David Walliams has published children's novels since 2008 and has become one of the UK's best-selling children's authors, with over 50 million books sold worldwide. This page lists all his major children's novels in publication order, with age guidance and links to free reading comprehension quizzes.
David Walliams Books — Publication Order
#1
🐕 Mr Stink
2009 · Ages 7+Walliams's first novel and still one of his best. Chloe befriends a smelly tramp on a park bench — and discovers there is far more to him than meets the eye. Warm, funny and with a genuinely moving backstory.
KS2 QuizSummary#2
💰 Billionaire Boy
2010 · Ages 7+Joe Spud has everything money can buy and no real friends. A funny, smart novel about wealth, loneliness and what actually matters.
KS2 QuizSummary#3
👵 Gangsta Granny
2011 · Ages 7+Ben discovers his boring granny was once an international jewel thief — the Black Cat. Funny, exciting and genuinely moving at the end.
KS2 QuizSummary#4
🐀 Ratburger
2012 · Ages 7+Zoe rescues a rat and trains it to dance. The villain (the rat burger man) is magnificently disgusting. Walliams at his most Dahlian.
KS2 QuizSummary#5
🦷 Demon Dentist
2013 · Ages 8+Miss Root is the new school dentist — and she is not what she seems. A horror-comedy with a phobia at its heart.
KS2 QuizSummary#6
😤 Awful Auntie
2014 · Ages 7+Stella Saxby must solve the mystery of her missing parents, outwit her enormous horrible aunt and rely on the ghost of a cockney chimney sweep.
KS2 QuizSummary#7
✈️ Grandpa's Great Escape
2015 · Ages 7+Grandpa has dementia and thinks he is still a Spitfire pilot. Jack loves him absolutely. Funny, warm and remarkably sensitive about a difficult subject.
KS2 QuizSummary#8
🌙 The Midnight Gang
2016 · Ages 8+In a hospital ward, seriously ill children sneak out at midnight for adventures that fulfil their greatest wishes. Tom discovers the gang's secret.
KS2 QuizSummary#9
🚗 Bad Dad
2017 · Ages 8+Frank's dad is in prison. A criminal gang is threatening them. Frank's love for his father — despite everything — is the novel's most powerful element.
KS2 QuizSummary#10
🧊 The Ice Monster
2018 · Ages 8+Set in Victorian London: orphan Elsie, a woolly mammoth and a voyage to the Arctic. Rich historical detail and Walliams's best world-building.
KS2 QuizSummary#11
👑 The Beast of Buckingham Palace
2019 · Ages 8+A near-future dystopian Britain. A sheltered prince escapes the palace and discovers what the world is really like. Walliams's most ambitious novel.
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🍌 Code Name Bananas
2020 · Ages 8+London Blitz, a gorilla hidden in a flat, and a German spy ring. Combines genuine wartime atmosphere with Walliams's trademark comedy.
KS2 QuizSummary#13
🟢 Slime
2020 · Ages 7+Ned is bedridden on the Isle of Mulch with only a living blob of slime for company — and the most horrible adults imaginable to defeat.
KS2 QuizSummary#14
👾 Fing
2019 · Ages 7+The most spoiled child in the world wants a Fing. Nobody knows what a Fing is. A short, funny fable about greed.
KS2 QuizSummary#15
🦠 Germs: A Virus to Survive
2020 · Ages 7+Told from the perspective of a tiny virus trying to survive inside a human body. Educational, funny and genuinely inventive.
KS2 QuizSummaryAbout David Walliams
David Walliams was born on 20 August 1971 in Merton, Surrey. He is best known as a comedian and actor — particularly for the sketch show Little Britain — but his children's books have made him one of the UK's bestselling authors, outselling all other children's authors in several recent years.
His books are frequently cited by teachers and librarians as the most effective tool for converting reluctant readers, particularly boys. He has raised over £8 million for charity through sponsored swims.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is David Walliams's best book?
Gangsta Granny and Mr Stink are widely regarded as his best. Both have genuine emotional depth behind the comedy. Bad Dad and Grandpa's Great Escape also stand out for their emotional maturity.
What age are David Walliams books suitable for?
Most Walliams books are suitable from age 7. Some titles (Bad Dad, The Midnight Gang, The Beast of Buckingham Palace) deal with slightly more mature themes and work best from age 8–9.
Are David Walliams books as good as Roald Dahl?
They are genuinely different. Walliams's books are more immediately accessible and consistently funny; Dahl's are richer in vocabulary and themes. Both have real value. Many teachers use Walliams as an entry point and Dahl as the next step up.
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