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Mercy Watson Chapter Books

Welcome to Deckawoo Drive, home of Mr. and Mrs. Watson and their dear, their darling … Mercy the pig! The Mercy Watson series will take you on one “oink-citing” adventure after another as you follow the wild and wonky escapades of one very special pig.

Who Is Mercy Watson?

Mercy Watson to the Rescue Book Cover

Mercy Watson is not just a pig—she’s a porcine wonder! Her owners, Mr. and Mrs. Watson, dote on her. In their eyes, Mercy think she can do no wrong. But their next-door neighbor, Eugenia Lincoln, thinks there’s more to Mercy than meets the eye, especially considering how most of Mercy’s exploits end with the fire department stepping in to set things right.

Whether she’s chasing down the scent of butter at a drive-in movie theater, dressing up like a princess for Halloween, or outwitting determined Animal Control officers, there’s always something afoot when Mercy’s around—or should we say, a-hoof?

Take our free Mercy Watson checklist to your local library!

About the Author and Series

Kate DiCamillo is well known for writing books and series beloved by children. She’s famously written the classic Because of Winn-Dixie. She is also the author of New York Times Bestseller Great Joy and two Newbery Medal winners, The Tale of Despereaux and Flora & Ulysses

Charmingly illustrated by Chris Van Dusen, the Mercy Watson books are great first chapter books. Their short chapters, engaging characters, and fast-paced plotlines keep young readers’ attention. Sprinkled along the story, you’ll find fun-to-learn vocabulary words such as folly, carom, wily, and, of course, porcine! (By the way…in case you were wondering, that’s pronounced pôr-sīn!)

In the author bio of the final Mercy Watson book, Kate DiCamillo says, “Working with a pig (and Chris Van Dusen) has taught me that anything is possible.”

About the Books

Mercy Watson Goes for a Ride Book Cover

The first book of the series is titled Mercy Watson to the Rescue. Mercy decides she doesn’t want to sleep alone in her own bed. Instead, she wants to snuggle in between the Watsons in their bed. But when the bed begins to creak, and the floor begins to moan, the Watsons realize something has gone terribly wrong. They think Mercy has gone off to find help to save them from their perilous perch over a huge hole in the floor, but is filling her hungry tummy the real object of her mission?

When Mercy Watson Goes for a Ride, you never know what might happen. This is especially true when Eugenia Lincoln’s sister Baby stows away for an afternoon of fun. With a police officer in hot pursuit of their speeding pink convertible, things get even more out of hand. Mercy leaps into the driver’s seat and takes the situation into her own hooves!

In Mercy Watson Fights Crime, Mercy wakes up in the middle of the night to the sound of a toaster screeching across the counter. That means someone is making toast, Mercy’s favorite treat! But when she creeps down the stairs to grab her snack, it isn’t hot buttered toast she finds. Instead, she finds a small man with a big bag, and he’s robbing the Watsons! Will he make his getaway while Mercy searches for a snack? Or will she inadvertently bring his life of crime to a screeching halt?

The Mercy Watson Series at a Glance

Mercy Watson Thinks Like a Pig Book Cover

Author: Kate DiCamillo
Genre: children’s fiction
Interests: animals, zany adventures, humor
Suggested age range: 5 to 10
Gender preference: boys and girls
In the series: 6 books, 80-96 pages

Other Books in the Series

The Mercy Watson Series Checklist

Mercy Watson Library List thumbnail

Do your kids need a little extra encouragement to read?

Take our free Mercy Watson 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!


Click to get your Chapter Book Library Lists Download
All About Learning Press, Inc. is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. All proceeds from our partnership with Amazon.com will be donated to local libraries.

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Erica H

says:

My 5 year old enjoyed this series as an audiobook. As her mom, I also enjoyed the stories and was humored by them.

Robin

says: Customer Service

Thank you for the review, Erica. It’s always great when both mom and child enjoy a book!

Brynja

says:

AAR went hand in hand with our Torchlight Level K with the Mercy Watson books. I love it when everything just meshes together like that!

Robin

says: Customer Service

I love that it all meshed for you, Brynja! Sounds like a great year!

Lora

says:

Our son loves chapter books. We will have to check these out!

Robin

says: Customer Service

I hope your son enjoys these, Lora!

Whitney

says:

We love these books!

Robin

says: Customer Service

Thank you, Whitney!

