Looking for a series of chapter books that includes a delightful mix of fun, mystery, and adventure? Get ready for a treat when you introduce your children to John R. Erickson’s Hank the Cowdog series.
As you might have guessed, Hank is a cowdog who happens to be the “Head of Ranch Security”—a job he takes very seriously. Hank and his sidekick, Drover, get tangled up in all sorts of interesting situations as they work together to protect the ranch. But things don’t always work out the way Hank expects.
Follow along as Hank messes with a porcupine, humbles cats, and mixes with coyotes—all in the name of ranch security.
Take our free Hank the Cowdog checklist to your local library!
John R. Erickson is a real Texan cowboy with a great sense of humor. He masterfully pulls pieces of real ranch life into the Hank the Cowdog series, which have sold nearly eight million copies over more than 30 years. With humor that both parents and kids will find irresistible, these books make fun read-alouds. Since new books are added to the series at the rate of about two books per year, Hank-loving kids will have plenty of reading material to keep them busy!
The publisher’s suggested age range for the Hank the Cowdog books is 8 to 12, and their vast appeal helps them engage even reluctant readers. There’s a lot of dialogue, so if you are working with a struggling reader, make sure he understands how to read dialogue before he begins the series. Some children may need to be explicitly taught how to anticipate who is speaking. To help prevent frustration on your child’s part, model reading several pages, and then have your child read aloud to you so you can check his understanding of how dialogue works. You might want to try buddy reading, a great tool for teaching this skill!
If your family enjoys audio books, the audio versions of the Hank the Cowdog series, read by the author himself, are wonderful. Erickson acts out each character’s part to perfection and makes you want to stick around for more.
There are currently sixty-nine books in the Hank the Cowdog series. Here is a small sampling of them.
In the first book, The Original Adventures of Hank the Cowdog, Hank sets out to solve the mystery of a murdered chicken, but the case isn’t as clear-cut as Hank initially expects. When Hank’s crime-solving antics place him in the spotlight of suspicion, he’s forced to leave the ranch and live among the coyotes. When Hank discovers that life as a coyote isn’t as glamorous as he imagined, he ultimately realizes that there’s no place like home.
Hank’s adventures continue in The Further Adventures of Hank the Cowdog, the second book in the series. A mysterious, beakless “silver monster bird” has been spotted near the ranch, and Hank is concerned about the danger. But then Hank develops a condition called “eye-crosserosis.” If Hank is going to be able to protect the ranch from the peril of the silver monster bird, he must seek the help of an owl.
In book three, It’s a Dog’s Life, Hank worries that the world is coming to an end, so he decides to spend some time away from the ranch. He sets out to visit his sister in town and to spend some time with her puppies. But, as usual for Hank, things don’t go as he expects, and before long Hank finds himself in the dog pound.
Author: John R. Erickson
Genre: children’s fiction, humor, mystery
Interests: animals, ranch life
Suggested age range: 8 to 12
Gender preference: boys and girls
In the series: 69 books, 120-130 pages each
Currently, there are sixty-nine books in the series … way too many to list here! But you can explore the complete collection on the official Hank the Cowdog book list, or you can print out our library list below.
Do your kids need extra encouragement to read?
Take our The Hank the Cowdog Series checklist to your local library and have your child check off books as he reads them.
Looking for more great chapter books? We’ve got you covered!
Mitzi Mewbourn
says:I work for Del Valle High and would like to read the first Hank the cow dog book to my class to encourage reading.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceI hope your class enjoys Hank, Mitzi! I know many kids that have.
Joan
says:Age level was mentioned. What about reading level? Is it commensurate to 3rd grade? Thanks
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceJoan,
Hank the Cowdog’s reading level is listed as “3rd to 5th grade” by Scholastic and other websites. To me, that implies it is more of a 4th-grade reading level but some 3rd graders would find it appropriate too.
Melissa
says:I’m reading these aloud to my 10-year-old boy. We read them in between his school-related books to give some comic relief and add a little more fun to our days! We’ve read 31 of them so far and we’re still enjoying them. I love the vocabulary and figures of speech Hank uses (usually incorrectly)! It gives us a chance to discuss vocabulary and commonly used sayings without it feeling like I’m teaching him anything!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceMelissa,
I love the way you are using these in your teaching! I think our days could use some comic relief moments too. Great idea!
