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 is not just a pig—she’s a porcine wonder! Her owners, Mr. and Mrs. Watson, dote on her and 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, including Because of Winn-Dixie, the classic story of a stray dog who manages to change the lives of everyone he meets. 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 thanks to their short and exciting chapters, engaging characters, and fast-paced plotlines. They’ll introduce young readers to a variety of fun-to-learn and fun-to-use 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
In the first book of the series, Mercy Watson to the Rescue, Mercy decides she doesn’t want to sleep alone in her own bed—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, especially 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 when 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 get her share of the 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
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
- Mercy Watson: Princess in Disguise
- Mercy Watson Thinks Like a Pig
- Mercy Watson: Something Wonky This Way Comes
The Mercy Watson Series Checklist
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!
Brigitte
says:These are some of our favorites!
Lisa
says:We love these!
Angela Kindiger
says:Thank you for all of this wonderful information!
Kate
says:I’ll have to remember this.
Merry
says: Customer ServiceHi Kate! I hope you can find some new favorite books for your kids!
Laura
says:These look fun!
Yamel
says:Thank You so much for this list!
We own the first in the series, we’ll definitely get the others!
Merry
says: Customer ServiceYou’re welcome, Yamel! I hope you enjoy the other books in the series too!
Mel
says:My kids love these books!
CJ Lamica
says:My grandsons love these books.
Stacey
says:We are excited to take the handy list to the library!
Merry
says: Customer ServiceHave fun at the library, Stacey!
Leah
says:We have heard such great things from fiends about Mercy Watson books!
Kirsten M
says:My older 2 loved this series. Can’t wait for my youngest to start them next year.
Pamela
says:I just read somewhere else about these books, I am looking into them now! These would be a great reading for naptime!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServicePamela,
I agree, these books will be great reading for naptime!
Chris
says:We’ve never used these with our older two, but I’d like to with my youngest!
Karianne
says:These are super fun and motivating for my kiddos!
Lydia H.
says:Such great, fun stories for my kiddos!
Stacey Hansell
says:We just started listening to the audio books…and let’s just say…the kids have asked for HOT BUTTERED TOAST each day since! Great books!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceThis made me smile a huge smile, Stacey! Got to love hot buttered toast. 😉
Rebecca
says:This sounds awesome!
Cara
says:My daughter loves animals. This will be a great addition to our reading collection! Thank you for sharing this with us.
Katrina Angele
says:These sound like a fun read with my son. Going to look them up next time we go to the library.
Laurie
says:My kids have enjoyed these books. They are amusing.
Judith
says:Sounds like they will be fun to read!
Sally Chancellor
says:My kids love these books, thanks for reminding me about them!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceYou’re welcome, Sally. It’s always fun to revisit old favorites!
Christine Smith
says:These are adorable books!
Diana
says:Sounds like a series of books my girls will love. I will have to see if they are in the library system around here!
Jessi Ann
says:This sounds like a fun to read series.
Kim
says:My kids love these on audio :)
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceIt’s great to hear the audiobooks are good. Thanks, Kim!
Jen
says:Looks like an amazing set!
Kyleshka
says:I read Because of Winn Dixie as a child. I’ll have to check these out too! My little girl loves books about animals.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceKyleshaka,
Because of Winn Dixie is such a touching story. Mercy Watson is more light-hearted and funny, but it still has the same sweetness this author is known for. I think an animal-loving girl will enjoy Mercy Watson a lot.
Madel
says:These look absolutely amazing! My kids would love them!
Amanda Sheffield
says:This book looks super cute and interesting. I think my kids wouldlove it!
Allie
says:This looks like a great series
Meeghan
says:We LOVE Mercy Watson in our family!!! :)
Tiffany
says:Looking forward to checking these out!
Jana
says:We love this series!!
Cheri
says:I look forward to checking it out from the library. Thanks for letting us know about good reading material.
Jeanna
says:Such a fun series, and we really love the slightly older Tales from Deckawoo Drive series too–especially the ones about Baby and Eugenia Lincoln!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceJeanna,
A few people have mentioned Tales from Deckawoo Drive; I really need to check it out! Thank you for the recommendation.
Lynette W
says:Really enjoyed some of her other books. This review means we will be reserving these at the library also. Thanks!
