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.
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!
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.”
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?
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
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!
Rebekah
says:Thank you for the recommendation! Will check them out
Robin
says: Customer ServiceYou’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 ServiceThank 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 ServiceThank 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 ServiceWow, 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 ServiceGreat, 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 ServiceThank 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 ServiceGreat to hear, Michelle. Thank you.
Valerie
says:When are these good to introduce? After what AAR level?
Robin
says: Customer ServiceValerie,
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 ServiceGreat 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 ServiceChelsea,
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 ServiceThanks 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!
Kayleigh
says:We love this series! Thank you for the suggestion. They have an older kids series as well.
Megan
says:Nice work.
RK
says:Looking forward to learning more abo”All About spelling”. I’ve been looking for a solution for my son.. This has some decent reviews, although I’m not sure if these are legit reviews.
Robin
says: Customer ServiceRK,
It may not mean much coming from me, but the types of things you are reading are the types of comments we get all the time from those using All About Spelling. I don’t just work for the company either; I used All About Spelling with my own children. It really does work!
Please know that we offer a one-year money-back “Go Ahead and Use It” guarantee. If you purchase directly from us, you have up to a year from the purchase date to return the materials for a full refund of the purchase price, excluding shipping, even if the materials are used. We never want anyone to feel “stuck” with their purchase, and we want them to have the freedom to really try the materials out!
Please let me know if you have questions or concerns I can address. I’m happy to help!
Heather
says:Mercy Watson are definitely fun to read.
Juliane Roeder
says:Great story !
Robyn
says:I’m always looking for a fun new series for my kids. This looks like a good one!
Kristen Piehl
says:My kids love Mercy Watson!
Whitney H Estep
says:We have read the first book and loved it! We hope to read the others soon!
Mary C
says:I can’t wait to introduce a new series to my kids!