AMCL
says:My brother, now 37 years old, read all the “Hank the Cowdog books when he was younger. He devoured them, lol! I think they might still be his favorite among many different books and authors he’s read. :)
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceHank has been around for a while, but is still so relatable! 😊
Tara
says:Always looking for new book ideas. Will be looking into these!
Heather
says:Thanks! We’re always looking for new books for our boys.
Kristin
says:Cute books. Thank you for sharing the “chapter books list” too.
Jennifer
says:Thanks for pointing us to Hank the Cowdog! My 9 year old son is really enjoying this series.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceJennifer,
Thank you for letting us know your son is enjoying Hank the Cowdog!
Cynthia McNeil
says:Can’t wait to read this book to my grand!
Jill Hull
says:I’m so excited to try out the Hank the Cowboy series. It really sounds like a fun series to read Thank you Jill Hull
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceYou are welcome, Jill. I hope you enjoy this series as much as we have!
Alicia Langstraat
says:We love Hank the Cowdog! The audiobooks are our go-to for family road trips: they keep everyone from the preschooler to Daddy entertained!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceAlicia,
Finding great books for road trips that satisfy the whole family is difficult. It’s one of the things that makes Hank so great!
whitney kroll
says:After seeing this post I purchased one of the Hank the Cowdog books on audio and my kids love it! I will definitely be purchasing more!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceThank you for updating us that Hank the Cowdog was so well received at your house, Whitney!
Melissa
says:My son is 13, and recently completed AAR Level 3. I’m looking for books for him to read on his own through the summer. Would Hank books be appropriate for his reading Level? Do you have any other suggestions?
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceMelissa,
Yes, Hank the Cowdog should be a good level for a student who recently finished AAR 3, although some students may find it a bit of a challenge. a Encyclopedia Brown would be another good option https://blog.allaboutlearningpress.com/encyclopedia-brown/. The a A to Z Mysteries would be easy, but he may like that https://blog.allaboutlearningpress.com/a-to-z-mysteries-chapter-books/.
Diana
says:My son loved these. I need to remember to get them out for my daughter!
Stephanie
says:My kids love Hank the Cowdog!! They are a fun read aloud or for kids just getting into chapter books.
Bethani
says:Thank you for the suggestion! We just finished a book series and were wondering what to do next. This looks awesome!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceI hope you enjoy them as much as we have, Bethani!
Tami
says:We’ve read a few and they were a hit.
Kimberly Holder
says:I am interested in trying this program with my daughter and I hope I can find it at the NC homeschool convention!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceKimberly,
Unfortunately, we won’t be there. You might see if Rainbow Resource Center will be, as they carry our entire product line.
Another option, although I know it’s not the same as seeing things in person, is to check out our online samples. You can go to the product pages on our website to find links to samples of each product. Here is a couple to get you started:
All About Reading samples and scope and sequence links
All About Spelling samples and scope and sequence links
Also, we do have a 1-year, 100% satisfaction guarantee when you order from our website. If you decide to try one of our products and it just doesn’t work for you and your children, you are free to return the product (even used), for a refund of your purchase price.
Michelle
says:These look really great, thank you for telling us about this series.
Kaitlin
says:Thanks for the recommendation!
Annette
says:I’m looking forward to checking some of these out at the library this summer!
Saph
says:Will have to try a book to see if my girls will like this.
Kimber
says:These look like fun reads!
Christine Nadolny
says:Looking for these to see if my boys will like them.
Jessie Peckens
says:These look really fun for my boys!
Trina Greene
says:We are excited to read these!
Corrine H
says:Thanks for this book suggestion. I was looking for something new for my 8 year old to read and she lives dogs. Hopefully this will be a good fit.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceCorrine,
I hope your daughter enjoys Hank as much as my children have!
Julie S
says:Which level would these be good for?
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceJulie,
The Hank the Cowdog books are great read alouds (that you read to your child or use a recorded audiobook) for ages 6 up to 12 or so. Although, I know many adults that would enjoy listening to Hank’s exploits! For the child to read the book himself, the Hank the Cowdog books are on 3rd to 4th-grade reading level, but as with listening to the story, students that read on a higher level will likely enjoy reading these as well.
Angie T
says:Such a great series!
Rachel Dewey
says:I enjoyed these as a child…. listening to them in the car while my grandpa drove us to his farm. Hank is hilarious!!!