The Princess In Black Books in Order
Part ofShannon Hale Books in OrderSee The Princess in Black books by Shannon Hale in order, with quick summaries, series background, and tips on where to start with Princess Magnolia.
Last updated: July 1, 2026
As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases (at no extra cost to you).
The Princess In Black books in publication order
13 books
The Princess in Black
by Shannon Hale
2014
Princess Magnolia looks perfectly proper, but whenever monsters threaten the goat pasture she becomes the Princess in Black. Secret identities, fast action, and silly monsters make this a strong series opener.
The Princess in Black and the Perfect Princess Party
by Shannon Hale
2015
Princess Magnolia wants a perfect birthday party, but a monster attack keeps pulling her away from the cake and games. She must save the day without letting her guests discover her secret identity.
The Princess in Black and the Hungry Bunny Horde
by Shannon Hale
2016
A wave of ravenous bunny monsters interrupts Princess Magnolia's brunch plans. The Princess in Black and Blacky race to protect the goats before the fluffy invaders eat everything in sight.
The Princess in Black Takes a Vacation
by Shannon Hale
2016
After too many late-night monster battles, Princess Magnolia decides she needs a seaside break. Rest proves impossible when trouble follows her, even with the Goat Avenger trying to cover the home front.
The Princess in Black and the Mysterious Playdate
by Shannon Hale
2017
Princess Magnolia is excited for a playdate, but secret identities and monster trouble make a normal afternoon impossible. A new friendship is tested when keeping the kingdom safe means keeping secrets too.
The Princess in Black and the Science Fair Scare
by Shannon Hale
2018
Princess Magnolia heads to the Interkingdom Science Fair hoping for a normal day of exhibits and excitement. A surprise goo monster changes that fast, and the Princess in Blankets joins the rescue.
The Princess in Black and the Bathtime Battle
by Shannon Hale
2019
A terrible stink is sweeping across the kingdoms, and sword swings are not much help against a smell. Princess Magnolia and her fellow masked heroes have to outthink a very unusual monster.
The Princess in Black and the Case of the Coronavirus
by Shannon Hale
2020
In this short special, Princess Magnolia explains the coronavirus in calm, kid-friendly terms. It offers reassurance, practical safety habits, and a gentle reminder that small acts of care help protect a whole community.
The Princess in Black and the Giant Problem
by Shannon Hale
2020
A giant stomps through the snow just as Princess Magnolia and her friends are ready for a fun winter playdate. The problem is too big for one hero, so the Sparkle Signal calls in the whole team.
The Princess in Black and the Mermaid Princess
by Shannon Hale
2022
A day at sea turns into a rescue mission when a mermaid princess asks for help protecting her sea goats from a hungry kraken. Underwater heroics prove trickier than they look.
The Princess in Black and the Prince in Pink
by Shannon Hale
2023
Princess Magnolia is preparing for a grand ball when a grumpy emu wrecks her plans. Luckily Prince Valerian has a glittery secret identity of his own, and the two heroes may need to team up.
The Princess in Black and the Kitty Catastrophe
by Shannon Hale
2024
Princess Magnolia is thrilled to care for a kitten until monster alarms keep pulling her away. Each rescue leaves more castle chaos behind, and the tiny troublemaker may be her toughest match yet.
The Princess in Black and the Trick-or-Treating Trouble
by Shannon Hale
2026
On Halloween night, Princess Magnolia joins the trick-or-treat crowd in a hurry-made Princess in Black costume. When one little monster turns out to be very real, costume confusion becomes a full rescue mission.
The Princess In Black books in chronological order

The Princess in Black and the Perfect Princess Party
by Shannon Hale
2015The Princess In Black, Book 2
The Princess in Black and the Hungry Bunny Horde
by Shannon Hale
2016The Princess In Black, Book 3
The Princess in Black Takes a Vacation
by Shannon Hale
2016The Princess In Black, Book 4
The Princess in Black and the Mysterious Playdate
by Shannon Hale
2017The Princess In Black, Book 5
The Princess in Black and the Science Fair Scare
by Shannon Hale
2018The Princess In Black, Book 6
The Princess in Black and the Bathtime Battle
by Shannon Hale
2019The Princess In Black, Book 7
The Princess in Black and the Case of the Coronavirus
by Shannon Hale
2020The Princess In Black, Book 8
The Princess in Black and the Giant Problem
by Shannon Hale
2020The Princess In Black, Book 9
The Princess in Black and the Mermaid Princess
by Shannon Hale
2022The Princess In Black, Book 10
The Princess in Black and the Prince in Pink
by Shannon Hale
2023The Princess In Black, Book 11
The Princess in Black and the Kitty Catastrophe
by Shannon Hale
2024The Princess In Black, Book 12
The Princess in Black and the Trick-or-Treating Trouble
by Shannon Hale
2026The Princess In Black, Book 13
Series background & context
The idea behind The Princess in Black is simple and very funny. Princess Magnolia looks like the most proper princess in the kingdom, all dresses, manners, sparkle, and perfect posture. Secretly, she is also a masked monster fighter who rides out whenever the monster alarm rings.
Those alarms usually start at the goat pasture, where a hole to Monster Land keeps sending trouble into an otherwise cheerful world. Magnolia has to slip away from tea, parties, and royal visits, change into black, and save the goats before anyone guesses who she really is. A lot of the comedy comes from that quick switching between perfect-princess expectations and full-speed hero work.
The early books focus on Princess Magnolia, her pony Blacky, and the excitable goat boy Duff, who eventually becomes the Goat Avenger. As the series grows, more princesses and princes join the secret-hero circle, each with a different costume, skill set, and way of helping in a crisis. The cast gets bigger, but the books keep their easy rhythm and clear sense of fun.
The monsters are scary enough to be exciting and silly enough to stay fun.
These books are built for readers moving into chapter books. The sentences are manageable, the chapters are short, the repetition helps, and LeUyen Pham's illustrations do a lot of storytelling work. But the series never feels flat or dutiful. The jokes land, the action is real, and the emotional beats are clear. Kids get real suspense without being pushed into something too dark.
What carries the series from book to book is the way it refuses neat either-or categories. Magnolia likes pink things and combat boots. Her friends can be dramatic, shy, practical, messy, or brave in totally different ways. Under all the monster smashing, the books keep making room for kids to be more than one thing at once. That mix of action, warmth, and identity play is a big part of why the series works so well as an early chapter-book world to grow into.
Edited by
Software engineer whose passion for tracking book recommendations from podcasts inspired the creation of MRB.
Lead investor at 3one4 Capital whose startup expertise and love for books helped shaped MRB and its growth.
















Comments
Did we miss something? Have feedback?
Help us improve this page by sharing your thoughts