Start with the family journey
Begin with Homecoming and continue in numbered order.
Book Series · 7 Books
The Tillerman Cycle Books
In order from Homecoming to Seventeen Against the Dealer.
A thoughtful family saga about the four Tillerman children, the relatives and friends around them, and the long work of finding a stable home. Different books shift viewpoint and time while building one connected family history.
Reviewed by the Bookroo Editors Updated
Reading order
How to Read the Tillerman Cycle
Read the seven novels in publisher order, beginning with Homecoming. The viewpoint sometimes moves away from Dicey and her siblings, but later books depend on relationships and events established earlier.
Sources: Simon & Schuster official series order.
For parents
What Parents Should Know
The opening story begins with four children abandoned by their mother and traveling on their own. Across the series, characters face poverty, racism, bullying, family estrangement, disability, illness, grief, and death. The treatment is realistic and reflective rather than sensational, but several books carry more emotional weight than the adventure-like opening may suggest.
Where to start
Where Should My Child Start?
The sequence is cumulative even when the narrator changes.
Where the story begins
First Book in the Series
Sale price
$1999
Book #1 · Chapter Book · Ages 10–15 · 1981
Homecoming
Four siblings abandoned, a journey to safety, and a hope for trust.
400 pages· 110,893 words· Est. 10.5 hour read
Hardcover
Summary: Abandoned in a mall parking lot, Dicey Tillerman and her siblings must navigate their way to Great-aunt Cilla's house in Bridgeport. With little money and nowhere safe to stay, they must avoid authorities and rely on each other. As they journey forward, Dicey clings to the hope of finding someone who will care for them, but fears it may be an impossible dream. Will they find the safety and love they desperately seek, or is it too much to hope for?
In reading order
The Tillerman Cycle Series
7 books · Published 1981–1989
#1
Sale price
$1999
Homecoming
Chapter Book · Ages 10–15 · 1981
Four siblings abandoned, a journey to safety, and a hope for trust.
#2
Sale price
$1139
Dicey's Song
Chapter Book · Ages 12–18 · 1982
Abandoned siblings journey to find family, but Dicey must learn to let go.
#3
Sale price
$1999
A Solitary Blue
Chapter Book · Ages 10–13 · 1983
A boy seeks connection with his estranged mother, facing betrayal and loneliness.
#4
Sale price
$799
The Runner
Chapter Book · Ages 10–13 · 1985
Can running from pain lead to self-discovery?
#5
Sale price
$1899
Come a Stranger
Chapter Book · Ages 11–14 · 1986
A dancer's dream shatters, leading to unexpected desires and identity struggles.
#6
Sale price
$1899
Sons from Afar
Chapter Book · Ages 12–15 · 1987
Two brothers search for their missing father, uncovering secrets and facing danger along the way.
#7
Sale price
$1899
Seventeen Against the Dealer
Chapter Book · Ages 10–13 · 1989
Can Dicey save her dreams and loved ones from a betrayal?
Good to know
Common Questions
How many books are in the Tillerman Cycle series?
There are 7 books in the Tillerman Cycle series. It began with Homecoming in 1981, and the newest book, Seventeen Against the Dealer, was published in 1989.
What order should you read the Tillerman Cycle books in?
Start with Homecoming and follow the series order — the books above are numbered #1 through #7.
What ages are the Tillerman Cycle books best for?
The series is best for ages 10–18, based on the age ranges of the individual books.
The people
The Creative Behind the Books
The people who bring The Tillerman Cycle to life.
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