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True Book Books in Order

True Book is a 14-book series by Ann O. Squire for ages 5–12, at a grades 4–6 reading level, with gentle content (HootRated intensity 1/5).

Books
14
By publication date
Reading level
Grades 4–6
Average grade level 5.5
Recommended ages
Ages 5–12
From HootRated age ratings
Content intensity
Gentle
HootRated 1/5

True Book Reading Order

Series numbers aren't available for most True Book books, so they're listed by publication date (oldest first).

# Title Reading Level Ages Content
1 Badgers
1996 · Joan Kalbacken
Level 5-6 5-8 Gentle
2 The Wampanoags
1997 · Alice K. Flanagan
Level 5-6 5-8 Gentle
3 The Shawnee
1998 · Alice K. Flanagan
Level 5-6 5-8 Gentle
4 The Zunis
1998 · Alice K. Flanagan
Level 6 5-8 Gentle
5 Vitamins and minerals
1998 · Joan Kalbacken
Level 5-6 5-8 Gentle
6 Flies
1999 · Larry Dane Brimner
Level 4-5 5-8 Gentle
7 Geysers
2000 · Larry Dane Brimner
Level 5-6 5-8 Gentle
8 Fossils
2002
Level 6-7 9-12 Gentle
9 Gemstones (True Books: Earth Science)
2002
Level 6-7 9-12 Gentle
10 Rocks and Minerals (True Books: Earth Science)
2002
Level 5-6 9-12 Gentle
11 Seashells
2002 · Ann Squire
Level 5-6 5-8 Gentle
12 Calcium (True Books)
2004 · Salvatore Tocci
Level 5-6 9-12 Gentle
13 Silicon
2005 · Salvatore Tocci
Level 5-6 5-8 Gentle
14 Sheep (True Books)
Sara Swan Miller
Level 4 5-8 Gentle

Content Intensity Across the Series

Consistent

Content stays at a steady intensity level throughout the series.

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
First book Latest book

Series books grow with readers — but that's also the trap. Most series start at one reading level and one content intensity and drift upward over the course of the run. True Book (14 books by Ann O. Squire) lands at a grades 4–6 reading level, with average content intensity 1/5. Intensity stays consistent across the series, so a reader who can handle the first book can generally handle the rest.

The reading-order table above lists every book with per-volume reading level, age and intensity ratings so you can spot any escalation before it catches your reader off guard. For a deeper dive into how we score text difficulty vs. emotional weight separately — and why series readers especially benefit from that split — see our methodology page.

Similar reading level, content intensity and themes.

Questions about the True Book series

What reading level is the True Book series?
True Book books are at a grades 4–6 reading level (average grade level 5.5), and HootRated recommends the series for ages 5–12. There are 14 books in the series.
What order should I read the True Book books?
Series numbers aren't available for most True Book books, so HootRated lists them by publication date: Badgers (1996); The Wampanoags (1997); The Shawnee (1998); The Zunis (1998); Vitamins and minerals (1998); and 9 more.
What age is the True Book series appropriate for?
HootRated recommends True Book for ages 5–12. Content is gentle (HootRated intensity 1/5). Intensity stays consistent across the series, so a reader who can handle the first book can generally handle the rest.