Jessi

says:

We love reading about Mercy and friends! Thank you for all of the great recommendations.

Robin

says: Customer Service

You’re welcome, Jessi! Great to hear you enjoyed Mercy!

Amber Sandeford

says:

These books are really the best! We’ve since read all of Kate Dicamillo’s books, but Mercy and his love of pancakes is where it all began 😁

Robin

says: Customer Service

Thank you, Amber!

Anna

says:

Thank you! This looks great.

Brook Joseph

says:

I’ve heard so many great things about this series, I’ll definitely be checking these out!!

Nicole

says:

I’ve heard so many great things about this series!

Robin

says: Customer Service

Wonderful, Nicole!

Rebekah

says:

Thank you for the recommendation! Will check them out

Robin

says: Customer Service

You’re welcome, Rebekah! I hope you enjoy Mercy Watson.

Michelle

says:

My child has been struggling to transition her interest from picture books to chapter books – we can’t seem to find the right series to captivate her interest. I showed her the video included at the top this post and she seems to want more Mercy Watson! Thanks for including that as part of the article. As a side note, the link under the video seems to be broken, but we are able to find them on Amazon. Thanks!

Robin

says: Customer Service

Thank you for letting us know the link doesn’t work, Michelle! We’ll get right on that.

Transitioning from picture books to chapter books is more of a mental stumbling block from many children. Often picture books have more complex language because they were written to be read aloud to children. But the idea of more words per page and fewer pictures can seem daunting to a young reader. Mercy Watson is a great first chapter book, however, since they have lots illustrations.

Katie GINDIN

says:

These look like so much fun!

Robin

says: Customer Service

Thank you, Katie!

Holly

says:

Going to check this out. Finding good boss for a struggling reader is hard.

Sara

says:

My kids loved the audio for Win Dixie. I’ll ha e to give these a try.

Colleen

says:

My first grader loves Mercy Watson. The pictures are fun and the chapters approachable. She’s so independent though that I haven’t actually read them-ha!

Robin

says: Customer Service

Wow, Colleen! It sounds like your first-grader is reading really well! I’m glad she enjoys Mercy Watson. Thank you.

Heather

says:

These are definitely on our To-Be-Read list!

Robin

says: Customer Service

Great, Heather! I hope you enjoy them!

Kristin

says:

We LOVE Mercy Watson!! My daughter could read them with a little assistance after level 2. She was so excited to win a boxed set in the library summer reading program last year.

Robin

says: Customer Service

Thank you for sharing this, Kristin! I’m sure others will be glad to know that the Mercy Watson books were approachable, with a little help, after All About Reading Level 2.

Michelle

says:

These books are a favorite in our home.

Robin

says: Customer Service

Great to hear, Michelle. Thank you.

Valerie

says:

When are these good to introduce? After what AAR level?

Robin

says: Customer Service

Valerie,
This series is a great first introduction as books to be read aloud to children from an early age. Mercy Watson is often very approachable for even children as young as 6 to listen to.

However, I think you may be asking at what level of All About Reading will children be ready to read the books to themselves. That is harder to say, but I would suggest trying them after a child has finished Level 2. A student will likely need help with some words, but most of them will be approachable for a student at that level. However, if your child gets frustrated or is resistant, wait until after Level 3.

Nicole

says:

These books are SO much fun!

Robin

says: Customer Service

Great to hear, Nicole!

Carmen

says:

These are hilarious!

Chelsea

says:

These are the perfect read alouds for kids that can’t quite track with a novel yet, as it pulls them in with its humourou and fast pace story telling

Robin

says: Customer Service

Chelsea,
Thank you for pointing this out! I agree! The Mercy Watson books are a great option as a first-chapter book read aloud!

Chae D

says:

These are my boys’ favorite books. The audio versions are great too

Robin

says: Customer Service

Thanks for letting us know the audiobooks are good too, Chae!

Pamela

says:

We absolutely love Mercy Watson!

Eva Verghese

says:

Love this book and the author.. awesome recommendation.

Shannon

says:

We love this series! Great recommendation!

Jennifer

says:

We love Mercy!

Tracey Mitchell

says:

I think my children would love these books! We live on a farm and they love animals.

Sara

says:

My boys might love to read this series !

Sarah

says:

This series sounds so fun. Thanks for the suggestion!