Chelsie
says:Thanks for the suggestions
I’m always looking for new good books for the kids
Patricia
says:Thanks for these book suggestions.
Karen Parker
says:Thank you for the amazing opportunities that these gift certificates will offer to those who win.
Wonetta Patton
says:Very great series!!
Christina Curtis
says:Cute!
Karla Hill
says:Another great series to explore.
Jennifer
says:This series looks wonderful! My kiddos would love it ❤️
Leigh
says:My boys love these books!
Krystal
says:I’ll have to look for these at the library! We’re always up for a good story.
Carol
says:Thank you for your library checklist. I will check it out at the library. School will be starting, good book to read to the kids.
Rick Rojas
says:I really look forward to reading this to my kids. They love stories about farm animals.
Janna
says:We are thankful for the all about spelling program. My kids really enjoy this program and their spelling has improved.
Christina
says:We love the Mercy Watson stories!
Judith Martinez
says:This looks like a really fun series! I will look for these at the public library.
Lissa
says:I get tired of reading all the big names but love to put on the audio books from the series!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceAudiobooks are a great alternative, Lissa!
Meggan Edwards
says:I appreciate this. I’m always looking for great new books to read with my kids!
Mel
says:We love mercy
Lisa
says:Aww! We love the Mercy Watson series. And just about everything else written by Kate DiCamillo!
Rebecca Fogle
says:My kiddos love Mercy Watson! I love that they are easy and short chapter books that bridge the gap between beginner readers and full chapter books.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceThe Mercy Watson books ARE great for transitioning readers to chapter books. Thanks for pointing that out, Rebecca!
Laura ulrich
says:Very helpful! Thank you!
Jessie
says:Thank you for the checklist.
Tessa Myra
says:Cute!
Jessica Menteer
says:These look so cute!
Jess
says:These books are so cute!
Anita Flinchum
says:Sounds intriguing!
Marcia
says:These look fun . . .
Veronica
says:Thank you for making it so easy to teach my children to read!
Penny
says:So many freebies on this site!! So much educational info that has been shared.
Renee
says:We LOVE Mercy Watson!! They were our first chapter book read aloud, and we devoured the whole series!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceRenee,
I love that Mercy Watson was the first chapter book you read aloud! It’s such a sweet and funny book to start loving chapter books with.
Abbey F
says:We will have to look up this series at the library next time we viit. Both sons thought it sounded like they would enjoy reading it very much.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceI hope your library has it, Abbey. But if not, maybe you could ask them to get the series. Lots of children would love it!
Rebecca
says:Looks like great books!
Rebecca
says:Look like great books!
Jennifer E
says:Wow these look wonderful!
Genia Miller
says:We love these books!
Jessica
says:My kids will love these!
Angie walker
says:This looks like an awesome series!
Teresa Todd Reidsma
says:Great author!
Stacey
says:This is awesome!
Jessica
says:Thanks for sharing another great set of books. We will definitely be looking for these fun-sounding books on our next trip to the library.
Jaime
says:These look cute.
Amanda
says:My son would love these!
Tiphani’s
says:I think my boys would love these books! Thank you!
Justis Zietlow
says:With all boys, reading can be daunting and “work” instead of fun. Finding great ways to strengthen their vocab is always apprecated.
Molly Patz
says:Looks like a series my kids would love
Abby M Miner
says:This series looks so cute.
Casey
says:My kids would love this book! We will have to get these soon!
Marti Gano
says:My son has been reading his way through this series. He says they are hilarious.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceMarti,
Thank your son for me for his recommendation! Hilarious books are super fun to read. 😊
January
says:These are some of our favorites! Cute and such fun to read!
Stacy
says:This series looks darling!
KarenM
says:Awesome!
Yocheved
says:These stories sound so cute! Do you know if any libraries have them in stock?
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceYocheved,
More than a few have posted here that they found at least some of the books in this series at their local library. However, one or two have said that their library doesn’t have them. So, it depends on the library.
Kourtney
says:Thank you for the information! I will definitely look into these!
Martha
says:My children love the Mercy Watson stories.
Heather O
says:These stories look cute! Gonna check them out!!
Ellen
says:Love Kate DiCamillo’s “Tale of Despereaux.” Looking forward to exploring these.
