Wants the full series setup
Begin with One Dead Spy, which introduces the recurring storytelling frame and the American Revolution.
Book Series · 14 Books
Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales Books
In order from One Dead Spy to Bones and Berserkers.
An illustrated history series that turns major events and remarkable lives into fast-moving, funny graphic narratives without hiding the difficult parts of the past.
Reviewed by the Bookroo Editors Updated
Reading order
How to Read Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales
Publication order begins with One Dead Spy and runs through Bones and Berserkers. Starting with book one best explains the series' storytelling frame, but most volumes focus on a different historical subject and can also be chosen by a child's interests.
Let's Make History! is an optional activity book about creating and researching comics. It is not a numbered history volume and does not need to be read between books #12 and #13.
Sources: Abrams's official Hazardous Tales page, Abrams's official book #13 page.
For parents
What Parents Should Know
The series makes difficult history vivid. Depending on the volume, readers encounter war, weapons, executions, enslavement, racism, starvation, cannibalism, injuries, and deaths. Cartoon art and humor add breathing room, but the underlying events are real and can be intense.
Where to start
Where Should My Child Start?
Readers can follow publication order or choose a historical subject that already interests them.
Wants to make comics
Choose Let's Make History! for drawing, writing, and research activities rather than a numbered history story.
Where the story begins
First Book in the Series
Graphic Nov.
Sale price
$1498
Book #1 · Chapter Book · Ages 8–12 · 2012
One Dead Spy
By Nathan Hale
Uncover the daring exploits of America's first spy during the Revolutionary War.
128 pages· 14,156 words· Est. 2.5 hour read
$15.99Save 6%
Hardcover
In reading order
Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales Series
14 books · Published 2012–2025
#1
#1 in Series
Graphic Nov.
Sale price
$1498
One Dead Spy
Chapter Book · Ages 8–12 · 2012
Uncover the daring exploits of America's first spy during the Revolutionary War.
#2
#2 in Series
Graphic Nov.
Sale price
$1498
Big Bad Ironclad!
Chapter Book · Ages 8–12 · 2012
The story of the American Civil War and the development of ironclad warships.
#3
#3 in Series
Graphic Nov.
Sale price
$1498
Donner Dinner Party
Chapter Book · Ages 11–17 · 2013
A shortcut leads pioneers into a deadly winter struggle for survival.
#4
#4 in Series
Graphic Nov.
Sale price
$1498
Treaties, Trenches, Mud, and Blood (Graphic Novel)
Chapter Book · Ages 8–12 · 2014
Uncover World War I's secrets and battles in a gripping graphic tale.
#5
#5 in Series
Graphic Nov.
Sale price
$1498
The Underground Abductor
Chapter Book · Ages 8–14 · 2015
Escape slavery, risk everything, and lead others to freedom on the Underground Railroad.
#6
#6 in Series
Graphic Nov.
Sale price
$1498
Alamo All-Stars
Chapter Book · Ages 8–12 · 2016
A ragtag group defends a fort against a Mexican army in a fight for Texas independence.
#7
#7 in Series
Graphic Nov.
Sale price
$1498
Raid of No Return
Chapter Book · Ages 8–12 · 2017
A daring WWII mission: bombers launch from a carrier, risking all for a secret strike on Tokyo.
#8
#8 in Series
Graphic Nov.
Sale price
$1498
Lafayette!
Chapter Book · Ages 8–12 · 2018
A young nobleman seeks adventure in America's fight for independence, risking everything for a cause beyond borders.
#9
#9 in Series
Graphic Nov.
Sale price
$1498
Major Impossible
Chapter Book · Ages 8–12 · 2019
Ten men enter the Grand Canyon; only six survive. Can they conquer nature's fury?
#10
#10 in Series
Graphic Nov.
Sale price
$1498
Blades of Freedom
Chapter Book · Ages 8–12 · 2020
A revolution in Haiti changes the fate of the Louisiana Territory.
#11
#11 in Series
Graphic Nov.
Sale price
$1498
Cold War Correspondent
Chapter Book · Ages 8–12 · 2021
A journalist defies orders to report from the Korean War frontlines.
#12
#12 in Series
Graphic Nov.
Sale price
$1498
Above the Trenches
Chapter Book · Ages 8–12 · 2023
Young Americans defy neutrality, joining WWI's skies as daring pilots.
Series
Graphic Nov.
Sale price
$1398
Let's Make History!
Chapter Book · Ages 8–12 · 2022
Dive into history with 71 comic challenges that test your creativity and storytelling skills.
Series
Graphic Nov.
Sale price
$1498
Bones and Berserkers
Chapter Book · Ages 8–12 · 2025
Discover chilling true tales of terror from American history.
Optional activity companion
Make Your Own History Comics
1 book · Published 2022
Let's Make History! offers hands-on drawing, writing, and research prompts. It supports the series but is not book #14.
Series
Graphic Nov.
Sale price
$1398
Let's Make History!
Chapter Book · Ages 8–12 · 2022
Dive into history with 71 comic challenges that test your creativity and storytelling skills.
Good to know
Common Questions
How many books are in the Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales series?
There are 14 books in the Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales series. It began with One Dead Spy in 2012, and the newest book, Bones and Berserkers, was published in 2025.
What order should you read the Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales books in?
Start with One Dead Spy and follow the series order — the books above are numbered #1 through #14.
What ages are the Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales books best for?
The series is best for ages 8–17, based on the age ranges of the individual books.
The people
The Creative Behind the Books
The people who bring Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales to life.
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