Mercy Watson Books in Order: Kate DiCamillo’s Buttered-Toast-Loving Pig and Her Deckawoo Drive Adventures
Kate DiCamillo’s Mercy Watson books are early chapter books designed for young readers, with Chris Van Dusen’s colorful illustrations adding much of the series’ distinctive humor and personality. Mercy lives with Mr. and Mrs. Watson, who consider her a beloved member of the family, even when her appetite and enthusiasm cause considerable trouble.
The original series began in 2005 and eventually grew to seven books. The final installment, Mercy Watson Is Missing!, brings together many familiar characters from the wider Deckawoo Drive world and was published in 2023 as the conclusion to Mercy’s story.
Mercy Watson Books in Order
1. Mercy Watson to the Rescue
The first book introduces Mercy, the Watson family’s very special pig and the self-appointed source of buttered-toast happiness in the household. When Mercy’s weight and love of toast contribute to a spectacular problem with the Watsons’ bed, the resulting disaster sends the family into an unexpected adventure.
Mercy’s response to trouble is part of what makes the series so funny. She does not see herself as a source of chaos, but her enormous personality and constant search for food have a way of turning even simple situations into memorable escapades.
2. Mercy Watson Goes for a Ride
Mercy absolutely loves riding in the Watsons’ convertible, especially when there is sunshine and adventure involved. During one particular outing, their elderly neighbor Baby Lincoln unexpectedly joins the trip, and before long Mercy ends up behind the wheel herself.
What follows is a wonderfully chaotic car ride involving a policeman, a struggle over the brakes, and a very airborne pig. The book was also named a Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Book in 2007, making it one of the most recognized installments in the series.
3. Mercy Watson Fights Crime
Mercy’s third adventure brings an actual crime into the neighborhood. A thief breaks into the Watsons’ home, but the burglar has badly underestimated the household’s unusually alert and food-loving pig.
Mercy’s love of buttered toast becomes unexpectedly useful as the story unfolds, turning what could have been a frightening situation into another comic adventure. The book continues the series’ combination of simple early-reader language, visual humor, and fast-moving action.
4. Mercy Watson: Princess in Disguise
For Halloween, the Watsons decide that Mercy should dress up as a princess. Mercy is persuaded by the promise of “treating,” but the costume leads to far more excitement than anyone expects.
Her adventure takes her around the neighborhood as she encounters familiar faces and gets caught up in the chaos of Halloween night. Like the earlier books, the story uses Mercy’s enormous personality and appetite to turn an everyday event into something delightfully ridiculous.
5. Mercy Watson Thinks Like a Pig
Mercy’s fifth adventure brings the Lincoln sisters, Eugenia and Baby, more prominently into the story. Their very different personalities provide a new source of comedy as the neighborhood’s human characters try to make sense of Mercy’s particular way of seeing the world.
The title itself captures the joke at the heart of the book: Mercy’s priorities are refreshingly simple. Food, comfort, affection, and especially buttered toast tend to matter much more to her than the complicated concerns of the humans around her. The book won a Parents’ Choice Award.
6. Mercy Watson: Something Wonky This Way Comes
Something unusual is happening on Deckawoo Drive, and Mercy is once again right in the middle of it. The sixth book brings the familiar neighborhood characters together for another energetic adventure filled with misunderstandings, comic situations, and Mercy’s unmistakable enthusiasm.
By this point in the series, the charm comes not only from Mercy herself but also from the growing cast around her. The Watsons, the Lincoln sisters, and other Deckawoo Drive residents have become a small community whose personalities make even the simplest events entertaining.
7. Mercy Watson Is Missing!
The final Mercy Watson adventure begins with a genuine crisis: Mercy has disappeared. The Watsons are devastated, while the local police, fire department, and Animal Control fail to solve the mystery.
Baby Lincoln decides that the missing pig needs a private investigator, leading to the wonderfully named Percival Smidgely and his pigeon, Polly. Meanwhile, Frank and Stella Endicott and Stella’s friend Horace Broom conduct their own investigation. Following hoofprints and an irresistible food-related scent, the characters race to bring their porcine wonder home.
