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Neal Wooten Books in Order

Explore Neal Wooten books in order, with quick summaries, series notes, and easy where-to-start tips across his sci-fi, memoir, and animal stories.

Last updated: July 10, 2026

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Neal Wooten books in publication order

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20 books

The Mysterious Backyard Meeting

by Neal Wooten

2008

Penny, the curious detective, and her sleepy sister Rio notice a secret gathering of animals in their backyard. Their first case is a gentle chapter-book mystery that lets young readers follow clues from a dog's-eye view.

John MacArthur and the Christian Evolution

by Neal Wooten

2010

This short nonfiction book asks whether Christian beliefs have shifted in response to modern debates over evolution. Wooten uses John MacArthur as a springboard for a broader argument about faith and change.

Reternity

by Neal Wooten

2011

Max, the son of a reverend, arrives at university torn between his Christian upbringing and his love of science. A nearly impossible assignment leads him and Professor Nowak toward a discovery that could change everything.

Three of Hearts

by Neal Wooten

2011

Fresh out of high school, Leo befriends a homeless Vietnam veteran living in a car near Fort Payne. As he learns about a long-ago pact between three wounded soldiers, he gets pulled into the last chapter of their story.

It's a Republican Life

by Neal Wooten

2012

After the 2012 election, furious conservative Zack Meadows meets a strange figure who turns out to be his guardian demon. His wish for a world without government becomes a sharp, absurd political parody.

My Brother, My Judge

by Neal Wooten

2012

Rival brothers Trevor and Dustin Davis turn a bet about courtroom outcomes into something much bigger. When Trevor creates verdict-predicting technology, ambition, politics, and murder push the brothers into a chilling legal future.

The Balance

by Neal Wooten

2014

Piri has spent his life in a tightly controlled city high above the earth. When an accident sends him to the surface, new people, new love, and a terrible truth force him to choose where he stands.

Animals of the MIA Foundation

by Neal Wooten

2015

This coloring book highlights animals born with birth defects who were given a chance to live and thrive. It is gentle, hopeful, and closely tied to a rescue mission built around care and second chances.

Brad's Pit

by Neal Wooten

2015

This full-color collection follows Brad and his dog Chief through shelter adoption, dog park trips, vet visits, thunderstorm panic, and big dreams. It is a light, funny look at life with a pit bull and the people who love him.

Famous Dogs of Facebook

by Neal Wooten

2015

Part photo book, part coloring book, this collection pairs well-known online dogs with pages readers can color themselves. It is a cheerful, low-stress celebration of canine personalities and the communities built around them.

I'm Not Defective

by Neal Wooten

2015

Tiny Josh is born with a cleft palate and marked for euthanasia, until rescuer Tina Lythgoe steps in. His story becomes a warm, kid-friendly reminder that being different is not the same as being broken.

Josh and His Critters

by Neal Wooten

2015

Built around the rescue world that shares its name, this book introduces Josh and the many animals who need help around him. It has a warm, advocacy-minded spirit that should appeal to younger animal lovers.

Mazeberry

by Neal Wooten

2015

A compact activity book built around mazes, Mazeberry is a playful detour from Wooten's fiction. It is made for readers who like quick visual challenges and the simple satisfaction of finding the way through.

Mr. Fancy Pants

by Neal Wooten

2015

Glenda Mosner takes in an English bulldog puppy with spina bifida after euthanasia is recommended. Munster's story is sweet, sad, and inspiring without hiding the work it takes to help a disabled dog thrive.

Pit Bulls vs. Aliens

by Neal Wooten

2015

In a future shaped by rising heat and looming disaster, humans face a threat far beyond ordinary politics. Wooten leans into pulpy sci-fi fun and asks whether Earth's unlikeliest heroes might have four legs and blocky heads.

Granny Dollar

by Neal Wooten

2017

In 1926, an elderly Cherokee woman named Nancy Emmaline Callahan Dollar emerges from the woods near a school on Lookout Mountain. Her hard, legendary life turns into a vivid story of survival, memory, and regional history.

The Insomniant

by Neal Wooten

2017

This playful holiday picture book turns a sleepless ant into the center of the story. It looks like a gentle read-aloud built around bedtime trouble, humor, and a small hero with a very big problem.

Wallace and Roo

by Neal Wooten

2017

Wallace is no ordinary pit bull, and Roo is the human who sees what he can become. Their friendship grows into a sweet, energetic story about rescue, trust, and finding a talent that changes both of their lives.

