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Quick answer: If you loved Earth's Children, read Jean Auel's The Valley of Horses and The Mammoth Hunters, then The Inheritors, Wolf Brother and People of the Wolf. All are vivid prehistoric novels about survival, community and early humans.
Jean M. Auel's Earth's Children series, beginning with The Clan of the Cave Bear (1980), follows Ayla, a Cro-Magnon girl raised by a Neanderthal clan, across Ice Age Europe. The books mix research, adventure and romance, and became a global bestseller. The books below offer similar stories of prehistory, from classics to modern adventures.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Clan of the Cave Bear | Jean M. Auel | Adult | the series start |
| The Valley of Horses | Jean M. Auel | Adult | the second book |
| The Mammoth Hunters | Jean M. Auel | Adult | the third book |
| The Plains of Passage | Jean M. Auel | Adult | the fourth book |
| The Inheritors | William Golding | Adult | Neanderthal view |
| Wolf Brother | Michelle Paver | Ages 9-13 | Stone Age adventure |
| Reindeer Moon | Elizabeth Marshall Thomas | Adult | Ice Age Siberia |
| Shaman | Kim Stanley Robinson | Adult | Ice Age coming of age |
| People of the Wolf | Kathleen O'Neal Gear and W. Michael Gear | Adult | North American prehistory |
| Sarum | Edward Rutherfurd | Adult | epic of a place |
| Outlander | Diana Gabaldon | Adult | historical time slip |
| Sapiens | Yuval Noah Harari | Adult | human history |
| The Dawn of Everything | David Graeber and David Wengrow | Adult | new prehistory |
| Guns, Germs, and Steel | Jared Diamond | Adult | geography and history |
| Spirit Walker | Michelle Paver | Ages 9-13 | Stone Age sequel |
1. The Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean M. Auel
A young girl is adopted by Neanderthals. The book that began the series.
Best for: the series start.
2. The Valley of Horses by Jean M. Auel
Ayla survives alone in a valley and learns to tame animals. Absorbing and romantic.
Best for: the second book.
3. The Mammoth Hunters by Jean M. Auel
Ayla meets a new community. Long and detailed.
Best for: the third book.
4. The Plains of Passage by Jean M. Auel
Ayla and Jondalar travel across Ice Age Europe. A long journey.
Best for: the fourth book.
5. The Inheritors by William Golding
A Neanderthal group meets modern humans. Short, strange and powerful.
Best for: Neanderthal view.
6. Wolf Brother by Michelle Paver
A boy and a wolf cub fight an evil bear. The start of the Chronicles of Ancient Darkness.
Best for: Stone Age adventure.
7. Reindeer Moon by Elizabeth Marshall Thomas
A young woman lives among hunters in Ice Age Siberia. Quiet and carefully imagined.
Best for: Ice Age Siberia.
8. Shaman by Kim Stanley Robinson
A boy in the Ice Age trains to be a shaman. Detailed and thoughtful.
Best for: Ice Age coming of age.
9. People of the Wolf by Kathleen O'Neal Gear and W. Michael Gear
The first people cross into North America. Detailed and vivid.
Best for: North American prehistory.
10. Sarum by Edward Rutherfurd
The story of Salisbury Plain from the Ice Age to modern times. Sprawling and rich.
Best for: epic of a place.
11. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
A nurse steps through stones and lands in eighteenth-century Scotland. Long and passionate.
Best for: historical time slip.
12. Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari
A big-picture history of our species. Clear, provocative and widely read.
Best for: human history.
13. The Dawn of Everything by David Graeber and David Wengrow
The authors argue that early societies were more varied than we thought. Dense and argumentative.
Best for: new prehistory.
14. Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond
Diamond argues that geography shaped the rise of societies. Controversial but influential.
Best for: geography and history.
15. Spirit Walker by Michelle Paver
Torak and his wolf cub journey to find a cure for a deadly illness. Atmospheric and fast.
Best for: Stone Age sequel.
How to Choose
To stay with Ayla read the series in order. For other Stone Age fiction choose The Inheritors, Reindeer Moon or Shaman. For younger readers pick Wolf Brother. For epics of place read Sarum. For nonfiction about early humans try Sapiens or The Dawn of Everything. Earth's Children is a long series, so many readers pace themselves with shorter books in between. Auel's novels were based on archaeological research of the time, and some of her ideas have since changed as science has moved on. Readers who like the books often enjoy reading about Neanderthals in recent science writing. Auel's fans may enjoy novels set in the Ice Age or documentaries about cave art. If you want shorter books in the same spirit, The Inheritors is a slim classic. Reading the series in a continuous run is popular, and the audiobooks are long but absorbing.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is Earth's Children?
A six-book series about Ayla, a Cro-Magnon girl raised by Neanderthals.
Who wrote it?
Jean M. Auel.
When was the first book published?
1980.
How many books are in the series?
Six, ending with The Land of Painted Caves in 2011.
Do I need to read in order?
Yes.
Is it accurate?
It was based on research, but some details are now outdated.
Is it explicit?
It includes sex scenes, so it suits adults and older teens.
What should I read next?
Try The Valley of Horses or The Inheritors.
Is The Clan of the Cave Bear suitable for teens?
It contains violence and sexual assault, so it suits mature readers.
Is there a film?
A 1986 film adaptation exists, but it is quite different from the book.