Published in 2023, this seventh book is officially described by Candlewick as the final book in the Mercy Watson universe. It works especially well as a finale because it brings many of the familiar Deckawoo Drive characters together for one last mystery.
Mercy Watson Reading Order at a Glance
| # | Book | Year |
| 1 | Mercy Watson to the Rescue | 2005 |
| 2 | Mercy Watson Goes for a Ride | 2006 |
| 3 | Mercy Watson Fights Crime | 2006 |
| 4 | Mercy Watson: Princess in Disguise | 2007 |
| 5 | Mercy Watson Thinks Like a Pig | 2008 |
| 6 | Mercy Watson: Something Wonky This Way Comes | 2009 |
| 7 | Mercy Watson Is Missing! | 2023 |
The first six books were originally published between 2005 and 2009, while Mercy Watson Is Missing! arrived much later in 2023. Candlewick and Kate DiCamillo’s official site both identify these seven titles as the Mercy Watson early chapter books.
Are the Mercy Watson Books Connected?
Yes. The seven books share the same characters and setting, particularly Mercy, Mr. and Mrs. Watson, and the residents of Deckawoo Drive.
However, each book has its own self-contained adventure, so a young reader can understand what is happening without remembering every detail from the previous installment. Reading in order is still the best choice because it allows the neighborhood and its characters to develop naturally.
The Mercy Watson Picture Books
The main Mercy Watson series should not be confused with two later picture books featuring Mercy.
A Piglet Named Mercy
A Piglet Named Mercy goes back to Mercy’s early days and tells the story of how Mr. and Mrs. Watson came to have their beloved pig. It is aimed at a younger audience than the chapter-book series and works particularly well as a read-aloud before a child moves on to the longer Mercy Watson adventures.
A Very Mercy Christmas
A Very Mercy Christmas is another picture-book adventure centered on Mercy and the Watson family. It expands Mercy’s world for younger readers while retaining the warm humor and colorful illustrations associated with Chris Van Dusen’s work.
Kate DiCamillo’s official site lists both books separately from the seven Mercy Watson early chapter books.
Tales from Deckawoo Drive: The Connected Series
Mercy’s world continues beyond her own seven-book series through Tales from Deckawoo Drive. These are not additional Mercy Watson novels in the main sequence. Instead, they are spin-off early chapter books that follow other residents and familiar characters from the same neighborhood.
1. Leroy Ninker Saddles Up
Leroy Ninker dreams of having a horse, and his life changes when he meets Maybelline. Mercy and other familiar Deckawoo Drive characters appear in this funny story, but Leroy and his new horse take center stage.
2. Francine Poulet Meets the Ghost Raccoon
Francine Poulet works as a professional animal control officer, and her latest assignment sends her after a raccoon that may be more unusual than expected. The story expands the Deckawoo Drive cast while bringing the same gentle humor found in the Mercy books.
3. Where Are You Going, Baby Lincoln?
Baby Lincoln decides that she wants some adventure rather than another ordinary day at home. Her journey gives readers a closer look at one of the most memorable characters from the Mercy Watson books.
4. Eugenia Lincoln and the Unexpected Package
Eugenia Lincoln receives an unexpected package that disrupts her carefully ordered life. The story gives the famously bossy neighbor a chance to become the central character rather than simply being part of Mercy’s adventures.
5. Stella Endicott and the Anything-Is-Possible Poem
Stella Endicott discovers the power of poetry and imagination in this story. Her friendship with Horace and her interactions with the other Deckawoo Drive characters make this one of the more reflective entries in the spin-off series.
6. Franklin Endicott and the Third Key
Franklin Endicott is fascinated by scary stories, but his latest adventure becomes considerably more mysterious when he encounters a strange situation involving a key. The story adds another perspective to the growing community of children and adults living around Deckawoo Drive.
