The Unicorn Rescue Society Books in Order

The Unicorn Rescue Society begins when Elliot Eisner arrives at a new school and would prefer, above all else, not to stand out. His class field trip to the Pine Barrens changes that plan. There he meets Uchenna Devereaux, a fearless classmate with a taste for adventure, and Professor Fauna, an eccentric social studies teacher who knows far more about mythical creatures than any teacher should.

Professor Fauna recruits Elliot and Uchenna into a secret society with a simple mission: protect creatures of legend from people who want to exploit, capture, or destroy them. The first rescue involves the Jersey Devil, but the series quickly moves far beyond New Jersey.

Elliot is careful, practical, and always thinking about the fastest way out of trouble. Uchenna is bold, curious, and usually ready to head directly toward it. Their opposite instincts make them a useful team. They are joined by Jersey, a small but very unusual Jersey Devil, whose appetite for attention and balloons can be as much a complication as a help.

Each book takes the group to a different place shaped by local folklore. In The Basque Dragon, they travel to the Basque mountains to search for a missing dragon. Sasquatch and the Muckleshoot brings them to the Pacific Northwest, where Bigfoot is threatened by cameras and logging equipment. Later adventures send them to the Texas-Mexico border, Cuba, and the mountains of northern Pakistan.

The danger usually comes from the Schmoke Brothers, wealthy and greedy opponents who see magical animals as things to own or use. Their plans give the books an ongoing villainous thread, but every installment has its own creature, setting, and rescue to complete. The stories also make room for local experts, young allies, and family histories connected to the places the Society visits.

It is fast-moving fantasy with plenty of jokes, strange animals, and close calls.

The books are illustrated throughout and work well for readers growing into longer middle-grade adventures. They can be read in order for the evolving friendships and the running conflict with the Schmokes, though each mission has a satisfying story of its own. Start with The Creature of the Pines to meet the team and learn how the Society works, then follow Elliot, Uchenna, Professor Fauna, and Jersey around the world.