Silvana
says:I teach special education in a resource room. This past year, 3 of my female readers discovered the Mercy Watson books and they love them! I was a little concerned with the high vocabulary, but while many of the words were new to them, they remained undaunted and kept picking up the books. There seems to be “just something” about them that attracts the kids. :-)
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceSilvana,
Thank you for sharing your students’ experiences with these books in your resource room. I love that the higher vocabulary isn’t deterring your students!
Sarah Masters Brown
says:These sound so cute!
Jenn
says:These books are a hit in my family!!
Katie Wilson
says:These books look really cute. I think both my children will love them. Even though my oldest can read she still enjoys listening when I read to her little brother. Sometimes she reads to him. Win win.
ShQuita Boone
says:This will be my first time using this curriculum and I’m so excited! I’ve heard nothing but good things about it.
Bridget Piscoya
says:Looks cute!
Kristy Delgado
says:I LOVE this! I have never heard of this series before but the stories sound so engaging and they sound like really well written stories that I can share with my children without worrying about the content. I also love the illustrations shown above. They are above. I am very excited to get this series for my children!! Thank you for sharing this!!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceYou’re welcome, Kristy! I think you and your children will love this series. There is even a spin-off series called Tales from Deckawoo Drive (the street Mercy Watson lives on).
Dee
says:Sounds like a cute series my youngest son might enjoy.
Tanya
says:Looks fun
Rebekah
says:We read Mercy Watson to the Rescue, and my three year old made me read the whole thing in one setting! I love the mix of chapters and pictures.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceWow, Rebekah! It must have really held your child’s interest for him to have you read it all in a single setting!
Christy Jusino
says:Mercy Watson looks really cute! I like to keep my eye out for books like this as I have 7 kids who are voracious readers! Thanks
Christy
Kim
says:Looks like a fun series!!
Melissa
says:These books look wonderful! I would love to use these in my prek class!
Missy
says:We LOVE Kate DiCamillo… and books about farm critters! This series will definitely be making its way into our personal library!
Sandy
says:Wow! New books to discover! And some awesome new vocabulary too (for me and the kids!). Thank you for that introduction!
Vicki
says:I love Mercy books, and I love your book reviews! Keep up the great work!
Monica Garrett
says:This is very helpful!
Kassandra
says:We are definitely going to check these out!
Michael Sellars
says:How about no comment? I don’t have time to read it.
Teresa
says:These look like a fun read! We’ll have to check them out!
Tanya
says:Great author! Cant wait to check them out!
Amy Beth McPherson
says:We love Mercy Watson, but have not read all of these.
Amy E.
says:These books look like fun! I will have to check Mercy Watson out if our library!
Jennifer
says:We’ll definitely have to check these out. Love the checklist idea
Stephanie
says:This seems like a great chapter book series…
Amber
says:Late DiCamillo is a great author and the checklist sounds wonderful for my first grader!
Melinda
says:We have them on reserve at local library can’t wait to start!!
Tosha Finley
says:This sounds so fun for my littles. Can’t wait to add it to our home library. Great post.
Jaci Cathcart
says:We love Mercy Watson! Super cute video. :)
michelle
says:I’ve been looking for a new series for my kids! This series looks great!
Emily Cook
says:I wish our library carried this series!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceMaybe you could speak with someone at your library, Emily, and request they purchase it. I have found most libraries are receptive to patron recommendations.
Diane R
says:Looks like an adorable book!!
Kristen
says:These sound like adorable books – one to look for at our library!
Elizabeth
says:My son really enjoyed The Tale of Despereaux. We’ll have to give these a try!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceElizabeth,
The Mercy Watson books are on a lower reading level than The Tale of Despereaux, but since your son like the one, I think he like the other too! 😊
STACYW
says:Mercy Watson books are so fun to read!
Jennifer
says:Love these books!
Amery D.
says:My daughter loves Mercy Watson books.
Christi Rice
says:Thank you for the fantastic book ideas! I am always looking for great books for my kiddos to read. These sound like they are going to be really fun reads.
Cilantron
says:Know and love this series. My 5 year old finds them highly amusing.
Robin E.
says: Customer Service“Highly amusing” is a great recommendation for a series! 😊
Julie
says:Always like pigs!
