francesca Simon written?

We list 32 books by Francesca Simon across 1 series, published between 1994–2017 — each shown in full reading order.

What order should I read Francesca Simon's books?

Read each series in publication order. A good place to start is “Horrid Henry and the Mummy's Curse (Book & Cassette).” Open any series above for its complete numbered reading order.

Where can I buy Francesca Simon's books?

Every title links to Amazon from its series page — see our affiliate disclosure in the footer for how that supports the site.

Reading order compiled from author/publisher guidance and verified bibliographic data. Spotted a wrong order, a missing book, or any other mistake? and we'll correct it.