Wallace's Hidden Talent

by Neal Wooten

2018

Wallace keeps surprising everyone, and Roo learns how much patience and practice matter. This cheerful follow-up is about confidence, teamwork, and letting a special dog show what he can do.

With the Devil's Help

by Neal Wooten

2022

Wooten blends memoir and true crime as he traces his poor Sand Mountain childhood alongside the buried history of his grandfather. Family violence, secrecy, and survival build toward a hard, haunting revelation.

Where to start with Neal Wooten

If you want science fiction with faith and big ideas: ReternityThe BalancePit Bulls vs. Aliens
If you prefer suspense with rivalry, law, and technology: My Brother, My JudgeIt's a Republican Life
If you want Southern stories with heart and history: Three of HeartsGranny DollarWith the Devil's Help
If you want dog-centered reads for younger readers: Wallace and RooWallace's Hidden TalentThe Mysterious Backyard Meeting

Fudge Shop Mysteries books in order

Explore this series
  1. Book cover for "Reternity"

    Reternity

    by Neal Wooten

    2011Fudge Shop Mysteries, Book 2
  2. Book cover for "Three of Hearts"

    Three of Hearts

    by Neal Wooten

    2011Fudge Shop Mysteries, Book 1
  3. Book cover for "It's a Republican Life"

    It's a Republican Life

    by Neal Wooten

    2012Fudge Shop Mysteries, Book 4
  4. Book cover for "My Brother, My Judge"

    My Brother, My Judge

    by Neal Wooten

    2012Fudge Shop Mysteries, Book 3
  5. Book cover for "The Balance"

    The Balance

    by Neal Wooten

    2014Fudge Shop Mysteries, Book 5
  6. Book cover for "Brad's Pit"

    Brad's Pit

    by Neal Wooten

    2015Fudge Shop Mysteries, Book 8
  7. Book cover for "I'm Not Defective"

    I'm Not Defective

    by Neal Wooten

    2015Fudge Shop Mysteries, Book 6
  8. Book cover for "Pit Bulls vs. Aliens"

    Pit Bulls vs. Aliens

    by Neal Wooten

    2015Fudge Shop Mysteries, Book 7

Fudge Shop Mysteries books in chronological order

  1. Book cover for "Three of Hearts"

    Three of Hearts

    by Neal Wooten

    2011Fudge Shop Mysteries, Book 1
  2. Book cover for "Reternity"

    Reternity

    by Neal Wooten

    2011Fudge Shop Mysteries, Book 2
  3. Book cover for "My Brother, My Judge"

    My Brother, My Judge

    by Neal Wooten

    2012Fudge Shop Mysteries, Book 3
  4. Book cover for "It's a Republican Life"

    It's a Republican Life

    by Neal Wooten

    2012Fudge Shop Mysteries, Book 4
  5. Book cover for "The Balance"

    The Balance

    by Neal Wooten

    2014Fudge Shop Mysteries, Book 5
  6. Book cover for "I'm Not Defective"

    I'm Not Defective

    by Neal Wooten

    2015Fudge Shop Mysteries, Book 6
  7. Book cover for "Pit Bulls vs. Aliens"

    Pit Bulls vs. Aliens

    by Neal Wooten

    2015Fudge Shop Mysteries, Book 7
  8. Book cover for "Brad's Pit"

    Brad's Pit

    by Neal Wooten

    2015Fudge Shop Mysteries, Book 8

Penny and Rio books in order

Explore this series
  1. Book cover for "The Mysterious Backyard Meeting"

    The Mysterious Backyard Meeting

    by Neal Wooten

    2008Penny and Rio, Book 1

Penny and Rio books in chronological order

  1. Book cover for "The Mysterious Backyard Meeting"

    The Mysterious Backyard Meeting

    by Neal Wooten

    2008Penny and Rio, Book 1

Wallace and Roo books in order

Explore this series
  1. Book cover for "Wallace and Roo"

    Wallace and Roo

    by Neal Wooten

    2017Wallace and Roo, Book 1
  2. Book cover for "Wallace's Hidden Talent"

    Wallace's Hidden Talent

    by Neal Wooten

    2018Wallace and Roo, Book 2

Wallace and Roo books in chronological order

  1. Book cover for "Wallace and Roo"

    Wallace and Roo

    by Neal Wooten

    2017Wallace and Roo, Book 1
  2. Book cover for "Wallace's Hidden Talent"