Heidi
says:My 5 year old son loved these books. He also liked the Tales from Deckawoo Drive books. Deckawoo Drive is the street Mercy Watson lives on.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceHeidi,
Thank you for pointing out that there is also a spin-off series, Tales from Deckawoo Drive! That will keep the fun going that much longer!
Linda
says:These sound cute.
Laura
says:I have these books on our reading list for when the school year starts. They look great!
Margie Robichaux
says:We can’t wait to try these!
Rachel
says:This looks like a great series! I love the illustrations of Chris Van Dusen. Thank you All About Learning for all your helpful tips and instructions to all who need it and are accessible to everyone!
Mrs T
says:Looks like a cute series!
Caitlin Ruggiero
says:This looks like such a cute series! I will definitely have to add it to my kids’ reading list.
Elizabeth Smith
says:Sounds cute! Can’t wait to read them with my son!
Stephane Burger
says:Love these books about Mercy Watson, beautifully illustrated as well!
Stephanie Miller
says:I cannot wait to go to our local library to check out these books!
Corinne
says:Purchased the series last week and my grandchildren loved them! Thanks for the review!
Heidi
says:I love Kate’s books
Lisa
says:These look great! I think my daughter will love it! I’m definitely going to check it out. Thanks!
Beth Hoekstra
says:Great concept/idea for younger readers!
Christy Hamilton
says:Thanks for all the great info about your program and the book reviews! They are very helpful!
Laura Stephenson
says:My children are always looking for new and exciting book series to read. We will have to check it out soon!
Kelsey
says:These are adorable!!
Julia Norton LaBorde
says:Looks like a great book for my little reader!
Tara St. Martin
says:My 7 year old loved these. I will look into the authors other books as well. The illustrator has a book called Circus Ship that was a fun, read over and over again type of picture book that i would recommend too.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceThanks for the recommendation, Tara. Circus Ship sounds like a great book!
Sherry S
says:This looks like a fun series to share with my child. Thank you for the reviews. They are helpful.
Melissa Mitchell
says:We have went through all the levels of All About Reading and my son has loved them all. It was definitely a successful program for us. The support for any questions I had was phenomenal and they took the time to help when I needed them. We have not had a chance to read Mercy Watson but look forward to doing it.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceAww, thank you, Melissa! I’m pleased to hear your son enjoyed All About Reading and was successful with it.
Royelle Mickelson
says:I’ve read the first one with a group of 2nd graders. We all had a good laugh at Mercu’s escapades.
Rachel Carpenter
says:We love Mercy Watson and own all the books in this series!
Deb Dell
says:Thank you so much for great book recommendations to encourage our children to love reading!
Lacey Bryant
says:Excited to read these with my kiddos! Thank is for sharing!
Ann
says:Mercy Watson is such fun for kids to read! Thanks for developing these programs they have been so helpful with my children!
Chelsea ure
says:Looking forward to reading more of these cute stories!
Heather
says:What a cute pig!
Karen
says:We love these books! They are really fun.
Carol
says:What a cute story. I will borrow the rest of her books at the library. It’s great as the library has it. Thank you.
Megan
says:Gah! We love Mercy. We have been using these with a new curriculum that came out this year and have been LOVING them!
Sarah C
says:I always love finding out about new great series! We stopped in the library today and just looked around, but I like it so much better when we can check out books that I am already confident in the quality. Thank you for this post and the library list
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceYou are welcome, Sarah. It is always nice to have a recommendation before trying out a new series or author.
Lisa
says:My kids love these books!
Jana
says:Love this series!
Parul Bhutani
says:Aww… it’s so adorable. My daughter’s eyes shined seeing the video 🤩
Kirstin
says:These look so fun and my children will really enjoy the stories!
Jen
says:I bought this series as a set last year, when my boys were ages 8 and 4. They love the books and continue to ask me to read them as read alouds. Reading the series prompted us to find other books by Kate DiCamillo and we have never been disappointed! I highly recommend the Mercy Watson books!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceThank you for such a glowing recommendation, Jen!
Sara
says:We LOVE this book series! The funny mishaps and lovable characters have kept my kids begging to read more! And who doesn’t love a good story that ends with hot buttered toast!
julie
says:These look fun!
