Joan Aiken

1 series 18 books in order 5 standalone books

Joan Aiken (1924–2004) was an English writer specialising in supernatural fiction and children's alternative history novels. She was awarded an MBE in 1999 for her services to children's literature, won the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize for The Whispering Mountain, and received an Edgar Allan Poe Award in 1972 for Night Fall. Her credits include Black Hearts in Battersea, Dido and Pa, and other titles in the Wolves series.

Born
1924
Known for
Wolves

Series by Joan Aiken

Wolves

13 books in order · 1940–1999

  1. Cover of Black Hearts in Battersea

    Black Hearts in Battersea

    1940 · Joan Aiken

    Simon, the foundling from The Wolves of Willoughby Chase, arrives in London to meet an old friend and study painting, but finds himself in the middle…

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  2. Cover of The Wolves of Willoughby Chase

    The Wolves of Willoughby Chase

    1962 · Joan Aiken

    First novel in the Wolves Chronicles, set during the fictional early-19th-century reign of King James the Third. A large number of wolves have…

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  3. Cover of Nightbirds on Nantucket

    Nightbirds on Nantucket

    1966 · Joan Aiken

    Having had enough of life aboard the ship that saved her from a watery grave, Dido Twite wants to sail home to England, but Captain Casket's ship…

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  4. Cover of The Whispering Mountain

    The Whispering Mountain

    1968 · Joan Aiken

    In the small town of Pennygaff, where Owen has been sent to live after his mother's death, a legendary golden harp has been found. Knowing the…

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  5. Cover of The Cuckoo Tree

    The Cuckoo Tree

    1971 · Joan Aiken

    Back on English soil, Dido Twite stays at the Dogkennel Cottages while Captain Hughes recovers from a carriage accident, and meets the odd…

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  6. Cover of The Stolen Lake (Wolves of Willoughby Chase)

    The Stolen Lake (Wolves of Willoughby Chase)

    1981 · Joan Aiken

    On her way back to London aboard the Thrush, Dido Twite and crew are summoned to aid the tyrannical queen of New Cumbria, an infernal island where…

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  7. Cover of Dido and Pa

    Dido and Pa

    1986 · Joan Aiken

    Dido Twite is finally back home in London, reunited with her old friend Simon, now the Duke of Battersea and a favorite of King Richard. But her…

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  8. Cover of Is Underground

    Is Underground

    1993 · Joan Aiken

    Dido's sister, Is, travels north to find her lost cousin, but instead of the promised Playland discovers an underground kingdom where children work…

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  9. Cover of Cold Shoulder Road

    Cold Shoulder Road

    1995 · Joan Aiken

    Having freed the children enslaved in the northern mines, Is Twite and her cousin Arun return to Folkestone to find Arun's mother, who has…

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  10. Cover of Dangerous Games

    Dangerous Games

    1999 · Joan Aiken

    Dido Twite has been chasing Lord Herodsfoot across the seas, but he's needed back in London because King James, ill with a mysterious disease, needs…

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Show all 13 Wolves books in order →

Standalone books

  1. Cover of Emma Watson
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  2. Cover of Eliza's daughter
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  3. Cover of Going wrong
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  4. Cover of Mansfield Revisited
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  5. Cover of The Five-Minute Marriage
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Frequently asked questions

How many books has Joan Aiken written?

We list 18 books by Joan Aiken across 1 series, published between 1940–1999 — each shown in full reading order.

What order should I read Joan Aiken's books?

Read each series in publication order. A good place to start is “The Wolves of Willoughby Chase.” Open any series above for its complete numbered reading order.

Where can I buy Joan Aiken'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.

Some summaries adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.