Below is the complete list of Stuart Gibbs books in order. For this series, the chronological reading order is the same as the order of publication.
Publication Order of Spy School Books
Publication Order of Spy School Graphic Novels Books
Publication Order of Spy School Companion Books
Publication Order of Charlie Thorne Books
Publication Order of FunJungle Books
Publication Order of The Last Musketeer Books
Publication Order of Moon Base Alpha Books
Publication Order of Once Upon a Tim Books
Publication Order of Graphic Novels Books
Publication Order of Moon Base Alpha Graphic Novel Books
About Stuart Gibbs
Stuart Gibbs has become one of the most recognizable names in contemporary middle-grade fiction, especially for readers who like their stories fast, funny, and full of puzzles. On his official site, he describes himself as the author of bestselling series including Spy School, FunJungle, Charlie Thorne, Moon Base Alpha, and The Last Musketeer, and notes that he also writes for TV and film. Simon & Schuster’s author page adds Once Upon a Tim and the Spy School Secret Files nonfiction line to that body of work, while also identifying him as a New York Times bestselling author.
What makes Gibbs especially interesting is that his career did not begin in children’s books. His publisher bio says he has written screenplays, worked on animated films, developed television shows, been a newspaper columnist, and even researched capybaras. That last detail shows up repeatedly in his official author materials and has become one of those memorable pieces of trivia readers tend to associate with him. It also says something useful about his writing: his books often feel powered by curiosity, odd facts, and a willingness to build entire plots around unusual subject matter.
Biographical references identify Gibbs as an American author born on June 11, 1969, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He later attended the University of Pennsylvania, where he studied biology. That academic background helps explain why even his funniest books often have a strong factual spine. Whether he is writing about espionage, wildlife, space travel, or historical adventure, there is usually a layer of real-world detail underneath the comedy and action.
His breakout success in children’s publishing came from building series with very clear hooks. FunJungle places mysteries inside a giant zoo and follows Teddy Fitzroy, a smart, observant kid who keeps stumbling into crimes involving animals and the people around them. Simon & Schuster’s series page describes it as a humorous, bestselling mystery series, and that blend of comedy, danger, and strong premise is very characteristic of Gibbs.
Then came Spy School, the series many readers now think of first when they hear his name. The opening book introduces Ben Ripley, a middle-schooler who is recruited into a CIA-related training world, and later titles have expanded it into one of Gibbs’s biggest ongoing franchises. Simon & Schuster’s current listings show the series has continued well into the 2020s, which says a lot about its staying power. Gibbs has a knack for writing books that feel highly accessible to younger readers without flattening the stakes or the plotting.
Another strength of his career is range within a very recognizable style. Moon Base Alpha moves into science-fiction mystery, Charlie Thorne skews toward globe-trotting adventure, and Once Upon a Tim brings in comic fantasy, but they all still feel like Stuart Gibbs books. The common thread is momentum: short chapters, strong hooks, puzzle-based plots, and protagonists who think quickly under pressure. His official site now emphasizes five bestselling middle-grade series, while his publisher page reflects how that bibliography has broadened over time.
For readers moving through Stuart Gibbs’s books in order, one useful thing to know is that he is best approached by series rather than by genre alone. He has built his reputation on recurring worlds with recurring heroes, and each line has its own personality. FunJungle leans into animal-centered mystery, Spy School into comic espionage, Moon Base Alpha into locked-room science fiction, Charlie Thorne into high-stakes adventure, and Once Upon a Tim into fantasy. Across all of them, Gibbs writes with the same qualities that have made him so durable with younger readers: clarity, humor, and a strong instinct for turning information into entertainment.