Carrie
says:As a first grade teacher, I LOVE Mercy Watson! I always read the first one as a read aloud, and that prompts many of students to read the rest on their own!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceCarrie,
What a great way to entice young readers! 😊
Stacie
says:I’ve heard about Mercy Watson but never actually read one. Putting it on my family’s Must Reas List. Thank you!
Jeana
says:Sound interesting. Had never heard of them before.
Melissa
says:Our family loves Mercy.
Danielle L
says:We love Mercy!
Amanda B
says:These books sound great!!
Nicole Little
says:These books are so adorable!
Chelsea
says:We have these and love them!
Emily Main
says:These books are Soo fun and funny. I love Kate DiCamillo.
Amanda
says:My daughter can be a reluctant reader sometimes – the story line has to be more enticing than playing outside :) But she really likes the Mercy Watson books.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceAmanda,
What a great recommendation for this series! Thank you for sharing this.
Christine
says:I forgot about these books. Thanks for the reminder, I’m off to the library!
Regina C.
says:Mercy Watson is awesome! We are working our way through these as we speak
Kris Steffens
says:I love the emails I receive from Marie Rippel. I have used and am using the All About Spelling and Reading with several of my grandchildren. I love it.
Haadiya Starkey
says:I can’t wait to get my hands on these books. They will definitely provide great entertainment for the little ones. It was nice to reminisce with some of those other titles.
Melanie
says:These books are great! My son loves them!
Larae
says:Thank you! I’ve started a list of beginning chapter books to use with my 8 year old son and haven’t heard of these. At what level would you recommend starting beginning chapter books? Should we finish level 4 first? We will be starting level 3 this school year.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceLarae,
That’s a great question, but not easy to answer.
Many children are excited to dive into beginning chapter books as early as near the end of All About Reading 2 or early in AAR 3. However, some children just aren’t ready for them until closer to the end of AAR 3. I would expect most students to enjoy Mercy Watson by the end of AAR 3, although they may need the occasional help with phonograms or patterns not covered yet.
Deavin
says:Can’t wait to read these with my little!
Kathryn Flynn
says:We will have to check out this series. We’ve been looking for another funny, engaging series for the different ages. 😊
JoAnna
says:We love this series! The kids think they’re so funny, and we as parents do, too.
Karen
says:Very cute😉
Codi
says:Love this author! Excited to read these with my soon to be second grader!
oyuki smith
says:these books look very cute for my two daughters. they love to read! thank you.
Libby Oroza
says:These look ADORABLE. We are always looking for good book recommendations. Thank you!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceThey ARE adorable, Libby! 😊 You’re welcome for the recommendation.
LoryAnn
says:I think these would be wonderful for my daughter.
Sarah
says:We did All About Reading for a bit and really enjoyed it before we moved!
Day
says:So cute!
Alison
says:These look so cute! Thanks for the suggestion!
Heather
says:Interesting. My son will enjoy this!
C S
says:I look forward to trying these with my classes.
Katie Campbell
says:We have not read all the books in this series yet but look forward to finishing, the first few have been really cute!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceI’m glad to hear you enjoyed the first few, Katie.
Elisha
says:I have read the mercy watson books with my children 8 and 5 and they really enjoy them.
Mairin
says:This looks like a really cute series, thank you for sharing.
Susan
says:My girls and I love pigs, and Mercy is one terrific pig!
Tammy
says:Love it
Lori
says:We LOVE Mercy Watson!! They are the books my kids pick up over and over. After reading the series, ‘a great deal of butter’ became a common phrase in our home! So fun!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceLori,
I LOVE it when a word or phrase from a book becomes part of our families’ speech pattern! “Humph!” from “How the Camel Got It’s Hump” from Just So Stories an example of one we use.
Michelle
says:This would be a great series for us. Especially because my youngest daughters name is Mercy.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceOh, I best your Mercy will a special thrill out of this series, Michelle! 😊
Heather
says:I have been looking for good chapter books to read to my 4&6 yr olds. This one looks like a great option.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceHeather,
Yes! I think Mercy Watson to the Rescue would be a great first chapter book read aloud option.
Leah
says:We love Mercy Watson! A great early reading series.