I Survived Books in Order: Every Book, Graphic Novel & Spin-Off

By T.L. BransonChildren/YA

The I Survived books in order take middle grade readers into real historical disasters through fictional children fighting to survive them. Lauren Tarshis combines fast-paced historical fiction with carefully researched context, while keeping courage, fear, loss, and resilience at the center of every story.

The franchise also includes graphic novel adaptations and two nonfiction lines. I’ve separated each format below so you can follow the numbered chapter books, read the events chronologically, or find the nonfiction companions without mixing adaptations with original stories.

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Last verified: July 20, 2026

I Survived Books in Publication Order

The main I Survived series contains 26 numbered chapter books. Every installment follows a different fictional child through a different historical event, so there’s no continuing plot or recurring central cast. I recommend publication order because it’s the simplest way to make sure you don’t skip a book, though readers can start with whichever event interests them most.

Book #1, I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic, 1912, was first published in the United States on June 1, 2010. The sequence runs through #26, I Survived the Night of the Lions, 2025, which has a September 15, 2026 U.S. publication date.

Tarshis generally recommends the series for readers around third grade and up. I’d also consider the subject matter, since books about September 11, the Holocaust, and wartime violence may be more emotionally difficult than disaster stories such as Titanic or the Hindenburg. Reading levels vary by title and format, so there isn’t one accurate Lexile score for the entire franchise.

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  1. I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic, 1912 (2010)
  2. I Survived the Shark Attacks of 1916 (2010)
  3. I Survived Hurricane Katrina, 2005 (2011)
  4. I Survived the Bombing of Pearl Harbor, 1941 (2011)
  5. I Survived the San Francisco Earthquake, 1906 (2012)
  6. I Survived the Attacks of September 11, 2001 (2012)
  7. I Survived the Battle of Gettysburg, 1863 (2013)
  8. I Survived the Japanese Tsunami, 2011 (2013)
  9. I Survived the Nazi Invasion, 1944 (2014)
  10. I Survived the Destruction of Pompeii, AD 79 (2014)
  11. I Survived the Great Chicago Fire, 1871 (2015)
  12. I Survived the Joplin Tornado, 2011 (2015)
  13. I Survived the Hindenburg Disaster, 1937 (2016)
  14. I Survived the Eruption of Mount St. Helens, 1980 (2016)
  15. I Survived the American Revolution, 1776 (2017)
  16. I Survived the Children’s Blizzard, 1888 (2018)
  17. I Survived the Attack of the Grizzlies, 1967 (2018)
  18. I Survived the Battle of D-Day, 1944 (2019)
  19. I Survived the Great Molasses Flood, 1919 (2019)
  20. I Survived the California Wildfires, 2018 (2020)
  21. I Survived the Galveston Hurricane, 1900 (2021)
  22. I Survived the Wellington Avalanche, 1910 (2022)
  23. I Survived the Great Alaska Earthquake, 1964 (2023)
  24. I Survived the Black Death, 1348 (2024)
  25. I Survived the Dust Bowl, 1935 (2025)
  26. I Survived the Night of the Lions, 2025 (2026)

I Survived Books in Chronological Order

Because publication order jumps across history, chronological order offers a genuinely different way to read the series. I’d use this order if the goal is to move from ancient history through modern disasters. Books set in the same year are arranged by the date of the event.

  1. I Survived the Destruction of Pompeii, AD 79
  2. I Survived the Black Death, 1348
  3. I Survived the American Revolution, 1776
  4. I Survived the Battle of Gettysburg, 1863
  5. I Survived the Great Chicago Fire, 1871
  6. I Survived the Children’s Blizzard, 1888
  7. I Survived the Galveston Hurricane, 1900
  8. I Survived the San Francisco Earthquake, 1906
  9. I Survived the Wellington Avalanche, 1910
  10. I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic, 1912
  11. I Survived the Shark Attacks of 1916
  12. I Survived the Great Molasses Flood, 1919
  13. I Survived the Dust Bowl, 1935
  14. I Survived the Hindenburg Disaster, 1937
  15. I Survived the Bombing of Pearl Harbor, 1941
  16. I Survived the Battle of D-Day, 1944
  17. I Survived the Nazi Invasion, 1944
  18. I Survived the Great Alaska Earthquake, 1964
  19. I Survived the Attack of the Grizzlies, 1967
  20. I Survived the Eruption of Mount St. Helens, 1980
  21. I Survived the Attacks of September 11, 2001
  22. I Survived Hurricane Katrina, 2005
  23. I Survived the Japanese Tsunami, 2011
  24. I Survived the Joplin Tornado, 2011
  25. I Survived the California Wildfires, 2018
  26. I Survived the Night of the Lions, 2025

This order is optional. Since each book follows separate characters and a self-contained event, reading chronologically won’t create any continuity problems.

