Joan Holub Books In Order

Publication Order of Eek! Stories To Make You Shriek! Books

Publication Order of Doll Hospital Books

Publication Order of Easy-To-Read! Easy-To-Draw! Books

Publication Order of First-Start Easy Reader Books

Publication Order of Ant Hill Books

Publication Order of Young Princesses Around the World Books

Publication Order of Goddess Girls Books

Publication Order of Goddess Girls Super Special Books

Publication Order of Heroes In Training Books

Publication Order of Grimmtastic Girls Books

Publication Order of Mini Myths Books

Publication Order of Little Goddess Girls Books

Publication Order of Thunder Girls Books

Publication Order of Hello Books

Publication Order of Picture Books

Publication Order of Chapter Books

Publication Order of Children's Books

Publication Order of Short Story Collections

Publication Order of Non-Fiction Books

Publication Order of Smart About History Books

Publication Order of Penguin Young Readers: Level 2 Books

Publication Order of If You…Books

Publication Order of Math Matters® Books

Publication Order of Penguin Young Readers: Level 3 Books

Publication Order of Who Was/Is...? Books

Joan majored in Fine Arts during college, and always knew she wanted to be an artist. She started as an Art Director at a graphic design firm in Texas, but dreamed of moving to New York, where she could be involved in children’s publishing. After eight years in Texas she finally fulfilled her dream and moved to New York City, the heart of the publishing industry.

She got a job as an Associate Art Director for Scholastic, helping other illustrators bring their art work to life in children’s books. This was an amazing experience, but Joan wanted to see her own work in print. She started illustrating children’s books in 1992, and went from there to authoring stories as well. She sold her first two manuscripts in 1996, Boo Who? (A spooky lift the flap book.) and Pen Pals.

Now she writes full time and has written and/or illustrated over 130 books. Although Joan started as an illustrator, she found she loves writing so much, she has decided to write full time. She leaves the illustrating to other talented collaborators.

Joan says she didn’t have many books at home when she was young, but she did spend a lot of time at the library. Her mother took her along with her brother and sister to the library often. She always had a talent for illustration, but it wasn’t until the early 90’s that she discovered she had a long list of stories that needed to be told. At first, she was rejected many times. This in spite of working in the publishing industry. But finally an editor took a chance on her. Now she’s a household name in the children’s book world. You can’t visit any corner of a children’s bookstore, or department without seeing the name, Joan Holub, repeated on cover after cover.

Joan gets her ideas from everywhere. She listens to friends and strangers alike. She reads, travels, and daydreams to come up with story ideas. “That’s the easy part. It’s developing a story with a beginning, middle, and end, that’s hard.” Sometimes it can be frustrating when a story won’t come together, but when Joan really believes in an idea, she sticks with it. That’s why she has so many successful books and book series.

She also didn’t give up when her first manuscripts were rejected, over and over. She called them boomerangs. But Joan kept submitting, kept working on her craft, and kept writing. Now she has published books for children of all ages.

Joan lives with her two cats, Scout and Boo (named for characters from the book, “To Kill a Mockingbird”). She has a brother and sister. Scout likes to jump on her writing desk to see what she’s working on, and often sleeps in a box on top of a bookshelf.

The Goddess Girls series takes characters from Greek Mythology and gives them the same problems and issues that face contemporary kids. Fitting in, boy/girl relationships, bullying, homework, responsibility, etc. are all captured through the recognizable characters of Ancient Greece.

Each character embodies some of the attributes most commonly associated with that god or goddess.

Goddess Girls is just one series of books Joan Holub has written based on Greek Mythology. She also has a series called, Hero’s in Training, which takes a more masculine point of view. In addition she has begun a series of Mini-Myths, board books designed for toddlers age 1-3. These adorable books teach essential behaviors, such as playing nice (Hercules), being patient (Pandora), and brushing your hair (Medusa).

Goddess Girls Book 1: Athena the Brain

Life should be easy for smart, beautiful, Athena but for some reason she’s never been able to fit in at Triton Junior High. Things start to make sense when she realizes she is actually a goddess, daughter of Zeus no less. She’s summoned to Mount Olympus Academy, where she is sure she will be able to fit in.

But just because Mount Olympus Academy is a school for gods and goddesses, doesn’t mean it’s any different from the school she left behind. She still has to deal with mean girls, and fickle boys. She still has to try to make friends, and have someone to sit with at lunch. And worst of all, she has to deal with the Principal being her dad, Zeus!

When the ultimate mean girl, Medusa, decides to make Athena’s life a living Hades, the young goddess has to trust her newfound friends to have her back.

Goddess Girls Book Two: Persephone the Phony

Persephone is not one to make waves. She learned from her mom that it’s better to go along, say what the other person wants to hear, don’t speak your mind. So when she meets Hades, and he’s interested in what she actually has to say, she’s drawn to him at once.

Too bad Hades is considered the “bad boy of Mount Olympus Academy.” Her friends, and her mom all think he is nothing but trouble. But Persephone sees another side of Hades. He’s just misunderstood. Isn’t he?

Persephone finds herself torn between her mother and her friends, and her attraction to the young rebel, Hades. Can she find a way to be true to herself, or will she go on being a phony?

Goddess Girls Book Three: Aphrodite the Beauty

Aphrodite is used to being the object of all the godboys affections. She can hardly make a move without one of them showering her with flowers, candy, you name it. But when she decides to give the attractive and brainy Athena a makeover, things suddenly change.

Ares, the godboy she’s liked forever suddenly has eyes only for Athena. Aphrodite begins to regret helping her friend, if it means losing Ares affections. Now the only godboy who seems interested in Aphrodite is Hephaestrus. He’s a nice guy, and has always worshiped Aphrodite, but he’s not nearly as cute as Ares, and he’s not in the popular crowd at all.

While trying to deal with the unexpected jealousy brought on by the attention Athena is receiving, Aphrodite finds that Hephaestrus is more interesting than he appears. But will she be able to overcome her jealousy and maintain her friendship with Athena, or will her envy get the better of her and spoil their friendship.