Walter Dean Myers Standalone Novels books in order

Walter Dean Myers' standalone novels span four decades of award-winning fiction for young adults, from Fast Sam, Cool Clyde, and Stuff (1975) to Juba! (2015).

Reading order

# Title Published Author Buy on Amazon
1 The Dancers 1972 Walter Dean Myers Buy
2 Fly, Jimmy, Fly! 1974 Walter Dean Myers Buy
3 Fast Sam, Cool Clyde, and Stuff 1975 Walter Dean Myers Buy
4 Victory For Jamie 1977 Walter Dean Myers Buy
5 Brainstorm 1977 Walter Dean Myers Buy
6 It Ain’t All for Nothin' 1978 Walter Dean Myers Buy
7 The Young Landlords 1979 Walter Dean Myers Buy
8 The Black Pearl and the Ghost 1980 Walter Dean Myers Buy
9 The Legend of Tarik 1981 Walter Dean Myers Buy
10 Hoops 1981 Walter Dean Myers Buy
11 Won’t Know ‘Til I Get There 1982 Walter Dean Myers Buy
12 Mojo and the Russians 1982 Walter Dean Myers Buy
13 Tales of a Dead King 1983 Walter Dean Myers Buy
14 The Nicholas Factor 1983 Walter Dean Myers Buy
15 The Outside Shot 1984 Walter Dean Myers Buy
16 Motown and Didi 1984 Walter Dean Myers Buy
17 Sweet Illusions 1986 Walter Dean Myers Buy
18 Crystal 1987 Walter Dean Myers Buy
19 Me, Mop, and the Moondance Kid 1988 Walter Dean Myers Buy
20 Fallen Angels 1988 Walter Dean Myers Buy
21 Scorpions 1988 Walter Dean Myers Buy
22 The Mouse Rap 1990 Walter Dean Myers Buy
23 The Righteous Revenge of Artemis Bonner 1992 Walter Dean Myers Buy
24 Somewhere in the Darkness 1992 Walter Dean Myers Buy
25 Mop, Moondance and the Nagasaki Knights 1992 Walter Dean Myers Buy
26 Darnell Rock Reporting 1994 Walter Dean Myers Buy
27 The Glory Field 1994 Walter Dean Myers Buy
28 Shadow of the Red Moon 1995 Walter Dean Myers Buy
29 Slam! 1996 Walter Dean Myers Buy
30 Three Swords for Granada 2002 Walter Dean Myers Buy
31 Handbook for Boys 2002 Walter Dean Myers Buy
32 The Beast 2003 Walter Dean Myers Buy
33 Fighter 2003 Walter Dean Myers Buy
34 The Dream Bearer 2003 Walter Dean Myers Buy
35 Shooter 2004 Walter Dean Myers Buy
36 Autobiography of My Dead Brother 2005 Walter Dean Myers Buy
37 Street Love 2006 Walter Dean Myers Buy
38 Harlem Summer 2007 Walter Dean Myers Buy
39 Sunrise Over Fallujah 2008 Walter Dean Myers Buy
40 Riot 2009 Walter Dean Myers Buy
41 Game 2009 Walter Dean Myers Buy
42 Dope Sick 2009 Walter Dean Myers Buy
43 Lockdown 2010 Walter Dean Myers Buy
44 Carmen 2011 Walter Dean Myers Buy
45 Kick 2011 Walter Dean Myers Buy
46 All the Right Stuff 2012 Walter Dean Myers Buy
47 Darius & Twig 2013 Walter Dean Myers Buy
48 Invasion 2013 Walter Dean Myers Buy
49 On a Clear Day 2014 Walter Dean Myers Buy
50 Juba! 2015 Walter Dean Myers Buy

Walter Dean Myers’ standalone novels make up the largest part of his catalog, with 50 titles published between 1972 and 2015. These books cover a huge range of settings and subjects, from the streets of Harlem to the battlefields of Vietnam, from basketball courts to historical events. What connects them is Myers’ commitment to writing honestly about young people, especially young Black people, facing real challenges.

Among the standalones are some of the most important young adult novels of the late twentieth century. Fallen Angels follows young soldiers in Vietnam. Scorpions depicts a boy drawn into gang life. Slam! is set in the world of high school basketball. Each book earned critical recognition, and together they established Myers as a writer whose work changed what young adult fiction could look and sound like.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books are in the Walter Dean Myers Standalone Novels series?

There are 50 books in the Walter Dean Myers Standalone Novels series, published between 1972 and 2015.

What is the first book in the Walter Dean Myers Standalone Novels series?

The first book in the Walter Dean Myers Standalone Novels series is The Dancers, published in 1972.

Which Walter Dean Myers standalone novel should I read first?

Fallen Angels (1988), about young soldiers in Vietnam, and Monster (1999), about a teen on trial for murder, are his most widely read and acclaimed novels. Scorpions (1988) is another excellent starting point for younger readers.

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