7. Mercy Watson Is Missing!
Although Mercy Watson Is Missing! is the seventh book in Tales from Mercy Watson’s Deckawoo Drive, it also functions as the final Mercy Watson universe story. Mercy’s disappearance brings together characters from across the neighborhood, making this book the natural endpoint for readers who have followed both series.
Should You Read Tales from Deckawoo Drive After Mercy Watson?
For the clearest experience, yes. A good approach is to read the original six Mercy Watson adventures first, then explore the Deckawoo Drive books before finishing with Mercy Watson Is Missing!.
That said, Tales from Deckawoo Drive can also be read independently. The books focus on different characters, so they are not simply Books 8 through 14 of the Mercy Watson series.
What Age Are the Mercy Watson Books For?
The main Mercy Watson books are early chapter books generally aimed at children around ages 5 to 8. Candlewick lists the original series in the children’s chapter-book category, with Mercy Watson Is Missing! listed for ages 6 to 9.
The combination of relatively short chapters, accessible language, frequent illustrations, humor, and familiar characters makes the series especially suitable for children who are moving from picture books toward independent chapter-book reading.
Why Is Mercy Watson So Popular?
Mercy’s appeal comes from the fact that she is both completely ordinary and completely extraordinary. She is a pet pig who loves buttered toast, naps, and her family, yet her enormous appetite and curiosity repeatedly place her at the center of increasingly ridiculous situations.
Chris Van Dusen’s illustrations are equally important to the series. The colorful artwork gives the books a distinctive visual identity and makes Mercy’s physical comedy easy for beginning readers to follow. Candlewick describes the series as early chapter books with humor, adventure, and abundant illustration, while Kate DiCamillo’s official site identifies Mercy as one of her signature early chapter-book characters.
About Kate DiCamillo
Kate DiCamillo is one of the most celebrated American authors of children’s literature. Her books include Because of Winn-Dixie, The Tale of Despereaux, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, and Flora & Ulysses, and she has won the Newbery Medal twice.
The Mercy Watson books show a lighter side of DiCamillo’s storytelling. Instead of a large fantasy world or an emotionally heavy coming-of-age story, she builds comedy from a small neighborhood, a memorable cast, and one extraordinarily determined pig.
FAQ About Mercy Watson Books
How many Mercy Watson books are there?
There are seven main Mercy Watson books. The seventh, Mercy Watson Is Missing!, was published in 2023 and is the final book in the Mercy Watson universe.
What is the first Mercy Watson book?
The first book is Mercy Watson to the Rescue, published in 2005. It introduces Mercy and the Watson family and establishes her obsession with buttered toast.
Is Mercy Watson Is Missing the last book?
Yes. Candlewick describes Mercy Watson Is Missing! as the final book in the beloved Mercy Watson universe.
Do you need to read Mercy Watson books in order?
It is recommended, particularly for a child discovering the series for the first time. Each story is fairly self-contained, but reading in order introduces the characters and Deckawoo Drive community naturally.
What comes after the Mercy Watson books?
The best connected series to explore is Tales from Deckawoo Drive, which follows other characters from Mercy’s neighborhood. It contains seven books, beginning with Leroy Ninker Saddles Up and ending with Mercy Watson Is Missing!.
Is A Piglet Named Mercy part of the main series?
No. A Piglet Named Mercy is a separate picture book about Mercy and is not one of the seven main early chapter books. Kate DiCamillo’s official site lists it separately under her picture books.
What age is Mercy Watson for?
The series is primarily intended for young readers around ages 5 to 8, although the exact recommended age can vary by edition and individual reader. Candlewick lists Mercy Watson Is Missing! for ages 6 to 9.
Final Verdict
The Mercy Watson reading order is simple: start with Mercy Watson to the Rescue, read the six original adventures in publication order, and finish with Mercy Watson Is Missing!. The final book brings together the familiar Deckawoo Drive characters and provides a satisfying conclusion to Mercy’s long-running adventures.
For younger children, A Piglet Named Mercy and A Very Mercy Christmas are good companion picture books. And if Mercy’s neighborhood is what makes the series special, Tales from Deckawoo Drive offers seven more early chapter books centered on the people and animals who live around her.
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