    Wallace's Hidden Talent

    by Neal Wooten

    2018Wallace and Roo, Book 2

Neal Wooten collections, short stories, and related book types

Non-Fiction

  1. Book cover for "Mazeberry"

    Mazeberry

    by Neal Wooten

    2015
  2. Book cover for "Josh and His Critters"

    Josh and His Critters

    by Neal Wooten

    2015
  3. Book cover for "Famous Dogs of Facebook"

    Famous Dogs of Facebook

    by Neal Wooten

    2015
  4. Book cover for "Animals of the MIA Foundation"

    Animals of the MIA Foundation

    by Neal Wooten

    2015
  5. Book cover for "With the Devil's Help"

    With the Devil's Help

    by Neal Wooten

    2022

Children's Books

  1. Book cover for "Mr. Fancy Pants"

    Mr. Fancy Pants

    by Neal Wooten

    2015
  2. Book cover for "The Insomniant"

    The Insomniant

    by Neal Wooten

    2017

Standalone Neal Wooten books

  1. Book cover for "John MacArthur and the Christian Evolution"

    John MacArthur and the Christian Evolution

    by Neal Wooten

    2010
  2. Book cover for "Granny Dollar"

    Granny Dollar

    by Neal Wooten

    2017

Author bio

Neal Wooten is from the Fort Payne area of Alabama and grew up on a pig farm on Sand Mountain, in the northeast corner of the state. That landscape never really left him. Even when his books head into science fiction, satire, or memoir, they keep pulling from the same deep well of small communities, stubborn people, local legend, and the kind of hard-earned humor that helps people get through rough years.

He was the first person in his family to graduate from high school.

From there he went to Auburn University, where he earned a B.S. in applied mathematics. The analytical side never disappeared. A lot of Wooten's fiction begins with a big premise, a system, or a question that sounds almost abstract at first, then slowly turns personal. He likes to ask what happens when ideas stop being theory and start affecting real people.

Before he built a long list of books, Wooten worked as a math teacher and later directed a math school in Milwaukee. He has also done stand-up comedy, drawn cartoons, written columns, and worked in publishing. That mixed background matters. It helps explain why his writing can move from serious to strange to dryly funny without losing its footing.

He does not stay in one lane for long.

His first published novel, Reternity, brought science fiction and Christian belief into the same story through a preacher's son whose academic life opens a door his family never expected. The book won eight national awards and put Wooten on the map as a writer willing to test big ideas instead of just borrowing familiar genre moves. Soon after came Three of Hearts, a more grounded story tied to northeast Alabama and Vietnam veterans, and My Brother, My Judge, which turns sibling rivalry and courtroom ambition into a tense story about technology, justice, and control.

That range kept expanding. The Balance imagines a rigid future society split between life above the clouds and life on the ground. Pit Bulls vs. Aliens goes louder and pulpier. Across very different plots, Wooten keeps circling a few favorite subjects: outsiders, belief, fairness, survival, and the moment when a person has to decide what matters more, comfort or truth.

Another side of his work is regional and deeply personal. Granny Dollar draws on Alabama history and folklore to tell the life story of Nancy Emmaline Callahan Dollar, a woman who became a local legend. With the Devil's Help moves even closer to home, blending memoir and true crime as Wooten writes about poverty, family violence, buried history, and the secrets passed down through generations. He has also served as curator of the Fort Payne Depot Museum, which fits neatly with his interest in place, memory, and the stories communities keep telling about themselves.

He also writes books with a softer, more openly animal-loving streak. Wallace and Roo follows the bond between a rescued pit bull and the human who believes in him. I'm Not Defective tells the story of Josh, a puppy born with a cleft palate who became an emblem of rescue and resilience. And Brad's Pit shows his cartoon side, using dogs and humor to get at bigger feelings without turning preachy.

Today Wooten lives in Milwaukee with his wife and dogs. That mix of Midwest home base and Alabama memory gives him two very different landscapes to work with. However much the genre changes, his books keep returning to the same things: people on the margins, ideas under pressure, and the small acts of grit that tell you who someone really is.

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Anurag Ramdasan

Lead investor at 3one4 Capital whose startup expertise and love for books helped shaped MRB and its growth.

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