I Survived Graphic Novels

The I Survived graphic novels adapt stories that first appeared in the chapter-book series. They aren’t sequels or additional entries in the main sequence. I recommend choosing the prose or graphic edition based on the reader’s preference, since reading both formats isn’t required to follow the story.

  1. I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic, 1912 (2020)
  2. I Survived the Shark Attacks of 1916 (2020)
  3. I Survived the Nazi Invasion, 1944 (2021)
  4. I Survived the Attacks of September 11, 2001 (2021)
  5. I Survived the Attack of the Grizzlies, 1967 (2022)
  6. I Survived Hurricane Katrina, 2005 (2022)
  7. I Survived the Great Chicago Fire, 1871 (2023)
  8. I Survived the American Revolution, 1776 (2023)
  9. I Survived the Battle of D-Day, 1944 (2024)
  10. I Survived the Destruction of Pompeii, AD 79 (2024)
  11. I Survived the Great Molasses Flood, 1919 (2025)
  12. I Survived the Japanese Tsunami, 2011 (2025)
  13. I Survived the California Wildfires, 2018 (2026)
  14. I Survived the Bombing of Pearl Harbor, 1941 (2026)
  15. I Survived the Hindenburg Disaster, 1937 (2026)

I Survived True Stories

The main chapter books are historical fiction, but I Survived True Stories recounts real survival experiences. I think these are the best companion books for readers who enjoy Tarshis’s pacing but want nonfiction accounts, photographs, and additional historical facts.

  1. I Survived True Stories #1: Five Epic Disasters (2014)
  2. I Survived True Stories #2: Nature Attacks! (2015)
  3. I Survived True Stories #3: Tornado Terror (2017)
  4. I Survived True Stories #4: Courageous Creatures (2021)

Scholastic also published the unnumbered companion I Survived True Stories: Extreme Weather! (2016). It contains three true survival accounts involving extreme weather and is separate from the official #1 through #4 numbering above.

I Survived: True Survivors

I Survived: True Survivors is an illustrated narrative nonfiction series centered on real children who lived through dangerous historical events. The books are shorter than the original novels and include illustrations or photographs throughout.

  1. America’s Deadliest Tornado: The Tri-State Tornado, 1925 (2027)
  2. The Volcano That Changed the World: The Eruption of Mount Tambora, 1815 (2027)
  3. Escaping Hitler: Shanghai, China, 1939 (2027)

I Survived Special Editions

These special editions retell stories already included in the numbered series, so they’re optional rather than separate installments. I’d choose them for the substantial new nonfiction material, not because they’re required for the reading order.

  1. I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic, 1912 (Special Edition: I Survived #1) (2025)
  2. I Survived the American Revolution, 1776 (Special Edition: I Survived #15) (2026)

The Titanic special edition includes a new author letter and 80 pages of full-color bonus material. The American Revolution special edition includes a new author letter and 64 pages of full-color historical content.

Who is Lauren Tarshis?

Lauren Tarshis is an author and editor best known for the I Survived series. She has spoken openly about struggling with reading as a child, which helps explain why she cares so much about creating fast, accessible stories for reluctant and developing readers.

Tarshis has spent much of her career at Scholastic, including work with classroom magazines. She has said that her writing combines the influence of her father, who was a freelance writer, and her mother, who was a teacher. In my view, that background comes through clearly in books that tell an exciting story while building historical knowledge and curiosity.

Even when she writes about fear, loss, and uncertainty, Tarshis aims to leave readers with hope. That balance is one of the reasons I think the series works so well for children who might otherwise feel overwhelmed by the events.

Tarshis lives in Connecticut with her family. Away from writing and editing, she enjoys cooking, hiking, and embroidery.

Looking for more books in order?

If you want more authors and reading-order guides like this one, start with my Books in Order index.

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