Best YA Series in Order: Quick Lists and Where Every Prequel Fits

July 15, 2026 — Young Adult

YA series are full of reading order traps: prequels published after the main series, companion novellas, and spinoffs set in the same world. Here are the best YA series with the quick reading order list and exactly where every companion book and prequel fits.

Quick Reference: Best YA Series — Start Here

  1. Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling — Start: Sorcerer's Stone (1997)
  2. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins — Start: The Hunger Games (2008)
  3. Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo — Start: Shadow and Bone (2012)
  4. Percy Jackson by Rick Riordan — Start: The Lightning Thief (2005)
  5. His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman — Start: The Golden Compass (1995)

1. Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling

Reading order complexity: Low for main series; confusing for companions.

Correct order:

  1. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (1997)
  2. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (1998)
  3. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (1999)
  4. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2000)
  5. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2003)
  6. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2005)
  7. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (2007)
  8. The Tales of Beedle the Bard — read after Book 7 only
  9. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child — read absolutely last

Where does Cursed Child fit? Read it last. It is set 19 years after Deathly Hallows and spoils the entire main series for anyone who reads it early. View our complete Harry Potter reading order and J.K. Rowling author page.

2. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Reading order complexity: Low, with one prequel trap.

Correct order:

  1. The Hunger Games (2008)
  2. Catching Fire (2009)
  3. Mockingjay (2010)
  4. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (2020) — prequel, read last

Where does Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes fit? It is a prequel about President Snow as a young man. Do not read it first — it spoils the primary antagonist's backstory in a way that diminishes the original trilogy. Read it after Mockingjay. View our Hunger Games reading order and Suzanne Collins author page.

3. Shadow and Bone / Grishaverse by Leigh Bardugo

Reading order complexity: High. Three interconnected series plus a short story collection.

Correct order:

  1. Shadow and Bone (2012)
  2. Siege and Storm (2013)
  3. Ruin and Rising (2014)
  4. Six of Crows (2015)
  5. Crooked Kingdom (2016)
  6. The Language of Thorns (short stories, 2017) — read here or anytime after trilogy
  7. King of Scars (2019)
  8. Rule of Wolves (2021)

View our Shadow and Bone reading order, Six of Crows reading order, and Leigh Bardugo author page.

4. Percy Jackson by Rick Riordan

Reading order complexity: Moderate. The original 5-book series is straightforward. The confusion comes from multiple spinoff series set in the same world.

Original series (start here):

  1. The Lightning Thief (2005)
  2. The Sea of Monsters (2006)
  3. The Titan's Curse (2007)
  4. The Battle of the Labyrinth (2008)
  5. The Last Olympian (2009)

What about Heroes of Olympus and the other spinoffs? Read the original 5 books first. Then continue with The Heroes of Olympus (5 books) — it follows new demigods in the same world and crosses over with Percy. The spinoffs (The Kane Chronicles, Magnus Chase) can be read in any order after the original series. View our Percy Jackson reading order and Rick Riordan author page.

The Verdict: Best YA Series for New Readers

Ages 10–13: Percy Jackson is the perfect starting point — fast, funny, and mythology-rich. Ages 13+: Harry Potter or The Hunger Games. Adults reading YA: His Dark Materials is the most philosophically ambitious. Browse our complete YA series catalog for reading orders on every major series.