Last Kids on Earth Books In Order

Publication Order of Last Kids On Earth Books

Last Kids on Earth Series
The American writer Max Brallier is a prolific children’s author with over thirty books to his name and counting. Creating a long and extensive body of work, he’s highly regarded throughout the industry, establishing himself as a novelist with a lot to say. Not only that, but he’s also had many of his stories adapted into television programmes and films, seeing his work transfer over to the screen. This has seen him become a huge household name for many, creating bright and colorful work that really stands out from the page. As a bestselling novelist, he’s also produced a number of well known series over the years too, with many of books becoming widely regarded franchises. One such series is that of his ‘Last Kids on Earth’ series of novels, which has been running for quite some time now.

Starting out in 2015 the series would begin with the stand-alone illustrated novel ‘The Last Kids on Earth’ before spawning a whole series in the following years. In 2016 there was the release of ‘The Last Kids on Earth and the Zombie Parade’ and then ‘The Last Kids on Earth and the Nightmare King’ in 2017. ‘The Last Kids on Earth and the Cosmic Beyond’ would come out in 2018, and ‘The Last Kids on Earth and the Midnight Blade’ releasing in 2019. A stand-alone spin-off would come out in 2020 with ‘June’s Wild Flight,’ as well as ‘The Last Kids on Earth and the Skeleton Road.’ These would make-up the continuing series of children’s middle-grade literature, which were illustrated by Douglas Holgate.

The Last Kids on Earth
Originally published through the ‘Viking Books for Young Readers’ publishing imprint, this would first come out on the 13th of October in 2015. Setting up the series, it’s its own stand-alone adventure, while still paving the way for the franchise to follow. The following sequel would come out one year later, but this establishes the tone and premise of the series, while also introducing the characters.

Here the characters are all introduced for the first time, with Jack Sullivan leading, ex-school bully now reformed Dirk who’s good at fighting, best friend Quint who’s skilled with experiments, and June, a tomboy who previously edited the school paper. Together they fight against hordes of zombies and various different monsters as the series progresses, with a different monster each instalment. There’s also a variety of other recurring characters as the series progresses, all stepping in with their own unique personalities.

Jack Sullivan is an average thirteen year old kid, that is until a monster zombie apocalypse hits his town while he takes refuge in his tree-house. With an endless supply of food and video-games, he seems to have it all, but the monster attacks are getting tougher to fight off alone, so he enlists the help of his friends as they all band together. Fighting as one, they must take on the evil monster known as Blarg, a monster that seems fairly intelligent, as they seek to rid themselves of it. Can they do it? Will they survive to see another day? What will become of the last kids on Earth?

The Last Kids on Earth and the Zombie Parade
Once again published through the ‘Viking Books for Young Readers’ publishing house, this would arrive in 2016 on 6th of September. Following up the previous title, it would carry on with the next instalment in the long-running franchise of children’s stories. With the characters already introduced, it wastes no time in getting straight into another adventure for the four friends.

Bringing together a combination of different genres, there’s apocalyptic dystopian fiction combined with coming-of-age stories. This is all handled excellently for young readers, keeping it family friendly and making it accessible to a young audience of nine to twelve. The stories are funny and clever, with some intelligent jokes mixed in, all while creating a world that is both rich and immersive.

It seems that all the zombies and monsters are disappearing, which may seem good at first, but they keep vanishing at the summoning of a loud and eerie shrieking. This may mean bad tidings are looming on the horizon for Jack Sullivan and the gang, as they feel that they could potentially be next. Heading off from their hideout they discover a pizza parlor monster hangout, along with an ancient evil that destroys entire worlds. Will they be able to find out where the monsters are heading, and will they be next? Can they stop the ancient evil before it’s too late? What will become of the last kids on Earth and the zombie parade?

The Last Kids on Earth and the Nightmare King
This would be the fourth book in the long-running series, with it being released on the 26th of September in 2017. Published through the ‘Viking Books for Young Readers’ publishing outlet once more, it continues with another adventure. Carrying on with a lot of the story arcs of the previous books, it features the same characters, while bringing in some new ideas too.

Everything seems to be a lot more exciting now Jack has friends around him and an awesome tree-house to stay in. That all may change after they hear a radio broadcast from others revealing that they may not be the last kids after all. This worries Jack as he begins to fear being left alone again, but this doesn’t last long when the Nightmare King turns up; the most fearsome foe they’ve had to face yet. Will they manage to hold it together to fight off this monster? Can they find the find the others and what will happen when they do? What will become of the last kids on Earth and the Nightmare King?

The Last Kids on Earth Series
Over time the series has continued to grow in popularity, and it’s easy to see why with its easily accessible, witty and engaging comic novels. This popularity has seen it go on to become a highly popular animated Netflix show, running for a number of episodes, gaining high figures. A video-game has also been produced from the show titled ‘The Last Kids on Earth and the Staff of Doom,’ which was released in 2021, and there’s also been a variety of toys made. This has all added to the overall popularity of the franchise, as its appeal continues to endures with young audiences around the world.